London riots test David Cameron

England has opened its gates to members of the many nations from across its declining empire, but it never opened its arms to them. From the start, the sons of Pakistan and other nations came not to assimilate but to create spiritual and cultural ghettos on English soil. Now they constitute five percent of Britain's population.

At the end of the 18th century, the U.S. developed the concept of the "melting pot" in the hopes of funneling successive waves of immigration into a single nation. It's unclear to what degree the U.S. succeeded in its goal. Eventually, it flagged. Only the ingathering of the exiles of the Jewish people in their land of Israel revived the melting pot concept.

Some believe the assimilation of immigrants into Western societies is going well, albeit extremely slowly. Others deem it a failure. The melting pot does seem to be a success in Israel, and is likely to improve in the future. Yet waves of immigration, which are a blessing, slow things down. Still, the world did wait to find out how the Israeli experiment turned out.

The West abandoned the notion of a melting pot in favor of multiculturalism, as if it were possible for a society to flourish amid socioeconomic alienation and hostility. Reality has now come home to roost. When Prime Minister, David Cameron took office, he declared multiculturalism bankrupt. The ensuing outcry was only exacerbated when he cut welfare budgets and significantly upped university tuitions. A confrontation between England and the minority population from the empire "the sun never sets on," was only a matter of time. That time came this week.

It's possible that multiculturalism is incompatible with human nature. In any case, what's clear is that it doesn't work during times of economic stress. It creates circumstances that prevent dialogue over the widening gaps between deep poverty and ostentatious wealth. In the absence of dialogue, you get an updated version of the Tower of Babel.

Cameron on Tuesday set a test for himself that sounds like a casus belli. He told the rioters and looters that they would be subject to harsh measures. If they are old enough to commit crimes, they are old enough to suffer the consequences and be punished. They can expect no mercy. If the rioters don't back down now and up the ante instead, Cameron will emerge from this test as a new Margaret Thatcher, who was also conservative; or else as a man bound, beaten and thrown to the dogs.

The entire world is following the events in a London that is burning, ransacked and in turmoil. Europe watches its island neighbor in the full knowledge that it could happen to them. If the forces backing England's growing foreign population prevail, there will come a day when Tel Aviv too will require a force of 16,000 police officers. Just like London.

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