No ESP involved. :- ) I'm reacting to the general culture of charging 'xenophobia' against nationalists, which is pervasive on CNN, MSNBC, etc. Are you saying that the MSM has been pretty good about resisting the xenophobia angle? If so, noted.
If your experience is that NYT writers SHOULD AND DO avoid this characterization, thank you for saying.
....
My point about China -- and here I do know several first-generation Chinese immigrants -- is that their government is politically correct (pro-abortion, anti-gun obviously, environmental, correct speech) and very committed to a mandated list of public talking points that they see as best for society - especially w/r/t to the eradication of religion. I would think anybody would share a concern that a powerful central government COULD THEORETICALLY wind up with this problem.
Not saying it applies in every individual point of the analogy. But China's view is also towards educating its society into a "correct" set of values with an agenda of eradicating dissension.
To the extent you see American multiculturalism as differing from this, I appreciate that. For the sake of simplicity -- changing from a question about Obama to a question about your own views: in an ideal society, would you personally use the K-12 system to influence children away from incorrect ideas on sexuality, abortion, gun ownership, Patriotism as a positive value, etc?
Which values would you teach in K-12 and which values would you studiously avoid touching upon? The Chinese put nothing in the latter category.
Respectfully,
Jeff