« Afghanistan: Suspected Taliban Kill Aid Worker in Mosque |
| The Islamic Creep in Malyasia »
January 3, 2006
Opinion: "It is the Demography, Stupid" - Steyn
I had a few things to say about Mark Steyn's speech, but decided against it. I just want you, dear readers, to pay careful attention to what Mr. Steyn is saying. Brace yourselves, and read carefully: It's the Demography, Stupid
Most people reading this have strong stomachs, so let me lay it out as baldly as I can: Much of what we loosely call the Western world will not survive this century, and much of it will effectively disappear within our lifetimes, including many if not most Western European countries. There'll probably still be a geographical area on the map marked as Italy or the Netherlands--probably--just as in Istanbul there's still a building called St. Sophia's Cathedral. But it's not a cathedral; it's merely a designation for a piece of real estate. Likewise, Italy and the Netherlands will merely be designations for real estate. The challenge for those who reckon Western civilization is on balance better than the alternatives is to figure out a way to save at least some parts of the West.One obstacle to doing that is that, in the typical election campaign in your advanced industrial democracy, the political platforms of at least one party in the United States and pretty much all parties in the rest of the West are largely about what one would call the secondary impulses of society--government health care, government day care (which Canada's thinking of introducing), government paternity leave (which Britain's just introduced). We've prioritized the secondary impulse over the primary ones: national defense, family, faith and, most basic of all, reproductive activity--"Go forth and multiply," because if you don't you won't be able to afford all those secondary-impulse issues, like cradle-to-grave welfare.
Americans sometimes don't understand how far gone most of the rest of the developed world is down this path: In the Canadian and most Continental cabinets, the defense ministry is somewhere an ambitious politician passes through on his way up to important jobs like the health department. I don't think Don Rumsfeld would regard it as a promotion if he were moved to Health and Human Services.[...]
Posted by Ruy Diaz at January 3, 2006 2:15 PM
Comments
Steyn, as always, cuts to the heart of the matter, and makes some significant points..and yet...I honestly don't believe Europe is quite as finished as he appears to think. Here's why:
I predict that while the EU will ultimately fall apart, especially if Turkey is admitted, I also see new limitations on Islamic migration to Europe, especially in Germany, Denamrk, Britain and the Netherlands. Some laws are already in the process of being changed.And I see more conservative governments being elected in the future. Especially as people begin to realize that most of these new immigrants use up more in social welfare benefits than they pay out in taxes...something Steyn didn't touch on.
I also see, unfortunately, increased visibility and power for European nativist, anti-immigrant movements. Some of this is going to be fought out in the streets, as in Australia.
Ultimately, faced with the loss of the welfare state or with a total loss of freedom, Europe will opt for freedom. Muslims are still only a small percentage of the population in Europe. Even the
French might end up surprising us, as political correctness goes by the boards.
Further Islamic riots and at least one major terrorist bombing (most likely in Denmark or Britain) will accelerate this trend.
Slowly, slowly, the West begins to realize what Jihad is and that it must be defeated.
The Freedom Fighter
Posted by: Freedom Fighter ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 3, 2006 3:34 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)