Europe risks losing its best ally

National Post ^ | May 30 2002 | Conrad Black

[knighthawk]

The older people know the US has done a lot to liberate them from the nazis. That feeling has gone with the new generations.

[TennesseeProfessor]

I like Great Britain and think they're still very good friends and allies. I still remember they played the US National Athem at the changing of the guards to sympathize with us for 9-11. On the other hand, I agree with the author about the European mainlanders. Their biggest reaction to 9-11 was various forms of "The US needs to change its foreign policy so this doesn't happen again".

[facedown]

To Americans, and I say this uncritically and without comment, Europe has never had any discernible Middle Eastern policy except to await the American position and then take a stance more favourable to the Arabs.

GREAT line!

[knighthawk]

I agree. The UK is Europe, but not like the rest of Europe. While the Euowhinies discussed if they would help the US, the US and UK were fighting the Taliban.

[Britton J Wingfield]

You are more than welcome here in the US.

[knighthawk]

Thank you. I always felt kinda lost here in Europe.

[skeeter]

We should define the civilization and values that we share, extend NATO to all who share those values, and support each other unreservedly when those values are attacked, as they were on Sept. 11, 2001.

Well put.

[tictoc]

And if I tell people I would like to live in the US, they look at me as if I were suicidal!

What -- and leave me behind?!

Knighthawk, you skunk ;>)

I am also seriously thinking of leaving -- either to the States or to Israel. It's not going to be easy for me, because the kind of work I do is difficult to find outside of Germany. I will have to start from nothing.

I spent several hours today reading the message board of Der Spiegel, Germany's "most respected" newsmagazine.

The level of sneering contempt for Israel, the U.S., Americans and Jews is something I have never seen before. These are not stereotypical brownshirt troglodytes but highly articulate, educated people. The "moderate" ones are clones of Robert Fisk, and the more extreme channel Yassir Arafat.

It is perhaps significant that in your country, the Netherlands, the leader of the new party that took a stand against the Islamic invasion was an outspoken supporter of Israel. Not so in Austria (Haider, who cannot hold a speech without an anti-Jewish crack) and the UK (the National Front: skinhead Jew-haters). Germany's current foreign minister Fischer, a Green, is pro-Israel but the next government will have a foreign minister from the FDP.

In Germany's most populous state (North Rhine-Westphalia) the FDP has just taken on a Jamal Karsli, a Syrian-German politician, as a member of its delegation in the state parliament, who wasted no time denouncing "Israeli Nazi methods", "Jewish control of the media", the "Zionist worldwide lobby", all the old chestnuts.

The federation of German Jews has called for the FDP to cut all ties with Mr. Karsli, and this demand triggered a sh!tstorm of rage from a huge number of Germans.

On a psychological level I can even understand this massive resentment against Jews. Every German is taught in school about the Holocaust; newspapers and broadcast media periodically remind everyone of what the Nazis did, and this goes counter to a normal human desire, i.e. to feel proud of your people and country. Feelings of shame turn to resentment and now this resentment is erupting in a huge anti-Jewish groundswell.

I can understand but it also makes me sick.

[CasearianDaoist]

The level of sneering contempt for Israel, the U.S., Americans and Jews is something I have never seen before. These are not stereotypical brownshirt troglodytes but highly articulate, educated people. The "moderate" ones are clones of Robert Fisk, and the more extreme channel Yassir Arafat.

I am curious, what is yor age? I would like to put this comment in a a generational perspective.

[lepton]

I can understand why Europeans see Arafat as a great leader

O.K. Why?

[dighton]

Bump for an excellent column (as one would expect) by Lord Black.

[tictoc]

The same number as the answer given by the ultimate computer in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy :-)

[knighthawk]

I can understand what you are feeling. Seems our situations are very much the same. Leaving is not that easy. You take the risk by leaving everything. But it's good to know there are more out here.

Here is something about the FPD:

Germany: Accusations of Anti-Semitism Overshadow Middle East Visit

And look at the comments below their pictures!

And this one about forums of newspapers (this one from Holland):

Volkskrant online forum (Eurotrash alert and the ultimate barf alert?)

BTW, I live in the province of Limburg, near Venlo (yes, that's were everyone buys drugs, I bet it's notorious throughout Germany too)

Fortuyn was very much pro-Israel, and I am proud to have voted for him. We will miss him very much.

Pim Fortuyn, murdered Dutch politician, on Israel
The demonization of Pim Fortuyn, the Dutch up and coming politician

On the place where Pim Fortuyn would have taken his seat in the Tweede Kamer, a small flag was placed to remember him.

And I wanted to share the lyrics of this song with you:

Anybody Listening?

You and I
long to live like wind upon the water
If we close our eyes,
we'll maybe realize
There's more to life than what we have known
And I can't believe I've spent so long
Living lies I knew were wrong inside
I've just begun to see the light

Long ago there was a dream
- had to make a choice or two
Leaving all I loved behind
- for what nobody knew
Stepped out on the stage - A life
under lights and judging eyes
Now the applause has died
and I can dream again...

Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone that sees what's going on?
Read between the lines
criticize the words they're selling
Think for yourself and feel the walls
Become sand beneath your feet

Fell the breeze?
Time's so near you can almost taste the freedom
There's a warm wind from the south
Hoist the sail and we'll be gone
By morning, this will all seem like a dream
And if I don't return to sing the song
maybe just as well
I've seen the news
and there's not much I can do...alone

Is there anybody listening?
Is there anyone who smiles without a mask?
What's behind the words - images
They know will please us?
I'll take what's real
Bring up the lights

Is there anybody listeing?
Is there anyone that sees what's going one?
Read between the lines
Criticize the words they're selling
Think for yourself and feel the walls
Become sand beneath your feet.

[knighthawk]

They like dictators. Many Europeans didn't oppose Hitler until it was too late, they prefered commie-dictators above Reagan and they want Saddam to remain in power.

It's because they are stupid and blind. They do not care if people suffer. They just pretend that isn't happening, or blame the US and Israel.

I guess it's in the genes.

[foreshadowed at waco]

If Europe's concept of alliance with America is of a great American St. Bernard dog which will take the risks and do the work, while Europe holds the leash and gives the instructions, this alliance will no longer function

I love this image and it's so accurate...the Europeans seem to have an attitude that America is a country of big dumb guys who are useful in emergencies but who can never be respected...it's a conceit born of an almost aristocratic, preening self-image...I live in NYC and I see all the young Europeans (Germans, French, and Scandinavians mostly) with their beautiful, stylish clothes and carefully dyed hair...they waltz around Manhattan like virtual magazine covers--all glitz, no subtance...not one of them is worth the life of a single fireman or ambulance attendant who ran into the WTC to save peoples' lives...they are useless people who try to feel important by embracing cliched popular causes and worrying about the poor over designer coffees and Galoises...they will be extinct one day if they continue to lead such irrelevant lives.

[tictoc]

Thanks for your friendly words.

Nice lyrics, too - did you write them?

[Dark Wing]

ping

[rebelsoldier]

What I don't get is the lack of alarm and disgust by Europeans to the massive influx of third world Islamic trash (many illegal) that settle in their countries, siphon off the welfare system, and disregard European culture and norms. While there may be a history of Jew hating, why is there acceptance of these parasites and hostile foreign enclaves?

[knighthawk]

PC people make us bellieve all kinds of things. But after 9/11 a lot of people waken up and don't like what they see.

The leftist press and government was able to keep negative press out, but since 9/11 people want answers.

Read this too:

Militants Recruiting Young Dutch Muslims for Foreign War

About 1 in 5 of the Dutch people voted for Pim Fortuyn's LPF (the Dutch murdered politician). Fortuyn, who got famous when he attacked islam and openly questioned the intolerance against the Western culture, woman and homosexuality, said 'islam is a backwards culture' and a threat to our society.

[knighthawk]

No, it's a song from a band named Queensryche.

The part where he dreams of leaving (stepping out on stage, under the lights), but is afraid to leave all behind. But later he askes to bring on the lights, he is no longer afraid to leave.