Mark Steyn: Europeans are Worse than Cockroaches

The Spectator ^ | November 8, 2003 | Mark Steyn

[theFIRMbss]

>I will love seeing Return of the King

The reports I've heard
all say it will not include
"Scouring of the Shire."

So, even though called,
"The Return of the King," it
doesn't include the

real "return" of the
"king," only the return of
Aragorn... That's film,

everything's surface,
and "poetry" -- real meaning --
gets thrown to the orcs...

[Grig]

I've known that since FotR came out. It doesn't bother me as long as they leave it so it can happen off-screen. It could actually make a decent movie all on it's own but I don't think that's planned.

[Timesink]

What exactly does "bet on form" mean? Steyn uses the phrase constantly, and I must confess I don't quite get it.

[benjaminthomas]

I believe he means "I would bet that things will go in the future as they have in the past." In other words, the fall of Europe will be marked by convulsions of violence, rather than a peaceful transition.

[irv]

Europe is dying, and it’s only a question of whether it goes peacefully or through convulsions of violence. On that point, I bet on form.

Translation: Expect the collapse of "Olde Europe" to be extremely violent.

[quidnunc]

Timesink wrote: What exactly does "bet on form" mean? Steyn uses the phrase constantly, and I must confess I don't quite get it.

Horse players use the racing form to determine horses' past performance under varying conditions.

To bet on form is to bet on horses which past statistics show will perform well in present circumstances (ie according to length of race, track conditions, etc.)

What Steyn is saying that based on past performance Old Europe will expire meekly with barely a whimper of protest.

[vladog]

While the author seems to think that the current European anti-American attitude is something that is relatively new, it is not. Like the Jews America has been hated by Europe since day one.

Since before 1776 America has been pilloried as being populated by uncouth, barbarous, Neanderthals. While Europe is populated by urbane, sophisticated, intelligent people.

For the last 2000 years Europe has been the scene of countless wars, genocides, The Inquisition, and thousands of other urban, sophisticated, and intelligent events.

While America's skirts are not lily white, at least we have in most instances tried to do the right thing.

In my view the less we have to do with Europe the better. You are not known by the friends you make, but rather by the enemies you have.

[Sunsong]

"Lesson: In the war on terror, the United States believes in pre-emption; Canada, like many other ‘allies’, believes in pre-emptive surrender. These two strategies are incompatible."

Time to wake and realize that Canada is not our friend. Time to wake up and realize that Canada poses a real threat...

[Sunsong]

"Brilliant analysis. Europe and Canada have been on security welfare for some time now. It has distorted their world view. In the meantime, a glacial cultural change is underway that will change the very nature of European society. Unfortunately, the same is true here unless we can get a handle on illegal immigration."

Yes, and we need to secure our border with Canada as weel as Mexico.

[beckett]

Steyn's a monarchist...

I have been reading Steyn for a long time and I don't ever recall him saying that he believes parliamentary monarchy is the best form of government. I have often heard him speak approvingly of a constitutional republic, however.

Are you calling him a monarchist simply because he may have given good press to the Windsors or because he thinks, in a form of British exceptionalism, that Britain's institutions function best when configured around the British monarchy? Or do you have specific evidence to show that he is an out-and-out monarchist?

[Sunsong]

"You may consider Canada as part of this group ---"

Absolutely. Canada is in decline, imo, and quite a threat with their creeping socialism and "tolerance" of terrorism and terrorists in general.

[beckett]

What Steyn is saying that based on past performance Old Europe will expire meekly with barely a whimper of protest.

I disagree. I think he's saying that if one goes by centuries of European "form" one should expect violence.

[xp38]

Posted earlier but good Steyn is always worth it.

[quidnunc]

xp38 wrote: Posted earlier but good Steyn is always worth it.

It was posted earlier with a different headline which didn't show up when I did a search.

[mrustow]

Mark Steyn: not just another pretty stylist.

[mrustow]

In that sense, the Israelis are the canaries in the coalmine.

A few weeks ago, a FReeper wrote to me that the Jews are the canaries in the coal mine. Do you know who first used that phrase in relation to the Jews, and when?

[Joe_October]

.... real "return" of the "king," only the return of Aragorn... That's film,.....

Pardon, my wandering off topic but what are you referring to in Lord of the Rings? What additional King does ROTK refer? I'm missing something.

[maica]

RE Canada - They are in serious decline, the best and brightest emigrate to the US, the retired move south and spend their money in the States, and their population is keeping up solely by immigration from third world countries.

[CodeMonkey]

It would be a perfect time for outside enemies (China, terrorist, N. Korea, etc.) to attack the USA and it's allies such as Isreal.

I think any nation that made that fatal mistake would find the US mobilize on a level not seen since WWII. I also doubt our people would care about the "rules of war."