[Leifur]

I like this article and Paul´s general view on the world. One important thing thaugh to make clear, and I beliewe Paul, who loaths the EU as much as I agrees with me on this. That is this (what he talks about here) must be done by the individual nations, not through some kind of European Unionism.

The EU will allways be what it was founded to be, an undemocratic, elitist tool for those that hate the US and all what it stands for, and want to replace our old values and old nationalities with some kind of socialliberal European values and identity.

Iceland shall not join the EU, we must continue to be free.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I don't think continental Europeans are going to warm up to American values anytime soon - even in the face of their own extinction. Part of what America became was because Europe's freedom loving people took a risk on a new life and left their more timid and complacent brethern at home to replicate and deepen their intellectual and moral crisis. Like the third world brain-drain, there may be a point where their own recovery is now hopeless without intervention.

BTW, friends just returned from Iceland and said it was the most fantastic place they'd ever been.

[Right Wing Assault]

I fear Europe is too cool to save itself by becoming more American. Better dead than American.

[hershey]

Excellent article, but perhaps they'd have better luck importing American values if they called it something else and left out the 'A' word altogether.

[Orbiting_Rosie's_Head]

the Americans have adopted a system that allows citizens the greatest possible economic freedom and severely restricts the power of the government

If only this were true. Sadly, I am afraid America is trodding the path of European totalitarian socialism rather than the other way around. We are a divided nation, with half wanting to be like Europe, and the other half resisting, clinging desperately to our freedom. Fortunately, the wisdom of our founders enshrined the second ammendment, which ensures that we can never plunge totally into despostism. Even so, this safety mechanism is under attack daily, and we plod ever onward toward a bigger government with more and more power.

Lately, (last 40 years or so) our judiciary has begun to act like a dictator, ascribing to themselves the sole power to determine all things constitutional. Since the spineless congress refuses to act to reign them in, we are now living in a oligarchy, with federal judges handing out edicts like mullahs passing out fatwahs.

[vimto]

A curious point that may or may not add weight to Britain finding it's cultural values preserved in America.....

On a radio show (I cannot remember much about it as I wasn't listening hard but then this came up...) it was asked why Americans got that funny accent.

The answer surprised me. This linguist chap said "I'm often asked that and my reply is simple, it's us Brits that have changed not the Americans. the Pilgrims accent would have sounded more like American than todays English. Shakespeare would have sounded more American than British by today's standard."

He didn't explain how he could know this but I thought it interesting.

[hershey]

I had an interesting conversation with a Dutchman not long ago. He's lived in the US for the past four years. When I said world events were worrisome (discreet reference to Muslims overrunning the EU and Holland in particular), his answer was that we can't do anything anyway. Governments do whatever they want, so we shouldn't worry. Just go to work and keep your head down. (Nice man, but even after four years in the US he doesn't get it.)

[doberville]

Great article. A keeper. Thanks for posting.

[Caipirabob]

The European propensity to embrace socialist policy is a major dividing factor between it and American political ideology. That divide is being lessened as socialist political further infect the American political debate. The right has had some luck recently in lessening the slow bleeding of American liberties, but the incrementalism of socialist thought has overtaken our educational instutitions and corrupted our politicians at the highest levels.

From that perspective, the EU and America aren't so far apart.

All the more reason for Americans to band together and drive all of the socialists on our soil into the seas.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

The dark night of Fascism is ever descending on the United States, but always falls in Europe.

I didn't realize you are from Iceland, as I began reading this, I thought of the analogy of Old Norse (Old Norwegian) perserved in that western enclave.

[raybbr]

The laws of our country govern citizenship, not the choice of an individual.

Read this if you think the U.S. is NOT about individual rights.

[longtermmemmory]

GASP! BUMP!

[ishabibble]

Your bio page is fantastic! Iceland gets the prize for the best looking guys in cammies, IMHO. Just WOW.

The author of this article is engaging in some very idealistic wishful thinking. The EU people just won't stand up and fight alongside the Americans in the War on Terror. I don't don't mean the people in your lovely photos, I mean the "average joe" who watches CNN/BBC and believes that garbage about Americans being loud, arrogant know-nothings who only care about money. The gulf between the U.S. and Old Europe gets wider every day. After such contemptible behaviour towards Americans for so long now, I can honestly say that I really don't care what happens to them anymore.
The Europeans have thrown away so much of themselves that they are practically unrecognizable from the people who sent their best and brightest to the New Land generations ago.

While the author's points about American capitalism are very well illustrated, I would suggest that any even more important point is not even raised here. The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives every American the right to bear arms. Of course, the happyheads are trying to take that away, and the U.N. just held a conference to open the door to disarming the Americans, but I can tell you, that isn't going to happen. If Mr. Belien were an American, I do believe some portion of the right to bear arms argument would have been included. The Muslim population here is no less dangerous or malignant than in Europe, but during the Cartoon Jihad, they certainly kept their vitriol in the mosque. That fact is no accident. Americans are armed and that makes all the difference in this post 9/11 world.

[RoadTest]

Your view of history is refreshing in that it goes outside the box of the revisionist history that is prevalent today.

Having said that, I wonder about this statement:

" American society is a society whose culture and view of mankind resembles that of the old mediaeval Europe from which it organically evolved. It puts man before the state because it accepts that man should come to God as a free being. "

The medieval serf was, I believe, far from free. In order not to be a victim of the mass chaos that followed the collapse of Rome he took umbrage under a baron or Duke or whoever had an army and a castle. He was then subservient to him and the duke's wish was the serf's command. Free? It doesn't look like it to me.

His relationship to God, meanwhile, had already been replaced by subservience to the Pope, who extirpated all who followed The Word of God instead of his word, which was and is very different.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Iceland had what was, in 900-1000 AD, a very loosely organized parlimentary system. No king, no courts, highly independent people who were not terribly accepting of authority. They acknowledged a germanic legal system that provided some sense of order and provided a way to settle differences, although obtaining a judgement was dicey, and it was up to you to exact judgement since there was no police around to do it for you.

Modern Iceland is highly literate and fiercely independent. Can't see them bowing to the bureaucratic Gods in Brussels regarding the correct shape for strawberries or the correct way to label and package cod fish.

[Ben Chad]

Does the author, Paul Belien, need to go into hiding for trumpeting warnings of Islam?

[MoJo2001]

God Bless Paul Belien and all of those in Europe that are fighting to save it.

I took the liberty to click the link and read many other great articles he has written over the years. Please consider posting more of his articles here at Free Republic.

His articles would be well received and greatly appreciated. Besides, it is also important to point out that I'm sure among Europeans that he's vilified on a daily basis. He needs as much support as possible.

In other words, he has FRiends here at FRee Republic. I'm going to Amazon to purchase his book. It's the least I can do to support him and his wife Dr. Alexandra Colen.

[MoJo2001]

Tolik--I'm pinging you to this article because I believe Paul Belien's article would be an enjoyable read for your ping list! If not, well it's still a great article.

[Sam Cree]

*

[Vince Ferrer]

This article has a lot of truth in it that is rarely commented on in history or politics. The United States is the last of the Medieval states. Shortly after our revolution, the French revolution, father of totalitarianism, forever put the US and Europe on different paths.

In medieval times, the king has little influence on an ordinary person's life. Government's responsibility did not include health care, welfare, or education. These were the domains of private institutions, mainly the Church. The Europeans, in their fight to plunder and destroy the Church, handed these domains to government, making their governments ever more intrusive. In the US, these have been the battle lines between conservatives, and "progressives" who look to Europe as their model.

[jordan8]

A nice little kiss to America, but largely bunkum. It is true that America has more economic freedom than Europe but we have seen increasing centralization here as well. The totalitarianism of political correctness, a mainly American product exported to Europe through the media, plagues both areas, and it is the ideology of PC, the real religion that has replaced Christianity, not bad economics that is really killing the West. ( These were not satisfied with controlling their subjects’ political and economic lives but also wished to control their minds and souls, i.e. to become their god. Isn't that a good description of PC?)