Mark Steyn: War between America and Europe

The Spectator (U.K.) ^ | 12/27/2001 | Mark Steyn

[Khepera]

who said you have to worship them. Watch you language this is a public forum!

[madrussian]

His assertion is condescending garbage.

I'd say it's typical ethnocentric self-congratulating racist garbage. Any objective person will realize that the article stinks.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I believe that any American man of any dispensation who wears a homburg or a derby should be shot on sight

I wear a derby, well a bowler actually, on occasion. It goes well with boots & braces.

[Pokey78]

Both added.

[ambrose]

I am really tired of this perverted 80s ideology that somehow Americans work whereas Europeans (whoever they might be) do nothing. It just is so devoid of any sense of reality that the argument should have become a joke long ago.

Yes, the Europeans work. I mean, having abortions, killing off the elderly with euthanasia, running child pornography rings, having periodic pogroms of the Jews... that all requires a lot of work.

NOT.

Europe is a toilet, and should be treated as such. If they don't like it, too bad. We have more nukes.

[Carry_Okie]

And they live in America. Show me the Arab/Moslem country where this is true.

Such Islamic professionals also live in Britain, India, Canada, France, Indonesia, Mexico, the Phillipines... They too have their rural poor, but that is a characteristic hardly unique to Islamic countries.

You infer that Arabs would be backward but for those fortunate enough to enjoy being in America, but that idea negates the accomplishments of Byzantium, and Arabic contributions to medicine, architecture, and mathematics during the Dark Ages. Are you prepared to assert that those weren't significant to the advancement of Civilization?

Please carefully READ ALL of what I wrote in numerous responses before you try such a juvenile tactic. I could just as easily respond, "Show me how you disagree with what I wrote," but I am not going to bother just to satisfy someone who tries to "win" a debate against an argument I didn't make by dropping poisoned bait.

[Lady Jag]

Thanks for the ping! Steyn's article is pretty provocative and I'm bookmarking this one to read again. A hell of a topic.

[July 4th]

This article is great, and he hits the nail right on the head. Trust the people, or trust some cronies to run the people. We need to start asking "Whose side are you on?"

Please add me to the ping list.

[colorado tanker]

Thanks, you make good points.

Especially your point that the US and Euro elites are in agreement about the european project, particulary the foreign policy establishment. I was initially surprised at US acquiescence in the Euro rapid reaction force, which seems perfectly silly to me. Isn't that NATO's job?

I think here in the US many have reacted to the anti-US sentiments certain French ministers have routinely been making, as well as Germany's call for a federal Europe, which I found shocking. And as you can see from Steyn, many in the US are quite irritated at Euro support for Arafat, a corrupt dictator in my view, and the "peace process," which has been dead for a year.

Since you're on the scene, what's the mood in Europe about the introduction of the Euro? It's value has fallen considerably over the last year. Can the governments maintain fiscal discipline in a recession?

[hattend]

Bump for later reading

[goldstategop]

No one says Arabs are incompetent or uneducated or incapable of making a positive contribution to civilization. The tens of thousands of Arab and Muslim immigrants here in the U.S who work hard and give something to our economy shows they can. The problem is that thanks to the backwardness, the poverty, the illiteracy, and the oppressive political conditions in their homelands they can't build a better life there. Instead Osama Bin Laden's thesis the West is hostile to Islam is refuted by the single overriding observation that when given a free choice Muslims either come to America or welcome the American invaders with open arms. If America were that evil they'd either be shunning us in droves and our Afghan allies would be launching a jihad against us. The fact it hasn't happened must be to Bin Laden a depressing sight along with the fact the anti-American Muslim street hasn't caught fire and gone with guns blazing after The Great Satan. Muslims appreciate what they're getting in AND from America and that is what's sticking in his craw. No wonder his rants aren't making much of an impression. Oh and kudos to another terrific piece from Mark Steyn!

[stands2reason]

Please put me on your ping list, Pokey!

[dennisw]

Pl put me on Mark Styne ping list

[dennisw]

In your case Mark Styne was casting pearls before swine.

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Matthew 7:6

Neither Cast Ye Your Pearls Before Swine
... unto the dogs, neither cast our pearls before swine, lest they trample them under ...
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[Amelia]

Could you please put me back on your ping lists? Thanks!

[Bahbah]

Interesting, and true, I think. Works for neighborhood and cities too.

[Bahbah]

You are on to something here, NewAmsterdam. Europe, like America, has those who want to work and those who don't. However, I think some European governments reward non-work too much which is demoralizing to the rest. Works that way here too. I love Amsterdam, by the way.

[Bahbah]

Whether you agree with everything Steyn says or not, he raises some very interesting points. Because of the world I live in, anti-semitism always shocks me, but, by golly, it is still there and in some surprising places.