Comments on: Public angst

By: Melchior Sternfels

Melchior Sternfels — Tue, 27 Dec 2005 05:50:04 +0000

I would also note that the welfare state that Europeans are so proud of was actually voted into place by Christians not secularist. I was under the impression that Otto von Bismarck instituted the welfare state in Germany (see this article). Is that what you are referring to?

By: HA

HA — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 11:29:35 +0000

One feels rather sorry for European public intellectuals

I, for one, feel sorry for Europe for having public intellectuals. The European habit of making celebrities of intellectuals goes a long way towards explaining their pathologies.

By: Helen

Helen — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:57:49 +0000

I don’t think Republican politicians went into the wilderness voluntarily. They were in the wilderness. No politician is going to do what you suggest. Resign on principle? Are you mad?

There are, however, many other lessons we can learn from the revival of the American right over on this side of the pond. It’s hard work but it needs to be done. Then again, it is hard work telling large sections of the American public the truth about the world.

By: TM Lutas

TM Lutas — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 04:22:52 +0000

Regarding how to win once you reform. It is simple. You don’t win the next election but rather voluntarily accept going into the wilderness in order to save the nation. You willingly make a break with delusion and the betrayal of future generations that the current crop of eurosocialist excess has perfected and you stand for honest reform done in a way to minimize the nasty effects of the coming crash. Campaign on a platform, promise to implement it or resign. When you can’t implement it, actually resign. Point out the uncomfortable truths that capital, both social and economic, decays and must be rejuvenated over time and without sufficient work you do not get stasis, but decay.

It took a generation from Goldwater’s victory in the Republican party (and smashing defeat in the general election) to Reagan’s victory in the general election. Without Goldwater, there never would have been a Reagan presidency. European parties will have to go through a similar metamorphosis.

Shannon Love – I have found that telling people who live in reaction to the US that this is typical, immature, teenage behavior and that isn’t it about time that [France | Germany | Greecce | The EU | Other ] just grow up and stop being a negative mirror of the United States. I then ask why do they give the US such power over them? It’s quite effective *and* amusing. I highly recommend it.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:33:46 +0000

The Seinfeld continent – a continent about nothing.

By: Shannon Love

Shannon Love — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:33:15 +0000

I would also note that the welfare state that Europeans are so proud of was actually voted into place by Christians not secularist. “Christian Socialist” parties, whether they used that name or not, were the primary drivers for the establishment of the welfare state. Even without formal ideology, appeals to Christian charity and compassion created most of the support for the welfare state.

Until the 1960′s secularist were a distinct minority of the electorate. Christians created the welfare state and the secularist just rode in at the end and claimed credit.

By: Shannon Love

Shannon Love — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 15:26:08 +0000

Strangely, by creating an identity based on being “un” or anti-American, Europe will be granting American great power over Europe. If you define yourself as being not something else then any change in the not-you will cause you to have to change in response. All initiative passes to the not-you.

Europe risks becoming another Canada. Canada’s political discourse is saturated with references to the US whereas Americans hardly notices Canada at all. Unfortunately, this has left Canada without an independent identity of its own. Canada is a big diverse place with two major languages but its primary identity seems to have devolved to “those North American who don’t live in the United States.”

In their attempt to separate themselves from America Europeans will end up being driven by American policy.

By: Helen

Helen — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 09:39:15 +0000

Please, do blog the essay when you can, Lex. It will be a treat to read.

By: Lexington Green

Lexington Green — Sun, 18 Dec 2005 03:45:05 +0000

Interestingy, the current issue of First Things has an essay newly translated into English entitled “Europe and its Discontents”, which takes up much the same topic: What is Europe, anyway? Not surprisingly, the article’s author takes a longer-term and better-founded view and arrives at a more interesting answer than either “European social model” or “anti-Americanism”. The article is by Pope Benedict XVI. When it is available online, I may blog about it.