I have blogged on here many more times than once about the depressing silence from Hollywood about the murder of Theo Van Gogh. That death and the earlier murder of Pim Fortuyn awakened me to the seriousness of the change in the Europe I grew up with and loved. These murders seem to have had no affect on my former colleagues in the film community, if indeed they have ever heard of them. It’s been two years now since the Dutch director Van Gogh was cut down in the streets of Amsterdam by a psychotic Islamist, as Pieter Dorsman notes on Pajamas. But it seems like yesterday and a hundred years ago simultaneously. The situation in Europe continues to worsen. I was reminded of how bad things have gotten in the Old Country when Sheryl and I had the pleasure of entertaining Paul Belien of Brussels Journal and his wife Dr. Alexandra Colen for dinner at our house. The food and conversation were great, only the substance of that talk was bleak in the extreme. When I asked Alexandra whether there was hope that Europe could still turn around, she hesitated only slightly before shaking her head and saying simply “It is too late.”
UPDATE: Related story form Europe by Nidra Poller on Pajamas. (Bragging rights here: I don’t think anyone anywhere is doing better work in English on la situation francaise than Nidra.)
Ok, I’ll play. What exactly would “not too late” look like?
Because I strongly suspect you wouldn’t like it very much, Roger.
Too Late? I doubt it. Every time these dastardly “inevitable” totalitarian victories loom over europe, they seem to vanish into thin air. Or in smoke. We will see what happens when ordinary people decide that it’s time to switch off their televisions and act.
I certainly hope it is not too late. Europe has survived a lot worse than this. Think about it.
Terrye,
Europe has stood at the edge of an abyss many times…and jumped right in. Europe never misses an opportunity to avoid catastrophe. Maybe this explains their affinity for the Palestinians.
It is indeed too late for Europe. Paris is burning..German vicars self-immolating…Stalinists resurgant in Hungary…assasinations in the Netherlands. The present is bad enough. The future will, yet again, be catastrophic. And this time, I no longer believe America has the strength to rescue them. Unlike WWI, WWII and the Cold War, they are on their own.
If there is a God, may He have mercy on them.
I think that this is really about simple mathematics. In France and the Netherlands today, 30% of the children being born are Islamic. What does that tell us about the children who are to be born in 2026? 2036? Europe will have an Islamic majority well before the end of this century. There is no way around any of this; it is the direct result of a culture in which women average 1.2 children.
While I readily admit that Paul and Alexandra have a better handle on the situation than I do, I doubt it’s too late.
I think one reason Europeans today are much more pacificist than Americans is that, when Europeans decide its time for action, they are far more ruthless and savage than Americans.
They are reluctant to rise up against the islamist menace because when the time comes, it will be very ugly.
And this time, I no longer believe America has the strength to rescue them. Unlike WWI, WWII and the Cold War, they are on their own.
I’m not so sure it’s a question of America not having the strength to rescue Europe yet again. Instead, I believe America no longer has the will to sacrifice our sons and treasure to rescue people who won’t do a thing to help themselves. There was a report last week that summarized the problem quite well. In it, one prominent person said to effect, “I’ve never done a thing to protect my liberty. Who has? I’ve just enjoyed it.”
It’s precisely that reason that Europe doesn’t deserve to be saved. If they aren’t willing to stand up for their own liberty, why should we do it for them?
Roger I know that you are a busy man with Pajamas Media to orchestrate but maybe now is the time to put your money where your mouth is and take a day or two out to pen a film treatment of van Gogh’s last days, after all, Andromeda Strain was written in 24 hours if we are to believe Michael Crichton.
I am with Larry J.
Jonathan Riley’s view (to me) is more logical from a bygone era, and not reflecting current Europeans’ collective breeding/edu(ma)cation, i.e., brainwashing for the past 40 or more years.
When ordinary citizens finally rise up, too late they will realize they don’t have the means (and training) to fight back. Water canon and tear gas both so inadequate in this kind of warfare.
Can they depend on their military in a civil war? Can US interfere in other nation’s civil war? On what ground (not Article 5) can US decide it is not to our best interest to have a pan-Eurabia?
We will do well to heed Belien and Colen; they are in the midst of it. Rescuing Europe from itself will not be possible when the Islamofascists achieve Talibanization of Europe. Europe is paralyzed and unwilling to rescue itself, and we can’t do it. We must learn from Europe to prevent similar erosion here. Ethnic cleansing a la Milosevic, a dreadful prospect, looms as an eventual response.
It bothers me, Roger, to see van Gogh’s murderer characterized as “psychotic”. Psychosis is a severe, disabling mental illness needing treatment with antipsychotic drugs and other forms of supportive care. Paranoid psychosis is a process suffered individually, not a mass movement involving many hundreds of thousands, perhaps many tens of millions. Western secularists in particular must come to grips with the difference between psychosis and evil.
Good point, tom tom. But “Western secularists in particular must come to grips with the difference between psychosis and evil” makes me wonder if they can do that while remaining “secular”.
And this time, I no longer believe America has the strength to rescue them. Unlike WWI, WWII and the Cold War, they are on their own.
This father of two young sons will do anything necessary to prevent them from spilling one drop of blood to save Europe (and especially France) from what it so richly deserves.
Wonderful post, Roger. I’ve had experience with European blindness, too. I’m crossposting this and your piece over at my blog:
In Normandy two summers ago my companions and I were accosted by several Frenchmen at a cafe. Ticked off by our unforgivable speaking of English, they began to yell at us for interfering in the affairs of the Iraqis.
One of our company pointed to me and then towards the north and the beaches. He stated, quite loudly and in his native French “You accuse us personally of interfering in the affairs of other countries. You are correct, we do so. SHE had an uncle who died just there to save our country from a despot. But if you keep talking to Americans as you are today, when the next Hitler comes to France, they will not send their sons to save ours. In Iraq, the memory of oppression is fresh and their gratitude to America is also.”
He translated for me and went back to eating his soup. Our attackers, seeing me start to rise from the table, abandoned their further arguments and left.
I am still furious that my family has sacrificed our lives for such ingratitude. I would propose leaving them starkly alone to rot in the hell that is coming to them, but alas, truffles can be grown nowhere else. And the Jihadists are quite capable of destroying forever the magnificent truffle, just as they have destroyed the irreplaceable treasures of so many other places.
I say to the Dutch and all the rest of Europe: be careful what you wish for. If you continue to denigrate American culture, values and military might, we may withdraw them from you. I want to believe there is still hope. Your experimental refusal to enforce assimilation could perhaps still be turned around. If not, it will be the last mistake your civilization ever makes.
I agree with TomTom: describing that Islamic murderer as “psychotic” is, in effect, making the solution into a medical one, maybe anti-depressants would have saved Theo.
Well, that murdering fellow was perfectly sane. He slaughtered Theo van Gogh for perfectly rational reason: Theo van Gogh had insulted Islam, and therefore had to die, and die in a grisly manner, as a warning to all other dhimmis: do not insult Islam.
And, the dhimmis have taken the lesson to heart, haven’t they???
This father of two young sons will do anything necessary to prevent them from spilling one drop of blood to save Europe (and especially France) from what it so richly deserves.
I have two very young grandsons (2 years and 4 months, respectively) and a 2 year old granddaughter. I would be very proud if any of them entered the military as I and both of my sons did. However, I’d be willing to drive them to Canada myself before I’d want them to risk their lives to save Europeans from their own folly.
If Europeans believe there is no security threat, then there’s no reason for the US to spend countless billions each year to maintain some 80,000 military personnel there. If they do believe there is a security threat, then it’s their responsibility to address it. We’ve coddled the ingrates for far too long.
I am still furious that my family has sacrificed our lives for such ingratitude
Parents of Americans killed in Iraq may soon (already?) feel the same way about that country’s inhabitants. People of a different race and religion from Americans who have little interest in democracy will likely be even less grateful than Europeans for being “liberated”. Most Iraqis will just assume it was all about oil or perhaps Israel as the idea of sacrificing your soldiers for an alien people’s welfare is just not believable to people as tribal as Iraqis.
Europe is far from finished. Most of Eastern Europe is close to 100% white Christian (nominally at least) and the people there have not (yet) been brainwashed with Marxist social theories (irony of ironies!) about anti-Western multiculturalism. Just last week the head of Britian’s race commission Trevor Phillips (a black man) complained that new guest workers from the former Soviet bloc have views on race similar to what the British had in the 1950s. (Needless to say he didn’t comment on the pre-50s, indeed, medieval beliefs of a certain other immigrant group).
People are slowly starting to catch on in Western Europe. The only problem is that many Brits, Dutch and French have decided the Beliens are right and have been voting with their feet by moving to the New World and even other parts of Europe. If the best of Western Europeans keep leaving then significant sections of Europe could end up being taken over by Muslims.
If US policies in the former Yugoslavia are anything to go by I wouldn’t expect the US to help Europeans trying to resist Islamification. Indeed as with Bosnia and Kosovo, not to mention support for Turkish membership of the EU, the US government may well be on the other side.
Coisty, regarding “voting with their feet”, the Beliens discussed that at dinner. They are not doing it, but many of their friends are.
BTW, Coisty, ultimately the US will not be on the other side with regards to resisting Islamification. We may be stupid, but we’re not that stupid.
Roger, do you know if the Beliens are still being harrassed over home schooling their children? I read something about that but I don’t recall the details.
Coisty, I have read the same things you have about home schooling, but don’t know the latest since we did not discuss. I do know they are being harrassed on a number of matters.
I think the Europeans haven’t even taken the first step, which is to realize that their most formidable enemies are their own leaders. Their ruling class of politicians, publishers, professors and intellectuals have all either sided with the enemy or are keeping their heads down.
Although some might find it extreme, I think they need to bring back the guillitine and start lopping off heads – of their own rulers! The ruling class of europe must become more afraid of having their throats cut by their own citizens than they are afraid of having them cut by the muslim fundamentalists. Then you’ll start to see some progress.
It’s a mistake to focus on the muslims. Look first to the traitors who hold the reins of power.
The articulate and insightful blog columnist Fjordman recently observed that Europeans will respond to their problems with radical Islamists eventually, but in their customary way…which is, to say, very late and long past the time for negotiation and compromise.
While he didn’t speculate about the success of any measures, late or not, violent or peaceful, it’s clearer all the time that many Europeans are psychologically prepared for their own extinction.
When Jens Orback, Sweden’s minister of democracy mused that “we must be open and tolerant towards Islam and Muslims because when we become a minority, they will be so toward us”, some official line has been crossed.
And what will it mean when NATO or EU or local military units in have significant Muslim percentages in the ranks?
Gary, no way Ted Kennedy is gonna fit in an normal tumbrel. Maybe with some heavy-duty suspension bolted on.
It may well take a new strain of Euro-Fascism to repel Islamo-Fascism.
If that be the case: Better Fascist Led Than Fascist Dead!
“Let Them Eat…Us!”
Mark Steyn’s ‘America Alone’ spells it out. He even said as much on H&C when asked a question about europe.
“Forget them,” Steyn said. “They’re doomed.”
And at the rate they’re going, yes they are doomed. They’ll surrender some liberal western civilization and rule of law to sharia and the whims of imans and mullahs.
Or… and this is just speculation… the far, FAR right is going to figure a way into power and start wiping-out muslims, moderate or no. And that will make the ethnic cleansing that happened in Bosnia will look like a school yard brawl.
or, we could all be wrong. when the muslims become the majority, perhaps they’ll remember how kind the kafir were while they were in power and pledge to keep western civil liberties intact.
or they’ll just tax the of the dhimmis into the poorhouse, force islam down the throats of the infidels and partake in the ‘uncovered meat’ that clearly is looking to be raped.
welcome to the new dark ages.
OldCoot,
This father of two young sons will do anything necessary to prevent them from spilling one drop of blood to save Europe (and especially France) from what it so richly deserves.
Amen. My two boys are 7 and 3. They will be coming of age just as all of Western becomes a Bosnian style tragedy, only orders of magnitude worse. I will never allow them to be sacrificed to secure the freedom of a nation of backstabbing whores like France. No way in hell.
I would support defending the Brits or the Poles. But as for the French, our policy should be scorched earth. If the French cannot defend their own land, we should reduce to rubble anything the invaders could exploit and turn against us – in particular, France’s sophisticated nuclear technology.
HA and Old Coot:
This is an interesting subject. Our NATO committments could bind us, in some way, to Europe’s problems down the road. At the moment, it’s hard to see how this could happen, but who knows?
I have two sons in Iraq (one about to come home) and one in Afghanistan, and however awful these wars have become, they seem to me more valid than any future operation to save Europe could ever be.
And Buddy, it would take a big tumbrel for Ted, no doubt, but the blade stock would never allow that head through, and the basket alone would be…big.
Good allies? The Brits, the Poles, and the Italians–and the Eastern Europeans. Actually, everybody on the western continent BUT the French.
Rhod, thank you and your sons for what your family is doing for our country. Godspeed their safe return.
Thanks again, Buddy. We’re doing fine, with no complaints. Maybe a bit worn out at times, but I’m told by Kerry that we’re hamsters on a wheel,and we just keep spinning away until we go toes-up in the straw. Now it’s all so clear.
Truly, thank you very much.
Kerry. The whole apology flap is misplaced–the nation itself owes its armed service families an apology for letting that guy on the political stage to begin with. feh.
His naval career has cost us plenty–would that the navy had a crystal ball, and could’ve forseen what he intended to do with his service.
I don’t want to drag down Roger’s blog, Buddy, but that crystal ball would have come in handy when Kerry’s father was feeling randy. It might have changed his mind.
LOL–we at least owe him a thanks, for showing us the bottom number on our contempt meters.
I’ll just finish up with this, Buddy. Anytime I find your posts, here and there, I know I’ve found gold.
But the “bottom number on our contempt meters” is something that needs to be stolen. I’ll be using it when you’re not around.
Regards,
Rhod
I think we owe it to John Milton, whose idea of Hell was, the place where, when you think you’ve hit bottom, the ground opens underneath and you fall still further.
:-\
Even more laughter. This is a good day.
re: Pacifist Europe -
where’s German militarism when you really need it?
maybe the Allies were too efficient in tamping down that agressive Prussian spirit.
Mark Steyn’s book is an excellent disposition on this whole subject, written in his humorous style even as he discusses the coming calamity.
He brings in several factors…
…Demographics – some European countries are on track to halve their populations every 35 years (they literally have a 35 year half-life), except for their Muslim residents, who are doubling at the same time. The result is obvious.
…European’s nanny state has weakened the will of the populace and left them as hedonists living only for the present.
…The demographic collapse also will force the end of the European pleasure-state, as young Muslim voters (not to mention, killers) will have no interest in supporting old spoiled non-muslim codgers.
…The collapse of religious practice has also damaged European culture – and removed their ability to comprehend evil (as mentioned by another poster above)
…Multiculturalism has left the Europeans (and the American elite) unable to comprehend, much less fight the danger of radical Islam (or for that matter, of Islamic immigration in general, which in those countries results in second or third generation radicalism)
…Islam’s single mindedness and bizarre values result in an infiltration of institutions, including the military, by those who are or become radicalized and deadly.
… and there are probably more trends I haven’t gotten to yet.
The signs are clear: all hell is going to break loose in the early part of this century, especially in Europe.
Buddy,
Why did you chose to give the other members of the chocolate sumit a break – like Germany, Spain, Beligian?
I cannot see sheading a single drop of American blood for any or all of them.
“The signs are clear: all hell is going to break loose in the early part of this century, especially in Europe.”
That is the reason we must normally vote Republican. The Democrats will destroy this country. They can no longer be trusted regarding matters of national defense. Make sure you vote on Tuesday. It’s time to give the proverbial middle finger to the leftist MSM establishment.
I’ve been trying to find the figures, and I can’t, so I cannot support this. But I recall reading during the weeks shortly after Van Gogh’s murder that about 150,000 Nederlanders showed on a single day to exhibit their disgust over Van Gogh’s murder.
A week later 750,000 of them showed up to protest a trifling change in the retirement age. Even without the portentous demographics in The Netherlands, one could say the Dutch are doomed.
Joe, I sure respect your sentiment. I was thinking along the lines of which countries are probably–when the chips are down–our friends, vs France, which evidently prefers working with others, say, Russia.