Thursday 11 November 2021

Europe is a sick man

SHARE

The key Marxist idea that class drives history seems to be forgotten, except by the hard left, but the equally key idea that countries, nations, ethnic groups and races are false consciousness was never more alive and well. 

It is now clear that this in many ways was the biggest Marxist fallacy of all and is being adopted by liberals, by Catholics, by the dying continent of Europe.

Europe which ruled the world until 1941, despite barbarian and then Muslim invasions, is now utterly feeble. As Neagu Djuvara said, it is committing suicide (if it has not already done so). 

This short essay by Peter Franklin is interesting on this theme.

What all of these crises reveal is the essential powerlessness of the European Union. We’ve been told ad nauseam that the EU is the producer of peace in Europe. The truth, however, is that the EU is the product of it. 

A political entity that lacks an army, a police force or the legitimacy conferred by national sovereignty, cannot survive without an international order created by others. If this order is compromised — even to a limited extent — then things start falling apart. Just look at the refugee crisis of 2014 and 2015, which contributed to Brexit, the election of a populist government in Italy and the tightening grip of the Hungarian leader, Viktor Orbán.

What would a deeper, longer crisis do to the EU? A number of possibilities present themselves, none of them good. The least worst option is that America, through NATO, rides to the rescue; in which case the western pecking order is settled for years to come. Alternatively, Brussels does a deal with Moscow — and essentially pays Danegeld to the Russians from hereon out. 

Or maybe the EU could start manning-up — either by creating an actual European Army or expanding Frontex into a de facto military. However, that creates a problem of democratic accountability. Von der Leyen as Commander-in-Chief? I hardly think so. A more likely scenario is more of what we’re seeing already — which is the EU relying on its eastern member states to hold the line. That means allowing them (indeed, paying them) to do things their way — which won’t be pretty. As Aris Roussinos argues, expect to see more barbed wire, more walls, more tear gas and worse.

Peter Franklin thinks keeping out illegal immigrants with barbed wire 'won't be pretty' which tells you how much minds have to change, but they will.

The EU has morphed into something disastrous and, though I once favoured the UK belonging, I see that this disaster was always inevitable. 

But what matters now is the defence of Europe against invasion by refugees. The EU will not help here and will hinder greatly. It will argue for taking in refugees and thereby is working against not for European integration.

11 comments:

  1. I think he's overly optimistic. In all his scenarios Europe survives but at some costs.

    What I think more likely is that the eastern countries will be bribed and muzzled, Danegeld will be payed, not for keeping the hordes out but on the contrary, that the East acts against its instincts, that it folds back in line with the Brussels orthodoxy.

    Already these days a UN emergency meeting is summoned in order to discuss the "humanitarian crisis" at the border with Belarus. Guess what'll be its outcome? My bet is NGOs, humanitarian aid, corridor, redistribution of migrants, maybe sanctions (against Belarus? Russia will block it. Against Poland?) Already buses of German "helpers" tried to reach the region but were turned back. For now.

    Frontex developed in a de facto army? Makes me laugh. The papers are gloating with satisfaction how efficient the private "sea rescuers" are, how high technology allows them to spot the smallest rubber boat. The journalists are outraged that official vessels silently "collude" with Libyan coast guards and do not rush to the place of some rubber boat, letting thus the Libyan coast guard getting there first and towing the boat back. With huge relief it is reported every time a load of 3-400 migrants that make it to Italy. They are "saved". It's like in a thriller in which your heart beats for the good ones to prevail.

    This Belarus situation makes me very pessimistic. It's only 6 years since 2015. It'll accelerate, we'll have such things continuously from now on, the frontiers will fold, in 20 years Europe will be completely changed. For the best, say the Greens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes that seems sadly probable. All I can say to cheer myself up is to quote Disraeli: "The unexpected always happens." Who expected Brexit or President Trump?

      Delete
  2. A European army would make the suppression of dissent easy - the French would be sent to beat down the Spanish, the Spanish would be sent to beat down the Greeks, etc, etc. The national armies could do the job, except that the courts are a fifth column.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The European Union is a parasite - it does not produce peace or prosperity, it lives off these things. And it is not even a sensible parasite - as it actually seeking to destroy its host, the nations of Europe. As for the United States - it is about to hit very bad times indeed. It will not be "riding to the rescue" of a collapsing European Union.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The essay is ridiculous. There is a migrant "crisis" because the UK, EU, and USA are attractive places for illegals, ust as they are unattractive for legals. NATO is too feeble and ridiculous to rescue anyone, and needs jihadis to do its dirty work in Syria, Libya and the former Yugoslavia.
    The essayist uses "populist" as an insult, when he means "democratic," and thinks the EU might pay Danegeld to Russia. Without Russian gas, the EU inmates would already be eating one another.
    The west only has two problems: a lack of courage and a lack of basic education. Unfortunately, each of the two prevents them from tackling the other.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes lack of courage and the churches which should give moral cover for not taking more refugees instead do the opposite. The solution is for countries being given aid to be required to take in refugees on behalf of donor countries. Few refugees, I wager, would take Bukino Faso instead of England.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another huge problem is that there is fat, far too much international law.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Openly so -
      https://twitter.com/JdA_IntLaw/status/1417644273147813894?s=20

      Delete
  7. Categories keep dying, then, again, how is one to talk of their innards otherwise

    ReplyDelete