Posted on 02/19/2005 3:18:00 PM PST by quidnunc
oops! sorry for the double!
I believe the EU will be stronger in the future. I wish I could made a bet with you. To all of you whiners stop talking about dooms day for Europe. In all my life I have never read so many whinning people. Just stop whining and be happy that you live in the US. We are happy to live in Europe. In the future China will rule anyways as the greatest power. In the Future (and now) the US and the EU will be equal powers and China will be a little bit stronger
Stronger how? Militarily? Hah! There's no will, no resources, and no obvious reason for Europe to revitalize their military.
Economically? Not likely, unless the overbearing welfare states in France, Germany, and Italy can be reined in. Unemployment in Germany has been above ten percent so long, it's pathetic, and is twice ours right now. Add in the weird way they calculate the unemployment rate, which actually understates it, and you discover that they have 7,000,000 people unemployed or on various subsidized employment schemes, compared to 8,000,000 unemployed in the entire US. And we're three times their size in population!
Culturally? When's the last time European culture made a significant impact on the rest of the world? I'd have to go back to Monty Python for that one, I think. Or maybe Derrida, though I don't think that's exactly a positive contribution. Europe's subsizdized film industry is a waste. I may listen to Swedish rock (Flower Kings), but no one I talk to has ever heard of them.
I've traveled extensively in Europe. I've walked the streets of Amsterdam, and seen almost everything of consequence closed after 6:00 PM. I've seen the surly clerks in Britain actively put up obstacles to prevent customers from buying things. I remember a talk with a transportation agent in the Stockholm airport, and her refusal to recommend the obvious way to get to my hotel (by train, which was cheapest, fastest, and most convenient).
No, my friend, Europe is in big, big trouble. Those demographic trends are not going away. Unassimilated Muslim immigrants will start doing worse than assassinating Dutch filmmakers in the future, especially since European leaders are too cowardly to face up them.
We in the US have our own share of problems. Our educational system is a disgrace, for example. But at least we're prepared to look our problems in the eye (such as our current attempt to reform Social Security) instead of pretend that the problems don't exist.
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