Posted on 06/16/2005 10:24:40 PM PDT by mal
That Europe as an entity is sick and the European Union as an institution is in disorder cannot be denied. But no remedies currently being discussed can possibly remedy matters. What ought to depress partisans of European unity in the aftermath of the rejection of its proposed constitution by France and the Netherlands is not so much the foundering of this ridiculous document as the response of the leadership to the crisis, especially in France and Germany.
Jacques Chirac reacted by appointing as prime minister Dominque de Villepin, a frivolous playboy who has never been elected to anything and is best known for his view that Napoleon should have won the Battle of Waterloo and continued to rule Europe. Gerhard Schröder of Germany simply stepped up his anti-American rhetoric. What is notoriously evident among the EU elite is not just a lack of intellectual power but an obstinacy and blindness bordering on imbecility. As the great pan-European poet Schiller put it: "There is a kind of stupidity with which even the Gods struggle in vain."
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
I really don't feel like "registering".
ACROSS THE POND
What Europe Really Needs
The Continent has turned its back on both the past and the future.
BY PAUL JOHNSON
Friday, June 17, 2005 12:01 a.m.
That Europe as an entity is sick and the European Union as an institution is in disorder cannot be denied. But no remedies currently being discussed can possibly remedy matters. What ought to depress partisans of European unity in the aftermath of the rejection of its proposed constitution by France and the Netherlands is not so much the foundering of this ridiculous document as the response of the leadership to the crisis, especially in France and Germany.
Jacques Chirac reacted by appointing as prime minister Dominque de Villepin, a frivolous playboy who has never been elected to anything and is best known for his view that Napoleon should have won the Battle of Waterloo and continued to rule Europe. Gerhard Schröder of Germany simply stepped up his anti-American rhetoric. What is notoriously evident among the EU elite is not just a lack of intellectual power but an obstinacy and blindness bordering on imbecility. As the great pan-European poet Schiller put it: "There is a kind of stupidity with which even the Gods struggle in vain."
The fundamental weaknesses of the EU that must be remedied if it is to survive are threefold. First, it has tried to do too much, too quickly and in too much detail. Jean Monnet, architect of the Coal-Steel Pool, the original blueprint for the EU, always said: "Avoid bureaucracy. Guide, do not dictate. Minimal rules." He had been brought up in, and learned to loathe, the Europe of totalitarianism, in which communism, fascism and Nazism competed to impose regulations on every aspect of human existence. He recognized that the totalitarian instinct lies deep in European philosophy and mentality--in Rousseau and Hegel as well as Marx and Nietzsche--and must be fought against with all the strength of liberalism, which he felt was rooted in Anglo-Saxon individualism.
In fact, for an entire generation, the EU has gone in the opposite direction and created a totalitarian monster of its own, spewing out regulations literally by the million and invading every corner of economic and social life. The results have been dire: An immense bureaucracy in Brussels, each department of which is cloned in all the member capitals. A huge budget, masking unprecedented corruption, so that it has never yet been passed by auditors, and which is now a source of venom among taxpayers from the countries which pay more than they receive. Above all, règlementation of national economies on a totalitarian scale.
The EU's economic philosophy, insofar as it has one, is epitomized by one word: "convergence." The aim is to make all national economies identical with the perfect model. This, as it turns out, is actually the perfect formula for stagnation. What makes the capitalist system work, what keeps economies dynamic, is precisely nonconformity, the new, the unusual, the eccentric, the egregious, the innovative, springing from the inexhaustible inventiveness of human nature. Capitalism thrives on the absence of rules or the ability to circumvent them.
Hence it is not surprising that Europe, which grew rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s, before the EU got going, has slowly lost pace since Brussels took over its direction and imposed convergence. It is now stagnant. Growth rates of over 2% are rare, except in Britain, which was Thatcherized in the 1980s and has since followed the American model of free markets. Slow or nil growth, aggravated by the power of the unions, fits well with the Brussels system and imposes further restraints on economic dynamism: Short working hours and huge social security costs that have produced high unemployment, over 10% in France and higher in Germany than at any time since the Great Depression which brought Hitler to power.
It is natural that high and chronic unemployment generates a depressive anger which finds many expressions. One, in Europe today, is anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism. Another is exceptionally low birthrates, lower in Europe than anywhere else in the world except Japan. If present trends continue, the population of Europe (excluding the British Isles) will be less than the United States by midcentury--under 400 million, with the over-65s constituting one-third of that.
The rise of anti-Americanism, a form of irrationalism deliberately whipped up by Messrs. Schröder and Chirac, who believe it wins votes, is particularly tragic, for the early stages of the EU had their roots in admiration of the American way of doing things and gratitude for the manner in which the U.S. had saved Europe first from Nazism, then (under President Harry Truman) from the Soviet Empire--by the Marshall Plan in 1947 and the creation of NATO in 1949.
Europe's founding fathers--Monnet himself, Robert Schumann in France, Alcide de Gasperi in Italy and Konrad Adenauer in Germany--were all fervently pro-American and anxious to make it possible for European populations to enjoy U.S.-style living standards. Adenauer in particular, assisted by his brilliant economics minister Ludwig Erhardt, rebuilt Germany's industry and services, following the freest possible model. This was the origin of the German "economic miracle," in which U.S. ideas played a determining part. The German people flourished as never before in their history, and unemployment was at record low levels. The decline of German growth and the present stagnation date from the point at which her leaders turned away from America and followed the French "social market" model.
There is another still more fundamental factor in the EU malaise. Europe has turned its back not only on the U.S. and the future of capitalism, but also on its own historic past. Europe was essentially a creation of the marriage between Greco-Roman culture and Christianity. Brussels has, in effect, repudiated both. There was no mention of Europe's Christian origins in the ill-fated Constitution, and Europe's Strasbourg Parliament has insisted that a practicing Catholic cannot hold office as the EU Justice Commissioner.
Equally, what strikes the observer about the actual workings of Brussels is the stifling, insufferable materialism of their outlook. The last Continental statesman who grasped the historical and cultural context of European unity was Charles de Gaulle. He wanted "the Europe of the Fatherlands (L'Europe des patries)" and at one of his press conferences I recall him referring to "L'Europe de Dante, de Goethe et de Chateaubriand." I interrupted: "Et de Shakespeare, mon General?" He agreed: "Oui! Shakespeare aussi!"
No leading member of the EU elite would use such language today. The EU has no intellectual content. Great writers have no role to play in it, even indirectly, nor have great thinkers or scientists. It is not the Europe of Aquinas, Luther or Calvin--or the Europe of Galileo, Newton and Einstein. Half a century ago, Robert Schumann, first of the founding fathers, often referred in his speeches to Kant and St. Thomas More, Dante and the poet Paul Valery. To him--he said explicitly--building Europe was a "great moral issue." He spoke of "the Soul of Europe." Such thoughts and expressions strike no chord in Brussels today.
In short, the EU is not a living body, with a mind and spirit and animating soul. And unless it finds such nonmaterial but essential dimensions, it will soon be a dead body, the symbolic corpse of a dying continent.
Mr. Johnson, a historian, is the author, among others, of "Modern Times" (Perennial, 2001). His most recent book is "Washington," due this month by HarperCollins.
Copyright ©
"...the origin of the German "economic miracle," in which U.S. ideas played a determining part. The German people flourished as never before in their history, and unemployment was at record low levels. The decline of German growth and the present stagnation date from the point at which her leaders turned away from America and followed the French "social market" model."
Tremendous analysis of what was wrong with the EU "Constitution" and their whole integration process. If God still smiles on the peoples of Europe, they will all read this author, or some similar reminder of the reason for their past greatness, before another attempt is made to force a larger union.
This was an excellent article. Thanks for posting it.
"Europe's Strasbourg Parliament has insisted that a practicing Catholic cannot hold office as the EU Justice Commissioner. Do you know what he's talking about here? Can someone fill me in about this?"
I believe this is a reference to an Italian man who was rejected for, well I guess the EU Justice Comm. job, because he had made some negative remarks about homosexuality. I have no idea what his name is, maybe another Freeper will give more details. It's really not put very clearly here, and that is a weak bit in an otherwise spot on article. I don't think there is any law against a Catholic holding such a position, it is more along the lines of our own conflicts over intalling judges with "strongly held (religious) beliefs".
"it is more along the lines of our own conflicts over intalling judges with "strongly held (religious) beliefs".
Bascially, as in the USA, where Ted Kennedy(and others) has said he will not back the nomination of any judge who doesn't support abortion.
So by that standard, practicing Catholics, Orthodox Jews, and Evangelical Protestants, are effectively barred from federal judgeships.
This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of good stuff that is worthy attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately on my page.
Besides this one, I keep separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson, Orson Scott Card, David Warren and Lee Harris (sometimes). You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about).
>>>>"Europe's Strasbourg Parliament has insisted that a practicing Catholic cannot hold office as the EU Justice Commissioner. Do you know what he's talking about here? Can someone fill me in about this?"
Why does this surprise anyone. These are the Christophobic bigots who inspire the likes of Howard Dean in our country.
Thanks for posting this. Johnson -Brilliantly correct as usual.
His book Intellectuals is also a great skewering of the so-called "best and brightest".
A high colonic?
Here's one article on FR on the Buttiglione affair:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1266936/posts
There are others -- you can search for articles with the word "Buttiglione".
No, I am afraid this is one is rock bottom. The author is selling your own opinion back to you without giving any new information. He's far from taking on any wrong cliches or doing anything else a brave journalist would do.
First of all I don't see more people in the EU turning away from the US than 20 years ago - infact the EU has become much more interwoven with the US.
Today poland and the other ex - soviet satellites have become reliable friendly partners of the US. This still is a change to the good. And this process of integration sure still costs 'old-europe' a lot of efford.
Talking about France: We are used to the strange behaviour of France trying to go a french way - they did this from the end of WWII - i can understand that the US is not amused about Chiracs attitude but at least it's nothing new.
Germany: ... has become more adult and is taking over international responsibility in the War on Terror. The integration of the former communist countries secures the peace in europe and btw directly enabled poland to take part in the war in iraq. Allthough Schröder is no intimate friend of George W and sure rode the anit-bush wave in his campaigns in a dirty way - he still is not anti-american in the same way as I really don't recieve the quite open words against schröder in this board as anti-german.
Facts are, that germany seems not to agree with its now governing party. In my opinion that's because people don't trust Gerhard Schröder in realizing the necessary reformatory steps that have allready been taken by e.g. the scandinavian countries.
Some more serious journalists in the US may remember the strong sympathy in the german public to the victims of 9/11 - but people don't like to remember things that don't fit in (easily sold) mass opinions.
It's just 'en vogue' in the press of france and some german papers to bash america, as it is for the author of this thin text or for some in this board to hate europe by heart. But that will be a short fashion also - it's already fading and has never been in the minds of the majority.
In the end noone will remember this sand box struggle when more stringend problems pop-up (north korea - shortage of resources - chineese trade etc.).
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