Posted on 08/30/2005 6:04:34 PM PDT by chgomac
Edited on 08/30/2005 9:51:30 PM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Strong words from Germany
Matthias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publishing house Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT (The World), Germany's largest daily newspaper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.
EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE
Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)
A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in WELT AM SONNTAG (Sunday World): "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true. Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.
Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman, suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.
Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.
Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.
Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt UN. Oil-for-Food program. And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement... How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany. I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolf Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time".
What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.
It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.
Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush. His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.
In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.
On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes. Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.
For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.
While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".
These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.
Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice.
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I agree about the silent majority... I experienced it first hand when I was in Germany for WYD.
Albright, hell. Try Mr. Liberal Love the World BJ Clinton.
Watch the movie "Hotel Rwanda." You will never be the same again. I know it affected me.
sorry...double pasted...been on here before....no date in the newsletter....a big mess! I will go away quietly now.
grandma mac
I get a copy...thanks.
Germans waving American flags lined the streets between Nurnburg and Ansbach when we (1st Armored Div.) returned home from Operation Desert Shield/Storm. All the "media" was interested in was those Germans protesting against the war.
Yea, both of them.
No date? How odd. No real problem.
LOL....
I doubt it, I read an BBC article about a month ago, about how the German government had mosques under surveillance after the first London bombings and were catching heat from the EU.
>Kosovo was a clintonoid war, fought on the wrong side. Sure, the Serbs may have massacred some Muslims, but the Muslims massacred many more Christians, destroyed hundreds of ancient churches, and introduced Islamic terrorism into the underbelly of Europe. <
Agree. Clinton's war gave rise to the Bosnian faction of the Al Qaeda network.
I say we offer him asylum in America. He'll need it!
And on that day, Germany's backbone grew not once, not twice, but three times its normal size!
This news letter was just sent out today....but you are right, this article didn't have a date.
This is the first time I've gotten his newsletter and I was so impressed that I posted before checking everything. I am doing penance and will be more careful if I ever post something again.
BTW, did you go to his web site? What do you think of his commentaries?
The original article appeared in Die Welt back in November of 2004. The newer article appears to have been written within a few days. No links so I can't be sure of the dates, but this stuff is almost a year old isn't it?
I read this story some time back and it's still a good read.
I don't know the date the article was published. My German is not half good enough to search Die Welt or the Sunday edition for it. I just got a copy of the article in this Texas Judge's newsletter today and the article was so interesting that I posted it.
check this out,you'll find yourself saying "too bloody right" over and over
Ok, I got to Die Welt and hit "suchen" for this Matthias Dapfen....it came up in "archeiven" with this article but with no date. Of course, it's tommorow over there...so Die Welt's date at the top of his article page is 8/31/05.
goodnight all
Good find. Well spoken.
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