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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feel free to pass this on to friends and family!
This is a free Newsletter provided by Paul Enlow, Former District Judge, State of Texas
www.paulenlow.com
If someone forwarded this message to you and you wish to be added to Judge Enlow's distribution list, please reply to this message with "Add" in the subject line.
This guy is going to screw around and get his press card yanked..
Whoa! Perhaps there is hope.
There goes his Nobel Appeasement Prize.
Great article.
Thanks for posting it.
Good for him and I hope many Germans will take note of it.
At least some Europeans are seeing the light!
I'm sorry about the double post. He really nails it tho, so mabe it's worth reading twice!
I believe that he does. Germany has a large "silent majority" like we have in America. The looney, outrageously vocal, minority gets all the press there. Same as here in America.
Europe was seduced into Clintonism. Will be interesting to watch the actions and reactions of the nations of the world to this mighty disaster dumped here in the US.
Who will offer help and who will seek to take advantage.
do you have a date or link??? I actually think this is pretty old and was posted months ago....
Great because it is true!
Also, let's not forget Rwanda! 1 MILLION lives lost while Europe fiddled.
I'm afraid the will to fight has been spanked out of the Europeans.
I am afraid that you are correct.
This is outstanding. The best of America's conservative columnists could not have written a better article. This would impress even Ann Coulter.
I suggest we all pass this along to not only our FR contacts but all our email contacts.
bump for later
Don't forget Madeline Albright's turning her head away.
I give this essay a 99. It's strong, to the point, and absolutely correct. I deduct 1 point because he is wrong about Kosovo. 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.
But I don't think that one error takes much away from the rest of the essay. And it's true that Europe stood by and did nothing in that case too, until clinton acted and unfortunately persuaded them (without much difficulty) to jump in on the wrong side.
I'm sorry if it was posted before, it didn't have a date.
I wish you had put a date on this . . . it's from Dec. 2004.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.