Europe Learns the Wrong Lessons

The American Enterprise ^ | Oct-Dec 2005 issue | Karl Zinsmeister

[frankjr]

Long read but good.

[mtbopfuyn]

Couldn't get past the first paragraph. Germans sure are sending their children here as exchange students by the plane load. Obviously it was a CNN survey.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

anti-Americanism is most virulent among Europe's elites.

I'm interested in the use of the term, "elite." It is, I take it, a self-praising word, which actually means, "people like us."

Perhaps a better word than "elite" would be "arrogant."

[kabar]

Excellent article. The growing divergence between Europe, especially Old Europe, and ourselves is disturbing but perhaps inevitable.

[Tribune7]

So we must support our natural allies across Europe,

Freepers have to remember this.

[freebilly]

Look upon the suicide clinic in Switzerland that administers a glass of schnapps and then a peaceful death by injection. Note the German laws that, first, legalized prostitution two years ago, and then started requiring laid-off waitresses and secretaries to entertain job offers from the sex industry or face the loss ofunemployment benefits. Realize that 31 percent of pediatricians in the Netherlands have euthanized an infant, and that a fifth of these took place without the knowledge or consent of parents. And suddenly one is inclined to share the observation of Britain- dweller Dwight Longenecker that “beneath it all, the growing divide between Europe and America is a divide between theism and atheism. This simple divide is cosmic in its importance, and affects simply everything.”

We're not all that far behind....

[kabar]

The author means exactly that, i.e., elites. In this context, the author is using elite to define "small and privileged groups" rather than the "best or most skilled members of a given social group."

Elite is far from being a complimentary or "self-praising" appellation, especially in supposedly democratic societies.

[RoadTest]

The same forces are nibbling away at Americanism right now. Socialized care for illegals, the socialized languages of Political Correctness and bilingualism, Conservative paralysis in the face of Liberal harangues and threats - these are warning signs that that which is bringing about the Decline and Fall of Europe is knocking on our door.

[Incorrigible]

Greetings like minded Europeans!

[carumba]

This is why I cringe every time some pompous liberal starts yammering about how we need to adopt Euro think. Socialized medicine, European views on marriage, administration of justice, and last but not least sports car design. OK sports car design was just to see if you were paying attention. I could go euro with a Porsche or one of those Italian stallion cars.

[conservativewasp]

"So we must support our natural allies across Europe,
Freepers have to remember this."

They'll all be islamists or dead in 20 years, what we remember is irrelevant.

[Old Grumpy]

Ignorance is bliss, I hear. I only hope the blissful ones will never want to come to our country for a vacation.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

In this context, the author is using elite to define "small and privileged groups" rather than the "best or most skilled members of a given social group."

A priviledged group will of course be a small group, else it will not be particularly "priviledged."

. . .rather than the "best or most skilled members of a given social group."

If one means only a "priviledged" and not a highly skilled one, why not use the word "priviledged?"

Please forgive my nitpicking attitude, but I consider that euphemisms are an important technique of the left. For example, in our political discourse "Public" or "social/society" are usually euphemisms for "government." A "public" school is actually a government school, "the public sector" is nothing other than "the government," and so on.

Even the word "socialism" needs to be understood in that sense; it is actually governmentism - but that of course is too plainly a synonym for "tyranny" to be a good brand for what leftists are trying to sell.

[satchmodog9]

I love how bigotry is OK when it is anti Americanism.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I think the whole article can be summed up by saying that if Jimmy Carter were president of the EU nobody would notice any difference.

Difference is, we had Ronald Reagan.

[PajamaTruthMafia]

Eye opening. Thanks for sharing it.

[NHResident]

They're also sinking as much of their cash as they can sneak out of Europe into American real estate - look at homes/condos in Massachusetts, Florida, parts of Arizona, Texas, etc.

The 'elite' Euro-trash that litter Boston make snide, snotty comments about America but take advantage of the American economic/welfare system that they can, whenever they can.

[kabar]

A priviledged [sic] group will of course be a small group, else it will not be particularly "priviledged."[sic]

I provided you with the dictionary definition. I guess there could be cases where you had privileged majorities, e.g., whites during the days of segregation.

rather than the "best or most skilled members of a given social group."

If one means only a "priviledged" and not a highly skilled one, why not use the word "priviledged?"

Of course, I assume you mean privileged (vice priviledged). There is no word priviledged. There are plenty of words that have multiple definitions, depending upon context and usage, current or otherwise. The word elite can be used in both a complimentary and pejorative sense. For example, the Green Berets are an elite organization. A ruling elite or elitism could connote a pejorative description.

Please forgive my nitpicking attitude, but I consider that euphemisms are an important technique of the left. For example, in our political discourse "Public" or "social/society" are usually euphemisms for "government." A "public" school is actually a government school, "the public sector" is nothing other than "the government," and so on.

I don't quite understand what your point is. Certainly, social/society are not euphemisms for government.

Even the word "socialism" needs to be understood in that sense; it is actually governmentism - but that of course is too plainly a synonym for "tyranny" to be a good brand for what leftists are trying to sell.

First, there is no such word as "governmentism." Socialism, the ideology and politial system, does not translate necessarily into tyranny. Europe has plenty of social democracies, which have free and fair elections.

[Tribune7]

They'll all be islamists or dead in 20 years, what we remember is irrelevant.

No, our natural allies are the ones fighting the islamists (and relativistic atheists.)

Discounting them would be like Reagan discounting Sakharov or Walesa.

[conservativewasp]

Guess I'm missing all the Europeans standing up to Islam.