Posted on 12/03/2005 7:28:28 PM PST by ceoinva
A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "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 U.N. 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 Adolph 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 charicteristic 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.
The Truth being written in Germany?? How did that happen?? What next, the Old York Times?
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
Link to the original article in German:
http://www.welt.de/data/2004/11/20/363020.html
A marvelous opinion piece. Loaded with truth and loaded with implied advice. It will be disregarded throughout Europe, my prediction.
Whoa!!!
This one is a total keeper.
American socialists need to read this.
Proven to be true and discussed here on snopes.com:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/dapfner.asp
Danke sehr mein freiperen :) freund.
This is an old article, it was out in 2004
Yes, the article is one year old, but still very relevant even for today.
Very true. It's good to see examples that many europeans support our efforts even though their spineless governments do not.
Appeasement kept Hitler out of jail long enough to get political power, kept him in power, and allowed him to destroy the Weimar republic. The Germans blew it. But they'll never admit to what they see in their neighbors.
"...fundamentalist Palestinians...
Islamic fundamentalists in Holland."
My only problem with this brilliant piece is his use of the word "fundamentalist" to describe fanatical Islamic killers.
I am a Christian fundamentalist and my fear is that liberals will someday tar me and my fellow Christians with the same brush. Already we're called fanatics and we're told we're not good for America because we're too "intolerant" of liberals' "ideals."
Other than that, this piece ranks up there as one of the best I've seen in a long time!
Saturday, December 3, 2005
Let us contemplate our forefathers, and posterity, and resolve to maintain the rights bequeathed to us from the former, for the sake of the latter. The necessity of the times, more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude and perseverance. Let us remember that "if we suffer tamely a lawless attack upon our liberty, we encourage it, and involve others in our doom." It is a very serious consideration ... that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the event.
-- Samuel Adams, Speech [1771]
One of the best articulations of Europe, which has sold its soul to the devil - and WILL PAY a price one day - for its despicable, and I believe very much economics based, appeasements of islamist fundamentalist regimes and ideologies.
I have made many family members of European background livid in the past few years, but can't pass up on this one. This one is for sharing!
And Bookmarking!
It's beautiful to see a prominent European who gets it! Although, snopes does point this out about the article as posted:
A number of readers fluent in German have pointed out that the English translation in circulation contains a passage that wasn't part of the original article; namely, "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 U.N. Oil-for-Food program." The translation also increases the number of deaths due to Saddam's murder machinery from 300,000 to 500,000.
About your comment that "liberals will someday tar me and my fellow Christians with the same brush".
Sadly, quite a few of my European friends and ESL students are doing just that. They are fed the arguement that all fundamentalists are the same in spite of their religions generally by Muslim friends, Muslim co-workers, the leftist media or academia. Incredibly they believe it and repeat it.
Pointing out how wrong they are results in disbelief and hard feelings.
you couldn't find it because it is old. Very old.
bump
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