Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cry the Beloved Europe?
American Greatness ^ | 11 Dec, 2025 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 12/12/2025 5:19:54 AM PST by MtnClimber

America warns Europe that only one of them is truly fighting to reverse the West’s decline—and the clock is running out for the other to follow suit.

Nothing bothers the European elite as much as American conservatives praising the European foundations of their shared, but threatened, Western civilization.

Europeans especially resent having their social-welfare state system critiqued by upstart, crass Americans.

Their pique only increases as they push back against the condescending American idea that the U.S. could possibly offer any constructive advice, much less help a more civilized Europe follow the “American model.”

Americans, in turn, are worried that Europe is not just stagnating but is on a trajectory of permanent decline—with dire consequences for the entire Western world.

As for symptoms, the U.S. cites a steadily declining European share of world GDP. It points to Europe’s unsustainable 1.39 fertility rate, which ensures a steadily smaller, older, and costlier native population.

More than ten percent of Europe’s resident population is now foreign-born—some 45 million people. However, the European host, unlike a classless America, does not have a long tradition of melting-pot assimilation, integration, and acculturation.

Unlike America’s mostly Christian-nation immigration patterns, European immigrants are predominantly from the Middle East and North Africa, Islamic, and increasingly anti-Western.

Far too many of Europe’s immigrants profess too little desire to assimilate into what they consider a culturally decadent place—one that, ironically, they have no desire to leave.

The Christian Church, the linchpin of Western civilization, was born in Europe. Yet nowhere do atheism, agnosticism, and open hostility to Christendom grow stronger.

Europe, the birthplace of a dynamic Western military tradition, has been, by contemporary standards and at least until recently, virtually disarmed and unable to protect its own borders or interests.

Europe’s overregulation and war on fossil fuels

(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: civilization; europe; leftism; vdh; victordavishanson
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

1 posted on 12/12/2025 5:19:54 AM PST by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

The self-loathing left seem to be imposing their death wish on their societies.


2 posted on 12/12/2025 5:20:06 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: texas booster

VDH ping


3 posted on 12/12/2025 5:22:05 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

You can lead a horse to water....

wy69


4 posted on 12/12/2025 5:23:49 AM PST by whitney69 (`)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

The crisis in Europe is Darwinian. The gene pool was diluted and destroyed in the last centaury.

Europe is no longer more fit than the invading Africans.

The survival of the white fittest is in doubt


5 posted on 12/12/2025 5:27:28 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Quid Quid Nominatur Fabricatur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

European origin whites are expected to become a minority in the USA in 20 years.

Maryland Man may already be back in town.


6 posted on 12/12/2025 5:27:38 AM PST by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Good summary of Europe, but a bit optimistic about the US, considering how far Trump has strayed from MAGA.

...but hopefully he’s right about the US, in the end, but it gets harder and harder to be optimistic given that the 19th Amendment has yet to be repealed.


7 posted on 12/12/2025 5:28:41 AM PST by BobL (Trusting one's doctor is the #1 health mistake one can make.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

When he says Europe he really means The UK, France, Belgium and Germany. Those four states (I don’t refer to them as nations) are the root cause of all of Europe’s problems.

If you eliminate London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin, you will have peace across the continent.


8 posted on 12/12/2025 5:37:47 AM PST by Flavious_Maximus (Tony Fauci will be put on death row and die of COVID!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

It’s a War for Civilization, and most of the West is asleep.


9 posted on 12/12/2025 5:38:35 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Communism and islam: failed in every country in modern history.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bert

And America isn’t exactly in a great place to lecture others on fitness these days, I see big fat slobs all over the place, and not just in the south, contrary to what the leftists try to claim.


10 posted on 12/12/2025 5:41:52 AM PST by jpl ("You are fake news.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Flavious_Maximus

Really, you’ll have to throw Washington in that mix, especially when a Democrat is the POTUS.


11 posted on 12/12/2025 5:42:09 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Very good article by VDH. Thanks for posting.


12 posted on 12/12/2025 5:42:28 AM PST by PGalt (Past Peak Civilization?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

The self-important euro losers are determined in their self-loathing.

Since they are so determined in their self-destruction, sit back and enjoy the pathetic show while preparing this country for their eventual self-destruction.

Europe...see ya!


13 posted on 12/12/2025 5:50:08 AM PST by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

“Europe’s unsustainable 1.39 fertility rate”

Europe is a dead man walking. The US isn’t far behind. The “savages” who are invading Europe have not redefined what a family is. They know that a family isn’t women alone with children and it’s not two guys either.


14 posted on 12/12/2025 5:53:27 AM PST by Varda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BobL

The 19th Amendment is not going to be repealed!

There are a good number of conservative women in the USA, many on this site. The problem is an ossified Republican Party, the Jeb Bush wing, that wants to lose with dignity.

The solution: nominate capable candidates for all elected positions, starting with the school board and run tough campaigns, clean up voter roles and get conservatives to the polls for every election.


15 posted on 12/12/2025 5:55:08 AM PST by Maine Mariner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: 5th MEB; 6ppc; agondonter; Alberta's Child; AndyJackson; Aria; artichokegrower; ...
Ping! Out to the Victor Davis Hanson list

Europe is only growing more socialist, censorious, globalist, pacifist, multicultural, atheistic, and green. In contrast, the U.S. is undergoing a counter-revolution toward smaller government, fewer regulations, more fossil fuels, an expanding military, less DEI and woke, more secure borders, legal-only immigration, and renewed faith.

Excellent article! We lived in Metz France until DeGaulle kicked out the US military in the '60s. France is much different than when we left.

FR Index of his articles: Victor Davis Hanson on FR

Town Hall: Victor Davis Hanson on Town Hall

American Greatness: Victor Davis Hanson on American Greatness

His website: Victor Davis Hanson The Sword of Perseus

One of his sponsors' website: The Daily Signal

Please let me know if you want on or off this new VDH ping list.

As a reminder, Professor Hanson has asked that we do not post the full article of his writings. Thank you for following the link to finish his article.

Content created by the Center for American Greatness, Inc. is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a significant audience.

https://freerepublic.com/tag/victordavishanson/index

16 posted on 12/12/2025 5:56:34 AM PST by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber
--- "The self-loathing left seem to be imposing their death wish on their societies."

That London-based, London-buried writer wrote: "Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of the world, unite!" Because, again in his words, "A spectre is haunting Europe; the spectre of Communism."

A look at the "pyramid scheme" pictured at the time of the early Marxists, only labeling of the castes is incorrect. Atop today's autocratic Europe is the rule of the European Commission, with a compliant European press undergirding them, the bottom of the whole scheme still comes to the same damn thing.

VDH has it correct, "Europe is only growing more socialist, censorious, globalist, pacifist, multicultural, atheistic, and green."

As are today's Democrats and Democratic Socialists working so hand-in-glove with their compliant Lefty press. There is no wonder the Trump-Vance administration is so irritating to them, as to the EU elite ( and British Labour Party ). Their REIGN is threatened.

17 posted on 12/12/2025 6:11:38 AM PST by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Europe’s elites also don’t want the descendants of those whose ancestors emigrated from Europe to the Americas, and antipodes easily returning to Europe, and certainly not as citizens. Europe’s elites want an underclass of Muzzies in Europe, which has proved to be a disaster.


18 posted on 12/12/2025 6:13:56 AM PST by Dr. Franklin ("A republic, if you can keep it." )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: texas booster
Europe is only growing more socialist, censorious, globalist, pacifist, multicultural, atheistic, and green.

In contrast, the U.S. is undergoing a counter-revolution toward smaller government, fewer regulations, more fossil fuels, an expanding military, less DEI and woke, more secure borders, legal-only immigration, and renewed faith.

I truly hope the 4th great awakening that I believe has already started is as powerful of a cultural and political change as the 1st and 2nd ones.

19 posted on 12/12/2025 6:24:33 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Europe is in trouble, they should want to listen to Trump and seek solutions.


20 posted on 12/12/2025 6:26:09 AM PST by 1Old Pro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-46 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson