It would be interesting to see Mr. Steyn debate the European future with our own Euro-optimists like Jeremy Rifkin and T.R. Reid. The image he paints here seems almost too grim to be true. He makes one mistake in simply projecting demographic trends linearly. (There's no way Yemen will have more people than Russia in 2050, whatever the current pop. growth rates are.) But other than that there's a lot to wonder about in the whole death-of-Europe scenario. I find that when I bring it up in class my European students just shake their heads in disbelief.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
<< .... when I bring it up in class my European students just shake their heads in disbelief. >>
Despite that it is increasingly more difficult by the minute to tell the same young Euro-peons [And offshore-satellite state Canadians, Brits, New Zealanders et al] male from female -- and that the simple math that their 1.4-children-per-Euro-peon-woman falls far short of the 2.1-children per Absolutely necessary to their survival.
The Brussels-based Neo-Soviet will not last 15 years and none of the Euro-peon-styled states 50. Holland will go first -- probably before the EU and already-doomed once-great-britain -- its natives producing only 1.8 offspring per woman -- within 50!
You're right. I enjoy reading Steyn's predictions of Europe's impending collapse nearly as much as I enjoy eating chocolate ice cream, but sometimes I wonder if it's too good to be true.
Is there anyone out there rebutting him? I mean directly. I know the Euro-optimists are out there making their case, but surely there's someone who's dealing specifically with Steyn's columns. It would be interesting to see what they have to say.