Regards, Ivan
Posted on 02/17/2003 11:04:52 PM PST by kattracks
With millions of Europeans demonstrating against America, many Americans, raised to regard Europe as an ally, must be wondering what is happening. Some Americans even may be wondering if Europe may be right: after all, when have millions of Europeans ever been wrong?
It is therefore essential that Americans understand the nature of the rift between America and Western Europe (not Eastern Europe, which thanks to its suffering under Communist evil, understands evil and values America) -- a rift that will only widen unless one adopts the values of the other. For at this moment, there are two civilizational wars taking place: Islamist hostility to Western liberty and European hostility to American values.
Why this European hostility?
First, Europe believes in socialism, while America believes in capitalism. This difference can hardly be overstated. Most Western Europeans believe in socialism as fervently as religious Christians, Jews and Muslims believe in their respective religions. To many Americans, socialism is only an economic system, but for Western Europeans it has largely replaced Christianity as their faith.
The United States not only rejects socialism; it is the chief obstacle to its spread -- because of its military and cultural might, and especially because of its economic success. Indeed, America is the chief impediment to the spread of both Islam and socialism. This explains the unity of leftist and Muslim activists. Though theoretically they have nothing in common, as Osama bin Laden just announced, "in the current circumstances, the interests of Muslims coincide with the interests of the socialists" -- opposing America.
Second, as a result of the massive bloodshed of the nationalism-based World Wars, Western Europeans concluded that the abolition of national identities is a moral necessity. Europe's elite decided to believe in Europe and the United Nations rather than in their individual nations. An English protester, quoted in the Los Angeles Times, explained his protest in terms of support of the United Nations, not Britain: British Prime Minister Tony Blair "has totally misjudged . how destabilizing this (support for America) has been to the United Nations. And we believe in the United Nations."
Just as Europeans were losing faith in their national identities, the United States came to believe even more strongly in its distinct national identity. While Europeans and the American Left have more faith in the moral judgment of the United Nations, where Libya chairs the Human Rights Commission and Syria and China vote in the Security Council, most Americans have more faith in America.
Third, pacifist ideas dominate European society. Another major ideological consequence of the World Wars was the belief that wars are wrong, that any evil -- from Communism to Saddam Hussein or North Korea owning weapons of mass destruction -- is better than fighting. America, on the other hand, believes that it is sometimes better to fight evil. The last time many Europeans demonstrated against America was when President Ronald Reagan put Pershing missiles in Europe. Europeans thought that confronting the Soviets was provocative and wrong.
Fourth, Europe passionately affirms secularism, while America remains the most religious among the industrialized democracies. In this sphere, too, either America or Europe is right. And the predominance of America, a religious country -- one, no less, that affirms the religion the European elites have rejected -- infuriates the Europeans.
Positing no transcendent or religious basis for an objective and universal standard of good and evil, Europe disdains moral absolutes and moral judgments. Whether it was President Reagan calling the Soviet Union an "evil empire" or President Bush labeling North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil," Europeans (and the American Left, whose values are identical) found such moral labeling contemptible.
Indeed our president personifies all that Europe dislikes in America. He comes from the business world, wears an Americans flag on his lapel, is ready to go to war against an evil regime, and believes deeply in God, in Christianity and America's Judeo-Christian identity. He even wears cowboy boots.
Thomas Jefferson suggested that the Great Seal of the United States depict the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. He and the other Founders knew that America's future was and must be based on leaving Europe. It is truer now than ever.
©2003 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Sounds like a buncha weenies ripe for being taken over and dominated.
I'm glad I live in America!!
I don't care if I sound prejudiced, but I see them as a Trojan Horse that we are inviting in with our altruistic notions. As a general rule, they can be counted on to vote against America's interests if it serves the country they immigrated from.
Perhaps they should be warned in advance that I will shoot anyone who demands that I wear a veil or not expose an ankle!!
I'm not sure why you did either. And to think you registered with FreeRepublic TODAY in order to do so! Perhaps you could go to the editorial's source (TownHall.com...see the link at the top of the page?) and read a little bit about Dennis Prager's credentials and even respond to him directly.
Based on what you have posted here, there is a divide between Americans and Europeans. Your post shows that we are speaking past each other and do not agree on terms or realities. If we cannot agree on those items, where are the commonalities ?
Regards, Ivan
Savers are operating at a loss when inflation and taxes are considered. Until recently, I was under the impression that capitalism was based on profits, investment to make those profits, and reliance on savings to invest in further ventures to make profits.
Now we find that we are in a debt induced recession, that Europe is a socialist entity mired in a debt recession also. Where is the distintion between capitalism and socialism?
Both camps tout the advantages of their system but both are in debt up to their a$$ and beholden to governments that are incapable of allowing the formation of savings and investment. Please help me to understand the distinction between socialism and capitalism in a global debt system.
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