Nearly ten years ago, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld provoked outrage by referring to “Old Europe.” How dare he, snapped the French and Germans, call us “old” when the utopian European Union was all the rage, the new euro was soaring in value, and the United States was increasingly isolated under the Bush administration.
The more things change in Europe, the more they stay the same.
The island of Britain is, and is not, a part of Europe — carefully pulling out when things heat up, terrified that it will be pulled back in when things boil over. British prime minister David Cameron knows the old script well, as he adamantly and publicly insists that Great Britain is still a part of the crumbling European Union while privately assuming that it is not.
No need to mention the German “problem”: Whether the year was 1870, 1914, 1939, or 2011, Europeans always have feared a united Germany, whose people, for a variety of cultural reasons, produce more wealth than the nation’s size might otherwise suggest.
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In that regard, the more France talks of the glory of Gallic culture, the more it seeks to restrain its too-powerful next-door neighbor or, in humiliating fashion, seeks to appease Germany. No surprise that French president Nicolas Sarkozy now seems to be pursuing both tracks simultaneously.
For centuries, Mediterranean Europe — the original dynamic birthplace of Western civilization — has stagnated in comparison to the north. The sunny south’s doctrinaire Catholicism and Orthodoxy, greater vulnerability to nearby militant Ottomanism, and lack of Atlantic ports that looked out on the New World long ago relegated the Mediterranean nations to comparative stagnation. Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were always considered nice, warm places to vacation or retire, but not in which to work, live, and raise a family. That stereotype is as alive in 2011 as it was in 1880.
The squabbling European family has always feared two great rivals — Russia and radical Islam. From 1453 through the 18th century, Europe lived in fear of the Ottomans, who twice reached the gates of Vienna. Huge European armies invaded Russia twice, and both Napoleon and Hitler destroyed their own empires in their failed attempts at preemption. Russia occupied half of Europe for almost a half-century and now tries to leverage with gas and oil what it used to with missiles and tanks. Europe is as dependent on the oil of Muslim nations as it is terrified of millions of new Islamic immigrants.
Well, I am a European girl and I do not hate anyone. The politicans of france, Germany, Britain, spain italy or whereever they come from do not speak for 500 milion people. I respect every human being but I dislike people who disrespect me or my culture. Well, imagine milions of europeans would iigrate to islamic countries, I doubt that they would like to assimilate to our culture. I think israelis are handsome and there live some beautiful women, I respect them and their culture and I wish them the best and I support israel cuz jewish people need a homeland but I also support palestinia. I would appreciate it if Americans and israelis would stay out of European countries businesses like we stay out of their businesses. As long as muslims.integrate into european society I do not mind them being in europe. It seems like you are trying to make europe a scapegoat for the crimes of israelis or the mistakes of america. Please do not write any nonesense article if you have no idea what you are talking about. Your propaganda call against europeans is embarrassing.
So I think your article is basically garbage. You made some statements which you cant even support with evidence.
Maybe we should stay out of the Euro's business. Pull out our military who has saved you from the Nazis and protected you from the USSR and let's see how well you do. Geez, such ignorance of history.
Sofia, I hope your Islamic residents assimilate for your continent's sake. I don't believe Dr. Hanson was implying that Europeans hate anyone. He's a historian who looks at current happenings with a historian's eye. He is a wise man with an ability to condense a lot of seemingly unrelated stories into a larger narrative. He's just a messenger. God bless and good luck to you.
Keep in mind that without America's military and money (Marshall Plan) there is no modern Europe, period. We have pulled your collective butts out of the fire time and again. Since 1945 we have done the heavy lifting of Europe's defense and security. This is one American who would only be too happy to let Europe pay for its own defense and security and pull all our bases and personnel out of the region. but please don't call us back when you are on your knees before Iran or Russia or ask our Federal Reserve to provide liquidity to the ECB. Good luck
"The politicans of france, Germany, Britain, spain italy or whereever they come from do not speak for 500 milion people."
Actually, they do and that's your problem. If these politicians don't speak for the 500 million people of Europe, why in the world do you guys have the European Union?
Oh, and Muslims *have not* been assimilating into your culture. Your Europeans are gung ho on multiculturalism at the expense of your own culture.
And have America stay out of your business? Talk about biting the hand that not only fed you but FREED you.
“The politicans of france, Germany, Britain, spain italy or whereever they come from do not speak for 500 milion people.”
Speak, no, but make decisions on your behalf “yes”. Did your country have a referendum that allowed its citizens to vote whether they want to join the EU or were you told? Ah. I see.
“..jewish people need a homeland but I also support palestinia.”
You are aware that said palastinians voted for a known terrorist organization to lead their govt. who openly stated they want to eliminate the Jews, yes? If you didn’t, does knowing that fact now change your support?
“I would appreciate it if Americans and israelis would stay out of European countries businesses like we stay out of their businesses.“
What interference are you inferring? You mean like Yugoslavia or Libya?
“As long as muslims.integrate into european society I do not mind them being in europe.”
How’s that “integration process” working out for you?
“…to make europe a scapegoat for the crimes of israelis or the mistakes of america.”
What crimes and misstates? Please elaborate.
“You made some statements which you cant even support with evidence.”
Historical observations aside, I think the article is articulate in describing the European situation and your knee jerk reaction is revealing. Good luck.
Really? No hatred for Hitler? Or Mussolini? Or Stalin? Or Lenin? Or Ceauşescu? Or Karadzic? Or the cowards throughout Europe who knowingly tolerated all these totalalitarian European butchers at the cost of milions upon millions of lives (including the American lives that continually have to drain your European moral cess pools)? You want evidence to support Mr. Hanson's assertions? -- start with that list of names and work from there.
You are indeed typically European -- personal moral preening and self-declared superiority is your only priority, and in order to maintain your illusions you continually deny the existence of evil in your midst no matter how many lives it costs.
No need to make Europe a scapegoat for anything. However, the European Union was a bad idea to begin with. Europe is NOT one culture like the United States of America is. You know yourself that there are many cultures and languages in Europe, as well as many degrees of economic development and politics, and so on. Sweden is worlds away from Italy. Spain is not like Lithuania, and whatnot. You know what I am talking about. The Union needs to be abandoned and the countries of Europe need to develop at their own pace and in their own ways. Europe must also recover completely from the stigma of the Holocaust during which most of the Jews of Europe were murdered by the Nazis and their many collaborators in most countries of Europe. Europeans used to complain about the Jews and now they are complaining about the Muslims. However, the Jews were traditionally a part of Europe, while most Muslims are strangers even when they are born in Europe proper. The only exception would be the Bosnian Muslims. I don't know what country you are from, but whatever one it is, I am sure that you are proud of the culture and language and realize that you are not part of a Union, even an economic one. The Germans actually run the Union, so what is so "union" about it. Remember the Soviet Union, and all those different Languages and Cultures. But the Russians ran everything and imposed their culture on everyone, which is why we have separate nations today where the USSR was.
The history of modern Europe (post 1648) is a struggle for balance of power. When balance is achieved periods of peace and prosperity follow, but as prosperity concentrates wealth (power) in pendulum like fashion forces struggle to return to balance.
Interestingly waves of anti-Semitism sweep across Europe’s ocean of anti-Semitism (unfortunately for the small numbered and economically conspicuous Jews they make the ideal scapegoat) with only the occasional isolated episodes of Judeophilia as seen in Britain and fascinatingly Napoleonic France.
I always thought the Treaty of Vienna was one of the great achievments of Europe. For almost 100 years, Europe enjoyed relative peace. Bismarck's disruption of the old balance of power (brought about with the decay primairily of Austria and the weakness of France) didn't necessairly have to lead to the Great War.
In a way Europe never recovered from the Franco-Prussian War. The 2nd Reich, for all of the bluster from its Kaiser, was primairily bottled up in Europe. It never really competed with either the French or British navies; France, for all of its dreams of recapturing Alsace Lorraine, could have over time negociated a plebeciste with Germany, and probably would have gotten back at least Alsace. Great Britian for all of its dreams of splendid isolation lived by an outmoded foreign policy. Germany already dominated Central Europe. Britain had no interests in pledging to protect the Benelux regions. And what we know now, The UK's pledge of neutraility was hallow. It had no intentions of going to war against France if she invaded Belgium in a pre-emptive strike against Germany.
The diplomacy of Europe from 1870-1914 was one of either incompetence (Germany), unneeded belligerence (France), confusion (Great Britain and Russia) or weakness (Austria). Europe had no Bismarck, Kissenger, or Mettrinich. What is so tragic is the fact the Europe enjoyed a tremendous period of cultural and economic growth during this long 40 years of uneasy peace.
The lights of Europe may have gone out in 1914. But, the dimming began 40 years earlier.
"I always thought the Treaty of Vienna was one of the great achievments of Europe. For almost 100 years, Europe enjoyed relative peace. Bismarck's disruption of the old balance of power (brought about with the decay primairily of Austria and the weakness of France) didn't necessairly have to lead to the Great War."
Kinda sorta right but for the wrong reasons.
Napoleon settled down by 1815 and sure, it was 99 years semi-peaceful between then and the Great War (with a couple little spats between Prussia and France in 1870 and the Crimean War against Russia in the 1850s, thrown in) but this 99 years of peace was largely because there WASN'T a balance of power in Europe. England (during the Victorian Era) was much stronger than any other nation on the Earth for these 99 years. She was strong then the way the United States is strong now, so strong that it would have been fruitless for anyone in Europe to fight against her.
And the shame is that we have so many over here who are willing to dam America and convert us into that. It never ends well for the Euros; we can't expect that it will end well for us either.
