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Quote of the Day: Is Europe Finished?
Let’s cut through the diplo-speak: If Mr. Biden and the Europeans don’t get Ukraine right, Europe’s future is finished.
Putin is Hitler. He is attempting the extermination of a people and the obliteration of their cities. World War II wasn’t fought in Europe to prevent a future nuclear exchange between Russia and the U.S. It was fought because Europe was experiencing the indiscriminate murder of civilians under Nazi military doctrine, now revived by Mr. Putin and the Russian general staff.— Daniel Henninger
In an ambitious flurry of activity, Europe is speaking out and taking action against Vladimir Putin, canceling some of their commitments to him and stepping in to help Ukraine. Most of the Ukrainian refugees are landing in Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. The EU has established an emergency protection system, offering jobs, shelter, and medical treatment. They have also worked at streamlining their entry procedures. The invasion of Putin has been criticized harshly, and Europe has stepped up.
But how long will they enthusiastically deal with this new reality?
At this writing, 4 million people have fled Ukraine; another 6.5 million people are displaced. It’s impossible to know how long the conflict will drag on, or whether the EU countries will be able to support millions of refugees, or how many of the Ukrainians will stay. Will they be able to find work? Will they be able to adjust if they choose to stay? Will they be welcomed by the various countries?
And will the U.S. make a sincere and reasonable effort to supply arms and compassionate support, and for how long?
And yet . . . and yet . . .
Does Europe really have a choice? Over time will they try to ignore the threats that Putin poses to the European continent?
Will they realize that helping Ukraine and Ukrainians and standing up to Putin could determine the very future of Europe?
Published in Foreign Policy
Or despair and attack.
Yes they have.
Please note the retreat from Kiev.
Having confidence in our system is a conservative trait (or at least it used to be). Leftists are usually the ones that disparage all that they see in our civilization, and pray (I should say “hope,” they rarely pray) for an unattainable utopian future. That’s why they are usually miserable.
I don’t know. Got a URL for that so I can find out?
We should be talking about what we can do to help Ukraine drive the Russians back at Izyum rather than arguing about who won the war. Ukraine won the Battle of Kiev, but that’s not the whole war.
I pray for a non-utopian future. I just want a limited government.
Why don’t you ask the Ukrainians? In the areas of the east (where Russia-symps are supposedly strongest) that are being evacuated, the vast majority of the people are fleeing west rather than east. Why is that?
I was forced to “Like” this.
Countries recently freed from Russia’s clutches are far less sympathetic to the lure of Marxism than are soft western countries.
This is a mistaken reading of what I said and how Christians, generally, respond to all things passing away. Acceptance is not despair and personal peace does not require disassociation. In fact, one might argue (that would be me) that Christianity is the force that drove the West to its highest heights. Christians behaving as Christians — seeking truth, beauty, and goodness through the practice of the faith and the worldview that accompanies it. Even suffering takes on profound meaning through the life, Passion, and death of Jesus Christ. This is especially poignant to me as we approach Palm Sunday and Holy Week.
Also, the Bible is a great history book offering lessons on the fall of civilizations. Lefties can hide these lessons from us because they write about and teach history but they don’t control the Old Testament. These lessons open our eyes so we can recognize history repeating itself. Reality is separate from despair but it can result in despair,or joy, or correction. One can’t correct what he can’t see.
Good question.
You would think from what we are being taught that they would go the other way.
I’m aware of Germany’s idiocy. Reality will eventually hit them. They will come back.
Yes conservatives have confidence in “our system.” But our system is being torn down every day by the left. There is a point where it is no longer “our system.” That is why the right has lost hope.
I have said this before. This is a center left country now.
Yes absolutely it matters. Whatever Europe’s western and intellectual decline is, having a dictator dominate Europe is unacceptable, morally unacceptable and in terms of future security. You’re mixing different issues.
I have no idea what you’re trying to say. I suggest you take the position of moral clarity.
It seems that we are experiencing a turnaround, however. Leftists are losing many court and legislative battles, and the 2022 election looms ominously for them.
I think Lilek’s point is closer to the idea that where there is life, there is hope. I can easily see Christianity turning a new and dynamic page, for example.
My position is that we are losing – but we can be winning. It depends on us, on our willingness to market what we believe in, and to spread our ideas and energy.
Your approach, to me at least, seems to cede the field of battle, and give up even trying. Christianity may accept that. Torah Judaism insists on raging against the dying of the light with every breath we have left.
Our job is in this world, and G-d expects us to keep faith and keep going.
Maybe that’s why I refuse to give up hope for the future. If we are to serve G-d, we can’t do it sitting on our hands or giving up. We are called to make a difference.
We need to keep right in the ring and continue the fight! The bell hasn’t rung yet.
Again, this is how non- Christians interpret acceptance of the passing of all things. But Christians view it all through the life, Passion death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The battle is already won, but we’re still called to be the Body of Christ in this world. To be in the world, not of it.
It is far from a call to complacency. It’s a mistake to think the West was built by doormat Christians. The problem with the West today isn’t that there are too many faithful Christians (someone tell Pope Francis). It’s that there are too few.
But that’s nonsense if the immigrants are not largely more productive than unproductive. Just having “bodies” doesn’t solve anything.
Except the single biggest problem, native population growth, has been on the decline in Europe for quite a while. If the birth rate in the US has dropped below replacement, it’s only been pretty recently, and perhaps due to economic pressures which can change more rapidly and more easily than what has caused the decline in Europe.
If we stopped giving free money to healthy people of working age, there would be no need for illegal aliens to work menial jobs. The aliens would be squeezed out by American workers.
How about just keeping the unskilled/low-paid aliens OUT, so as not to have a race-to-the-bottom of pay and living conditions, between American citizens and immigrants who may be okay with 12 people living in a 1-room apartment because it’s still better than where they came from?
That would be good, too.
So here in Ireland- which is part of Europe, politically at least- we are, for the first time ever, questioning our military neutrality. For decades we have presumed that if we came under attack, the US and UK would come to our aid. We have also presumed that our geographical location has made us immune. Now people aren’t so sure. A couple of Russian nuclear submarines in Galway Bay could be a game-changer. So now, people are seriously considering joining either NATO or an EU army (I’ll take the former, thank you).
Our virtue signalling Government announced that we would take 200,000 Ukrainian refugees. This in a country with a massive housing crisis. Now it is clear we will struggle to accommodate 10,000, which is unfortunate, but might deter future grandiose claims
The price of energy has gone through the roof. €2 or close for a litre of diesel. But our virtue-signalling Government refuses to postpone carbon tax increases due to hit in May, God help us.
The far left here are taking an absolute drubbing. Their penchant for dictatorial regimes such as Russia, Iran and Venezuela has finally exposed them.
But is Europe finished? No way! It has been the cradle of democracy for millennia and has survived much worse than Putin could ever inflict – at least as long as he sticks to conventional weapons. And all of the nation States, and just about all the people are united in condemnation of Russia and support for Ukraine. And this is spontaneous and real, not drilled into us by the EU or anyone else. A rare moment.
Ultimately none of that matters, if you don’t have enough children.
The latest number I found is 1.70 for 2019, and still dropping.
Great news, Charles. Thank you for the input from Ireland!
One can only do what one can. Mrs Mark and I haven’t been found wanting I assure you.