Thougth this was interesting. Aploligies if already posted.
link
A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe — your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.
Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.
Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe where for decades, inhuman, suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.
Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and, even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.
Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.
Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U. N. Oil-for-Food program.
And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany.
I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our (German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists.
One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler, and declaring European "Peace in our time".
What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.
It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness.
Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.
His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.
In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.
On the contrary, we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even Otto Schily justifiably criticizes.
Why?
Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.
For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy, because unlike almost all of Europe, Bush realizes what is at stake — literally everything.
While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation, or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "Reach out to terrorists, to understand and forgive".
These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.
Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice.
What a great post. Says exactly what is wrong with Europe.
And their way of thinking. Does anyone remember: "Peace in our Tiine" Chamberlin (sp). Churchill saved Englands butt, with our help, and
then they couldn't wait to get rid of him, because he was wartime leader.
Go figure.
Nice S y!
Excellent article! It's great that someone has the courage to stand up for what is right and criticize what is wrong - even if the "wrong" is all of Europe!
what if we're wrong?
Please list examples!
theyve been listed in the other thread
Not that I'm backing Europe or anything, but I had to disagree with a couple of things it said about USSR. After WWII America agreed to give Russia half of the spoils. And then we mothballed alot of our weapons giving Russia a huge advantage.
RR did not end the cold war. He was just lucky enough to be there at the end. This is a common misconception perpetrated by conservatives.Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War,
In unrelated news, Bush is responsible for the recession in 2000 because he was lucky enough to be there at the end.
Dan you are such a dumbass. Do they teach anything in the college you
supposedly attend? Like you know: History.
The cold war is boring, I'll take WWII over that any day.
Overall, this article reeks of nothing but right-wing mentality. Eh, the Europeans are a bunch of appeasers who are thinking about having a Muslim holiday (Jesus forbid), are responsible for the death of millions of Jews, and have stood on the sidelines in this use-less war in Iraq. Frankly S y, this post is what I expect from AHF, SQ2, or Neocon, but not you.
Very disappointing.
Did you read Thomas Friedman's article in the local fish wrap today?
RR should have been censured or maybe impeached. He sold weapons to Iran and used the money to fund paramilitaries in South America. That enough 'history' for ya?Dan you are such a dumbass. Do they teach anything in the college you
supposedly attend? Like you know: History.
we're right because we're right.
if exporting democracy is now the reason for invading a country with a dictator why stop with iraq?
That is not a got article. Is has some got points but most of it is crap. Europe is pacifist because of two great wars on here territory. They know what war brings. Chamberlain was wrong but he did it because of fear. You Americans haven't seen war for 150 years, everything you experiance is something far far away. And RR didn't free the East Germany, the germans did.
Americans haven't "seen" war for 150 years? Who do you think gave their lives so that all of Europe could be free from Hitler? Sure, we haven't had war on our soil, but we've lost tens of thousands of lives defending other countries - doesn't that count for something?
Europeans are pacifists because of their socialist mentality.
Check your history book, American help was far greater in arms than in soldiers. More Americans died in civil war than in WW2, and you did not save Europe alone, the main weight was on the Soviet Union.
And there is a huge difference between sending soldiers to war or have it at home. Check body count for Europe and America in WW1 and WW2 and than ask yourself why we are pacifists.
Stalin and Hitler's stupidity and lack of regard for the life of their soldiers now says about America that WE don't know what war is because WE didn't have as many people Die as those two idiots?
The soviets paid a horrible price for victory over the Germans, but they didn't have to pay as high a price as they did.
Their troops got hit by guns on from BOTH sides.
How dare you say that that way of war was BETTER than ours and that America's donation was more Arms than troops.
Let me guess, you are from some little "stan" or "ia" nation over there that was under soviet control for 50 years and got pounded into your head a bunch of state sponsored rhetoric about how evil the US was and how much braver your Soviet occupiers were.
Get bent.
WW2
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004619.html
Civil WarCode:Casualties in World War II Country Men in war Battle deaths Wounded Australia 1,000,000 26,976 180,864 Austria 800,000 280,000 350,117 Belgium 625,000 8,460 55,5131 Brazil2 40,334 943 4,222 Bulgaria 339,760 6,671 21,878 Canada 1,086,3437 42,0427 53,145 China3 17,250,521 1,324,516 1,762,006 Czechoslovakia — 6,6834 8,017 Denmark — 4,339 — Finland 500,000 79,047 50,000 France — 201,568 400,000 Germany 20,000,000 3,250,0004 7,250,000 Greece — 17,024 47,290 Hungary — 147,435 89,313 India 2,393,891 32,121 64,354 Italy 3,100,000 149,4964 66,716 Japan 9,700,000 1,270,000 140,000 Netherlands 280,000 6,500 2,860 New Zealand 194,000 11,6254 17,000 Norway 75,000 2,000 — Poland — 664,000 530,000 Romania 650,0005 350,0006 — South Africa 410,056 2,473 — U.S.S.R. — 6,115,0004 14,012,000 United Kingdom 5,896,000 357,1164 369,267 United States 16,112,566 291,557 670,846 Yugoslavia 3,741,000 305,000 425,000
http://www.civilwarhome.com/casualties.htm
At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War, and some experts say the toll reached 700,000. The number that is most often quoted is 620,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam.
The Union armies had from 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men. Their losses, by the best estimates:
Battle deaths: 110,070
Disease, etc.: 250,152
Total 360,222
The Confederate strength, known less accurately because of missing records, was from 750,000 to 1,250,000. Its estimated losses:
Battle deaths: 94,000
Disease, etc.: 164,000
Total 258,000
Learn to read! I never said that USA was evil, because i was never told that and I DIDN'T said that our way was BETTER than ours, I just said that it is a huge difference between what Europe experienced and what USA in WW2. And I don't think just dead in combat, also civilian casualtys and total destruction of morality and infrastructure and THAT America did not see for 150 years. Not to mention that USA had around 28% high economic growth during the war. Now by that I mean that US help was greater in arms than in soldiers. If you wouldn't supply the arms than the allied forces (also USSR) would lose even more soldiers.
And YES I do come from a little "ia" nation and we weren't under Soviet control and we liberated ourself in WW2.
But I do agree with you on the first three paragraphs, but you must understand that the rate of the friendly fire was also big on the side of the USA and UK.
I think there is a lot to be said when the civilian population is actually witness to the horror of war. You simply can't account for how horrible things are through newspapers, films, or television.
If you want to call out Europe for appeasment, then you have to call out the United States as well. And how quickly they are to point out how Europe ignores the deaths in Iraq. Well, how did ANYONE respond to the following:
China: I don't think anyone stepped up to the plate and invaded China to stop Mao and his death machine, no worry, only 40,000,000 dead.
Sudan - this sitution is far from new, since 1983 millions have died there. Don't see the US stepping up to invade there yet.
Congo - Yet more African civil war where millions have died, but who cares????? Not Europe, Not America!
Cambodia - I don't think anyone tried to stop Pol Pot did they?
Ethopia - I don't think anyone is stepping up to stop the death from famine and war there either. Damn, appeasers are everywhere!
Bangladesh - amazing, Cyclones are not the only thing killing people here. We can't stop the weather, but I guess we coudl stop the waring couldn't we?
Somolia and the rest of Africa - well, we made a huge dent there didn't we? On a whole we pay Africa token attention, but we really dont' care do we?
So sure, I'll give you that if you look at a very small portion of the pie, America does a much better job of not appeasing, but I think both America and Europe do a damn good job of ignoring.
America and Europe, Thy Name Is Ignorance
, and I totally left out Rawanda.
but we have stopped killing in europe's backyard when they wouldn't. remember bosnia, remember kosovo. u.s. can only do so much...
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