Europe and America in decline
Europe’s crisis is as much a demographic crisis as it is a budget problem.
TOM BURGUM
Contributing Columnist
burgum@lbknews.com
Europe and the United States are showing definite signs of decay and decline. An article in Sunday’s New York Times signaled the end of Europe as we know it.
Europe’s problem, at least as it appears from the Times article, is that “with low growth, low birthrates and longer life expectancies, Europe can no longer afford its comfortable lifestyle, at least not without a period of austerity and significant changes.” The problem, unfortunately, is much larger than just restructuring national budgets, because Europe’s crisis is as much a demographic crisis as it is a budget problem.
In Rome, photographer Aldo Cimaglia demonstrated a grasp of Europe’s larger problem. He told the Times, “It’s the Italian pension system] going to go belly-up because no one will be around to fill the pension coffers. It’s not just me; the country has no future.”
Aldo is absolutely correct. The European Commission says that by 2050 the percentage of Europeans older than 65 will nearly double. Sixty years ago there were seven workers for every retiree in advanced economies. By 2050, the ratio in the European Union will drop to 1.3 to 1.
This will not come as news to Gustave Brun d’Aree.
“The only thing we’re told,” he revealed to the Times, “is that we will have to pay for the others.”
Gustave is pretty astute for an 18-year-old French high school student because he and the other young Gustave’s are facing a world where they will have to support themselves, their family, and a retiree lounging around “Retirement Manor.” That’ll be a hell-of-a workload. It is very likely that many of the French, and other European young, will respectfully decline this unwelcome responsibility and immigrate to one of the nations more intent on developing jobs and a growing economy than in creating an ultimately unsustainable social welfare safety net.
At least the United States will be spared that immigration problem; we’re busy developing an unsustainable social welfare safety net based on the European model.
Europe has one other very serious problem. Where will the children in its future come from? Brussels, home of the European Union, will likely have a Muslim majority by 2050. In France, Mohammad is the most popular name for newborn males.
Mark Steyn, in his book “America Alone,” quotes Norwegian imam Mullah Krekar, “Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every Western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing 3.5 children.”
He thinks Europe will ultimately be dominated by Muslims. Want to bet against our Muslim friend?
Europe is broke and is facing a demographic disaster in the next three decades. Their only salvation will be if the coming generations of young Mohammad’s are willing to support atheistic, geriatric Europeans. That, I think, is a risky gamble at best.
America is broke but we don’t, as yet, face a demographic disaster. The United States is currently beset with a crippling multi-culturalism and an inclination to want international public opinion to look favorably upon us, two deplorable ambitions that serve best as forfeits to “white guilt” and only serve to make us look weak to others.
Illustrative of what I speak is President Obama’s recent remarks upon signing the “Daniel Pearl Press Freedom Act.” Pearl was decapitated by Muslim fanatics who thought it so remarkable they videotaped the event. That is the historical version; this is what the President said. “Obviously, the loss of Daniel Pearl was one of those moments that captured the world’s imagination because it reminded us of how valuable a free press is.”
Mr. Obama finds it virtually impossible to use the words “Islamic Jihadists.” Instead, he talks of “the loss” of Daniel Pearl.” Pearl wasn’t lost; he was kidnapped by murderous Muslims. He then tells us the event captured the world’s imagination. Ask the folks in Darfur about the value of the “world’s imagination.“ In this case the world didn’t need much imagination because the video was distributed throughout the Muslim world to great acclaim. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted to the crime but it was not a confession, it was braggadocio. “I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi.”
Hell-of-a-day for a Jihadist: an American and a Jew in just one beheading.
Then Mr. Obama, in the words of Mark Steyn, reached “for the all-purpose bromides of therapeutic sedation: ‘one of those moments’ − like Princess Di’ wedding, Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, whatever . . .“
Daniel Pearl deserves better, so do we.
Last week Mexican President Felipe Calderon repeatedly criticized Arizona and our immigration laws while appearing before a Joint Session of Congress. This may be the most hypocritical insult this country has suffered since the Barbary Pirates prayed on our shipping in the early 1800s and complained about the quality of the goods.
Calderon’s address to congress set a new record in the domain of the ridiculous and the contemptible. An April 2010 report from Amnesty International report entitled “Invisible Victims” called the trip from Central America across Mexico to the border with the United States, “one of the most dangerous in the world.” The report details that common abuses committed by Mexican officials include extortion, excessive use of force and violence against women.
So, where does this pompous, self-righteous, incompetent, windbag get off lecturing us. Given Mexico’s myriad problems, just tending to business at home should keep the little jerk fully employed.
Actually, Calderon was only annoying. It was the reaction of our congressional representatives that was so embarrassing. One is forced to ask, what nation, proud of its past and certain of its future, would countenance many of its elected representatives jumping up and down and applauding like excitable teenagers while being critically lectured by a self-righteous hypocrite whose only claim to fame is that he is the president of a third-world basket-case of a country?
Twenty-five years ago America would not have been that country.
