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| Former European Mandarin Exposes Intrigue, Illusions and Dangers |
| 2007-03-26 |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #4 While almost elsewhere Islam would be in decline, it would hold onto Western Europe teeth and nails. I believe that Fjordman has given ample proof of how to avoid this. Whether or not Europe does is another matter entirely. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-03-26 23:51 |
| #3 Barb, Europe is lost already, I think, the western par--that is. Not that apparent yet, but in 5 or so years, it will be out in the open, beyond doubt. It would take about 3-4 decades to recover what was lost. While almost elsewhere Islam would be in decline, it would hold onto Western Europe teeth and nails. |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2007-03-26 23:01 |
| #2 "Sometimes I have the impression that the European Union is moving towards the same trap that finished the Soviet Union." Soon, I hope - or EUrope is lost for sure. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-03-26 19:52 |
| #1 As usual, good catch, A5089. Some money lines: The Soviet Union wanted to harmonize as much as possible within a single political framework. This is also the mission of the European Union. The Soviet Union was administered by a political elite. So is the European Union. The Soviet Union saw itself as a utopian state. The European federalists have much the same views. The Soviet Union had a single bureaucratic center, like the one in the European Union. The Soviet Union was dominated by a powerful secretary general. So are the European institutions. The Soviet Union had party ideologists. The European Union has legal counselors. The Soviet Union wanted to create a viable society through a series of official procedures. So does the European Union. The Soviet Union had apparatchiks, the European Union has mandarins. The Soviet Union had a five year plan. The European Union has a work program. The Soviet Union saw socialist integration as an irreversible process. The European Union sees integration as a means for an "ever closer Union". The Soviet Union claimed to act on behalf of a mythical worker. The European Union has its mythical citizen. The Soviet Union wanted to surpass the United States. The European Union has been trying to do the same thing for many years. Eppink concluded the comparison: "All in all, the Soviet Union lacked the self-correcting forces and the self-criticism which are proper to the democratic process. The European Union lacks these properties in the same way. By setting targets which are either too far away or unrealistic, you are undermining the legitimacy of the project and of the institutions which have to implement these policies. With this book, I want to warn for imperial overstretch and for the creation of expectations which are far-fetched and unrealistic. Sometimes I have the impression that the European Union is moving towards the same trap that finished the Soviet Union." |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-03-26 18:11 |