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| Europe |
| Europe 'coming apart before our eyes', say 30 top intellectuals |
| 2019-01-26 |
| [Guardian] Liberal values in Europe face a challenge "not seen since the 1930s", leading intellectuals from 21 countries have said, as the UK lurches towards Brexit and nationalists look set to make sweeping gains in EU parliamentary elections. The group of 30 writers, historians and Nobel laureates declared in a manifesto published in several newspapers, including the Guardian, that Europe as an idea was "coming apart before our eyes". "We must now will Europe or perish beneath the waves of populism," the document reads. "We must rediscover political voluntarism or accept that resentment, hatred and their cortege of sad passions will surround and submerge us." They write of their regret that Europe has been "abandoned from across the Channel" ‐ an oblique reference to the drawn-out Brexit process that has arguably brought Anglo-European relations to their lowest point since the second world war. And they say that unless efforts are made to combat a rising tide of populism, the EU elections will be "the most calamitous that we have ever known: victory for the wreckers; disgrace for those who still believe in the legacy of Erasmus, Dante, Goethe, and Comenius; disdain for intelligence and culture; explosions of xenophobia and antisemitism; disaster". "Abandoned from across the Channel and from across the Atlantic by the two great allies who in the previous century saved it twice from suicide; vulnerable to the increasingly overt manipulations of the master of the Kremlin, Europe as an idea, as will and representation, is coming apart before our eyes," the text reads. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #11 "Ein Volk, Ein Europa, Ein EU?" The peasants arerevolting, is that is what is bothering you? |
| Posted by: magpie 2019-01-26 18:57 |
| #10 Wretchard: The fundamental driver of the populist rebellion is the terrible realization that whether it's expensive suits or revolutionary garb they're mostly crooks. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2019-01-26 16:03 |
| #9 The group of 30 writers, historians and Nobel laureates ... Europe as an idea was "coming apart before our eyes" Nobel laureate means nothing to me after they gave Baraq his peace prize. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2019-01-26 13:35 |
| #8 victory for the wreckers; Telling phrasing. "Abandoned from across the Channel and from across the Atlantic by the two great allies who in the previous century saved it twice from suicide; "Fuck you, Dad! Oh, and send money." |
| Posted by: charger 2019-01-26 11:12 |
#7  No mention of the millions of Muslim bums welfare parasites 'refugees' that were let in by Merkel & Co.? I'm sure that was just an oversight.Posted by Raj Anyone notice how few of these Euro Muslim migrants ended up in former Soviet Union (FSU) countries, or Russia itself ? Anyone believe the Wagner Group contractors have arrived in Venezuela to provide humanitarian assistance or medical services ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-01-26 08:51 |
| #6 Abandoned from across the Channel and from across the Atlantic by the two great allies who in the previous century saved it twice from suicide; Darwin says at some point, a particular frog will choose not to give the scorpion a ride on his back. That frog will go on to reproduce for its future. Now's that time. It's in your nature. Only you can fix it. So far, it appears you have failed. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-01-26 08:45 |
#5 Healing must come from within: penitence and contemplation, a little healthy outdoor exertion... |
| Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220 2019-01-26 07:33 |
| #4 No mention of the millions of Muslim |
| Posted by: Raj 2019-01-26 06:54 |
| #3 The group of 30 writers, historians and Nobel laureates ... Europe as an idea was "coming apart before our eyes" All ideas do if you take them too far. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-01-26 06:49 |
| #2 Now that they need our help we're suddenly great allies? They've been calling us baby killing imperialist racist warmongers for decades. And they're surprised we cut them loose? The lack of self-awareness is shocking. |
| Posted by: Herb McCoy 2019-01-26 03:22 |
| #1 European intellectuals? There really should be some sort of grammatical prohibition. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-01-26 02:19 |