Europe Takes A Stand?

More news on the status of European society from Lorenzo Vidino & Erick Stakelbeck today. It seems that the 'left' may be waking up:

As its ever-growing Muslim population continues to alter the Old Continent's social fabric, the European Left seems to be coming to the realization that the 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' adage to which it has traditionally ascribed its support of mass Muslim immigration no longer applies. For many of Europe's Muslims, the most pressing 'enemy' is not the U.S., Israel or capitalism, but the liberal, secularized way of life practiced by their 'infidel' hosts.

This is certainly a welcome sign, and I hope it leads to further changes in attitudes so that Europe is able to address the other social issues they face (fat chance, huh?), but this doesn't ease my concerns just yet. Powerline comments:

This crisis [of conscience] has nothing to do with anti-semitism or with the general terror that Muslim youths inflict on the population of the low income areas where they reside. Rather, say Vidino and Stakelbeck, "leftists have begun to notice that many of the Muslim immigrants arriving in Europe have little respect for values sacrosanct to the Left, like women's rights and separation of Church and State." Indeed, except for resenting the U.S. and hating Israel, European Muslims oppose virtually everything that the European left holds dear, including gay rights, abortion rights, multiculturalism, and opposition to the death penalty. In short, while it may be too late for European Jews, there is a chance that Europe will step back from the abyss and act to protect its liberal, secularist tradition.

Very well - and it's a step in a good direction - but they're stepping back from this abyss and responding like a child does when it doesn't get its way with other children: it takes away their 'toys.'

The issue here, as far as I'm concerned, is not that Europe won't act; but that they will act incorrectly. Like I've said before, as representatives of the Western world, they are sorely inadequate. It is as if they have been so gung-ho for multi-culturalism for so long that once (now) they turn from it a little bit, they don't even realize that they lack the experience necessary to successfully implement peaceful assimilation. So what happens? They have to go through the same trial-and-error period that everyone does when learning something new, except that in this situation, things are so volatile that they don't have much, if any, room for error.

So no, my fears are not eased, they have simply shifted. The 'root' of this problem in Europe is not in their actions, but their attitudes. These same attitudes have led to widespread anti-Semitism (if only by providing a fertile ground in which to grow), and the reliance upon the state as nanny; both of which are disastrous for a society and its freedom. If Europe is going to be 'saved,' it's going to have to change these attitudes post haste. As Powerline noted:

This crisis [of conscience] has nothing to do with anti-semitism or with the general terror that Muslim youths inflict on the population of the low income areas where they reside.

But there won't be any real hope until it does. You'll pardon me if I don't hold my breath.
-- posted by Austin @ 1:01 PM (PermaLink/Comment) ¶