Liberalism Contains the Seeds of its Own Destruction
Europe's famed and admirable liberalism and tolerance are being snuffed by militant Muslims. It's a case of tolerance taken too far, to its logical extreme:
Tolerating intolerance kills tolerance
Having tolerated Muslim intolerance, Europeans are now horrified to see rightwing political movements gaining ascendancy:
The People Get It
An Example from Nature by Dr. Michael Savage
Michael Savage best explains it best by taking an example from nature (I’m paraphrasing from memory). A society should be like a strawberry, luscious and juicy and sweet on the inside, but with barbs on the outside to keep the predators away. Yes, many varieties of berries have barbs, they are just so fine that they don’t bother humans eating them, but they do repel the pests that try to eat them on the vine.
Europe is a beautiful continent and the people are wonderful. They are way too collectivist for my tastes, but it’s their society, not mine. If they want to hold on to the world they have built, they need to put some barbs on their berries.
Further Reading:
NY Time - Swedish Anti-Immigration
Reuters - European Socialist Crisis
Tolerating intolerance kills tolerance
Having tolerated Muslim intolerance, Europeans are now horrified to see rightwing political movements gaining ascendancy:
Socialists' long-standing support for European unification, religious tolerance and integrating immigrants has made them vulnerable to right-wing populists like the Sweden Democrats, Geert Wilders' Dutch Freedom Party or France's National Front. (Reuters - Anti-Immigrant Europe)Angry, bigoted Muslims, the recipients of European tolerance, repay their liberal benefactors by spewing intolerance of anything outside their narrow, bigoted ideology. Europeans are growing weary of it and voting rightwing as a result.
The People Get It
"People in Europe have grown comfortable in the decades since World War Two and now they see that level of comfort threatened," Grabbe said. "The result is that tolerance is no longer held dear as a European value, even in countries that used to be proud of being open and liberal." (Reuters - Anti-Immigrant Europe)I am not bashing Europe. They have way too much socialism for my taste, and they fund it by confiscatory taxation while having us carry their defense burden. But it is their choice. They have built a nice, peaceful life for themselves, and it is being ruined by liberal immigration policies.
An Example from Nature by Dr. Michael Savage
Michael Savage best explains it best by taking an example from nature (I’m paraphrasing from memory). A society should be like a strawberry, luscious and juicy and sweet on the inside, but with barbs on the outside to keep the predators away. Yes, many varieties of berries have barbs, they are just so fine that they don’t bother humans eating them, but they do repel the pests that try to eat them on the vine.
Europe is a beautiful continent and the people are wonderful. They are way too collectivist for my tastes, but it’s their society, not mine. If they want to hold on to the world they have built, they need to put some barbs on their berries.
Further Reading:
NY Time - Swedish Anti-Immigration
Reuters - European Socialist Crisis
Do you mean by the strawberry analogy that altruism/welfare/socialism is fine within your borders, but shouldn't be extended to outsiders? If so, I disagree. Altruism and multiculturalism (the refusal to judge ideas and cultures by a rational standard) will also kill from the inside, albeit slower.
ReplyDeleteOf course I'm not saying that. I am saying that classical liberalism is a wonderful thing, and you can build a tolerant, passive culture, but it is dangerous to think that will protect you.
ReplyDeleteYou've got to defend what you've got, and goodwill and happy thought won't do it.
I do give them a pass on their high taxation and soft socialism because it's their country, not mine.
Shane - you said, " Altruism and multiculturalism (the refusal to judge ideas and cultures by a rational standard) will also kill from the inside, albeit slower."
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. it has been occurring slowly in the US since the ascendancy of our first progressive President, T.R.. If not before.
SilverFiddle - Great post.
ReplyDeleteYes we must defend what made this nation the great land it is. Unfortunately there are powerful forces at work trying to destroy the very principles that built this republic.