CAUSES OF EUROPE'S "DIATHESIS FOR DHIMMITUDE"

Mary Madigan "subbing" over at MICHAEL J. TOTTEN blogged on Bat Y'eor's recent visit to Columbia University where she opined on the Islamification of Europe. It's a FABULOUS post - go there and RTWT!

EXCERPTS:

According to Ms. Ye'or, this Arab/European alliance was motivated primarily by anti-Americanism, anti-Zionism and a desire to import oil and cheap labor. ... any Europeans agree with Said’s theories. Many don’t believe that their culture is worth preserving. ... The policies of the EU towards Israel mirror Arab policies. ... This multicultural 'alliance' is currently cemented by European fear of terrorism. ... Europe seems to accept its current dhimmi status, and does not seem to be willing to defend traditional Western, Judeo-Christian values.

I believe there are TWO root causes for Europe's DIATHESIS FOR DHIMMITUDE:

(1) EXHAUSTION - they are worn out by the bloody 20th Century.

(2) This exhaustion has led to flase rationalizions and self-defeating modalities which now permeate NOT only the European "Academe" and the elites, but Europe's masses:

(a) colonialism and imperialism were bad and their wealth is the result of pillaging the Third World - which would be wealthy if it weren't for European Hegemony. This has caused MASSIVE GUILT and SELF-LOATHING.

(b) nationalism and etnocentricity led to a lack of acceptance of neighbors and bloodshed; therefore we must blindly accept anything that another nation or culture does that is value-related or we risk more pointless bloodshed. This has led to Pan-Europeanism and to Cultural Relativism and to a "Neo/Quasi-Pacificism."

Weirdly, (a) and (b) have led them to embrace and adore Third World culture and immigrants even as they try to protect their culture from so-called "savagery of American Cultural Hegemony" - (which is a misconception of and misnomer for the world's freely evolving "Mass/Pop Culture" or the "free marketplace of ideas," which is free because it is unfettered by snobbery and elitism - and which I blogged about here).

As Seinfeld once humorously noted (paraphrasing): the French fought harder to keep out Disneyland than they did the NAZIS!"

Of course, the proper response to "cultural exhaustion" is picking oneself up by one's bootstraps, and not namby-pamby relativism. Continental Europe needs a Thatcher or a Reagan - who can foster a rebirth of cultural pride and free market/anti-socialist universalism, or it is DOOMED, I tell you DOOMED! Seriously. And sadly, except for Sarkozy, there are VERY FEW potential candidates around.

Perhaps - after the Pope crosses over, (may it not happen for a hundred years) - the Catholic Church (through the College of Cardinals) will use the opening to have some MAJOR POSITIVE input on the future of a Judeo-Christian Europe: if they select a European Pope with Charisma and an ability to make outreach and the courage to INNOVATE, then he could lead a resurgence NOT JUST OF FAITH AND THE CHURCH, but of pride within all of Europe, and for universalism and Judeo-Christian values. If they select, for instance, French Cardinal Jean Louis Tauron - and IF, REPEAT IF, he were to return the church to a married clergy THEN the church might have a resurgence in France, and through France all of Europe. (More on Papal succession HERE. And the failing priesthood in France HERE.)

IMHO, it will take something this bold to change the current dynamic; HERE'S AN ANALOGY: as crucial as Pope JPII was to Poland's rise to freedom and to the Polish people's ability to summon up the courage to stand up to the evil USSR (in spite of the fact that the intellectuals of Western Europe were playing footsy with the Kremlin), so too might a new robustly pro-Western Pope be for ALL post-9//11 Europe.

(Some argue an mega-terror-attack could wake-up Europe; but I feel that a neojihadist mega-attack using WMD's might actually SPLIT Europe: into a cowering/appeasing Zapaterista half and a brave Blairian half - with Old Europe leaning in Spain's direction becasue - as I commented above - Continental Europe has no Reagan of Thatcher, OR EVEN A BLAIR!)

So the prospects are BLEAK. Then again, if President G W BUSH defeats the neojihadists, then he will not only save the Islamic world and the Middle East from tyranny (and the ignorance an povery that tyranny foments), but also SAVE EUROPE!

And actually: This is EUROPE'S BEST CHANCE. Ironic, ain't it: Bush is doing more than anyone else EVER has to save Muslims and Europe form 12th Century totalitarianism, and yet they revile him!?!?!? Go figure!

God Help and Bless George Bush, and speed the success of the Bush Doctrine, and God Bless our TROOPS!

MORE FROM BAT Y'EOR HERE and HERE, at FRONTPAGE.)