Alas, Baby Gone
I'm arriving late to the party, but I wanted to link to Mark Steyn's essay on the future of Europe because it is so provocative. I hope those who are put off by some of his more extreme statements will realize the necessity of raising the questions Steyn raises. Also check out Steyn talking about the article on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, and note this passage, as interpreted by the transcriber:
[U]sually you have incredibly swift and dramatic change. That's what happened in the second decade of the 20th Century, where these huge endearing European empires, one by one, were all suddenly gone. Russian empire, Austrian empire, German empire, Turkish empire, boom. All off the map.I've never found Czarist Russia, the Ottoman regime, etc. especially endearing, but I'm a notorious grouch, so what do I know? Also see this parody by View From the Right (via Steve Sailer):
For this magnificent and brilliant speech, delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the House of Commons in June 1940, the Claremont Institute has announced that it will posthumously give Mr. Churchill its prestigious Mark Steyn award.Whew. That's a lot of politics for a little ol' church musician like me. Let's move on to more fun stuff. 2 Blowhards linked to this atheist's call for everyone to drop the distasteful "Happy Holidays" shtick and get comfortable with Christmas. His analysis is interesting, and maybe even mostly right, but the conclusion should not encourage Christians as much as you might think.
Whoa -- I said this was going to drop the politics and have fun, right? Okay, here's my last offering: via that sad skeptic Instapundit, the hope that, in a few years, we'll be flying to Mars in less time than it took me to drive my family from Florida to Michigan. Something about intense magnetic fields and hyperdimensionality -- the words are big, so it must be true!
Umie the Umlaut says, "ask your doctor about the Fredösphere!"
9 Comments:
Im not afraid to say it- that was a terrible essay. His entire construction relies on so many stupid assumptions- assumptions which are baseless and, at best, insulting.
excuse me, Mr. Steyn, Islam is not the enemy, secularism is not the enemy. He can continue his xenophobia all he wants, he can intellectualize it and water it down by expressing it in beautiful language, but at its core its still the same bullshit... "Western civilization"? please. This is the same type of chicken-little rhetoric/shit that nazis and arian-race f---ers talk about (no, seriously, it is). He should take a lesson from that fact, come to terms with his insane assumptions and shut the hell up.
Provocative, yes, moronic? certainly.
oh, and the question he pushes "the extinction of western civilization" is, like the rest of his essay, bullshit.
What is western civilization, i ask you (or Steyn, really)? Is it the institutions and governments we have today? because if it is, then certainly it wasnt western civilization 200 years ago, or even 100 years ago in europe or america. So what is it?
If we say western civilization is ideas- concepts about life - then i fail to see how that will die out. There is no solidity in "western civilization" its not defined as a thing or one trait, and there never was. In reality, we exist in an entirely different culture than 100 years ago, and i think its safe for steyn to assume culture will again be different in 100 years, but its moronic to assume that somehow represents the "death" of western civilization. As far as im concerned the greatest threat "western civilization" was the book burning and zealous anti-humanism and anti-rationalism of the nazi period. Then it is ironic and somewhat terrifying that he uses similar rhetoric.
To m. keiser:
1. What are Steyn's stupid assumptions? Please list them.
2. Agree with you on Western Civ. Not sure what the definition of that is supposed to be.
3. I wonder what bin ladens definition of Western Civ. is. Just curious.
To Fredosphere:
1. Well, you've stumbled into politics. It's all down-hill from here. :-)
Regarding Western Civ., here's an interesting definition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Civilization
I must say, I much prefer western civ. to, say, that exhibited in Iran today. Whatever *that* is.
I don't see how you could call Steyn's essay moronic. It was well thought out and is supported by many easily verifiable statistics (That is the exact opposite of a rant based on assumptions). Nor is it xenophobic for a group of peoples who share a common cultural background (Group A) to recognize a threat from another group of people (Group B) who not only do not share the same cultural background, but who want to erase Group A's culture from not only the earth, but from history.
Here, we could probably agree that "Western civilization" includes the rich heritage of art music: Group B wants to ban it and bury it. Forever. Personally, I will do whatever I can to see that doesn't happen.
And, Mr. Keiser, the nazi rhetoric is coming almost entirely and exclusively from Group B: They are the Jew-haters and holocaust deniers. I say almost, because those on the left who would be more than happy to see the west commit cultural suicide (Until just before that moment when a member of Group B separates their head from their shoulders) also join in the same rhetoric.
Once or twice a century pure evil raises it's head: Nazis and Islamists are the same rotten fruit from the same tree. That head needs to be lopped off before they lop the heads off of those of us in Group A. If we want any of our culture to survive, that is.
You are more brave than I Fred. No politics on my blog.
Hucbald, you clearly aren't aware of the nazi rhetoric of the decidedly right-wing white separatists, nor of the history of fundamentalist Christians in their efforts to ban many forms of art.
Group A isn't Western Civ, and Group B isn't Islamic Civ. Group B is fundamentalism, which can be found in any country and many creeds. Group B isn't a civilization, nor is it capable to topple Group A currently. The biggest threat is the erosion of civil liberties by the current administration, which could allow the book burning suggested by M. Keiser.
(I didn't read the Steyn article, so I won't say whether it is moronic or not.)
Sorry, this has nothing to do with music, but I must chime in. I am not aware of the "nazi rhetoric of the decidedly right-wing white separatists" either. Any examples? Names? Please include why you believe them to be "white separatists." Are you refering to US gov't or those nuts in Skokie? I have some ideas, but I want to hear your examples. I voted for John Kerry, but I don't think the Bush people are anything close to Nazi's. I do, however, think the Islamists are. The venom spewed about Israel, and Jews in general, is very Nazi-like indeed. Example (always good to have examples): http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD106506
Yes, it is fundamentalism. Whatever the religion (or lack of) it sucks, and it can kill.
I am well aware of the zealous anti-semitism of the radical muslims in Iran and many other places. They are filled with hate, and of course i do not object to discussing that and recognizing that we need to collectively fight those hateful ideas, but what i object to very, very strongly is the notion that "islamism is the enemy" and that "...secularism, multiculturalism -is collectively the real suicide bomb." What horror! I am absolutely appauled by these kinds of statements.
It is simply shameful.
andd simply moronic to think that multiculturalism and secularism are a threat to some amorphous concept of "western civilization". I could pull out other examples from the text, but i dont have the time/energy.
And mr lentil Smith, i swear this is not an act of self-promotion, ( as im not a polished or talented writer) but i posted a few stupid assumptions that i found in this essay on my blog.(www.suburbanscene.blogspot.com)
I hope that clarifies my position on this. The more i read mr. Steyns article the more is scares me.
The problem with multiculturalism is really in the way we implement it, and especially in the way Europe has implemented it. It's the interpretation that says, OK, you're every bit as good (and kind, and reasonable) as we are, maybe even better, so if you want to come in here and impose your values on us, that's all just peachy, we'll just step aside.
We see where that got France, where it got Spain, where it got the Netherlands (Mr van Gogh in particular), and Mr Rushdie from India, and where it's getting the rest of Europe. And we are not far behind. The goal of Islam is not to join in the world community, the goal of Islam is the same as it has always been, since Mohammed's death: to conquer and convert by the sword.
Since our swords have become somewhat stronger than theirs, they have switched tactics - to the global strategy of terrorist bombings, and to population increase. In Europe, Muslim birth rates far exceed European. If things keep on, it won't be long before Germany, France, Belgium, &c, go the way of those other "endearing empires".
As long as there are terrorists who hide behind the Koran, and claim it as their justification, Islam is in fact the enemy.
Over here, you saw a bunch of evangelicals come out against Robertson. Until the same thing happens over there (imams condemning terrorism), Islam will continue to be the enemy.
What Islam is in dire need of is someone like Martin Luther, who railed against the excesses of the Catholic Church and started the Reformation. But if history is any guide, that man would not live more than a few weeks.
I don't know what Keiser means by "xenophobia", but does he not seriously not have a "phobia" of cottonmouth vipers or brown recluse spiders? Or does he keep them around the house.
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