[CS-FSLUG] NI: Europe, thy name is Cowardice

[Don Parris]

On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 23:24:52 -0400
"Fred A. Miller" <fmiller at lightlink.com> wrote:

> It's fascinating that this should come out of Europe.  Matthias Dapfner,
> Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written
> a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany's largest daily newspaper,
> against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.
> 
> This is a must read by all Americans. History will certify its
> correctness.
> 
> EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE
> (Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)
> 

<SNIP>
> On the contrary - we Europeans present ourselves, in contrast to those 
> "arrogant Americans", as the World Champions of "tolerance", which even 
> (Germany's Interior Minister) Otto Schily justifiably criticizes.
> 
> Why? Because we're so moral? I fear it's more because we're so
> materialistic, so devoid of a moral compass.
> 
It's just plumb difficult for me to imagine Europeans as materialistic.  The
lack of a moral compass, I can understand.  My 18 months in England offered
up plenty of evidence to support that charge.  Mind you, the charge of
materialism isn't necessarily far-fetched; it just seems strange to me that
the great "liberal" society would be materialistic.  

Generally speaking, this gives me a somewhat different viewpoint.  It was
one thing when Canadians defended us in the post 9/11 days.  This is
entirely different.  Had this come from a Frenchman, I'd be picking my jaw
up off the floor.  It is good to see that some remember Europe's
not-so-distant history.

Still, my fear of Bush's connections to the Saudi royal family scare me far
more than Saddam's missiles ever did.  The fact that Bush stymied
investigations into members of the royal family does much to add to that
fear.  Is Bush hiding something from the American people?  If so, is that
connected to Osama's war?


Don
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