Old Europe’s new crisis.
Europe, the charming continent of windmills and gondolas. Butlately, Europe has become the continent of endless strikes anddemonstrations, bombs on the trains and subways, radical Islamiccells in every city, and ghettos so hopeless and violent even thepolice won’t enter them. In Spain, a terrorist attack promptsinstant capitulation to the terrorists’ demands. In France, thesuburbs go up in flames every night. In Holland, politicians andartists are murdered for speaking frankly about Islamicimmigration.
This isn’t the Europe we thought we knew. What’s going on overthere?
Traveling overland from London to Istanbul, journalist ClaireBerlinski shows why the Continent has lately appeared sobewildering—and often so thoroughly obnoxious—to Americans.Speaking to Muslim immigrants, German rock stars, French cops, andItalian women who have better things to do than have children, shefinds that Europe is still, despite everything, in the grip of thesame old ancient demons. Anyone who knows the history can sense it:There is something ugly—and familiar—in the air.
But something new is happening as well. Indeed, Europe nowconfronts—and seems unable to cope with—an entirely new set oftroubles. Tracing the ancient conflicts and newly erupting crises,Menace in Europe reveals:
? Why Islamic radicalism and terrorist indoctrination flourish asEurope fails to assimilate millions of Muslim immigrants
? How plummeting birthrates hurtle Europe toward economic andcultural catastrophe
? Why hatred of America has become ubiquitous—on Europe’sstreets, in its books, newspapers, and music, and at the highestlevels of government
? How long-repressed destructive instincts are suddenlyreemerging
? How the death of religious faith has created a hopeless,morally unmoored Europe that clings to anti-Americanism,anti-Semitism, and other dangerous ideologies
? Why the notion of a united Europe is a fantasy and what thatmeans for the United States
In the end, these are not separate issues. Berlinskiprovocatively demonstrates that Europe’s political and culturalcrisis mirrors its profound moral and spiritual crisis.
But this is not just Europe’s problem. Menace in Europe makesclear that the spiritual void at the heart of Europe is ultimatelyour problem too. And America will pay a terrible price if wecontinue to ignore it.
From the Hardcover edition.
评论晒单