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January 4, 2006
is the west dying?
Here is a very negative and pessimistic view of the future, and for once it’s not from a liberal. This article is huge and Mark Steyn makes some very good points about population trends in the world.
What will London--or Paris, or Amsterdam--be like in the mid-'30s? If European politicians make no serious attempt this decade to wean the populace off their unsustainable 35-hour weeks, retirement at 60, etc., then to keep the present level of pensions and health benefits the EU will need to import so many workers from North Africa and the Middle East that it will be well on its way to majority Muslim by 2035. As things stand, Muslims are already the primary source of population growth in English cities. Can a society become increasingly Islamic in its demographic character without becoming increasingly Islamic in its political character?There is a lot in the article I am not sure I agree with whole heartedly, but Steyn makes some excellent points about the West’s tolerance for intolerance.
I also like this…
I took issue with that line Gerald Ford always uses to ingratiate himself with conservative audiences: "A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have." Actually, you run into trouble long before that point: A government big enough to give you everything you want still isn't big enough to get you to give anything back. That's what the French and German political classes are discovering.In no other period in human history has society been so well off. The true test of a civilization is not when things are bad, but when there are long periods of prosperity. With the decreasing European population I wonder if Steyn is right, is the West dying? If so, what will replace it?
Posted by nemov at January 4, 2006 11:35 AM
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» A Fatal Meme from UNCoRRELATED
Mark Steyn worried about demographics and mentions the European crisis on a regular basis. Well today he has an extensive article on the subject on OpinionJournal, actually a reprint from the New Criterion. The basic observation is that westerners are... [Read More]
Tracked on January 4, 2006 5:27 PM
Comments
India and China
Posted by: worstweatherever at January 4, 2006 11:51 AM
Obviously India and China are growing, but I'm not talking about superpower stuff. I don't think India and China are going to be running Europe. Europe is aging and the population is decreasing. The populace is slowly being replaced by Islamic immigrants. The future could be a Europe that is controlled by very different culture than exists today.
Posted by: nemov at January 4, 2006 2:07 PM