Paul Krugman, "The Diabetic Economy": Europe Bad, America Good

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In a New York Times op-ed entitled "The Diabetic Economy," Paul Krugman writes from Lisbon:

"Things are terrible here in Portugal, but not quite as terrible as they were a couple of years ago. The same thing can be said about the European economy as a whole. That is, I guess, the good news.

The bad news is that eight years after what was supposed to be a temporary financial crisis, economic weakness just goes on and on, with no end in sight. And that’s something that should worry everyone, in Europe and beyond."

But not to worry. According to Paul, everything is hunky-dory in the US:

"Meanwhile, the overall economic and political situation in America gives ample grounds for hope, which is in very short supply over here."

Yup, who cares if US national debt has reached some $19.3 trillion.

Who cares if America's gross debt to GDP ratio is 105%, compared with 65% for Holland, 71% for Germany, 89% for the United Kingdom, and 96% for France.

And who cares if Apple just reported its first drop in quarterly revenues in 13 years with increasing competition from Chinese cellphone makers.

Obama and friends have effectively bankrupted the US. Do you remember how Obama declared in 2008:

"The problem is, is that the way Bush has done it over the last eight years is to take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt from $5 trillion for the first 42 presidents – #43 added $4 trillion by his lonesome, so that we now have over $9 trillion of debt that we are going to have to pay back — $30,000 for every man, woman and child. That’s irresponsible. It’s unpatriotic."

Well, US debt now amounts to $60,000 "for every man, woman and child." That's irresponsible. It's unpatriotic. More to the point, it's unsustainable.

Who will be the first to whisper that the emperor has no clothes?

Paul Krugman, "Europe’s Many Economic Disasters": Sorry, But Without Children, Europe Is Terminal

By abandoning "austerity" and the euro, can Greece eke out a recovery? Paul Krugman seems to think so. In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Many Economic Disasters," Krugman writes:

"Why are there so many economic disasters in Europe? Actually, what’s striking at this point is how much the origin stories of European crises differ. Yes, the Greek government borrowed too much. But the Spanish government didn’t — Spain’s story is all about private lending and a housing bubble. And Finland’s story doesn’t involve debt at all. It is, instead, about weak demand for forest products, still a major national export, and the stumbles of Finnish manufacturing, in particular of its erstwhile national champion Nokia.

What all of these economies have in common, however, is that by joining the eurozone they put themselves into an economic straitjacket. Finland had a very severe economic crisis at the end of the 1980s — much worse, at the beginning, than what it’s going through now. But it was able to engineer a fairly quick recovery in large part by sharply devaluing its currency, making its exports more competitive. This time, unfortunately, it had no currency to devalue. And the same goes for Europe’s other trouble spots."

Got it! Greece should tell its lenders to go to hell, abandon the euro, and devalue newly printed drachmas. Hordes of tourists will arrive on its sunny shores, and its shipping industry will boom, all leading to economic recovery . . . or not.

In fact, the way I see it, both Greece and Europe are dying. As observed in a May 30, 2012 Forbes article entitled "What's Really Behind Europe's Decline? It's The Birth Rates, Stupid" by Joel Kotkin:

"Essentially, Spain and other Mediterranean countries bought into northern Europe’s liberal values, and low birthrates, but did so without the economic wherewithal to pay for it. You can afford a Nordic welfare state, albeit increasingly precariously, if your companies and labor force are highly skilled or productive. But Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal lack that kind of productive industry; much of the growth stemmed from real estate and tourism. Infrastructure development was underwritten by the EU, and the country has become increasingly dependent on foreign investors.

Unlike Sweden or Germany, Spain cannot count now on immigrants to stem their demographic decline and generate new economic energy. Although 450,000 people, largely from Muslim countries, still arrive annually, over 580,000 Spaniards are heading elsewhere — many of them to northern Europe and some to traditional places of immigration such as Latin America. Germany, which needs 200,000 immigrants a year to keep its factories humming, has emerged as a preferred destination."

Unfortunately, this article is just as correct today as it was in 2012.

More specifically regarding Greece, as observed by Nikos Konstandaras in a guest December 2013 New York Times op-ed entitled "Greece's Dismal Demographics":

"Deaths are outnumbering births, people are leaving the country, and the population is aging so fast that in a few decades Greece may be unable to produce enough wealth to take care of its people and may cease to be a viable nation state."

Or stated otherwise, unless this demographic trend in Greece, also prevalent throughout Europe, is reversed, neither austerity nor devaluation are going to rescue anyone.

New York Times Editorial, "Anti-Semitism in the Soccer Stands": The Pot Calls the Kettle Black

In an editorial entitled "Anti-Semitism in the Soccer Stands," The New York Times writes of anti-Semitic conduct by fans and players during European football matches:

"It is absurd to claim, as some soccer apologists do, that this is no more than the usual rough give-and-take of pumped-up, and sometimes liquored-up, spectators. The history of anti-Semitism in Europe is too deep and too raw not to see the problem for the hate-mongering it is. Even neo-Nazi salutes have been brandished at games by fans and an occasional player.

. . . .

European clubs that campaigned for years to rein in racism claim some progress. Officials must be no less aggressive in stopping the anti-Jewish slurs from being heard around the playing field."

Now if only The New York Times could be "no less aggressive in stopping the anti-Jewish slurs from being heard around" its pages. The Times fails to consider an op-ed entitled “Newt, Mitt, Bibi and Vladimir” by Thomas Friedman, in which Tom Terrific declared:

"I sure hope that Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, understands that the standing ovation he got in Congress this year was not for his politics. That ovation was bought and paid for by the Israel lobby."

Similarly, the Times ignores the conduct of columnist Nicholas Kristof. As was reported in an article entitled "Nick Kristof’s Piggishness," written by Adam Kredo for The Washington Free Beacon:

"New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is facing criticism after retweeting a controversial message that referred to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the National Rifle Association as 'the 2 most pig like lobbies' in America.

Longtime Israel critic M.J. Rosenberg, who was dumped by the liberal Media Matters for America for his use of borderline anti-Semitic language, authored the controversial tweet Wednesday afternoon. It called to mind recently unearthed statements by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi that referred to Jews as 'pigs.'" 

Why was I not surprised by Kristof's retweet? As I explained in an article entitled "Nicholas Kristof, Israel, and Double Standards" for The Journal for the Study of Antisemitism, Kristof routinely rails against purported Israeli injustices, while ignoring the improprieties of other democracies.

Times columnist Roger Cohen? Have a look at the title of one of Cohen's op-eds, "Obama in Netanyahu's Web," which was painfully in keeping with the anti-Semitic tradition of depicting Jews as voracious spiders, and which, according to a very senior Times editor, "was not a good headline."

Consider also the behavior of certain "fans" of the The New York Times, whose horrifying anti-Semitic comments were routinely published by the Times, notwithstanding purported "moderation" by this would-be beacon of ethical journalism. (I no longer read comments appearing in the Times, and I have no idea whether Andrew Rosenthal has been able to bring this disgusting "phenomenon" under control.)

And what about the editorial board of the Times itself? Several days ago, in an editorial entitled "President Vladimir Putin’s Dangerous Moves," an alarmed New York Times observed:

"President Vladimir Putin of Russia has added new, chilling nuclear threats to his aggression in Ukraine, where 6,000 people have been killed in a war with Russian-backed separatists."

If only the editoral board of the Times could express the same level of concern over Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei's calls to annihilate Israel.

I would suggest to the editorial board of the Times that anti-Semitism in the United States, particularly its "highbrow" form in the media, can be just as sinister as the baser strains of this disease which exist in the Middle East and Europe. Moreover, American anti-Semitism is far "closer to home" than the editorial board would care to believe.

Roger Cohen, "The Great Jewish Exodus": Cohen Should Return to London!

Some three and a half years ago, Roger Cohen wrote a New York Times op-ed entitled "Jews in a Whisper," concerning his departure from the UK for the US, where he took on citizenship, and the insidious anti-Semitism which permeates all levels of British society. Well, today Cohen is back with a new Times op-ed entitled "The Great Jewish Exodus," in which he imagines a Europe whose Jews have left for Israel:

"Israel is indeed the home of every Jew, and that is important, a guarantee of sorts. It is equally important, however, that not every Jew choose this home. That is another kind of guarantee, of Europe’s liberal order, of the liberal idea itself. So it was shattering when millions of Jews, every one of them in fact, as if entranced, upped and left their homes in Milan and Berlin and Zurich.

The leader himself was overcome: Where was he to house them? Many of the liberal Jews of Europe, long strangers in strange lands, knowing statelessness in their bones, mindful of Hillel’s summation of the Torah — 'What is hateful to yourself, do not to your fellow man' — refused to be part of the spreading settlements in the West Bank, Israeli rule over another people.

The prime minister awoke, shaken. It had been such a vivid nightmare. Too vivid! To himself he murmured, 'Careful what you wish for.'"

"Spreading settlements in the West Bank"? Cohen fails to mention that built-up settlements amount to less than two percent of the West Bank.

"Israeli rule over another people"? Cohen forgets to say that Palestinian President Abbas is responsible for refusing to allow democratic elections in the West Bank. Cohen is also unwilling to tell us about Palestinian honor killings against women and Palestinian persecution of homosexuals.

Netanyahu should be careful about what he wishes for? Israel did a marvelous job of providing homes for more than a million Russian and Ethiopian Jews over the past decades, and there is no shortage of land within Israel to house Europe's surviving Jewry.

Jews must remain in Europe to guarantee its "liberal order"? Cohen should lead by example and return to London!

Shmuel Rosner, "France’s Jews Have No Choice but Israel": The Writing Is on the Wall

In a New York Times op-ed entitled "France’s Jews Have No Choice but Israel," Shmuel Rosner begins:

"A government [Israel's] that never misses an opportunity to lecture the Western world about the pitfalls of surrendering to terrorism is proposing exactly that — surrender — to the Jews of France."

Rosner, however, concludes:

"If the only way for Jews to live in France today is behind barracks and guards with guns, perhaps it makes more sense not just for the dead to go to Israel, but also for the living to move to a place where we are the guards, we are the army and we are the government."

So which is it? French Jews must not surrender to terror, or, it makes no sense for Jews to live with armed guards in France?

For me the answer is clear: Europe is dying. As Muammar Gaddafi once declared:

"We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquest—will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades."

Sadly, Gaddafi was correct, and ultimately there will be no place left for Europe's Jews.

Refuse to surrender to this demographic trend? Ignore the reemergence of anti-Semitism throughout Europe? As reported two days ago by The Telegraph in an article entitled "Survey shows anti-Semitic views are common among Britons" by Gregory Walton:

"Antisemitic views have been shown to be rampant among British people according to the results of a new polls.

One in four Britons were shown to believe that Jews 'chase money more than other people', according to a poll by YouGov.

Meanwhile the new survey showed that 17 per cent of respondent believe that Jewish people think themselves better than others.

A similar proportion felt that Jewish people have too much power in the media.

A separate poll also revealed that more than half of all British Jews feel that antisemitism has begun to echo the widespread anti-Jewish hatred of the 1930s, according to the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA).

Over half of British Jews (58%) surveyed said they feared that Jews may have no long-term future in Europe, said the CAA."

Yes, the writing is on the wall. Wait for better times, as did many German Jews in the 1930s? Good luck.

[Rosner additionally states in his op-ed:

"It is heartbreaking to witness a great Jewish community in a great country slowly losing its ability to thrive in a hostile and violent environment. And it is unfortunate that all the Jewish state has to offer them is escape."

All the Jewish state has to offer is escape? Rubbish! Notwithstanding all its sorrows and shortcomings, Israel is also a place where hi-tech dreams come true, where there is freedom of the press, where women can attain leadership positions in government and industry, and where the gay community can live proudly.

Is it really so bad for you in Israel, Shmuel? Maybe you should move to New York and write full-time for the Times - at least until it goes under and you must find your way back to Israel.]

Paul Krugman, "The Forever Slump": Comparing the US With Europe

"We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquest—will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades."

- Muammar Gaddafi

Economics is an inexact science, but it becomes even less exact if you refuse to consider all of the variables.

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "The Forever Slump," Paul Krugman again warns against an increase in US interest rates by the Federal Reserve. Explaining that Europe raised interest rates in 2011, but reversed course when it slid back into recession, Krugman cautions against the US making the same mistake:

"The good news is that Janet Yellen, the Fed chairwoman, understands the danger; she has made it clear that she would rather take the chance of a temporary rise in the inflation rate than risk hitting the brakes too soon, the way the E.C.B. did in 2011. The bad news is that she and her colleagues are under a lot of pressure to do the wrong thing from the too-muchers, who seem to have learned nothing from being wrong year after year, and are still agitating for higher rates."

I agree with Krugman that the US economic recovery is still fragile. Moreover, I don't see excessive demand, which could spur inflation, anywhere on the horizon. American unemployment is its lowest level since September 2008, but the decline also owes to the fact that the number of people seeking work has fallen dramatically. As observed in a January Washington Post article entitled "The biggest question facing the U.S. economy: Why are people dropping out of the workforce?" by Brad Plumer:

"The U.S. labor force is still shrinking rapidly. Back in 2007, 66 percent of Americans had a job or were actively seeking work. Today, that number is at 62.8 percent — the lowest level since 1977."

Also consider unemployment among youths, which, although down from a year ago, is still at a troublesome 14.3 percent.

The US economy is anything but robust, and I don't see any reason to raise interest rates.

But compare the US with Europe? It's time to be politically incorrect. As noted in a 2009 Forbes article entitled "The Integration Of Muslims In Europe":

"As Muslims are the fastest-growing group in Europe (by 2025, Muslims will make up 10% of Europe’s population, from 4% today), it is important that they are socially, politically and economically integrated. If not, the result will be the human and economic waste of unemployment, bitterness and possibly further radicalization and violence.

. . . .

In both France and the United Kingdom, Muslims’ economic integration has been poor. In both, unemployment is high (above 20% and sometimes approaching 40%) among Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and North Africans."

In fact, Muslims already account for some 10 percent of France's population and more than 70 percent of French prison inmates.

Was Gaddafi correct? Will Europe become a Muslim continent within a few decades? And if so, what will be the effect on productivity and employment? Time will truly tell.

Compare America's economy with that of Europe? I don't believe in comparing apples with oranges, i.e. America's unsustainable debt (nearing $17.7 trillion) with Europe's emerging demographic timebomb. Although both problems are grim, they are very different.

Paul Krugman, "Europe’s Secret Success": Je Ne Comprend Pas

How's your memory?

Do you remember how Paul Krugman declared in a 2012 New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Great Illusion" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/opinion/krugman-europes-great-illusion.html):

"It comes as something of a shock, even for those of us who have been following the story all along, to realize that more than two years have passed since European leaders committed themselves to their current economic strategy — a strategy based on the notion that fiscal austerity and 'internal devaluation' (basically, wage cuts) would solve the problems of debtor nations. In all that time the strategy has produced no success stories."

Or perhaps you remember how Krugman declared in another 2012 New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Economic Suicide" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/opinion/krugman-europes-economic-suicide.html?_r=1):

"Europe has had several years of experience with harsh austerity programs, and the results are exactly what students of history told you would happen: such programs push depressed economies even deeper into depression. And because investors look at the state of a nation’s economy when assessing its ability to repay debt, austerity programs haven’t even worked as a way to reduce borrowing costs.

. . . .

Rather than admit that they’ve been wrong, European leaders seem determined to drive their economy — and their society — off a cliff. And the whole world will pay the price."

And only one month ago, in a New York Times op-ed entitled "Sweden Turns Japanese" (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/21/opinion/krugman-sweden-turns-japanese.html?ref=opinion&_r=0), Krugman wrote:

"Three years ago Sweden was widely regarded as a role model in how to deal with a global crisis. The nation’s exports were hit hard by slumping world trade but snapped back; its well-regulated banks rode out the financial storm; its strong social insurance programs supported consumer demand; and unlike much of Europe, it still had its own currency, giving it much-needed flexibility. By mid-2010 output was surging, and unemployment was falling fast. Sweden, declared The Washington Post, was 'the rock star of the recovery.'

Then the sadomonetarists moved in.

The story so far: In 2010 Sweden’s economy was doing much better than those of most other advanced countries. But unemployment was still high, and inflation was low. Nonetheless, the Riksbank — Sweden’s equivalent of the Federal Reserve — decided to start raising interest rates.

. . . .

Sure enough, Swedish unemployment stopped falling soon after the rate hikes began. Deflation took a little longer, but it eventually arrived. The rock star of the recovery has turned itself into Japan."

Well today, in a New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Secret Success" (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/26/opinion/krugman-europes-secret-success.html?ref=opinion&_r=0), Krugman would have us know:

"Our political discourse is dominated by reverse Robin-Hoodism — the belief that economic success depends on being nice to the rich, who won’t create jobs if they are heavily taxed, and nasty to ordinary workers, who won’t accept jobs unless they have no alternative. And according to this ideology, Europe — with its high taxes and generous welfare states — does everything wrong. So Europe’s economic system must be collapsing, and a lot of reporting simply states the postulated collapse as a fact.

. . . .

The truth is that European-style welfare states have proved more resilient, more successful at job creation, than is allowed for in America’s prevailing economic philosophy."

Has fiscal austerity truly produced no success stories? Or is it possible that in some instances there is a place for austerity?

Excuse me, Paul, if I'm a little confused.

Paul Krugman, "Europe’s Great Illusion": Krugman's Incessant Delusion

Yes, Europe is a mess. How bad? Workers from Moldova and Romania, who sought employment in Spain, Portugal and Italy, are returning home. The economies of Moldova and Romania are, of course, no better than those of Spain, Portugal and Italy, but at least these workers have family and places where they can stay in their home countries without paying rent, which they can no longer afford elsewhere in Europe.

In his latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Great Illusion" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/02/opinion/krugman-europes-great-illusion.html), Paul Krugman continues to bemoan EU austerity measures intended to remedy the continent's economic malaise. Krugman writes:

"It comes as something of a shock, even for those of us who have been following the story all along, to realize that more than two years have passed since European leaders committed themselves to their current economic strategy — a strategy based on the notion that fiscal austerity and 'internal devaluation' (basically, wage cuts) would solve the problems of debtor nations. In all that time the strategy has produced no success stories."

So Europe's woes stem primarily from mistaken fiscal austerity? Yeah, right.

There is no mention by Krugman of the vast numbers of people who migrated from North Africa and Turkey and have taken up residence throughout the EU, but have no intention of returning home. This is a ticking time bomb: For example, Muslims in France account for some 10% of the population, unemployment among young Muslims is estimated to exceed 45%, and Muslims are estimated to account for more than 50% of French inmates. Given the high birth rates of France's Muslim population, these problems are not going to disappear anytime soon, regardless of whether economic austerity policies continue to be implemented.

Also no mention by Krugman that Europeans retire sooner than Americans, and the reason for this phenomenon is no secret. As explained by Migration News (http://migration.ucdavis.edu/mn/more.php?id=3551_0_4_0):

"Europeans continue to retire earlier than Americans. One reason is that European retirement systems offer relatively generous payments not linked to stock market performance. In 2008, a third of Americans aged 65 to 69 were in the labor force, but four percent of French workers in this age group. In the US, Social Security replaces an average 45 percent of pre-retirement income; in Europe the share can reach 90 percent, as in Denmark."

Can Europe afford these exceedingly generous incentives provided to productive persons abandoning the work force? Not a chance.

Bottom line: Europe must compete in the economic arena with the US, Japan, China and Korea, but it is being forced to do so with one hand tied behind its back. In order to compete, Europe will ultimately need to rid itself of policies that are destroying its competitiveness, but such acquired wisdom will be a long time in coming, if ever.

Paul Krugman, "Those Revolting Europeans": C'est Ennuyeux

In his New York Times op-ed, "Those Revolting Europeans" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/07/opinion/krugman-those-revolting-europeans.html), Paul Krugman hails the victory of François Hollande over Nicolas Sarkozy in France's presidential election. Krugman predictably writes:

"What is true is that Mr. Hollande’s victory means the end of 'Merkozy,' the Franco-German axis that has enforced the austerity regime of the past two years. This would be a 'dangerous' development if that strategy were working, or even had a reasonable chance of working. But it isn’t and doesn’t; it’s time to move on. Europe’s voters, it turns out, are wiser than the Continent’s best and brightest."

But what if spending also can't cure France's economic malaise, i.e. unemployment of some 10%, which is at a 12-year high?

Krugman doesn't mention that unemployment among Muslims in France, who account for approximately 9% of France's population, is estimated as high as 60%. Exactly what type of spending will reduce the number of unemployed French Muslims, who face job discrimination and are thought to comprise some 60% of those incarcerated in French prisons?

It's never as simple as Krugman would have us believe.

Paul Krugman, "Europe’s Economic Suicide": Yes, but Not Owing to Austerity

Time to be politically incorrect.

In his New York Times op-ed entitled "Europe’s Economic Suicide" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/opinion/krugman-europes-economic-suicide.html?_r=1), Paul Krugman predictably takes the position that Europe needs to spend its way out of its current economic malaise:

"Europe has had several years of experience with harsh austerity programs, and the results are exactly what students of history told you would happen: such programs push depressed economies even deeper into depression. And because investors look at the state of a nation’s economy when assessing its ability to repay debt, austerity programs haven’t even worked as a way to reduce borrowing costs.

. . . .

Rather than admit that they’ve been wrong, European leaders seem determined to drive their economy — and their society — off a cliff. And the whole world will pay the price."

Well, I've got news for Paul: Europe is dying a slow death of its own making, and neither spending nor austerity are going to save it.

Do you remember Libya's eccentric dictator, Muammar Qaddafi, responsible for the Lockerbie bombing, who was captured in a roadside drain outside his hometown of Sirte in October 2011, and who was shot to death after first being sodomized by his "Arab Spring" captors? Qaddafi may be dead, but consider his plans for Europe, which are still very much alive. In a speech broadcast by Al Jazeera on April 10, 2006 (http://www.jihadwatch.org/2006/05/qaddafi-europe-and-the-us-should-agree-to-become-islamic-or-declare-war-on-the-muslims.html):

"Some people believe that Muhammad is the prophet of the Arabs or the Muslims alone. This is a mistake. Muhammad is the Prophet of all people. He superseded all previous religions. If Jesus were alive when Muhammad was sent, he would have followed him. All people must be Muslims. . . . We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe - without swords, without guns, without conquests. The 50 million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades. . . Allah mobilizes the Muslim nation of Turkey and adds it to the European Union. That's another 50 million Muslims. There will be 100 million Muslims in Europe. Albania, which is a Muslim country, has already entered the EU. Fifty percent of its citizens are Muslims."

Europe will be become Muslim in a few decades? Is this merely the deranged prediction of a madman? I don't think so. Consider that according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (http://www.pewforum.org/future-of-the-global-muslim-population-regional-europe.aspx#1):

"The number of Muslims in Europe has grown from 29.6 million in 1990 to 44.1 million in 2010.34 Europe’s Muslim population is projected to exceed 58 million by 2030. Muslims today account for about 6% of Europe’s total population, up from 4.1% in 1990. By 2030, Muslims are expected to make up 8% of Europe’s population."

Also according to this report, Muslims in France, Belgium, Sweden and Austria will comprise some 10% of these countries' populations by 2030, and Muslims in the UK, the Netherlands and Switzerland will amount to some 8%. Needless to say, 10% and 8% are distant from a majority, but these percentages could well be enough to swing elections and influence budgetary planning, particularly when they are growing from year to year.

Will the swelling Muslim population of Europe contribute to this continent's science and industry and adopt its culture and democracy, or will Europe be contending with higher unemployment, swollen welfare rolls and honor killings (see: http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/232735/honor-killings-rise-phyllis-chesler)?

You already can guess my thoughts on the matter . . .

A "Minaret Moment" or Europe at a Crossroads?

In an op-ed in today's New York Times entitled "Europe’s Minaret Moment", Ross Douthat takes the position with respect to Europe's swelling Muslim population:

"The most likely scenario for Europe isn’t dhimmitude; it’s a long period of tension, punctuated by spasms of violence, that makes the Continent a more unpleasant place without fundamentally transforming it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/opinion/07douthat.html

A mere "period of tension"? I would remind Mr. Douthat of the details of Theo Van Gogh's murder in Amsterdam in November 2004. Van Gogh, while bicycling to work, was shot eight times by Mohammed Bouyeri. Boyeri then slit Van Gogh's throat, nearly decapitating him. Two knives were thrust into Van Gogh's chest, one attaching a note to his body, threatening Western governments and Jews.

No "fundamental" transformation? This is not what Muammar al-Qaddafi, dictator of Libya, has in mind. In January 2009, The New York Times granted Qaddafi a pulpit on its op-ed page to espouse a seemingly newly discovered moderation in his essay, "The One-State Solution", in which, following Israel's Cast Lead Operation in Gaza, he claimed:

"It is vital not just to break this cycle of destruction and injustice, but also to deny the religious extremists in the region who feed on the conflict an excuse to advance their own causes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/opinion/22qaddafi.html

The comment that I submitted at that time in response to Qaddafi's op-ed was censored by The Times; however, in my opinion, it retains its relevance:

"The author of Lockerbie is provided an op-ed pulpit by The New York Times to proselytize his newly discovered moderation. A New York Times scoop? Not.

As already reported by Reuters, Muammar Qaddafi spoke yesterday via satellite with Georgetown University students, and in addition to recommending a conciliatory dialogue between President Obama and Osama bin Laden, Qaddafi called for the establishment of a single state to be called 'Isratine' to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. What does not appear in the NYT op-ed, however, is Qaddafi's recommendation to the students of Georgetown that if the Jews did not accept a one-state solution, they should move to Hawaii, Alaska or an island in the Pacific, where 'they could live peacefully in an isolated setting.'

What does Mr. Qaddafi have in mind? Much can be learned from his speech broadcast by Al Jazeera on April 10, 2006:

'Some people believe that Muhammad is the prophet of the Arabs or the Muslims alone. This is a mistake. Muhammad is the Prophet of all people. He superseded all previous religions. If Jesus were alive when Muhammad was sent, he would have followed him. All people must be Muslims. . . . We have 50 million Muslims in Europe. There are signs that Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe - without swords, without guns, without conquests. The 50 million Muslims of Europe will turn it into a Muslim continent within a few decades. . . Allah mobilizes the Muslim nation of Turkey and adds it to the European Union. That's another 50 million Muslims. There will be 100 million Muslims in Europe. Albania, which is a Muslim country, has already entered the EU. Fifty percent of its citizens are Muslims.'

In his January 14 op-ed, 'Magic and Realism', Roger Cohen wrote: "The world view shaped in the Middle East by Al Jazeera is not amenable to Western logic." My guess is that Mr. Cohen does not speak Arabic, but what is reported above by Al Jazeera is amenable to almost any one's logic, Eastern or Western, and leaves little question as to the future Qaddafi foresees for Europe and 'Isratine'."

"Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe - without swords, without guns, without conquests"? Given my age and the number of decades required to achieve Qadaffi's goal, I'll probably not be around to see it. Meanwhile, however, I will witness how far into his presidency it takes Obama to realize that "making nice" to Ahmadinejad, Qadaffi and their ilk only breeds contempt and whets their appetites.