Europe.... terrorist appeasement

[Tim Hancock]

Thought I would pass this along. Good to see SOME europeans understand and appreciate the war on terror.

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HERE IS A GERMAN EDITORIAL

If any of you still feel that this war on terror is a mistake, here is an opinion from an unexpected source. It's fascinating that this should come out of Europe. Mathias Dapfner, Chief Executive of the huge German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in DIE WELT, Germany's largest daily paper, against the timid reaction of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat.

This is a must-read by all Americans. History may well certify its correctness.

EUROPE - THY NAME IS COWARDICE

(Commentary by Mathias Dapfner CEO, Axel Springer, AG)

A few days ago Henry Broder wrote in Welt am Sonntag, "Europe - your family name is appeasement." It's a phrase you can't get out of your head because it's so terribly true.

Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements.

Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe, where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and even though we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us.

Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word "equidistance," now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly
500,000 victims of Saddam's torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush... Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a "Muslim Holiday" in Germany?

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our
(German) Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State "Muslim Holiday" will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain's Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and declaring European "Peace in our time".

What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it? There is a sort of crusade underway, an especially perfidious crusade consisting of systematic attacks by fanatic Muslims, focused on civilians, directed against our free, open Western societies, and intent upon Western Civilization's utter destruction.

It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than any of the great military conflicts of the last century - a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by "tolerance" and "accommodation" but is actually spurred on by such gestures, which have proven to be, and will always be taken by the Islamists for signs of weakness. Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush.

His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy. His place in history will have to be evaluated after a number of years have passed.

In the meantime, Europe sits back with charismatic self-confidence in the multicultural corner, instead of defending liberal society's values and being an attractive center of power on the same playing field as the true great powers, America and China.

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.

For his policies, Bush risks the fall of the dollar, huge amounts of additional national debt, and a massive and persistent burden on the American economy - because unlike almost all of Europe , Bush realizes what is at stake - literally everything.

While we criticize the "capitalistic robber barons" of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our Social Welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive! We'd rather discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or our dental coverage, or our 4 weeks of paid vacation... Or listen to TV pastors preach about the need to "reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive".

These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor's house.

Appeasement?

Europe, thy name is Cowardice.

---God Bless America

[Dantilla]

Thanks for posting. Too bad he will just be laughed at by most.

[legion]

Wow. I would not have expected this from anyone in Germany.

[Rick Lee]

Sooo awesome.

[legion]

Germany is the sleeping beast of Europe. France has brow-beat them into a sort of national shame since the last World War. One day they will wake up.

[Rick Lee]

Germans will not wake up. The last 2-3 generations have been so pacified that they all now think nothing in the world is worth fighting for. They have a mandatory national service for all males and they can choose either the army for 18 mos. or working in old folks homes for 24 mos. The vast majority go to work in old folks homes. It's not considered an honor in the least to be career military there. It's very sad. It will take generations to correct.

[Superman]

Originally posted by legion
Wow. I would not have expected this from anyone in Germany.

Yeah, right. Glad you understand human nature so accurately that you are surprised when a country of more than 80 million people has a person whose views on antiterrorism agree with yours. Think of the odds........

Like Dubya, many of you guys are playing the long odds, hoping for the big payout. You're hoping that the World is wrong and you are right.

[Flatbutt1]

Originally posted by Superman
snipped...... You're hoping that the World is wrong and you are right.

well isn't that true of any argument? sheer numbers may form a majority opinion but it doesn't determine which side is correct.

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by Superman
You're hoping that the World is wrong and you are right.

It's happened many, many times in the past.

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by Superman
Yeah, right. Glad you understand human nature so accurately that you are surprised when a country of more than 80 million people has a person whose views on antiterrorism agree with yours. Think of the odds........

Do feel that way about German public opinion from 1933 to, say, 1943-44?

[legion]

I'm not surprised that a German thought this. I am surprised that a German had the guts to buck public opinion (in a country where political correctness is reinforced by guilt over the Nazi era).

[Superman]

I recognize that popular opinion is not infallible. Take this instance, for example. It's possible that killing a portion of a group that already hates us will cause them to stop hating us. Theoretically possible. I'm just not smart enough to understand how that works, though. In my naivete', I would have assumed that killing a portion of that group would not make them stop hating us. It is a unique line of thinking.

[Jim727]

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/dapfner.asp

[gostraight]

Originally posted by Superman
Yeah, right. Glad you understand human nature so accurately that you are surprised when a country of more than 80 million people has a person whose views on antiterrorism agree with yours. Think of the odds........

Like Dubya, many of you guys are playing the long odds, hoping for the big payout. You're hoping that the World is wrong and you are right.

That reminds me of this fellow, long, long time ago, that almost got himself killed for going against the "world" by claiming that the earth is actually round.....

[Superman]

That's a good, but rare example. Much more common are the bearded, scraggly guys on street corners with signs announcing the End of the World. Sure, there is a chance you guys are in the same group with Galileo. Statistically though, it's much more likely you'll end up looking like the streetcorner guys. Your gamble.....

[legion]

So Supe, the basis of your argument is that it is a minority opinion? Much easier than addressing the actual argument.

[Tervuren]

Originally posted by Superman
I recognize that popular opinion is not infallible. Take this instance, for example. It's possible that killing a portion of a group that already hates us will cause them to stop hating us. Theoretically possible. I'm just not smart enough to understand how that works, though. In my naivete', I would have assumed that killing a portion of that group would not make them stop hating us. It is a unique line of thinking.

I was listening to a man from Lebanon, he said after America started attacking countries post 9/11, that things got much better in his country. The corrupt leaders are afraid if they are too harsh, they think they could be next. He says life is much easier now, there is more freedom, more rights are recognized.