Decline and Fall: Europe's Slow-Motion Suicide

[Overpaid Slacker]

An interview with Bruce Thornton, author of the captioned book.

Thoughts?

JP

[legion]

That suicide is painless

It brings on many changes

And I can take or leave it if I please.

I try to find a way to make

All our little joys relate

Without that ever-present hate

But now I know that it's too late, and...

[legion]

And there are those here who desperately want us to follow Europe's lead.

"If your friend jumped off a bridge, would you?"

[the]

Just like Rand very explicitly predicted 60 years ago, the various People's States of Europe are going to be the first to fall.

[The Gaijin]

#1 choice for the depressing book of the month club.

[jyl]

Haven't read the book. From the interview, seems like this guy sees everything through one lens, which is the threat of Islamic culture and extremism. Okay, that's important. But he appears to ignore everything else that affects an economy - like education, labor, availability of capital, technological capabilities, fiscal position, growth of domestic and import markets, etc.

I mean, according to that logic, the US economy should be doing great since we're so vigorously killing and jailing Muslim terrorists. Odd, but I don't see it.

So my initial reaction is that this is one of these books that panders to the hot button topic of the moment, and not one that I am going to bother to read. Maybe the book is more balanced and comprehensive than the interview, but there are only so many hours in my day.

[varmint]

mark steyn and melanie phillips have books out making them same point.

education, labor, capital, fiscal position, domestic and import markets, etc don't matter if there are no children to inherit it. europeans aren't breeding.

[frogger]

More sex! More sex!

[jyl]

Europe (EU-15) population is growing appx 0.5% per year. Growth through birth/death is zero, the growth is coming through inward migration.

Compare to US population growth appx 0.8% per year.

Europe is growing more slowly, but not dramatically. The US-Europe difference in population growth is similar to the difference in trend GDP.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by jyl

Europe (EU-15) population is growing appx 0.5% per year. Growth through birth/death is zero, the growth is coming through inward migration.

Right now these figures are looking through a narrow window of rising life expectancy and lowering birthrates. That is why birth/death is zero. But soon enough - the low birthrate (one child per couple in Italy and Spain) is going to catch up with them.

[Mule]

You see examples of that here on the board, uninformed fools wanting to defend islam with no clue of what it's about.

[jyl]

I think that is overstating it. Italy is not representative of the whole EU.

Natural population growth (via birth/death) is higher in Northern Europe, and higher in the UK. As a whole, it looks like natural population growth is about zero for the EU. And net migration is clearly positive, for almost every country in the EU-15. So, unless Europe cuts off immigration, or unless birthrates decline even further, I think Europe may be able to maintain its current population growth rate. Some European governments are trying to incent citizens to have higher birthrates, those efforts might succeed.

http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=402

Originally Posted by The Gaijin

Right now these figures are looking through a narrow window of rising life expectancy and lowering birthrates. That is why birth/death is zero. But soon enough - the low birthrate (one child per couple in Italy and Spain) is going to catch up with them.

[Seric]

If you got your butt kicked and passed up by the Anglo-Europeans way back in the fark age, you'd still be pissed about it too. Or you're just angry because you live in a desert...

You got all that oil right?

[RoninLB]

USA Wake Up



http://www.usawakeup.org/

[MRM]

Europe has been committing suicide for 1500 years. It's not dead yet.

[Wickd89]

Except for Switzerland. They are not playing and keeping their borders closed; except to the rich!

[Rick Lee]

Does the birth rate in Europe count those Muslims who were born in Europe and are EU citizens? Seems like birthrate ain't the problem, but rather assimilation of those born there, but who live like they would in a Muslim country.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

Right. Every time I get worried about the US, I just look across "the pond", and thank heaven that we're not in Europe, and that Mexico is not an Islamic country. We can learn a lot about what not to do from Europe.

-Wayne

no kidding Wayne, easier for them to learn English or us to learn Spanish, at least we are culturally in the same neighborhood.

The muslims are outbreeding the euros there, and the hispanics are outbreeding the anglos here. How would a muslim president of France be?