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Decline & Fall: Europe's Slow Motion Suicide

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I think that Bruce Thornton has made some good points in this book about modern Europe. Early in the book, he uses H. G. Wells' book, "The Time Machine" as an intriguing analogy. Are Europeans becoming more like Wells' "Eloi," and commtting a sort of "slow-motion suicide?"

Politically, Europe is indeed annoying some of us in the United States. As Thornton explains, many Western Europeans were strongly opposed to any action against the Iraq regime of Saddam Hussein. On the other hand, ten Eastern European nations and eight other European nations wrote a letter of solidarity with the United States' intention to remove Hussein from power.

Still, a more genuine concern is not about day-to-day European politics but about Europe's ability to support a healthy and productive society. One fundamental issue is the ability to enforce basic laws and provide for the common defence. And Europe had great difficulty doing that in Bosnia. The EU was helpless here, and so was the UN. Only American troops were any good at stopping the mass murders. Thornton explains that the "Europeans do not have the military capacity to project force in order to stop the threat of brutality and slaughter, which means that they have no threat of force to give teeth to their non-lethal means of resolving conflict."

There is a chapter on the abandonment of the monotheist deity, and I'm not too impressed by that. I am a Polytheist and I think we humans are natural Pagans, given how varied and fickle we are. I'm not too worried about European Christians becoming more tolerant. But I am concerned that, as Thornton describes, we're seeing more intolerance from Europe's Muslims, much of which is accepted by the rest of the community.

Is there a demographic threat to Europe? Muslims could become as much as 30% of the European population in a few decades. Well, I think that depends on whether the Muslim community decides to focus on productive endeavors or on destruction and violence. If the latter occurs, yes, there will be problems, including the risk of more big European wars. I think a war against the Muslims is possible and a war in alliance with Muslims is possible as well. Hopefully, neither of these will occur. One metric that some people use has been antisemitism. It served as a warning that Europe was in trouble back in the 1930s, and it could serve as a similar warning today.

Thornton tries to put anti-Israeli ideologies into some perspective. As he explains, since World War Two about 25 million people have died in internal conflicts, while only 8000 of them have died in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Yet Israel has been condemned by the United Nations more than all other nations combined. Of course, I think it is good that there have not been even more casualties in the war against Israel. But I agree that the obsessive attacks on Israel, including the applause for such attacks from the European community, are not a good sign for Europe or for the rest of society.

I recommend this book.

Length:: 7:41 Mins

Hi Bernard Chapin saying hi and here's a review of Bruce Thornton's new book.

This awesome book is very informative, packed with quotes, details and info you can't find any where else. But the grim future of EUtopia (It's also where Liberals in Canada and US would like us to follow) is making me scared. According to stats, by 2025 France will be a majority Islamic country. Russian army will be a majority Muslim army by 2020. These are scary, not because radical Muslims are scary, but because this change is being forced upon the rotten continent of Europe so fast that it can not keep pace. And as it is clear, the Eurabians have two option: 1- Submit to the will of Allah and become Muslims at once, 2- Start a civil war again and run concentration camps (That's where Eurabians are best at). These two options scare the hell out of me and makes me very sad. At any rate, this book is an eye opener for the naive Westerners in Canada, UK, US and western EU countries. Europe is a mess and hopefully it won't need America to save it again. As for this book I highly recommend this book.

This book is worth reading because it provides a profound analysis of Europe's capacity to grow and to play on the global political and economic stage. The author gets it right on many key issues, with the notable exception of its judgment of Marxism. (Hence only 4 stars.)
Forget going-down-the drain image on the cover, which Mr. Thornton himself does not feel comfortable. As an economist, I advise readers not to treat this book as a prophecy of Europe's economic future. Largely ignoring the fact Europe is a complex entity with a vibrant business sector that's exposed to the competitive global markets, the prediction of a permanent economic decline in absolute terms is most likely to be proven wrong. I believe Europe is destined to slowly lose its relative political and economic power while maintaining a comfortable, if increasingly anxiety-filled, standard of living.
That said, Mr. Thornton's central point is correct: the modern European civilization is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Post-war Europe has not found a unifying belief and transcendent value to fill the void left by an abandoned Christianity. Secular humanism offers an illusionary "EUtopia" in complete contrast to what made the West great. By committing to cultural relativism, social welfare entitlement, anti-religion, and anti-Americanism, the continent is committing a "slow motion" suicide. Economically, Europe is destined to increasing irrelevance because of its demographic crisis, social welfare system, and ethnic tensions associated with immigration.
Written largely for an American audience, Mr. Thornton's book is a frontal attack on the romantic notion that Europe represents a progressive future that all advanced nations should emulate. The liberal left, such as Jeremy Rifkin, have argued that the American Dream of individualism, cultural exceptionalism, materialistic growth, private property rights and political realism toward the rivals of the West should be replaced by an European Dream of collectivism, cultural relativism, "sustainable" development, leisure, "rights of nature," and political appeasement. As an expert in classics and humanities, Thornton makes a powerful case that this European vision is rooted in the bankrupt Enlightenment Romanticism and the socialist dream of human perfectibility. The European dolce vita lifestyle is not a more humane and fulfilling way to live compared to workaholic, money-grubbing Americans. Without a higher purpose, the ultimate future for Europe could be H.G. Wells's Eloi, a delicate, youthful, vegetarian species that seems to live in a paradise but actually represents the retrogression of the human race.
A staunch defender of religion, Mr. Thornton could have made a stronger case about the central human paradox: first, maximum human happiness and minimum pain are what we want, but we must transcend our own well-being; second, given human nature, our transcendence must be achieved through none other than pursuing our self-interests. In critiquing communist socialism that underpin the European social welfare system, he falls into the common trap of discrediting Marx's theory based on how much misery and how many deaths that the communists have caused. One could easily use his criterion to argue against his beloved Christianity. Furthermore, he seems to contradict himself by advocating religion on one hand, and discrediting Marxism as a mere pseudo religion on the other.
In fact, there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. As Thornton correctly pointed out, Marx's philosophical thought bears a deep imprint of Christianity, while the failure of USSR and other socialist countries is rooted in the Romantic notion of human perfectibility and the superiority of central planning over markets. Marx's idea that History is progressive, that it is up to us to find its direction, that we can make a difference in this universe is as powerful and attractive as ever. The failure of Marxism is the unfortunate result of its inability to adapt to changing economic, social, and cultural realities that falsified many of its precepts (ruthless persecution of the first "deviationist" to maintain Marxism's purity actually killed it), while the Christian theology managed to evolve (certainly beyond The Old Testament), discarding unworkable ideas such as the Utopian commune and adapting to new social environments. As Marx reacted to the French "Marxists" of the late 1870s, "All I know is that I am not a Marxist."
Due to its unique experience of suffering greatly in God's hand for centuries, many European people remain wary of organized religion and lofty ideologies. Rightly so. But it is also a mistake to discard higher purpose altogether. Like Thornton, I am pessimistic about Europe's future, but hold out hope that somehow it will respond to various geopolitical, demographic, economic and social pressures and rediscover its spiritual roots.

Thornton argues that it is, and in this short book he explains how Europe found itself in this mess, and then talks about the consequences in the last half of the book.

Europe began the last century with "overwhelming global dominance" (p 27). So how, as Weigel asks, "'did a century that began with confident predictions about a maturing humanity...within four decades have two world wars, three totalitarian systems, a cold war threatening global catastrophe, oceans of blood, mountains of corpses, Auschwitz and the Gulag?'" (p 29).

The rot started even earlier with a growing self-hatred of the Christian civilization that had created the countries of Europe. Nuns and priests were guillotined en masse for loyalty to their religion, while the French army slaughtered some two hundred and fifty thousand of the Vendee, a pro Catholic peasant army.

Instead of worshiping God, man himself was to be the object of worship cried the French revolutionists. So did the Marxists later.

"The loss of Christian faith has exacerbated other tendencies within Western culture that further weaken its response to the challenge of Islamic jihad" (p 74). In the last fifty years, Europe has grown into a soggy welfare state, heavy on taxes and resolute in its determination only to make everyone worship the gods of multiculturalism, homosexuality, feminism, and Mother Earth.

Christians trying to school their children at home in Germany have been fleeing to the UK to avoid having the German state remove their children. The archbishop of the quickly-shrinking-to-the-size-of-a-pea Anglican religion recently suggested the UK should give Sharia law a try.

But leaving God behind has some nasty consequences. The free sexuality, not to mention the contraception and abortions, have resulted in a plunging birth rate. So plunging that there seems no hope at all. By 2050 the Muslims will be 30% of the population. And in yet another glaring example of insanity, European nations with their huge welfare benefits allow Muslim women to stay home and earn, simply by virtue of having four or five children, a very nice sum. In Berlin alone there are twenty-eight Islamic schools with ties to "extremist Islamic groups" (p 102).

Bye-bye Europe.

This book is possibly the best concise book on the subject of the major coming changes in the 21st Century. Much of what we imagined in the future is already in serious question, and this book concisely explains how the West is in serious trouble. Bruce Thorton explains that the future of Europe is likely to be something like H.G. Well's The Time Machine, albeit in a much more imminent and realistic way.

Many books on terrorism and Islam deal with the idea that radical Islam is the problem and that if radical Islam is defeated, things will be great and get back to "normal". What the book shows is that we have created a "normal" that is out of touch with long-term reality.

This Book explains that when traditional religion waned (in terms of its cultural influence) in Europe, many religion substitutes arose to attempt to fill the vacumn. Two of the current ones are Post-Marxist multiculturalism and romantic enviornmentalism (Western Culture is the scourge of the earth and non-western cultures are oppressed by it). These two ideas are progressively and greatly enfeebling the West. At the same time, Islam is being fueled by these Western trends to become increasingly conquest-focused, because it looks increasingly good compared to the West, and its atonishing cowardice and self-betrayal.

This book is a superb summation of -- While Europe Slept-- ,-- Londonistan--, and America Alone. Get it and check it out.

This is an excellent antidote for those delusional Americans that somehow maintain the illusion that the solutions for our country's woes (real or imagined) is for America to become "more like Europe." As Dr. Thornton points out, with fact after fact, is that it is of course exactly the opposite. This book is an excellent companion to Mark Steyn's "America Alone" and Bruce Bawer's "While Europe Slept."

Decline and Fall is a valuable addition to the growing corpus of literature on the continent's problems and uncertain future. Recommended titles include the entertaining and witty but not unserious Menace in Europe by Claire Berlinski, the mostly disturbing While Europe Slept by Bruce Bawer and the melancholy The Last Days of Europe by Walter Laqueur.

What constitutes Europe? Besides the 25 countries of the EU and those awaiting membership, it also includes non-members like Switzerland and Norway. For Thornton, the idea of Europe represents a set of values and beliefs or a particular world-view that broadly defines the West in general. He examines the specific nature of the European model, one that is perceived in certain circles as more humane and sophisticated than that of the Anglosphere. Then the evidence of Europe's accelerating decline and its causes are discussed.

The welfare state, accepted across the political spectrum with almost complete unanimity, has resulted in disappointing economic growth rates and perpetually high unemployment. The birthrate of native Europeans is in steep decline whilst there are large unassimilated immigrant communities suffering from mass unemployment resulting in huge welfare dependence. These people are alienated from, even hostile to, their host countries.

Europe's decline proceeded in stages beginning with the collapse of faith, followed by the disasters caused by Christianity's secular Salvationist substitutes like nationalism, socialism, communism, fascism and more recently the plagues of environmentalism and multiculturalism that have undermined its confidence. The perceptive French philosopher Chantal Delsol considers moral relativism - the rejection of all absolutes - as a form of nihilism that resulted from profound disillusionment with ideology. A newly resurgent Islam exploits this weakness and there is nothing to counteract the process.

The continent's dependence on oil imports coupled with its lack of a coherent belief system revived its long tradition of appeasement in the face of threats. After the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the subsequent oil blackmail a turning point in foreign policy occurred when countries like France shifted away from Israel to the Arab side as documented in Eurabia by Bat Ye'or. If antisemitism is a reliable measure of a society's mental health, Europe is seriously unwell. Anti-Zionism is rampant and barely distinguishable from antisemitism amongst the political and media elites.

Fanatically secular, these elites refuse to acknowledge the continent's Christian heritage, a significant spiritual bond between all member states. As the EU expands so does the Eurocracy. The EU power structure is not democratic at all and notoriously out of touch with ordinary citizens. As the continent loses ground to rapidly growing economies like those of India and China and living standards decline, dissatisfaction will rise. It is likely that the assault upon freedom of the press will intensify with the smoldering unrest amongst the immigrant communities flaring up more frequently.

Owing to the habit of consensus-seeking by the major parties of the centre left & centre right, the discontent of native Europeans is expressed by previously unthinkable levels of support for far-right movements in many countries. With their disdain for real democracy, the smug elites have been ignoring the danger signs. It's clear that sooner or later something must give.

A combination of external threats, declining living standards and internal unrest may lead to drastic changes. This scenario is not unlikely as there are indications of Russia seeking an alliance or cartel with oil and gas producers to put the squeeze on Europe while it is already buying aggressively into strategic European companies. Not found in the book, the following scenario is just speculation:

If these accumulating problems are exacerbated by major terror attacks, native Europeans will look elsewhere for leadership. A climate of fear will be conducive to spiritual revival in the form of a dramatic return to their historical faith, Constantine Christianity. A charismatic leader in that tradition who inspires confidence will signal the end of the Brussels bureaucracy, leading Europe towards a different kind of unity, one that may be based on faith.

A short well written sombre book. The author is a classisist, who has an impressive academic background.

(From the UK description) Despite the utopian promises of the EU, conditions are ripe for fulfilling Islamic scholar Bernard Lewis's prediction that in fifty years Europe will be an Islamic society, which is to say Europe will culturally disappear. In this penetrating and provocative book, the classicist Bruce S. Thornton shows how Europe reached this pass andanalyzes what Europe's decline means for the United States.

My lesson learned is that by turning away from its spiritual roots in Christianity (Through an Eloi-like pursuit of personal satisfaction) Europe is leaving itself open to a gradual Islamic assimilation. Compound this with the relative ease for immigrants to be caught in the EU social safety net, but continue to deny them upward mobility into the better schools, jobs and full integration into EU society and you have a breeding ground for anger, crime, terrorism and isolation from society.

The author traces this disconnect to deeply held national prejudices in Europe. He points out what N. America is doing well in this regard but hints that the US just may get tired of bailing Europe out with money and troops. Although Europe desires to solve all world conflicts with diplomacy vs might they have been ineffective in all cases - resulting in Canada, the UK and the US putting troops and funds in play. The Islamic nations see Europe as having no world wide power to affect them. They just expect them to accommodate, apologize and give way to Islam. (The population growth of immigrants is incredible.)

He asks the question, "When will the US decide that NATO is an ineffective use of largely American funds and pull the support? " That is a good one.

Civilizations that are running out of people inevitably must import others to keep their economic machines running and growing. America was built on just such a principle, with Latin America the current chief source of new population.
America assimilates. Americans may proudly declare their ancestral origin, but almost all live the American life, speak English, and eschew violent creeds from their country of origin. It is expected of them. Americans do not live in fear of the Mexican immigrants within their midst.
The European intellectual elite(!) know better. They believe that if they follow the dictates of Arabia they will get an assured supply of oil and immunity from terrorism. Hence the influx of millions of Muslims, most with no intention of assimilating. Europe has welcomed its own "enemy within".
The member states of that other European chimera - the European Union - have surrendered to this same elite the power to dictate how every country should behave: Avoid offending the newcomers at any cost. This would work well if it were reciprocated, but it isn't. Hence Europeans obsequiously remove piggy banks from the lobbies of banks and silence the church bells of Rome; and in exchange, any criticism of Islam is met with riots, murders and terrorism.
Mr. Brewer convincingly and disturbingly argues that Europe is dying, while the rest of the world looks on in horror.