"Until the shape of the new Europe begins to emerge, there's no point picking fights with the terminally ill. The old Europe is dying, and Mr. Bush did the diplomatic equivalent of the Oscar night lifetime-achievement tribute at which the current stars salute a once glamorous old-timer whose fading aura is no threat to them. The 21st century is being built elsewhere."
--Mark Steyn
Unfortunately, it wasn't posted in a European column.
Posted by Jeff at March 5, 2005 12:16 PMI agree entirely. The C21st is being built elsewhere. And it won't be built in Europe. Nor will the epicentre of the world be North America.
Europe may well implode, but I doubt it somehow. The 'federalists' have the continent by the short 'n curlies, with a few exceptions.
The most notable and most significant exception is the UK. The electorate have no interest in subsidising Albanian goatherds or Russian prostitutes' healthcare collectives. Even el Presidente Blair is hesitant at taking the UK deeper into the EU without agreeing to a referendum. The movers and shakers in what is left of the Tory party are anti-Europe, period.
I'm not too sure if I'm kidding here, but I believe the majority of Brits would rather be fighting the French, Germans, Spanish, Italians etc than be friends and allies with them now the Soviet threat has gone.
Europe will probably become some kind of "United States of Europe"; the UK will probably throw its hand in with the US in every sense.
Posted by: kenny at March 6, 2005 02:34 PM. Original Copyright, May 2004. All Rights Reserved.
