Bye Bye Europe?
By Dr. Harold A. Black
blackh@knoxfocus.com
haroldblackphd.com
I am not a Europhile. I am grateful for Western civilization, culture, religion and Adam Smith. But in no way have I ever wanted to emulate any of the Europeans. British cuisine is so awful that the best British food is Indian. French cuisine gives me gas much like the effete snobs who populate the country. I like Italian cooking, although it, too, can produce its share of backfires. Spanish food is passable, although I once turned down an offer to visit a tapas bar. Then there is Scandinavia, which is too cold and much too bigoted for my tastes. It seems that throughout most of history, Europeans have been intent on killing each other. That still continues with the war in Ukraine. That Europe has not decided to shut down the Russian economy and fully protect Ukraine is enlightening. If they won’t do it, then why should we? I don’t get the U.S. talking with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine. Don’t the Ukrainians have a say? What about the Europeans? This may be one of the weirdest things Donald Trump has done.
The Europeans are intent on driving themselves into the ground. The embrace of green energy, the shutting down of coal and nuclear, the high cost of getting less energy for more money speaks to the effeteness of the continent. When it started, the EU was comparable to the United States in GDP. It is now 60% smaller. In any other place in the world, that would be scandalous. In Europe, all you get is a ho-hum. Europeans want to work less, produce less and complain more. Is this any way to run (or ruin) a continent?
The Europeans have abdicated their prosperity to the greens, to the influx of illegals who refuse to adapt to their new country’s culture, and to general malaise. It is like the politicians on the continent are nothing but a bunch of wimps (Italy’s Meloni and Poland’s Duda are the exceptions). Seriously, do you think Rishi Sunak, Emmanuel Macron, Bajram Begaj, Vahagn Khachaturyan, Katalin Novak, Ignazio Cassis or any of the rest of the European leaders are capable leaders? For me, this is a continent in decline. Its best days are past.
The Europeans have fallen victim to socialism and the welfare state. They were shocked by the two speeches given by J. D. Vance. In one speech, Vance excoriated the Europeans, saying that the biggest threat to Europe is not Russia but the “retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.” Vance said that Europe must take a greater role in its own defense, reject the rule of the elites, go back to its roots and strengthen Western values against external and internal threats. Vance also scolded European leaders for stifling dissent, religious liberty and free speech.
The Europeans were shocked, shocked! How dare the uppity Americans tell them what to do! The other speech by Vance was on European censorship and heavy-handed regulation of American high tech firms. He said that the Trump administration “cannot and will not accept” efforts by foreign governments to tighten the screws on “U.S. tech companies with international footprints.” Pow! Take that, you effete snobs!
The future belongs elsewhere. But where? Perhaps America can continue to show the way, provided it throws off the impediments of climate change, social “justice” and letting the education industrial complex get away with not educating our children. I firmly believe that economic prosperity is closely aligned with economic freedom. With Europe in decline, outside of Ireland, where do we look for strong economic growth? Not Latin America, where five of the six largest economies are either in decline from socialist governments or in recession. Argentina, once a basket case, is the sole bright spot with Milei as president. Asia, with Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, is a maybe despite the train wreck that is the Chinese economy. Maybe Australia, India, Nigeria, Botswana, Armenia, Ukraine and Poland. Of course, there is Israel. South Africa is a wonderful country burdened by a woeful and corrupt government. But then again, aren’t most governments corrupt?
Regardless, if I were Donald Trump, I would enter into free trade agreements with countries that value private property, entrepreneurship and freedom. I would ignore the pompous self-indulgence that is Europe and have America lead the way to a more prosperous and freer world.
