Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
Matthias Döpfner, Chief Executive of German publisher Axel Springer AG, has written a blistering attack in the daily WELT against the cowardice of Europe in the face of the Islamic threat. Hartmut Lau translated the article for us.

Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice

Commentary by Mathias Döpfner

A few days ago Henryk M. Broder wrote "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 agreements. Appeasement stabilized communism in the Soviet Union and East Germany in that part of Europe where inhuman, suppressive governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities. Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo and we Europeans debated and debated until the Americans came in and did 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 300,000 victims of Saddam’s torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace-movement, to issue bad grades to George Bush. A particularly grotesque form of appeasement is reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere by suggesting that we should really have a Muslim holiday in Germany.

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 and directed against our free, open Western societies.
It is a conflict that will most likely last longer than the great military conflicts of the last century—a conflict conducted by an enemy that cannot be tamed by tolerance and accommodation but only spurred on by such gestures, which will be mistaken for signs of weakness.

Two recent American presidents had the courage needed for anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush. Reagan ended the Cold War and Bush, supported only by the social democrat Blair acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic fight 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 the intolerant, as world champions in 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.

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 everything is at stake.

While the alleged capitalistic robber barons in American know their priorities, we timidly defend our social welfare systems. Stay out of it! It could get expensive. We’d rather discuss the 35-hour workweek or our dental health plan coverage. Or listen to TV pastors preach about "reaching out to murderers." These days, Europe reminds me of an elderly aunt who hides her last pieces of jewelry with shaking hands when she notices a robber has broken into a neighbor’s house. Europe, thy name is cowardice. (emphasis added)

Matthias Döpfner has done it before - criticizing the spineless reaction of the European political elites to the dangers of Islamic terror.

He is by far the most powerful voice in the German media against the reappearance of the rotten European appeasement policies of the 20th century.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Like the cowardice of appeasment in Northern Ireland, which has managed to secure appologies for civillian casualties caused by the IRA, and has made all of the UK considerably safer.

Well bugger me if it don't darn work a treat.

The UK government, appease the Irish, they should've invaded the WHOLE COUNTRY. If the Irish aren't for us, they are against us. There are NO CITIZENS IN DUBLIN, ONLY TERRORISTS!

And then of course, there is Suez, where the UK, French and Israelis were against the Egyptian dictator securing the canal region. The US was the country that favoured appeasement, and ordered that the UN oblige a full withdrawl from the allied forces.

But no, Dwight D Eisnehower WASN'T the one who said:

"We believe these actions to have been taken in error, for we do not accept the use of force as a wise or proper instrument for the settlement of international disputes." (Washington, D.C., October 31, 1956)"

The topic should be "America, thy name is double-standards"

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Europe hasn't had any substantial world power in over 50 years....

appeasment/cowardice is sort of survival technique at this point.
it's sad, but it's to be expected.

if you have no muscle, you can't swing your fists.....just play the wall and back the winner.

and the europeans, in order to justify this behavior, flip the script and attack the U.S. as "war mongering imperialists" (see ACe and the other euro-liberal elite on this board). they attack american's values, claiming it is WE who have our heads in the sand, ect.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

To compare Hitler and the Jews to the "Islamic problem" is asinine.
The Muslim world's anti-western stance isn't defined by borders, leaders or armies, it's an ideology.
CIA research shows that 80% of the 4 billion Muslims in the world believe bin Laden's philosophy to be true, even though the vast majority don't support terrorism or violence.
All they really want is to left alone.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

if you go around fighting and imposing your will and desires with violence, all you get in return is violence. The U.S. does this. We are an interconnected world now, like it or not, and no country can act out of it's own self interest without taking into account the ramifications and consequences of it's actions. We can see the results all around us now.

Do you think the "appeasing europeans" continued their track record by not standing up to the war mongering u.s., and instead, vocally supported or by not objecting, silently supported their war moves?

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

France has nukes and ICBMs capable of reaching anywhere in the world.
What more power do you want?

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Except that the € is kicking the $'s butt and hauling up on the £. Europe doesn't have the deficit that you do, either.

Thanks for all the help in Ivory Coast. France is single-handedly dealing with the problems there, without whinging for help from the rest of the world. The French are fighting Ivorians who have (had ;) )fucking aircraft and are getting no help from the population. You guys are fighting people with the minimum of weaponry and are losing. And for what? Cocoa?

An American was killed there and your cowardly fucking government does nothing (even Israel have agreed to stop selling them weapons!)

Which winner? Gbagbo or Ouattara. Europe has plenty of muscle, buddy, we just know when to flex, unlike you stupid gung-ho fukwits who rush in blindly swinging giant fists, destroying everything in your path while being attacked from all quaters by much smaller, but far more nimble foe, eventually finding yourself deep behind enemy lines, exhausted, without any backup. Bravery? Stupidity!

Ace is a shithead who knows fukall. He does not speak for nor represent Europe, he is British and therefore one of yours.

You're an even bigger shithead. You know absolutely nothing, yet you feel the right to dis Europe. Your head's not in the sand, it's up your ass, cretin.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Please.....France?
i'm not even gonna argue with you on that......

if you have nukes, that makes you a world power? period?

you know the point i'm making......

France isn't a factor in......well......anything.

(yeah, i know...."typical ignorant american sentiment with no substantial backing" .....fuck, do you want to stop working and spend 3 hours finding blog after blog concerning France's current limited role in world events?)

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

'cos you can't, fukwit.

You seem to think so.

that you know where the . key is?

Dream on.

Look anywhere any you'll see France in the Limelight.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Let's see, who are the five permanent members of the Security Counsel?

People's Republic of China
France
Russian Federation
United Kingdom
United States

Nukes certainly help...

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

it flows with the tide, when you take it upon yourself to make regime changes in the world, you take some lumps.
if you are going to sit there and France is in the same universe as america as far as financial stability and global fiscal power....
really now.....


thanks for the help in WWI and WWII....
oh wait......we bailed you out. never mind.

hey, you don't wanna step in with IRAQ, war on terror, ect.....
fine, then deal with your own shit.

don't come beggin for a piece of the pie when the oil starts flowing and industry starts to slowly increase and take hold....

not that haven't already attempted to make a claim........
vultures.


like in WWI and WWII when we saved your country from-....
yeah......

hey, i ain't proud of how this war was conducted at all.
It was under false pretenses, and poorly planned out.
we needed more support......we didn't get it. bush fucked that up.
he rushed in......he fucked that up.
we elected him.....again.......WE fucked that up.
i'm not gonna argue that.

we don't want him.

ouch......be nice.
you seem like a much more level headed guy than ACe......not looking to flame here.

look, you are french. you are european. it's natural to be defensive of you homeland.
my comments were hurtful.....sorry.
but you must understand my stance as well......
americans are looked at as shit right now by much of the world.
mostly from jealousy....and a plethora of other reasons.
it's not fair of me to lump you into one "cowardly euro" pack....as your sentiments may not be the same as the majority of europe.
just as it wouldn't be fair of you to lump me into this "war mongering, red neck hick, ignorant american" pack.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

This makes me smile, though I'm not sure why.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

ok, guys.....
state, in detail, your argument that France is on Par with the U.S (the only remaining superpower I believe now?) in shaping world policy on all levels.
please, by all means......convince me.
perhaps you can....
i will be open minded. i promise.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Where did I claim that?

I simply replied to a statment of yours, please stop putting words in my mouth suckwad.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

nice, at least you can agree with the reasons the U.S, went to war...


Are they jealous of the the bombs the U.S. drops on them or of the monetary support the U.S. gives to dictators or of the way the U.S. is above any and all treaties?

or maybe they're jealous of the total lack of respect the u.s. has for the entire world?

Qdrop, why did you vote for Kerry? You seem like a full on Bush supporter. Or do you suffer from the the "we must support our elected officials" syndrome?

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

When the UN Security Council was formed the factor that determined if countries were admitted is if they were a nuclear power...

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

As I understand it China wants to add India to the permanent list, but Pakistan (a PRC ally) is throwing a hissy fit.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

France helped veto the decision to invade Iraq, until hard evidence of WMD's appeared.

Pretty world-shaping, dontchathink?

France is a member of the European Union, which is growing each year. It takes 1 dollar gets you 0.76 euro. The EU is more than a match for the US and doesn't have the deficit problems that you do.

We have a huge Muslim population in France and no fear of terrorist attack (we learned our lesson in Algeria, don't fuck with Arabs, they are very, very hard to defeat). The French know only too well how savagely Arabic people can fight to defend their homeland, you are only just beginning to learn this, to your cost.

There is no Burger King in France.

And please, please please STFU about WWI and WWII. The US did fukall (sold steel to the Nazis) until most of the fighting had been done and came and mopped up at the end (and the Allies were more afraid of friendly fire from trigger-happy GI's than the Germans). Russia did more to defeat Germany than the US and you don't hear them going on and on about it.

Why does every Hawk on this board resort to bashing the French over WWII whenever the subject comes up? WHERE WERE YOU AT THE BEGINNING?

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

America is so wonderful and right because we have a military and use it?

The biggest problem is that this country lumped Iraq into the war on terror. Makes us look like simpletons.

Yea, Europe, you are nothing. EU? Pssh, we aint scared of that. With are growing in spending and trade, pffttt, go back to France where nothing ever happpens and nobody did anything in WWII and the U.S. had to do everything.

Some day I hope we find our honor and dignity again...

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

actually, you're right.......my bad....ummmmm......suckwad.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

He is a suckwad...he's proven it over and over again.

Your point?

I really don't give a fuck.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Hey, at least I removed you from ignore (against my better judgement), why aren't you happy?

...because you like playing the martyr.

"Do I detect the smell of burning martyr?" - Basil Faulty

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

Does Israel want to be a member, then? Pity they don't officially have a Nuclear weapons program.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

You missed the point, this place has become a magnet for suckiness...I don't give a fuck anymore.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

"suckiness"

is that a word?

it is now!

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

sure, that is how nations obtain great power, and keep that power.
it's brutal, but ANY other nation (and i do mean ANY- france,italy, New Zealand) would do the same.
power is addictive. power is consuming. power always corrupts to a degree.

nope, just jealous of the power.

that's how the pecking order works.
we would do the same.
we used to be the same centuries ago.

well, i'm not a democrat......i'm an independant, if you must label.
basically.....i see the world for what it is: Nature on the biggest scale.
i see actions as necessary or not necessary.....not moral or immoral.
i suppose, in that sense i can be seen as a NEO con hawk.
socially, i am very liberal in most matters....cept welfare and prison.
overall, i have a very hardline approach to things.....not idealistic ones.
what does a nation need to do to become powerful and stay powerful so that i can have a comfortable, wealthy, safe homeland.
do i want others worldwide to have these comforts.......of course.
would i be willing to part with much of my own to allow that?......nope.
and i would expect nothing less if the tables are reversed.

i voted for bush because he failed.....and do not like how he is handling our foriegn policies....they are not pragmatic.
i also fear Conservative dogmas and agenda on a social level.......

if i don't vote for third parties....i vote democrat in most cases.

personally, i think the idea of having parties is fucking stupid.
it's a "club house" mentallity.......

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

i didn't even know i was on yours......

but honestly.....thanks.
it shows you have some balls.......


and everyone loves a martydom party.... ;)

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

I tend not to insult myself or the subject manner, just the inbreds here who only just avoid being beneath the contempt I rain upon them.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

You're welcome.

p.s. Yob tvayu mat.

Re: Europe – Thy Name is Cowardice
 

what the hell are you so angry about?

seriously.....hold on.
THIS IS A FUCKING BEASTIE BOYS MESSAGE BOARD!!
why do people get so emotional on these things.

message boards have no bearing on your life.....
they are realms of fantasy, were Geeks become gods.....
were the meek become bullies.....
that's why they are so infested with disenfranchised nerds and socially inept losers....
this is the only place where they can stake claim and feel strong....

let's be honest.....90% of ALL the arguments on these boards don't mean shit.
no one is arguing there principles on here...not really.
it's all just a big E-penis competition.....
who can come up with the best retorts and witty comebacks in efforts to humiliate their opponent in the eyes of thier fellow internet geeks.
who can pull the most blogs.
who can dominate......who can control the flow of he debate.
who's the funniest.

it's like everyone who come on these things becomes characatures of themselves....