Theodore Dalrymple Talks About the Roots of the Crisis
I was invited to hear Theodore Dalrymple (a/k/a Anthony Daniels) talk about the roots of the European debt crisis, as presented by the Manhattan Institute. He's an excellent writer from the UK, blessed with keen observation, a sharp mind, and a sense of humor. Recently he wrote poignantly about the UK riots. My wife especially likes his writing, so she came too. We got to say "Hi" before his talk.
He made some good points, mostly about how dire the situation is and how Europe will face more social unrest - some of which may be pretty violent. Many people will suffer as the crisis continues and the governments dicker over solutions.
As for the "roots" of the crisis, he used the example of Belgium to illustrate a fundamental problem with the European Union. He pointed to the fact that in tiny Belgium, the two largest ethnic groups have never gotten along. The Flemish, of Dutch ancestry, and the Walloons, of French ancestry live separately, always have (since Belgium was created about 180 years ago, after the Napoleonic Wars) and - it would seem safe to say - always will.
This reminded me of a gentleman I knew at a firm where I once worked that was owned by a Dutch bank. The guy was Belgian. We spoke shortly after the currency known as the Euro was created in 1999. He made exactly this point, based upon his personal experience growing up in Belgium. He thought the European Union would eventually fall apart because it was a kind of forced union of very disparate people.
My own thoughts on this have to do with the Europeans who claim the U.S. as a model for their union. It always struck me as absurd to think of the European Union as a kind of "United States" of Europe. While our country was forged from 13 separated "states" in 1776, most American spoke the same language and - even with some pretty serious differences - had more in common than not.
The history of Europe consists of endless war between their "states." Yes, America did have a Civil War, but it was one war (albeit a horrendous one).
The Europeans certainly don't want to go back to their old ways of endless war. But the assumption that they are anything like us is absurd - at least politically. Maybe that assumption, or more properly that delusion sits under the whole "European Project" (as it's known) effort ready to undermine it. I don't know.
They need to create some other more realistic model if they're going to stick with this European Project.
Of course, that won't get them out of this crisis. That's a whole other can of worms.
He made some good points, mostly about how dire the situation is and how Europe will face more social unrest - some of which may be pretty violent. Many people will suffer as the crisis continues and the governments dicker over solutions.
As for the "roots" of the crisis, he used the example of Belgium to illustrate a fundamental problem with the European Union. He pointed to the fact that in tiny Belgium, the two largest ethnic groups have never gotten along. The Flemish, of Dutch ancestry, and the Walloons, of French ancestry live separately, always have (since Belgium was created about 180 years ago, after the Napoleonic Wars) and - it would seem safe to say - always will.
This reminded me of a gentleman I knew at a firm where I once worked that was owned by a Dutch bank. The guy was Belgian. We spoke shortly after the currency known as the Euro was created in 1999. He made exactly this point, based upon his personal experience growing up in Belgium. He thought the European Union would eventually fall apart because it was a kind of forced union of very disparate people.
My own thoughts on this have to do with the Europeans who claim the U.S. as a model for their union. It always struck me as absurd to think of the European Union as a kind of "United States" of Europe. While our country was forged from 13 separated "states" in 1776, most American spoke the same language and - even with some pretty serious differences - had more in common than not.
The history of Europe consists of endless war between their "states." Yes, America did have a Civil War, but it was one war (albeit a horrendous one).
The Europeans certainly don't want to go back to their old ways of endless war. But the assumption that they are anything like us is absurd - at least politically. Maybe that assumption, or more properly that delusion sits under the whole "European Project" (as it's known) effort ready to undermine it. I don't know.
They need to create some other more realistic model if they're going to stick with this European Project.
Of course, that won't get them out of this crisis. That's a whole other can of worms.
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