Monday, October 03, 2005

Turkey, the EU, and Public Opinion


Reader Mark from New Zealand emailed us this morning:
    
Hi, Dymphna and Baron,
The BBC in particular is featuring Turkey’s latest difficulties with EU membership.
French and German public opinion is firmly against membership, but the Austrians outflank even them, 80-90% opposed, citing those Gates as a prominent reason.
My talks and interviews in Vienna earlier this year with clerics and academics show how out of touch some elites are - they are proud of Austria’s excellent relations with its Muslim communities, and assured me that Austria has always been multicultural and accepting of minorities, given its geography, and history of empire.
Somehow the Viennese street doesn’t seem to see it that way.
Regards
Mark
If any other readers have EU/Turkey information, please feel free to add it to the comments or send us an email.

2 comments:

El Jefe Maximo said...

The Viennese "multicultural and accepting of minorities ?" Well, maybe the elites, but I've read some pretty grisly stories about Vienna right after the Anschluss in 1938 that would sort of make me wonder.

bordergal said...

Ah yes, but they seem to miss the fact that Muslims won't BE a minority as time goes on....they will be the dominant social group. The process will only be hastened by letting Turkey into the EU.

Turkey into EU = Cultural Suicide
Why are those at the top so blind to the impacts of unfettered immigration to their home countries? Maybe because their little boys and girls don't have to mingle with the sweaty masses, or attend schools that are substandard because 50% or more of the students speak english as a second language?

There's not two cents worth of difference between these Euroweenies and George Bush.
I won't even say what I think about his recent choices for ICE and the Supreme Court.