Saturday, September 22, 2007

An Obsession With Europe

The EuroclockSome of our American readers have expressed the opinion that we spend too much of our time covering European aspects of the Jihad (and the Counterjihad), and not enough on equally important American affairs.

I admit to a preoccupation with what’s going on in Europe, and I do spend an inordinate amount of time and blog space on European issues. There are several reasons for my concentration on Old World affairs:

1. American issues are fully covered by other blogs.

Hundreds — if not thousands — of American blogs offer extensive in-depth coverage of jihad-related stories in the USA, and also of stories of interest to Americans that occur abroad in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you want to know about the latest from the Green Zone, or Hillary’s maneuverings, or Barack Obama’s most recent faux pas, or about the guy who was tasered at John Kerry’s speech, you have many good blogs to choose from that offer far better coverage than we ever could.

It doesn’t mean that we ignore American stories, just that we give them less attention than we otherwise might.

2. English-language versions of some important European stories are otherwise unavailable.

Gates of Vienna has acquired a dedicated corps of volunteer translators ready to get important stories into English. Some of these stories never see the light of day in English-language venues until they appear here.

With the help of Kepiblanc, Phanarath, Carpenter, CG, LN, Michiel Mans, H. Numan, ProFlandria, KGS, and others too numerous to mention, we now have the ability to get Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Flemish, German, and French translated into English very quickly.

The efficient use of these available resources allows us to push important stories into the Anglosphere that might otherwise go unnoticed.

3. Some Europeans rely on Gates of Vienna for a news digest.

Particularly in Sweden, where readers say the news is smothered by politically correct self-censorship, people look to Gates of Vienna, the Brussels Journal, and other news-collecting nodes for information about their own countries.

We also provide a convenient place for pan-European discussions. Because we’re not European ourselves, we don’t excite the intramural enmity that might otherwise occur.

Of course, people can always gang up on the United States in our comments. But, heck — that’s what we’re here for.

4. Europe is important.

Europe is on the front lines of the Great Jihad. What happens there in the next five to ten years will be crucial in the battle to preserve Western Civilization from the onslaught of Islam.

Generally speaking, more Europeans have woken up to the imminent danger that is facing them than have their American counterparts, who, due to the relatively small number of Muslims within our borders, are unaware of — or remain in denial about — the coming clash of civilizations.

In Europe the battle has already been joined.

- - - - - - - - -
In recent weeks I have been concentrating on Sweden because the Modoggie Affair, coming as it does on the heels of a series of immigration-related issues, may be precipitating the long-awaited Swedish crisis.

Fjordman has asserted that Britain is the most thoroughly Islamized and dhimmified of European countries, with Sweden running a close second. But he expects the major crisis to occur first in Sweden, whose economy is more vulnerable due to the hypertrophy of the welfare state. Combine this with the Swedish tradition of social consensus — in which dissent is kept quiet due to a commonly understood sense of propriety — and the crisis lurks just below the surface, unavoidable, but not particularly visible.

So all of this is why I keep the Gates of Vienna telescope on Europe.

Our turn will come, but Europe has the privilege of going first.

22 comments:

ziontruth said...

And I would add: Europe serves for the USA as the canary in the coal mine as far the Demographic and Legal branches of the Jihad are concerned. Many a writer on FrontPage Magazine has commented in the form, "Don't gloat; we may not be like Europe now, but we're getting there".

I outlined the four stages of Islamification in this year's 9/11 post. They are as follows:

1. Small numbers, sufficient only for forming interest groups and litigation forums (such as CAIR). Examples: the USA, Australia, Eastern Europe.

2. Large numbers, forming effective Islamic colonies, each a law unto itself. Examples: London, Brussels, Malmö.

3. A fully armed grouping, within or on the border or even both, forming a physical threat. Examples: Israel, Serbia, (Southern) Thailand, Ethiopia.

4. Islamic. Non-Muslim subjects face discrimination in court at best (Egypt, Malaysia), regular persecution in most cases (Pakistan), and at worst the threat of elimination (Iraq).

Alright, enough of my babbling on this blog, I gotta hit padded fabric.

Birkebeinr said...

A huge thank to Baron and Dymphna for their journalism.

And partially sober attitude.

Please disregard some of those crazy statements I posted on various topics before.

I have saved up some cash for the tip cup.

Si Vis Pacem Para Belum

Papa Whiskey said...

Baron B. -

As an American working on a book about Muslim demands and media deference in the era of jihad revival, I am extremely grateful to have had your coverage of the Modoggie affair. Keep up the fine work.

FluffResponse said...

The "Last Days of Europe," as Walter Laqueur puts it, is an essential story, and I come to GatesOfVienna to learn what's going on. (Perhaps it does not have to be the Last Days, and Europe will fight back.)

Thanks much to Baron Bodissey and Dymphna for their concern and insight.

Jason Pappas said...

Great coverage! Keep up the good work.

YoelB said...

OK, it looks bad, but if you don't search nuns, Um Jihad or somebody like her will dress up as a nun and hijack a plane.

Ibn Karandash said...

Keep up the coverage. You are the few who seem to be doing it. Even my Swedish expat neighbors are in some form of denial about their country.
As for me, I joined the cartoon counterjihad, and I am hoping to get either a restraining order or a fatwa. Anyway, I hope to be duly offensive on some level, since the riotous sons of Allah have a low threshold of offendability.

Demonio Pellegrino said...

You are absolutely spot on on point No. 4. Europe is at the forefront of the battle, if simply for geographical reasons. Too bad that the authorities in charge do not seem to realise this though. If this was a risiko game, I would say that we have already lost a couple of territories (Belgium, where I live, being the first one...)

Vol-in-Law said...

"Fjordman has asserted that Britain is the most thoroughly Islamized and dhimmified of European countries, with Sweden running a close second."

In the UK we don't have Islamic rape gangs operating openly the way they do in Sweden, though. Maybe this is just a cultural difference between North African and Pakistani Muslims, but my impression is that Muslim control of the streets is more advanced in Sweden (and elsewhere, eg parts of some French cities), whereas Britain's non-Muslim political class and authorities are the most dhimmified. Our government agencies such as the immigration service, police, and health service are heavily infiltrated.

So in Sweden and many European countries Islamic takeover is primarily bottom-up, starting with control of the streets and terrorising of the indigenous population. In the UK it is primarily top-down, with takeover of the 'commanding heights' of society first.

eatyourbeans said...

Keep on doing what you;'re doing. We owe everything, everything, to Europe.

As children of Western civilization, Europe's fight is ours too. When I picture, even though I don't want to, Chartres Cathedral going the way of St Sophia, I want to grab a gun.

X said...

Vol-in-law, try hanging around Bradford on a late friday after evening prayers. It doesn't make even the local news because it would offend, but it definitely happens.

ChrisLA said...

Baron Bodissey and Dymphna are on the right track, concentrating on Europe. Islamo-fascism is a world-wide threat, but few blogsites focus on Europe in English. Think of how quickly Hitler would have been shut down if the world had been able to follow his antics in real time.

Anonymous said...

I depend on your coverage of Europe, if Europe falls without a fight
the world is doomed.

Vol-in-Law said...

archonix - I take your point, things are going the way of France (etc) but it seems less advanced as yet.

the doctor said...

Baron , I must admit that it was some time until I realised that you were U.S. based , but pleased do not give up on your Euro-posts . I find that GoV gives the best overview of what is happening here in Britistan and Eurabia , you inform us of news tat the media will not touch ( out of fear ).

OregonGuy said...

Know why the Columbia River is like a fish? It has Finns on both sides.

This area has a high number of Finns, Norwegians, Swedes and Danes. While I don't identify as Danish-American, Great-grandpa John was Danish.

Lots of folks take annual visits back to Scandinavia. The roots here are deep. What happens there is important. And many neo-scandis don't have the language skills to read and write in their cousins' language.

Thanks for your work.

Zerosumgame said...

Baron & Dymphna:

There is no need to be the least bit apologetic or defensive about developing a European niche.

Given that such a website in Europe would almost certainly be shut down (and you jailed) for hate speech, It's all the more necessary that Americans host sites like this.

And I must say, the level of English proficiency of the Scandinavians amazes me.

carpenter said...

Oregon Guy:
Could it be that you're from Junction City?
I've heard of that annual "Scandinavian festival" over there..

kepiblanc said...

That Oregon fesetival reminds me of Rebild Festen which takes place every year on July 4.

nimbus said...

Baron and Dymphna, no need at all to defend the focus of your blog! You are providing crucial information which is difficult to get anywhere else. And yes, Eurabia is at the forefront. It needs to be watched very closely. I enjoy your blog immensely.

crebs said...

This blog could also be called "The Walls of Constantinople". Europe is akin to a modern day Byzantium - infiltrated to it's core. If it falls, Islam will assimilate another chunk of the planet. Islam delenda est.

AMDG said...

Of course, you are adding an exceptional value to the blogosphere by dealing with the collapse of Europe from a Northamerican point of view.