Is Europe doomed?

[revots33]

I consider myself politically liberal but recently decided to read the book "America Alone" by Steyn because I thought it looked interesting.

Steyn paints a very bleak picture of the future of the European continent. His basic thesis is that Europe will be a Muslim continent before too long. This is based primarily on demographics... native Europeans are not having nearly enough children to replace their populations (some like Spain and Italy are basically halving their populations with each generation), while Muslim immigrants are arriving in great numbers and having many children. He also points out the impossibility of sustaining the social welfare programs Europeans love without children to pay taxes and fund all this cradle-to-the-grave security. In other words, he thinks Europeans are so complacent that they have no interest in doing anything to avert the looming economic/social catastrophe.

Anyway, I'm no expert in this but it certainly made me depressed for the future of Europe and the western world. Then I hear about Muslim riots in Paris and Muslim violence in Malmo and it seems like the fall of Europe is already happening.

Be interested to hear thoughts from anyone else who's read the book or from Europeans who see the problems first-hand.

[iron81]

I haven't read the book, but I think I see a flaw in the Author's logic:

[ QUOTE ]
Muslim immigrants are arriving in great numbers and having many children. He also points out the impossibility of sustaining the social welfare programs Europeans love without children to pay taxes and fund all this cradle-to-the-grave security.

[/ QUOTE ]

[revots33]

I probably didn't do a very good job of presenting the author's argument. I think he was using the social welfare programs more as an example of Europe's "let the government do everything for me", complacent mentality. This type of complacency is why they ignore the even more pressing demographic time bomb - they are too busy living it up on the gov't dime to bother with things like having kids.

Again, I'm sure someone else who read the book (if anyone did) could sum it up better than I.

While the book had a smartass tone, I felt the statistics he presented were quite compelling.

[Jamougha]

[ QUOTE ]
]I think he was using the social welfare programs more as an example of Europe's "let the government do everything for me", complacent mentality.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this is a badly thought-out comment. At least, I hope it is.

[ QUOTE ]
This type of complacency is why they ignore the even more pressing demographic time bomb - they are too busy living it up on the gov't dime to bother with things like having kids.

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason people are not having as many children is that many women have entered the workplace and are unwilling to give up work for family. One of the few places without an imploding population is Denmark, where they have long maternity leave and universal, free day-care for children.

[slickpoppa]

The problem I have with this book is not its observations about demographics and welfare states, but its implicit conclusion that the US should unabashedly spread its system a la the War in Iraq.

I love how conservative decry the unintended consequences of government intervention at home, but think those rules go out the window with respect to foreign policy.

[DVO]

[ QUOTE ]
The problem I have with this book is not its observations about demographics and welfare states, but its implicit conclusion that the US should unabashedly spread its system a la the War in Iraq.

[/ QUOTE ]

Steyn says no such thing.

BTW he does use a picturesque phrase to describe what is happening in Europe:

"Hollowed out from within."

[TomCollins]

In the future, when there are no more white people, who will the problems of the world be blamed on? The asians better watch out.