Fraters Libertas

Another Reason To Fight 'Em Over There

It's much easier. As Charlemagne explains in the November 27th issue of The Economist:

The demographic picture in particular places is admittedly more dramatic. The Muslim population of France is now nearly 10% of the total. And it is officially projected that the three largest Dutch cities will have 50% non-western populations (most of them Muslim) by 2020. Yet even these figures need not be alarming, if Muslim populations assimilate easily. It is here that traditional liberal attitudes are undergoing a re-think. For Mohammed B, the murderer of Theo Van Gogh, was not a marginalised or oppressed figure. He spoke excellent Dutch and was studying for a diploma. It looks increasingly apparent that--as with the 9/11 hijackers--the problem is not lack of integration or opportunity, but a vicious ideology.

Depending on the numbers of people gripped by this ideology, that conclusion could be re-assuring or worrying. The Dutch secret service reckons there are only about 150 Islamic radicals on the fringes of terrorism in the country. This suggests the problem could ultimately be treated as a law-enforcement issue, as with the Baader-Meinhof gang that terrorised Germany in the 1970s. But Mr Wilders quotes Dutch academics who estimate that around 10-15% of the Dutch population of 1m Muslims sympathise with jihadist ideology. He says that the 150 suspected terrorists should be deported or imprisoned immediately. But he also demands a similar fate for those Dutch citizens who endorse jihadist ideology, whether in print, in a sermon or in an internet chat-room. Mainstream Dutch politicians still recoil from such measures, believing them to be incompatible with traditional freedoms, and likely to radicalise Dutch Muslims further. Launching a war on terrorism is one thing; a civil war on terrorism is altogether more daunting.

The problems that the Netherlands and other countries in Western Europe are having with immigration and assimilation should be an eye opener for the United States. And with Republican control of the presidency, the Senate, and the House, you would think that immigration reform would be a critical issue that the GOP could push ahead with.

But you would be wrong. You see Republicans are told not to talk about immigration. We don't want to offend our Hispanic friends you know. Their votes helped elect President Bush and will be crucial in forging a lasting Republican majority. And we need those immigrants to keep the economy moving (just ask the Wall Street Journal).

If you ever wonder why people are cynical about politics, consider the way that the two major parties gingerly step around issues that many Americans would like to see addressed. Immigration has become the new "third rail" of American politics, but it's not the only one that Democrats and Republicans prefer to avoid:

-Social Security: Bush deserves credit for being willing to at least talk about some form of limited privatization of Social Security as part of his "ownership society" platform. But too many Republicans are afraid to be out front on the need for changes in the system. It will be interesting to see if GW can pull his party along for what promises to be a bumpy ride on this one. As for the Democrats, the only time most of them even mention Social Security is when they're trying to scare old people right before an election. Problem? What problem?

-Medicare: Same ticking demographic time bomb as Social Security, maybe even worse. Other than throwing more money at seniors through the prescription drug entitlement, hardly anyone from either party wants to recognize the fact that Medicare is a train wreck waiting to happen. Means testing anyone? Limiting benefits? Hello? Anyone out there?

-Farm subsidies: For years we've heard that we need to start weaning farmers off their government subsidies. Yet year after year the Congress passes, and the president signs, bloated farm bill after bloated farm bill. Most Republicans like to portray themselves as "free traders" and proponents of economic liberty, yet they don't bat an eye as the continue to fund one of the most egregious examples of governmental interference in free markets. Democrats meanwhile, love to buy votes and as far as they're considered the bigger the farm bill, the better.

-School reform: Some Republicans have attempted to get behind real school reform, but the majority continue to pander to the educational lobby and pump more and more money into the failing educational system. It grates me to hear Republicans (like President Bush) boasting about how much they've increased spending on education. You've got a car whose engine doesn't work, has four flat tires, a dead battery, and you're bragging 'cause you just filled up the gas tank again?!? Guess what? It still ain't goin' anywhere. Again, Democrats love to repay their core constituencies.

So far the GOP has been lucky in that the Democrats are beholden to interest groups on most of these issues and have so far chosen to maintain the status quo on them. But that can't last forever.

The one issue that Republicans are probably the most vulnerable on is immigration. I would guess that if someone were to come up with a sound, comprehensive plan to dramatically curtail illegal immigration, reduce the number of illegal immigrants already in the country, and cut back on legal immigration, it would be supported by over 60% of Americans.

If the Republicans choose to continue to whistle past the graveyard and ignore the growing public call for action on immigration, they will pay a political price. Voters may be cynical, but they're not stupid.

Meanwhile in Germany, politicians are looking at the results of the U.S. election (among others things) and wondering if, as another article from The Economist puts it, "It's values, Dummkopf!":

Politics aside, there may be something deeper at work. Germany has always boasted a peculiar mix of liberal and conservative values. Particularly since unification, it has--by American standards--been quite a secular country, though less so than other west European countries. Only a third of Germans deem it "necessary to believe in God to be moral". Institutions such as family, marriage and the nation resonate less among younger Germans. At the same time, most Germans have looked to government to protect the environment and guarantee a social balance. However, this mix seems to be changing--and becoming more "American". People are less inclined to see government as the solution to most problems, and traditional values and concepts are coming back, says Paul Nolte, the author of an influential book on the "metaphysics" of economic reform.

Germany becoming more "American?" Hmmm...Amazing what the threat of home grown Islamic terrorism, a stagnant economy, and a culture fraying at the seams will do to your attitudes.