Sentinel
May 9, 2015
Laina Farhat-Holzman
As Europeans wring their hands over the arrival of desperate boat people swarming from an Africa that seems to be in death throes, Italy is being shamed into rescuing them. How can they not? How can anybody in Europe not be shamed to relive the last time they created refugees when Yugoslavia was in meltdown? Or before that, when Jews had to flee, or when that savior of refugees, America, turned away ships, sending Jews back to the Nazis who then murdered them?
But as a historian, I want to look further back. Europe has been peopled from the start by hordes fleeing ecological disasters, mostly from Central Asia. The Romans were forever holding off “Barbarians” until finally they could not. These fierce tribes overran Rome and settled in Europe in the 4th century, their leaders marrying into Roman nobility, converting into Rome's then religion, Christianity, along with their subjects.
They were rough, warlike, and savage, but they really wanted nothing more than to be new Romans. They certainly had no desire to replace Rome with their own cultures. As dark as the “Dark Ages” were, they never completely extinguished Rome. The Middle Ages ushered in the resurrection of Roman law, Roman values, and even Roman technologies, and thanks to pressure from the Muslim world, a complete revival of the ancient Greek and Roman learning that we call the Renaissance.
Huns invaded and became Hungarians, becoming European except for their language. Slavic tribes invaded, and they too became Christian, European, and settled in, alas, bringing with them hatred of each other (the unhappy history of the former Yugoslavia). But they were European.
Vikings were a barbaric group that overran northern Europe and gave much grief to the British, French, and Russians in the 8th century. They wound up as a ruling class of all three---but all three had cultures and languages that swallowed them up. The English made them British; French wives tamed the Normans; and the Vikings became the Romanovs. Viking culture didn't stand a chance.
So what of today's hordes descending upon Europe? The first wave is already there: Educated Muslims and Hindus from Pakistan and India as colonialism ended, elite Persians fleeing the Islamic Revolution, elite Afghans fleeing the Taliban, and elite Saudis and Gulf Arabs buying expensive property and educating their children in Europe. This wave mostly integrated and their children are European. We see their names as writers, actors, and university dons.
The second wave is something else. They are fleeing anarchy and chaos, civil wars and ecological disasters. Some are worthy of refuge, but others are not. When a boatload of Muslim men who reached Italian shores had thrown overboard fellow Christians, they were jailed. Such people cannot become Europeans! Others are eager Jihadis. Europe must make some harsh choices if it is not to founder. Sympathy must not become suicide. Africa's death must not become Europe's.
o Europe cannot take all these people in. It must do serious triage. It must ban militant Muslims, who cannot be assimilated. But they must admit Christian (Syrian, Egyptian, and Lebanese) families who will otherwise be murdered in the Middle East. These people can become European.
o The rest must be sent to Libya to refugee camps like those that housed the Palestinians 60 years ago. To avoid carnage, they must be separated: Syrians, Ethiopians, Somalis, Chadians, with the hope that these people can be repatriated after their national emergencies are eventually resolved. In the interim, they need to be fed, cared for, and their children educated and prepared for gainful employment. The money must come from Europe---the EU, which should be glad to pay it rather than have to pay for such settlement in their own countries!
o Those now living in European countries must be given immersion courses in the language, values, and cultural behaviors of their new countries. There must not be any acceptance of multiculturalism if Europe is to survive.
This invasion, if not handled right, could have disastrous consequences for the survival of 2,000 years of European civilization.
675 words
Dr. Laina Farhat-Holzman is a historian, lecturer, and author of God's Law or Man's Law. You may contact her at Lfarhat102@aol.com or www.globalthink.net.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Cher Colonel Landis;
by Andrew Targowski
How do you know what I think? I did not write that I do not believe in ET intelligence’s existence. Vice versa I wrote implicitly that I do believe it does.
The decline of Western civilization as we know today does not mean that it will evaporate. I argued that it has been transforming into Global civilization. Is something wrong with that transformation? There are plenty of transformed civilizations. What about Classic civilization which had transformed into Western civilization, which applies Greek philosophy and art as well as Roman’s law and engineering today?
Yes Cher Colonel, the well-being of working labor “hunts me.” I would not like to live in labor-less economy. The role of the Internet in the transformation of civilization one can compare to the role of printed book invented 500+ years ago. The latter opened the époque of modernity, scientific knowledge, and advanced technology, which changed the civilization impressively. Yes, you are right. Many powerful practices of capital (like Robber Barons who however used capital for the sake of their own country) functioned before the Internet but its service today accelerated the role of stateless capital dramatically, and beyond our imagination. There are plenty of examples. Most important one is that we have democracy without feedback today (like Pacific Treaty Partnership, done by few for few).
No, Western civilization did not took “its élan during the Italian Renaissance.” It happened about 600 years sooner. But the developmental process of Western civilization was slow without printed books and the Internet.
You asked me to expand the notion how Western civilization was swallowed by Global civilization? I told you already, please read my book on Global civilization in the 21st century (2014), and coming book on Western civilization in the 21st century (May 2015).
With respect
Andrew Targowski
DEAR DOCTOR TARGOWSKI
by Ben Landis
Welcome to the discussion. I apologize for not replying more promptly, but I was between continents.
I would like to put to rest the issue of whether there are or are not other intelligent beings in the universe. Professor Targowski believes that there are none. I believe that there is a probability (I can’t say that it is low, medium, or high.) that there are other intelligent beings in the universe. Professor Targowski cannot prove that there are none. I cannot prove that there are. There are no grounds on which to discuss this issue. Therefore, let’s agree to disagree and move on to matters more directly concerning earthly civilization.
Professor Targowski’s paragraph beginning, “The Colonel does not like my line…” His line was that the progress of civilized man has reached its climax because of the Internet. He now states that, “In my view the Internet” (1) leads to strong globalization. Globalization , however one wishes to define it, was well on its way before the arrival of the Internet. I refer the curious to Dr. A.J. Toynbee, who articulated this phenomenon in the 1940’s at which time it was already moving forward. (2) “leads to the decline of Western civilization due to minimalization of the middle class (through outsourcing)…” First, Western civilization existed well before the development of a middle class. Other civilizations have prospered with no middle classes throughout their existence. Civilization per se does not depend upon the middle class. The Internet did not create the economic activity of “outsourcing”. Outsourcing as a means of maintaining the viability of a commercial enterprise began well before the Internet. (3) “replacing Christian values by business values…” Again, Professor Targowski places the blame on the Internet. If Christian values have been replaced by business values it occurred a long time before the Internet. Did the so-called “robber barons” who made fortunes during the industrialization of the United States economy in the last half of the XIXth Century operate their businesses on Christian, rather than business, values more than their modern equivalents? The ghosts of the American labor movement may come to haunt you, professor. (4) “growth of global stateless corporations…” The Internet is not to blame. This type of business enterprise well predates the Internet. (5) “unsustainable growth of production by cheap labor and mass volume of resources…” The professor perceives an unsustainability of mass production that I cannot see. In fact, production of all kinds will inevitably increase in order to meet the demands of the developing and emerging peoples. I do not understand the reference to “mass volume of resources” in conjunction with “unsustainability of mass production”. Again, how is the Internet to be blamed for this? (6) “glory of super consumerism…” Again the fault of the Internet. If one looks at just the United States, the degree of consumerism as reflected in the part of the GDP created by consumerism (consumption), one finds that the percentage has not materially changed since the 1960’s, at least. (7) “population growth…” Caused by the Internet? I ask for enlightenment, please. (8) “…ignition of the ecological bomb, depletion of strategic reserves, vulgarization of culture…” Again, the fault of the Internet per Professor Targowski.
Professor Targowski does concede that his claim that the use of mobile phones contracts the brain will not be able to be proved or disproved for “a few centuries”. In my previous posting I understood Professor’ Targowski’s statement that “[the downplaying of social groups] is expressed by the detachment of politicians from the service of voters right after election…” meant 100% of politicians I was wrong. I therefore do not assume that the Professor means that 100% of mobile phone users will suffer a contraction of their cerebral power.
I am sure that the Professor knows that civilization (singular or plural) was the creation of a minority, a small minority, of the subsequently civilized population. For example, if we assume that Western Civilization took its élan during the Italian Renaissance, only a very small percentage of the population was literate. The same was even truer for earlier civilizations. An élite (called a Creative Minority by Dr. Toynbee) created, developed , and sustained civilization. The great mass of the population (Internal Proletariat per Dr. Toynbee) followed the lead of the Creative Minority. That has been the case in all known civilizations. The mass of the “civilized” population is in, but not of, the civilization. Therefore, the possible contraction of the cerebral power of the mass of the population is of little consequence to the continuance of civilization, since there will always be an élite whose use of mobile phones is not sufficient to reduce its brain power. There are, nonetheless, two problems staring us in the face. (1) In all previous civilizations the Creative Minority has transformed itself into a Dominant Minority, thus creating a schism with the mass of the population and, consequently, dooming the civilization. Is Western Civilization tending toward that point? (2) One of the determining characteristics of contemporary Western Civilization is Democracy. The question is, How do we maintain this Democracy characteristic, not in the face of a possible future deterioration of Western Civilization’s population’s mental capacities, but in the face of the separation of the mass of the population from its leaders and of a belief in the democratic form of government? Are Western Civilizations going to become Plutocracies governed by a Dominant Minority?
Professor Targowski, in opposition to all the facts, maintains that the world is not being Westernized, but that Western Civilization is being “swallowed by Global Civilization”. This blog is already too long to discuss this issue. I ask Professor Targowski to take the time to write an article for the ISCSC Newsletter or for the CCR or another blog post to describe how this Global Civilization he proclaims is other than the westernization of the world’s other civilizations and to describe the salient features of this Global Civilization, particularly those that do not emanate from Western Civilization..
I encourage readers of these blog posts to join in the discussion. Let’s talk!
Welcome to the discussion. I apologize for not replying more promptly, but I was between continents.
I would like to put to rest the issue of whether there are or are not other intelligent beings in the universe. Professor Targowski believes that there are none. I believe that there is a probability (I can’t say that it is low, medium, or high.) that there are other intelligent beings in the universe. Professor Targowski cannot prove that there are none. I cannot prove that there are. There are no grounds on which to discuss this issue. Therefore, let’s agree to disagree and move on to matters more directly concerning earthly civilization.
Professor Targowski’s paragraph beginning, “The Colonel does not like my line…” His line was that the progress of civilized man has reached its climax because of the Internet. He now states that, “In my view the Internet” (1) leads to strong globalization. Globalization , however one wishes to define it, was well on its way before the arrival of the Internet. I refer the curious to Dr. A.J. Toynbee, who articulated this phenomenon in the 1940’s at which time it was already moving forward. (2) “leads to the decline of Western civilization due to minimalization of the middle class (through outsourcing)…” First, Western civilization existed well before the development of a middle class. Other civilizations have prospered with no middle classes throughout their existence. Civilization per se does not depend upon the middle class. The Internet did not create the economic activity of “outsourcing”. Outsourcing as a means of maintaining the viability of a commercial enterprise began well before the Internet. (3) “replacing Christian values by business values…” Again, Professor Targowski places the blame on the Internet. If Christian values have been replaced by business values it occurred a long time before the Internet. Did the so-called “robber barons” who made fortunes during the industrialization of the United States economy in the last half of the XIXth Century operate their businesses on Christian, rather than business, values more than their modern equivalents? The ghosts of the American labor movement may come to haunt you, professor. (4) “growth of global stateless corporations…” The Internet is not to blame. This type of business enterprise well predates the Internet. (5) “unsustainable growth of production by cheap labor and mass volume of resources…” The professor perceives an unsustainability of mass production that I cannot see. In fact, production of all kinds will inevitably increase in order to meet the demands of the developing and emerging peoples. I do not understand the reference to “mass volume of resources” in conjunction with “unsustainability of mass production”. Again, how is the Internet to be blamed for this? (6) “glory of super consumerism…” Again the fault of the Internet. If one looks at just the United States, the degree of consumerism as reflected in the part of the GDP created by consumerism (consumption), one finds that the percentage has not materially changed since the 1960’s, at least. (7) “population growth…” Caused by the Internet? I ask for enlightenment, please. (8) “…ignition of the ecological bomb, depletion of strategic reserves, vulgarization of culture…” Again, the fault of the Internet per Professor Targowski.
Professor Targowski does concede that his claim that the use of mobile phones contracts the brain will not be able to be proved or disproved for “a few centuries”. In my previous posting I understood Professor’ Targowski’s statement that “[the downplaying of social groups] is expressed by the detachment of politicians from the service of voters right after election…” meant 100% of politicians I was wrong. I therefore do not assume that the Professor means that 100% of mobile phone users will suffer a contraction of their cerebral power.
I am sure that the Professor knows that civilization (singular or plural) was the creation of a minority, a small minority, of the subsequently civilized population. For example, if we assume that Western Civilization took its élan during the Italian Renaissance, only a very small percentage of the population was literate. The same was even truer for earlier civilizations. An élite (called a Creative Minority by Dr. Toynbee) created, developed , and sustained civilization. The great mass of the population (Internal Proletariat per Dr. Toynbee) followed the lead of the Creative Minority. That has been the case in all known civilizations. The mass of the “civilized” population is in, but not of, the civilization. Therefore, the possible contraction of the cerebral power of the mass of the population is of little consequence to the continuance of civilization, since there will always be an élite whose use of mobile phones is not sufficient to reduce its brain power. There are, nonetheless, two problems staring us in the face. (1) In all previous civilizations the Creative Minority has transformed itself into a Dominant Minority, thus creating a schism with the mass of the population and, consequently, dooming the civilization. Is Western Civilization tending toward that point? (2) One of the determining characteristics of contemporary Western Civilization is Democracy. The question is, How do we maintain this Democracy characteristic, not in the face of a possible future deterioration of Western Civilization’s population’s mental capacities, but in the face of the separation of the mass of the population from its leaders and of a belief in the democratic form of government? Are Western Civilizations going to become Plutocracies governed by a Dominant Minority?
Professor Targowski, in opposition to all the facts, maintains that the world is not being Westernized, but that Western Civilization is being “swallowed by Global Civilization”. This blog is already too long to discuss this issue. I ask Professor Targowski to take the time to write an article for the ISCSC Newsletter or for the CCR or another blog post to describe how this Global Civilization he proclaims is other than the westernization of the world’s other civilizations and to describe the salient features of this Global Civilization, particularly those that do not emanate from Western Civilization..
I encourage readers of these blog posts to join in the discussion. Let’s talk!
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