Victor Davis Hanson warns that America and Europe are experiencing different paths that affect their roles in Western civilization. While European elites resist American critiques, they face significant challenges that threaten their future. Hanson emphasizes that both continents must recognize their issues if they wish to reverse their decline.
1. Criticism and Resistance:
• European leaders are upset by American conservatives praising the foundations of Western civilization. They view these critiques, particularly of their social-welfare systems, as condescending.
2. Concerns About Europe's Decline:
• America worries that Europe is stagnating, as evidenced by its declining GDP share and falling fertility rates, which lead to an aging population.
• The immigrant population—predominantly non-assimilating individuals from Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds—challenges European integration.
3. Cultural and Religious Changes:
• There is growing hostility toward Christianity in Europe, with many people identifying as atheists or agnostics.
• European military capabilities have weakened, making it difficult for them to protect their interests.
4. Economic Strain:
• High taxes and a large welfare state lead to financial challenges, leaving Europe with fewer resources and many dependents.
5. Shared Challenges:
• America faces similar issues like open borders and declining birth rates, but unlike Europe, many Americans are mobilizing to counteract these trends.
• The author highlights ideologies that threaten both regions, including environmental extremism and diversity mandates, which create divisions instead of unity.
6. Self-Destructive Policies in Europe:
• European reliance on green policies, while neglecting their fossil fuel resources, has driven up energy costs and made their economy less competitive.
• China capitalizes on this by developing its coal and nuclear energy while exporting cheaper green technologies to the West.
7. NATO and U. S. Actions:
• If Europe fails to heed American warnings about its declining military capacity and social issues, America may reconsider its role in NATO and its support for European defenses.
• The dual nature of Europe's relations with America—between the anti-American European Union and NATO—is unsustainable.
8. Divergent Responses to Crisis:
• Europe is turning more socialist and globally focused, while America is pushing for smaller government and more localized values.
• This contrast in approaches may lead to the eventual success of only one of these approaches in addressing Western civilization's decline.
Hanson expresses hope that the solutions to these crises could eventually be adopted by both Europe and America. He highlights the urgent need for both regions to recognize their trajectories and take necessary actions to avoid further decline in Western civilization.
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