Decline and Fall: Europe's Slow Motion Suicide (ISBN 1594032068)

Europe has a problem, but it's not Marxism:
This book is worth reading because it provides a profound analysis of Europe's capacity to grow and to play on the global political and economic stage. The author gets it right on many key issues, with the notable exception of its judgment of Marxism. (Hence only 4 stars.) Forget going-down-the drain image on the cover, which Mr. Thornton himself does not feel comfortable. As an economist, I advise readers not to treat this book as a prophecy of Europe's economic future. Largely ignoring the fact Europe is a complex entity with a vibrant business sector that's exposed to the competitive global markets, the prediction of a permanent economic decline in absolute terms is most likely to be proven wrong. I believe Europe is destined to slowly lose its relative political and economic power while maintaining a comfortable, if increasingly anxiety-filled, standard of living. That said, Mr. Thornton's central point is correct: the modern European civilization is intellectually and morally bankrupt. Post-war Europe has not found a unifying belief and transcendent value to fill the void left by an abandoned Christianity. Secular humanism offers an illusionary "EUtopia" in complete contrast to what made the West great. By committing to cultural relativism, social welfare entitlement, anti-religion, and anti-Americanism, the continent is committing a "slow motion" suicide. Economically, Europe is destined to increasing irrelevance because of its demographic crisis, social welfare system, and ethnic tensions associated with immigration. Written largely for an American audience, Mr. Thornton's book is a frontal attack on the romantic notion that Europe represents a progressive future that all advanced nations should emulate. The liberal left, such as Jeremy Rifkin, have argued that the American Dream of individualism, cultural exceptionalism, materialistic growth, private property rights and political realism toward the rivals of the West should be replaced by an European Dream of collectivism, cultural relativism, "sustainable" development, leisure, "rights of nature," and political appeasement. As an expert in classics and humanities, Thornton makes a powerful case that this European vision is rooted in the bankrupt Enlightenment Romanticism and the socialist dream of human perfectibility. The European dolce vita lifestyle is not a more humane and fulfilling way to live compared to workaholic, money-grubbing Americans. Without a higher purpose, the ultimate future for Europe could be H.G. Wells's Eloi, a delicate, youthful, vegetarian species that seems to live in a paradise but actually represents the retrogression of the human race. A staunch defender of religion, Mr. Thornton could have made a stronger case about the central human paradox: first, maximum human happiness and minimum pain are what we want, but we must transcend our own well-being; second, given human nature, our transcendence must be achieved through none other than pursuing our self-interests. In critiquing communist socialism that underpin the European social welfare system, he falls into the common trap of discrediting Marx's theory based on how much misery and how many deaths that the communists have caused. One could easily use his criterion to argue against his beloved Christianity. Furthermore, he seems to contradict himself by advocating religion on one hand, and discrediting Marxism as a mere pseudo religion on the other. In fact, there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. As Thornton correctly pointed out, Marx's philosophical thought bears a deep imprint of Christianity, while the failure of USSR and other socialist countries is rooted in the Romantic notion of human perfectibility and the superiority of central planning over markets. Marx's idea that History is progressive, that it is up to us to find its direction, that we can make a difference in this universe is as powerful and attractive as ever. The failure of Marxism is the unfortunate result of its inability to adapt to changing economic, social, and cultural realities that falsified many of its precepts (ruthless persecution of the first "deviationist" to maintain Marxism's purity actually killed it), while the Christian theology managed to evolve (certainly beyond The Old Testament), discarding unworkable ideas such as the Utopian commune and adapting to new social environments. As Marx reacted to the French "Marxists" of the late 1870s, "All I know is that I am not a Marxist." Due to its unique experience of suffering greatly in God's hand for centuries, many European people remain wary of organized religion and lofty ideologies. Rightly so. But it is also a mistake to discard higher purpose altogether. Like Thornton, I am pessimistic about Europe's future, but hold out hope that somehow it will respond to various geopolitical, demographic, economic and social pressures and rediscover its spiritual roots.

A brilliant and timely work:
This is an excellent antidote for those delusional Americans that somehow maintain the illusion that the solutions for our country's woes (real or imagined) is for America to become "more like Europe." As Dr. Thornton points out, with fact after fact, is that it is of course exactly the opposite. This book is an excellent companion to Mark Steyn's "America Alone" and Bruce Bawer's "While Europe Slept."

Detailed, packed with info and quotes. Highly recommended!:
This awesome book is very informative, packed with quotes, details and info you can't find any where else. But the grim future of EUtopia (It's also where Liberals in Canada and US would like us to follow) is making me scared. According to stats, by 2025 France will be a majority Islamic country. Russian army will be a majority Muslim army by 2020. These are scary, not because radical Muslims are scary, but because this change is being forced upon the rotten continent of Europe so fast that it can not keep pace. And as it is clear, the Eurabians have two option: 1- Submit to the will of Allah and become Muslims at once, 2- Start a civil war again and run concentration camps (That's where Eurabians are best at). These two options scare the hell out of me and makes me very sad. At any rate, this book is an eye opener for the naive Westerners in Canada, UK, US and western EU countries. Europe is a mess and hopefully it won't need America to save it again. As for this book I highly recommend this book.

Terror really does work - in Europe.:
Civilizations that are running out of people inevitably must import others to keep their economic machines running and growing. America was built on just such a principle, with Latin America the current chief source of new population. America assimilates. Americans may proudly declare their ancestral origin, but almost all live the American life, speak English, and eschew violent creeds from their country of origin. It is expected of them. Americans do not live in fear of the Mexican immigrants within their midst. The European intellectual elite(!) know better. They believe that if they follow the dictates of Arabia they will get an assured supply of oil and immunity from terrorism. Hence the influx of millions of Muslims, most with no intention of assimilating. Europe has welcomed its own "enemy within". The member states of that other European chimera - the European Union - have surrendered to this same elite the power to dictate how every country should behave: Avoid offending the newcomers at any cost. This would work well if it were reciprocated, but it isn't. Hence Europeans obsequiously remove piggy banks from the lobbies of banks and silence the church bells of Rome; and in exchange, any criticism of Islam is met with riots, murders and terrorism. Mr. Brewer convincingly and disturbingly argues that Europe is dying, while the rest of the world looks on in horror.

A Fabulous, Concise read of how the world is changing:
This book is possibly the best concise book on the subject of the major coming changes in the 21st Century. Much of what we imagined in the future is already in serious question, and this book concisely explains how the West is in serious trouble. Bruce Thorton explains that the future of Europe is likely to be something like H.G. Well's The Time Machine, albeit in a much more imminent and realistic way. Many books on terrorism and Islam deal with the idea that radical Islam is the problem and that if radical Islam is defeated, things will be great and get back to "normal". What the book shows is that we have created a "normal" that is out of touch with long-term reality. This Book explains that when traditional religion waned (in terms of its cultural influence) in Europe, many religion substitutes arose to attempt to fill the vacumn. Two of the current ones are Post-Marxist multiculturalism and romantic enviornmentalism (Western Culture is the scourge of the earth and non-western cultures are oppressed by it). These two ideas are progressively and greatly enfeebling the West. At the same time, Islam is being fueled by these Western trends to become increasingly conquest-focused, because it looks increasingly good compared to the West, and its atonishing cowardice and self-betrayal. This book is a superb summation of -- While Europe Slept-- ,-- Londonistan--, and America Alone. Get it and check it out.