July 23, 2004
LET US DIE IN PEACE:
'Fortress Europe' keeps doors barred: But resisting immigrants has a price (Katrin Bennhold, July 23, 2004, IHT International Herald Tribune)
A complex mix of high unemployment, post-Sept. 11 security concerns and a long and sometimes bitter colonial history in many West European countries has fed a reluctance among European citizens to embrace foreigners. In stark contrast, immigrant countries like the United States, though they have tightened their borders since the 2001 terror attacks, have historically integrated foreigners into the work force more rapidly.Even setting aside arguments of moral responsibility and cultural diversity, economists say, this recalcitrance deprives Europe of human capital that could translate into more economic growth and productivity.
Claude Bébéar, chairman of the supervisory board at the French insurer AXA and head of a government-commissioned study of equality of opportunity in the French labor market, sees a twofold challenge: Europe needs more people to work and pay taxes; it also needs to hold down the average age of the working population, which tends to be linked to the innovative capacity of an economy.
"If Europe wants to keep its place in the world it needs a younger population, and that means more immigration," Bébéar said in a interview by telephone.
But the point is that it doesn't. Some of the leaders may but the people appear perfectly content to die alone with no issue and take what little is left of their cultures with them. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 23, 2004 10:26 AM
Oh, there will still be a culture in Europe even if they die alone with no issue:
The culture of the burqa, the harem, the honor killing, the blood feud, raid-and-pillage, and ALLAH-U AKBAR!
Posted by: Ken at July 23, 2004 12:33 PMBy then Islam will likely have been Reformed into something not unlike European culture in the 1600s.
Posted by: oj at July 23, 2004 1:00 PMMr. Judd;
Here's a couple of relevant articles for you:
80% of German women prefer being single.
Posted by: Annoying Old Guy at July 23, 2004 1:49 PMWhat a stunning TV public-service-announcement this would make to their new college graduates:
"Stay in Europe and pay high taxes to support retirees."
Hard to see the attraction of that, compared to a PSA from the US: "Come to the USA, work as hard as you want, and get stinking rich."
"More than 80 percent of single German women are perfectly happy"
So 80% of single women like being single. Maybe 80% of married women like being married. Who knows. In any event next time do be a little more careful.
Cheers
Posted by: Ben at July 25, 2004 7:52 AM