Sunday, October 22, 2006

America Alone - Comments

Have been reading America Alone by Mark Steyn and can say that the book is a "must read" for several reasons. I am one of the lone 173,000 folks who subscribe to the National Review. As stated earlier, I like actually holding newspapers, magazines, and books. Gives me a great feel of closeness to the writer and allows me to ponder from time to time the words on the printed page. Hardly a paragraph of the book goes by without having a note-worthy quotation in it:
This book is about the ...larger forces at play in the developed world that have left Europe too enfeebled to resist its remorseless transformation into Eurabis and that call into question the future of much of the rest of the world, including the United States, Canada, and beyond. The key factors are:
  • Demographic decline
  • The unsustainability of the advanced Western social-democratic state (read welfare state)
  • Civilization exhaustion (pp.xv-xvi)
To Americans, it doesn't always seem obvious that there's any connection between the "war on terror" and the so-called "pocketbook issues" of domestic politics. But there is a correlation between the structural weaknesses of the social-democratic state and the rise of globalized Islam. (p.xx) In their (the Left's) prioritization of "a woman's right to choose," feminists have helped ensure that European women will end their days in a culture that doesn't accord women the right to choose anything. Non-Muslim females in heavily Muslim neighborhoods in France now wear headscarves while out on the streets. (p. 16) It will be Russia's fate to have large chunks of its turf annexed by the Islamic world, and much of what's left fall to the Chinese. (p. 31)
Further, Steyn points out that Russia had 148 million people in 1992. It is projected that the Russian population will fall below 130 million by 2015... (p. 27) He even further posits that perhaps the US should negotiate to "buy" Siberia. Considering my view that the US and Russia should be closer allies, that does not appear to be possible just because Russia is in its death throes and its arsenal of nuclear weapons could easily transfer to entities who wish to do us ill. The world is in a geopolitical shift and the West or what remains of it, including some of the US politicians on the Left, need to realize that they won't want to be wearing headscarves, dethroned, and have to have a male relative accompany them out on their shopping jaunts. I read somewhere that many of the Saudi wealthy love to come to America because even the women can escape some of the restrictions placed upon them under Wahabbism. Perhaps, but what happens should the dream of the mullahs be realized and Islamification overcomes the United States? No shopping sprees then. While Muslims everywhere tend to identify themselves by their political/pseudo-religion as Muslims first, last, and always, my question is: once you've Islamicized the West, where will you go for fun? It is no accident that Islam stunts creativity and intellectual pursuit as well as relegating the individual to the will of the group/tribe. One more troubling thing about Russia, 70% of pregnancies are terminated and Russia has the fastest-growing rate of HIV infection in the world. (p. 28) Back to Europe for a moment. Instead of the colonial powers of yore pollenating the colonized lands with the ideals of equality among men, the once colonial powers are (largely due to "white guilt" and the sell-out through the EU and the UN) being colonized by their "former subjects" and the result will be devastating. One question for the aging Europeans who are quite happy with the welfare state they have created for themselves - how long do you think the Islamists will support you? As Steyn comments:
Europe, like Japan, has catastrophic birth rates and a swollen pampered elderly class determined to live in defiance of economic reality. But the difference is that on the Continent the successor population is already in place and the only question is how bloody the transfer of real estate will be. (p.32)
Euthanasia anyone? Remember, what you think is a good idea when you are young or middle-aged might not seem so promising when you are older and not ready to go quietly into that good night. What happens when the state (Islamic) decides that supporting you, old, worn out, and non-Muslim just isn't cost effective? Maybe Mark Steyn's book won't be a best-seller as the lady at the bookstore states but then maybe it should be. And kudos to whomever did the cover - a globe with the flag of the United States of America (to be politically correct now that being American is seen as hemispheric) over the US and the flag of Islam over the rest. Personally, I don't want America to be alone and I know the like-minded folks in Australia, Denmark, Italy, and most of the NATO nations as well as the, what I would call, newly freed states in the former Eastern European "block" don't want America to be alone. It's just how do we give the death-knell to "political correctness" (censorship) and stand up for our nations, our way of life, our children and grandchildren - and how do we do it now? And as I've said in other posts, I don't want to see Notre Dame become a mosque nor the gods and goddesses of Italy and Greece smashed to smithereens as were the Buddhists statues by the Taliban. So, will America be alone? I guess the citizens of the new "West" will decide that...

12 Comments:

Blogger KG said...

" It's just how do we give the death-knell to "political correctness" (censorship) and stand up for our nations, our way of life, our children and grandchildren - and how do we do it now?"
I think the ansewr to that is--we can't.
Not by any means currently at our disposal and within a timeframe that would outrun the rise of islam.
It's either bloody civil war in the West which will get rid of leftist fellow-travellers of islam (and much else besides, alas) or a rapid descent into dhimmitude.
Of the two, I'd prefer civil war and there seems to be a growing anger on both sides of politics that makes it more than a remote possibility.

3:35 PM  
Blogger Undercover Mother said...

You're forgetting a few things.

First, Notre Dame will never become a mosque because the militia will surrond it. One thing about America...we're armed. And we're crazy when we're messed with.

I know this sounds simplistic, and that a 12-gauge is pretty defenseless in the face of a dirty bomb, but on a house-to-house basis?

Sure, we could buy Siberia, but why, when we already have Minnesota??

4:00 PM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

Mom, thanks for dropping by. I meant Notre Dame in France. Yes, we'd surround it here. Good for our militias. France, well, it would be a shame.

KG, I think you are right. Sounds more like civil war in Europe everyday. And in those, it's not always the good guys who are all left standing. I wonder if the American Left's hatred of their own country and we the peasants who pay their salaries has clearly emboldened the Islamists. No doubt. I just don't know why the Leftists don't know that it is the ones here that they loath (to use a clinton word) who will protect them.

5:55 PM  
Blogger felix said...

Beachgirl,
Just bought the book. Hope it becomes a best seller and a point of discusion in the media.

9:10 PM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

Felix, hope you enjoy it. It was no.2 on Amazon this afternoon. Good for Mark.

10:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would just like to add to all the great comments here. There is a serious warning for we Americans too. Although we can see what is happening to Europe, we must not forget about the massive illegal alien problem we have here in the US.

While preferable to Muslims, an explosion of Mexican and South American immigrants into the US would eventually have dire consequences for us too.

I'm not as oppomistic as Mark Steyn is about America. I've looked at our demographics and believe we are actually at about 1.8 children per family instead of 2.1.

Simply put, we need 2 children per family -- one to replace mom and one to replace dad just to keep our population at what is now.

However, Mexican and other immigrants may have 3 or 5 children per family. If this continues, our government, laws, and everything else we now know as America today will be changed. The majority will rule in America. Whoever that majority becomes, their way of life and their beliefs will become the law of the land.

The question is: who will that be?

Thanks Beach Girl! Your g-r-e-a-t!

10:17 AM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

Just want to know if this it the same Anonymous who called me all those ugly names that I would not print?

Still reading Steyn's book. It is a must-read.

Maybe those red state folks will save us but they are accommodating to the Mexican invasion in their midst because our government simply will not enforce our immigration laws. Will post on this although most of my conservative buddies are sick of hearing it and the Liberals yawn 'cause it's just another voting block to them.

My disgust for the Libs cannot be put into words for polite society. On Steyn's optimism - we have to have something that motivates us to positive goals and ideals. Maybe him saying it will help make it so. I for one am so sick of "abortion-on-demand" that I could scream. What a terrible fraud perpetrated upon American women! Many of those with a conscience who have aborted (aka killed) their unborn babies are in counselling to get their heads back on straight.

I was asked a year or so ago to give a "talk" at our Sunday morning church service. Odd enough for a woman. The topic was abortion. I titled it "You are the miracle." Unbeknownst to me, a lady and her adopted-out daughter and her other daughters were in the church that day, along with the daughter's adoptive mom.

It was inspiring to here the lady speak of her choice to give her daughter up for adoption rather than "abort" her. There are many esoteric philosophies that talk about when Soul enters the body, hence when it is infanticide and when it is not. I simply cannot be bothered with that talk. A sperm and an egg are not uniting to form a redwood tree. Turns out that everytime, it is a human baby. I do like the bumper sticker that says, "Aren't you glad your mother didn't choose abortion?"

Give me a little help on where to find the demographics on America's population growth. Thanks. [I did a post recently about the population and the illegal immigration issue. Maybe back in September. Did several actually.]

10:35 AM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

Anon-that is Foreign born in American - 2000 through 2005. I'll guess that our birthrate that Steyn is using shows the Mexican-illegals with the greatest numbers.

I asked some black friends at a Republican Fundraising event why the blacks seemed be sitting out of the Mexican invasion thing. Their answer was that it is not their fight, it is the browning of America and the "white folks" will have to pay. I did point out that no Mexican illegal will or can sympathize with American-born blacks for throwing away the work of all the civil rights folks.

The Mexicans will just move in as they are doing to build their lives here - some at our expense, others not and the blacks will be moved aside. Except for localized areas, the ship of black victimology pushed by Jessie, and company has sailed and the black leadership is chanting dogma from the distant past while blacks see jobs lost and futures dashed. Was told or read that in New Orleans, 70-some local blacks were hired to do clean-up and start on construction. Then shortly after, they were fired so the company could hire the illegal Mexicans for much less money and still the blacks vote for the very people, the Dems, who are regulating any businesses we have left into the ground.

There is a book you may like to read. Can't recall the writer right now - book is Collision Course... It is a long-time study by a professor at Vanderbilt (sp) who spent his career studying the two bills of the 1960s and their impact on race and immigration - effects. The bills are the 1964 Civil Rights bill and the 1965 relaxation of immigration bill (designed to dilute the impact of the 1964 bill and well it has. Now, instead of getting rid of the "one drop of blood" thing that makes you "black", one drop of blood (non-white) makes you a minority. Go figure! One drop. A child born out of wedlock - mom white/dad black - is guess what? Black. I have asked, "Why isn't the child white?" Cause being white in America today is seen as a very bad stigma. Thanks government Liberal welfare.

One member of my family uses initials and last name on resumes because of the "stigmas" of being white and female. Hmmmm! So, our government has succeeded in making us ashamed of our heritage by rewarding non-white folks just by one drop of blood and punishing white achievers. Amazing but true. If I were a white-male in America I'd be ticked off. Even with my background, one company I worked for got "points" because I am a woman. Well-educated and competent too. I was so furious I did scream and chewed out a few folks.

Of course, the black ladies and the black men were worth more points on the "diversity" scale than I which really ticked me off for many reasons, not the least, they worked for me and I had worked very hard for my qualificatons BEFORE diversity was the rage and before universities got points for women. Like the famed Thomas Sowell said when chastized by his "betters" in the black community - he didn't get his degrees and background due to "affirmative action"/racism writ large. He got it all the old fashioned way - hard work and being better than most if not all at what he does. Go get 'em, Thomas.

11:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You can see the population demographics here:

http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/060829_nd.htm

Look at the future projections... what you will find is that in fact we are becoming a minority. Not us, but our grandchildren will be left to deal with the consequences of this.

Whites will have a meager 7% growth by 2050. While Hispanics will have a 188% growth etc.

Also, I prefer Walter Williams to Thomas Sowell. But, that's just me. Walter says it so well:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51843

Well, I feel as though I have worn out my welcome here. So this will be my last post here. Still like your writing though. You might even say, I kind of admire you.

Best Wishes.

2:17 PM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

I wish you wouldn't go away. You are welcome here but I can't make you stay. Thank you for your comments and for the suggested sites.

Drop back any time. Hope it wasn't something I said. I just get tired sometimes but I know we can't get tired; well, I know we do get tired but we can't give up.

3:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Finally, someone is getting America's attention, but I am afraid that many Americans would rather seek escape in amusement, as someone put it -- "amusing ourselves to death", than stand up and engage in the long fight to preserve the ideals of this great country.

As the French, for their love for Paris gave in to Nazi invasion, without a fight, Europe gave in without a fight to Islamic expansion, because it loved amusement too much to engage in the mental and physical struggle to preserve its values and keep the unchanging perilous presence of Islam out. The question is will America muster the tenacity to engage in this new struggle against the “third Jihad” to take the world for Islam?

In his book, Tribalizing America: The Emerging National Identity Crisis (highly recommend), Ifezue Okoli, a Nigerian Immigrant to the United States, asks, “is the emerging crisis in America’s identity a sign of inevitable coming of age—the shedding of “quaint modernist idealism”, for trendy postmodernist multiculturalism, as borne by the “vehicle” of political correctness “on the road to progress” or is that “vehicle speeding to the terminus of chaos?

11:54 AM  
Blogger Beach Girl said...

Anon, thank you for your comment. I find the comments here are especially good. I thank you for the book recommendation. I'll pass it on if I'm able to find it and read it first.

I have just posted part of my Apartheid in 21st Century America. I see that as even more profound than the so-called "balkanization".

Best regards, Beach

3:27 PM  

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