There are a few things that the West can do. One is to follow the Latin motto “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” or “If you want peace, prepare for war.” This certainly applies to the Benelux, Germany, and Sweden, whose armed forces have been severely weakened over the past three decades.
While short-term adjustments in spending can boost government efficiency and eliminate wasteful programs, a permanent solution to economic stagnation and unending budget deficits must focus on the ideological core of the welfare state.
The near-total elimination of independent media has emboldened the pro-Beijing press to be even more aggressive in hounding the regime’s critics. Next week, on May 3rd, we will mark World Press Freedom Day. Let’s ensure it means something.
Following these elections, the horizon of French political life appears very dark. The next deadline is in about a month and a half with the legislative elections. President Macron is almost certain to win a majority, if not an absolute majority. From then on, he will have no counter-power—for five long years.
Matt Hancock’s performance as Britain’s Health Secretary exhibited all the wisdom of a man trying to prevent a burglary by welding the cat flap shut, but leaving the front door open.
In Western Europe, meanwhile, our globalized, post-national era of peace and prosperity has wrought decadence and complacency. It has erased from the national consciousness the blood and tears needed to get independence and to keep it.
Is it any wonder that union membership is in terminal decline, when those in charge stay silent on the stated will of the majority of members—or, in the case of major issues such as Brexit or free speech, directly oppose that majority?
The assertiveness and coordination of the riots convey a simple yet brutal message: the Islamist movement in Sweden is not going to tolerate the country’s free-speech laws anymore, and it will use whatever means necessary to achieve its goal.
Liberal democracy is centered around the idea that a majority vote in parliament should have unrestricted jurisdiction to change society as the majority sees fit. By contrast, Hungary and America have constitutions that protect the country against runaway majorities.
His underwhelming flop among the general electorate notwithstanding, the right-wing candidate has exposed a deep fracture within France’s Jewish community that may reappear in future races.
Marine Le Pen was playing a very long game in the debate, and immense pressure must have weighed on her shoulders. Not only did she have to wash away the affront from 2017, but she also had to remain focused on the one and only goal worth mentioning: to win the second round on Sunday, April 24th.
After a car accident involving two drunken bodyguards of the Austrian chancellor, suspicions of structural abuse of bodyguards by high-ranking politicians harden. An anonymous letter reveals abusive structures, the opposition inquires.
