Almost always (Libya, Syria, Kosovo, and Iraq), regime change by "foreign agents" results in disaster for not only those involved directly, but also for the world. The "internal coup" in Turkey was poorly planned and it too will have repercussions globally. But are all internal coups against democratic but repressive regimes immoral as Angela Merkel, Obama, and NATO claim? Not so fast.
In 1938, Hitler was the leader of Germany. There was grave concern with many in the German military over the course he was taking them. Hitler was planning to invade Czechoslovakia against the wishes of the military. This would have forced Britain and France to come to the aid of Czechoslovakia, a war which the officers knew Germany was not ready for yet. So the generals planned a coup, called Operation Green, that was to seize and arrest Hitler and his "SS police" immediately upon his orders to invade. But then came the Munich "diktat", where Britain and the allies without representatives from Czech signed over the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany. This appeasement rendered the coup irrelevant and it was cancelled. Shortly after, Czechoslovakia was split and Hitler controlled both without a fight. The rest is history. No one knows for sure how this coup would have turned out, but very few would have questioned the merits of "bypassing the democratic process" in this case.
I'll yield to others to debate the specific details of last weeks coup in Turkey but my focus is on the response of Recep Erdogan and the aftermath of his "people revolution" in Turkey. For too long NATO and the western allies, particularly Angela Merkel, have tolerated the increasing bizarre and brazen behavior of Erdogan and withered to his every demand. One cannot feed a tyrant candy and expect roses in return. Today we are witnessing the blowback to this weakness and naivety.
The scenes are chilling and ISIS-like in Turkey. President Erdogan is a paranoid, unstable tyrant that has morphed Turkey into a full-fledged Islamic fascist state. His "people's army" consists of Muslim Brotherhood "SS thugs" and other radical Jihadists who have taken over the streets terrorizing, beheading, and torturing not only participants in the coup but any perceived opponent of the regime. There will be no trials as thousands of judges have been purged, arrested. There is no rule of law; just Erdogan justice and repression.
But why is the West surprised? All the signs were there before the attempted coup as many of us warned. Who fed the beast the candy of appeasement as Erdogan turned a blind eye to ISIS and jihadists crossing his border into Syria and Europe, supplied weapons and support to terrorists, provided sanctuary for human smugglers, and arrested journalists and critics? NATO, Angela Merkel, John McCain, and Obama need to look in the mirror. Merkel, especially, coddled him and withered at his every demand, praising him as some model for humanity. This never works. Things will get ugly for many people in Turkey and the West, which foolishly stationed US nukes in Turkey.
What is done is done, but the time is now to tackle the problem. We need to reassess this 1952 NATO alliance with Turkey. Things do change over 64 years and the chains that hold us hostage to the reckless and barbaric actions of Recep Erdogan need to be cut. Don't give me some lame excuse about his "strategic importance" to the West in their fight against ISIS. We know full well of his ties to the terrorist groups in Syria and the deceitful double games he plays. Erdogan seeks glory and immortality not as an "EU member" or some "US ally", but as the leader and champion of the rising Islamic Century revolution.
The West has the tools, power, and ability to stop him, including economic sanctions and isolation that could bury his fragile economy. 60% of Turkey's exports are to the EU. The question? Does the West have the courage, will, and confidence to play "Eisenhower Hardball" with a two-bit despot?
Our credibility is on the line.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Thursday, July 14, 2016
EUCO and "relocation" quotas; a one-size fits all migration disaster
There is nothing more predictable than the bureaucrats at EUCO and Angela Merkel -who is EUCO. "We must act in solidarity to protect Europe's values with an EU solution to the refugee crisis" seems to be their mantra. Since when does "solidarity" force member states to accept migrant quotas against their will or face stiff sanctions? There maybe other definitions for this, but solidarity is not one of them. And who is Merkel and some diplomat from Greece to claim they have a monopoly on "European values"? Pretty sure the 1200 German women who were sexually assaulted by 2000 men (mostly new immigrants/refugees) on New Years Eve would beg to differ. The truth to the matter is that there can be no EU solution without securing the external border and denying entry.
Merkel is finally realizing she made a colossal mistake for Germany (and Sweden, who blindly followed). The rich welfare afforded to the migrants in Germany is like a magnet. Whether fleeing war or poverty, it does not matter; most want to get to Germany. They have no desire to stay in Czech republic or to be stuck in Greece. With elections in 2017, she realizes Germans will not tolerate much more but she also relishes the media worship of her so-called "humanitarianism". Thus, she has never considered limits or denying entry at the EU border.
All along, her vision was to transport the refugees/migrants here safely with no limits. Once here, they could be conveniently distributed among member nations via migrant quotas. This is what she calls "solidarity", forcing other members who called for solidarity at the border (Italy & Greece were not interested in securing the border) to accept migrants they did not invite.
EUCO's new proposal (same old quotas spinned as relocation) is her brain-child. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, it fails to include any steps to secure the border. It does talk of trying to limit the illegal migration "inside of the EU once here" but does nothing to stop the "illegals from entering Europe" to begin with. There will be no limits, all who seek Europe can enter. The message is heard loud and clear by the people traffickers and migrants. This will a global, endless movement of people.
EUCO also is proposing a scheme to harmonize and nullify the migration laws of all member states in order to prevent "benefits shopping" where migrants converge on the richest states. They intend to do this by forcing a country like the Czech republic to offer the same rich benefits as Germany. Translation: We want the relocated refugees to stay in the country of their "forced marriage" instead of migrating around the EU for the best deal. Not so easy. Culture also plays a part. Muslim migrants would not do well in Eastern Europe; there is simply no culture for them there nor would these nations tolerate their demands for "multiculturalism" as they do in the West. EUCO would do well to get to know the culture of the Czech Republic or Hungary; it is simply not compatible for a Muslim culture that seeks to dominate. Impossible.
EUCO must face the reality that eastern Europe is far different than the West. They simply cannot force the culture of Brussels on these nations. They will resist and defy. They have seen their cultures wiped out before and they will defend it even if that means breaking from the EU.
EUCO is trying to bail out Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Greece from the negligent choices they made. Merkel invited the migrants to Germany and "Gretaly" chose to surrender their borders. Moreover, they did not even properly vet the migrants, which has blatantly exposed the security of all Europeans. Why should others who were denied a secure EU border accept the migrants "waved-through" so carelessly by those who surrendered their borders? Why? Moreover, Italy is still luring more as we speak with their ridiculous false "rescue" operations.
The EUCO solution must be defeated; if not, defied. It guarantees the border will never be secured, limitless migrants, more terrorism, and endless quotas. Nation states, such as the V4, must bypass the EU and act on their own. This has worked before with the Balkan closing, sealing Greece without the EU's blessing. Austria and Switzerland (non-EU like Macedonia) can work together to seal Italy until they adjust their border attitude.
Finally, the V4 and others must simply refuse to comply with the migrant quotas or the fines. It is the only way to force Merkel and Co. to the reality that the EU border must be sealed and real deportation (not relocation) must begin to save her skin. This Plan B is the real EU solution based on solidarity at the border.
The EU and Merkel are not too big to fail; certainly they are not worth losing ones Heart and Soul for. The V4 and CEE states must call their bluff; the citizens of Europe are depending on it.
Merkel is finally realizing she made a colossal mistake for Germany (and Sweden, who blindly followed). The rich welfare afforded to the migrants in Germany is like a magnet. Whether fleeing war or poverty, it does not matter; most want to get to Germany. They have no desire to stay in Czech republic or to be stuck in Greece. With elections in 2017, she realizes Germans will not tolerate much more but she also relishes the media worship of her so-called "humanitarianism". Thus, she has never considered limits or denying entry at the EU border.
All along, her vision was to transport the refugees/migrants here safely with no limits. Once here, they could be conveniently distributed among member nations via migrant quotas. This is what she calls "solidarity", forcing other members who called for solidarity at the border (Italy & Greece were not interested in securing the border) to accept migrants they did not invite.
EUCO's new proposal (same old quotas spinned as relocation) is her brain-child. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, it fails to include any steps to secure the border. It does talk of trying to limit the illegal migration "inside of the EU once here" but does nothing to stop the "illegals from entering Europe" to begin with. There will be no limits, all who seek Europe can enter. The message is heard loud and clear by the people traffickers and migrants. This will a global, endless movement of people.
EUCO also is proposing a scheme to harmonize and nullify the migration laws of all member states in order to prevent "benefits shopping" where migrants converge on the richest states. They intend to do this by forcing a country like the Czech republic to offer the same rich benefits as Germany. Translation: We want the relocated refugees to stay in the country of their "forced marriage" instead of migrating around the EU for the best deal. Not so easy. Culture also plays a part. Muslim migrants would not do well in Eastern Europe; there is simply no culture for them there nor would these nations tolerate their demands for "multiculturalism" as they do in the West. EUCO would do well to get to know the culture of the Czech Republic or Hungary; it is simply not compatible for a Muslim culture that seeks to dominate. Impossible.
EUCO must face the reality that eastern Europe is far different than the West. They simply cannot force the culture of Brussels on these nations. They will resist and defy. They have seen their cultures wiped out before and they will defend it even if that means breaking from the EU.
EUCO is trying to bail out Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Greece from the negligent choices they made. Merkel invited the migrants to Germany and "Gretaly" chose to surrender their borders. Moreover, they did not even properly vet the migrants, which has blatantly exposed the security of all Europeans. Why should others who were denied a secure EU border accept the migrants "waved-through" so carelessly by those who surrendered their borders? Why? Moreover, Italy is still luring more as we speak with their ridiculous false "rescue" operations.
The EUCO solution must be defeated; if not, defied. It guarantees the border will never be secured, limitless migrants, more terrorism, and endless quotas. Nation states, such as the V4, must bypass the EU and act on their own. This has worked before with the Balkan closing, sealing Greece without the EU's blessing. Austria and Switzerland (non-EU like Macedonia) can work together to seal Italy until they adjust their border attitude.
Finally, the V4 and others must simply refuse to comply with the migrant quotas or the fines. It is the only way to force Merkel and Co. to the reality that the EU border must be sealed and real deportation (not relocation) must begin to save her skin. This Plan B is the real EU solution based on solidarity at the border.
The EU and Merkel are not too big to fail; certainly they are not worth losing ones Heart and Soul for. The V4 and CEE states must call their bluff; the citizens of Europe are depending on it.
Saturday, July 9, 2016
EUCO's New Refugee "Relocation" Scheme; Endless Quotas
#Editors note: I took a three-week break from writing. Having three young daughters who play sport in America (my oldest, 8, alone took on tennis, soccer, and softball in the spring season), it was an exhausting end of the term; but we enjoyed every minute of it. Now our summer break!
Well, it looks as though I missed Brexit (my Twitter account was still very active). To many in Europe and the financial markets, it was as if the sky was falling. However, as an American, I loved their independent spirit. No one knows for sure how it will work out, but one has to admire the confidence of a country to chart their own destiny. This is something EUCO will never understand. People yearn for freedom, the ability to decide their own future.
Yet, EUCO has not learned any lessons. Instead, in desperation mode, they seem to want more control. Next week, they intend to seek a new universal EU migrant law that will only further divide the union. They will claim it's not about "quotas" but what else is a law that forces all member states into a binding formula to "relocate" all migrants in the EU to each Nation State?
This should be rejected and even defied if passed. One only has to look at the open border in Italy to realize what this means. This law will be a magnet to lure more migrants from Africa and elsewhere. 'Just Reach Europe' and you will be taken care of. EUCO has no plans for limits or to deny entry. They only seek a "secured escape route" to transport the migrants to Europe. The huge numbers do not phase EUCO. Once here, the migrants would be conveniently "relocated", along with the ones already here, to the other states based on some formula Jean Claude-Juncker dreamed up.
This would be a catastrophe for Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech republic, and the other CEE states. Their culture, customs, and way of life differ greatly from Western Europe. Multiculturalism is not present in the Czech Republic nor would it be tolerated. Arabs from Kuwait are slowly infiltrating a spa town called Teplice. But their culture is different and their actions have caused tensions with the locals. Females have been harassed. Arabs enter the spa waters fully clothed. In addition, it is no secret that Saudi Arabia invested heavily in France and funded many mosques and other things. Many of France's problems today with extremism and terrorism can be traced to the Gulf influence. EUCO needs to realize East is not West and the Czech republic is not France.
The V4 culture is priceless; multiculturalism is not the God they worship. They lead peaceful lives and they feel safe in their streets. The V4 sees the results of multiculturalism in France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, etc. and, while wishing them "luck", have no desire to expose their citizens to that type of mayhem. Nothing wrong with that.
EUCO and Merkel need to realize this is a dead end; no V4 government would survive by accepting this "Munich-type" diktat. Angela Merkel needs to admit she made a colossal mistake. She cannot just "quota" her way out of it. She owes it to the people of Germany and Europe to either resign or find a solution with others based on the reality and reliability of a secure external border.
The V4 leaders must realize too that they have the leverage and can force her hand (and Italy's) by rejecting the quotas. Without others to pass the buck to, both Merkel and Renzi would be forced to seal the border and begin "real" deportation (as opposed to relocation) or they would find themselves overwhelmed. If Merkel and Germany still needed foreign labor, they could choose to transport the refugees themselves from the camps in the Middle East instead of trying to force others to accept their vision.
Some things in life are too precious to lose. For the V4, the multicultural mandate from the EU is not worth losing your Soul. Defying Merkel on "relocation quotas" maybe the knock-out punch Europe needs to finally move on from her.
Fight like champions today V4; our children are counting on you!
Well, it looks as though I missed Brexit (my Twitter account was still very active). To many in Europe and the financial markets, it was as if the sky was falling. However, as an American, I loved their independent spirit. No one knows for sure how it will work out, but one has to admire the confidence of a country to chart their own destiny. This is something EUCO will never understand. People yearn for freedom, the ability to decide their own future.
Yet, EUCO has not learned any lessons. Instead, in desperation mode, they seem to want more control. Next week, they intend to seek a new universal EU migrant law that will only further divide the union. They will claim it's not about "quotas" but what else is a law that forces all member states into a binding formula to "relocate" all migrants in the EU to each Nation State?
This should be rejected and even defied if passed. One only has to look at the open border in Italy to realize what this means. This law will be a magnet to lure more migrants from Africa and elsewhere. 'Just Reach Europe' and you will be taken care of. EUCO has no plans for limits or to deny entry. They only seek a "secured escape route" to transport the migrants to Europe. The huge numbers do not phase EUCO. Once here, the migrants would be conveniently "relocated", along with the ones already here, to the other states based on some formula Jean Claude-Juncker dreamed up.
This would be a catastrophe for Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Czech republic, and the other CEE states. Their culture, customs, and way of life differ greatly from Western Europe. Multiculturalism is not present in the Czech Republic nor would it be tolerated. Arabs from Kuwait are slowly infiltrating a spa town called Teplice. But their culture is different and their actions have caused tensions with the locals. Females have been harassed. Arabs enter the spa waters fully clothed. In addition, it is no secret that Saudi Arabia invested heavily in France and funded many mosques and other things. Many of France's problems today with extremism and terrorism can be traced to the Gulf influence. EUCO needs to realize East is not West and the Czech republic is not France.
The V4 culture is priceless; multiculturalism is not the God they worship. They lead peaceful lives and they feel safe in their streets. The V4 sees the results of multiculturalism in France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, etc. and, while wishing them "luck", have no desire to expose their citizens to that type of mayhem. Nothing wrong with that.
EUCO and Merkel need to realize this is a dead end; no V4 government would survive by accepting this "Munich-type" diktat. Angela Merkel needs to admit she made a colossal mistake. She cannot just "quota" her way out of it. She owes it to the people of Germany and Europe to either resign or find a solution with others based on the reality and reliability of a secure external border.
The V4 leaders must realize too that they have the leverage and can force her hand (and Italy's) by rejecting the quotas. Without others to pass the buck to, both Merkel and Renzi would be forced to seal the border and begin "real" deportation (as opposed to relocation) or they would find themselves overwhelmed. If Merkel and Germany still needed foreign labor, they could choose to transport the refugees themselves from the camps in the Middle East instead of trying to force others to accept their vision.
Some things in life are too precious to lose. For the V4, the multicultural mandate from the EU is not worth losing your Soul. Defying Merkel on "relocation quotas" maybe the knock-out punch Europe needs to finally move on from her.
Fight like champions today V4; our children are counting on you!
Friday, June 17, 2016
Battle for Europe: Merkel, EUCO vs. Orban, V4
Europe is at a crossroads. The migrant crisis is ugly, and it will get worse. There is no "EU solution" in sight, member nations are too fragmented. There are no universal EU values, despite Merkel's claim to divinity. The way of life and culture is much different in Western Europe than the central-eastern region. Leaders in the Mediterranean states do not believe in securing the borders or a culture to be defended; they consider that "xenophobic". On the other side, the V4 nations fiercely defend the customs and traditions that they believe make their culture unique; they consider that "normal and natural".
Something has to give, for this mass migration is not sustainable. Either the EU will break apart into smaller regional alliances or the EU will realize that the external border must be sealed and a meaningful deportation program must be implemented in order to save Schengen. The battle is upon us.
In one corner stands EUCO, Merkel and states such as Italy and Greece. They do not view mass migration from the Middle East as a threat to their culture. Any Paris or Cologne-type of attacks are considered collateral damage in quest of their legacy of "humanity". They do not believe in denying entry, real deportation, or limits of any kind. Their goal is a safe and legal transfer of migrants to Europe. Once here, their solution is to redistribute the migrants across all member states in an orderly fashion, which is not realistic or possible.
The V4 nations, while looking to help true war refugees where they can, consider any first step to eliminating the chaos a secure border. They believe the migrants should be denied entry and sent back before being allowed to roam. Refugees could then apply for asylum outside of the EU. Migrant quotas are viewed as a nonsense and infringement on their right to decide the make ups of their own countries. Additionally, they believe the redistribution quotas act as a magnet for more migrants to seek Europe.
If Merkel and EUCO prevail, there will be endless migrants for years to come, eventually igniting the flames of a cultural war. If Orban and the V4 are victorious, Italy and Greece will be forced to seal their borders or be sealed off themselves. Their OpenBorder manifesto without the ability to "wave-through" to others would have to be modified or they would be overrun. Germany, without the ability to shuffle migrants elsewhere, would demand limits from Merkel.
This is the battle for the Soul of Europe. East vs. West. As often happens in sport, the one with the greatest will and resolve triumphs. The next 4-6 months will determine the destiny of not only the EU, but Europe itself. Defying Merkel on quotas could be the knock-out punch.
Onward, V4....Fight like a Champion!
Something has to give, for this mass migration is not sustainable. Either the EU will break apart into smaller regional alliances or the EU will realize that the external border must be sealed and a meaningful deportation program must be implemented in order to save Schengen. The battle is upon us.
In one corner stands EUCO, Merkel and states such as Italy and Greece. They do not view mass migration from the Middle East as a threat to their culture. Any Paris or Cologne-type of attacks are considered collateral damage in quest of their legacy of "humanity". They do not believe in denying entry, real deportation, or limits of any kind. Their goal is a safe and legal transfer of migrants to Europe. Once here, their solution is to redistribute the migrants across all member states in an orderly fashion, which is not realistic or possible.
The V4 nations, while looking to help true war refugees where they can, consider any first step to eliminating the chaos a secure border. They believe the migrants should be denied entry and sent back before being allowed to roam. Refugees could then apply for asylum outside of the EU. Migrant quotas are viewed as a nonsense and infringement on their right to decide the make ups of their own countries. Additionally, they believe the redistribution quotas act as a magnet for more migrants to seek Europe.
If Merkel and EUCO prevail, there will be endless migrants for years to come, eventually igniting the flames of a cultural war. If Orban and the V4 are victorious, Italy and Greece will be forced to seal their borders or be sealed off themselves. Their OpenBorder manifesto without the ability to "wave-through" to others would have to be modified or they would be overrun. Germany, without the ability to shuffle migrants elsewhere, would demand limits from Merkel.
This is the battle for the Soul of Europe. East vs. West. As often happens in sport, the one with the greatest will and resolve triumphs. The next 4-6 months will determine the destiny of not only the EU, but Europe itself. Defying Merkel on quotas could be the knock-out punch.
Onward, V4....Fight like a Champion!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Daily Thoughts: Nation States, not the EU, are best equipped to solve the Migrant Crisis
Today, EUCO came out with another predictable and disappointing "EU solution" that contains nothing new. When they speak of controlling the border and stopping illegal crossings, the EU is not talking about reducing or stopping the flow of migrants to Europe. Instead, they seek an organized, legal method to transfer the migrants straight to Europe. From there, the EU will develop "hot spots" and a permanent "redistribution quota scheme" to distribute the migrants among member states. There will be harsh financial sanctions on those countries who refuse the quotas.
There are many problems with this, including the refugees themselves who will quickly then migrate to wealthier states like Germany. There will be terrorists posing as refugees, and many, once in, will simply vanish. But the biggest problem is that it will provide a huge incentive for migrants worldwide to "just get to Europe". Once granted entry, it is almost impossible to deport. This solution will be rightly rejected by the V4 and would guarantee endless migrants for years to come. This will tear Europe apart both financially and culturally.
The Visegrad4 and CEE nations view the "EU solution" as a nonsense; they have also lost all confidence in the EU to secure the border and deny entry. So naturally, they are taking action themselves and having great success. The decreased migrant demand for Greece was due to the actions of member states, without the EU's blessing or assistance. The Balkan countries and Macedonia closed the migrant pipeline from Greece to Germany. The migrants have no desire to be stuck in Greece, prompting some to go home. Many others are opting to stay in Turkey or they try their luck at the porous Italian border. Austria, despite the frenzied protests of both Merkel and Italy, may soon take matters into their own hands by closing their border with Italy; thus leaving the Italians with the choice of limiting entry or being overwhelmed with migrants.
This unilateral and necessary action by member states will infuriate Merkel, Renzi, Tsipras and EUCO. This will either force Italy and the EU to secure the border or it may cause the EU to break apart. Either way, the EU is incapable of solving the crisis under the flag of solidarity, since solidarity means Merkel's Way. The solution will come from Nation States coming together, as they did in the Balkans, to solve the crisis unilaterally. Nation States will always be more effective at solving migration simply because they have more at stake than the unelected clerks safely sipping coffee in some office in Brussels.
There is no migrant crisis in the V4 or Balkans because they defied EU orders and acted unilaterally and in the best interests of their people. As a result, their resolve benefited all, including Germany and Greece. Nation states get things done, while the EU Golem pontificates about false values. Europe's culture, hopes, and dreams lay in the hands of the nation states, not the EU. The future leaders of Europe will emerge from the East, not from a dying West.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
An EU solution to Refugee Crisis? Why it may not be possible until the EU breaks apart
September 2015: After returning home from the Czech republic, I was shocked at the events taking place in Greece, Italy and Germany. One could see nine months ago that this migrant crisis was a complete chaos and not sustainable in the long run. Surely, I said to myself, Europe would have to secure the border soon, for no sane leaders would continue to allow millions of undocumented migrants from very violent cultures to continue to just pour into Europe with little if any vetting. I was wrong.
Shortly after, my OpEd (the pinned tweet on my Twitter account) "The V4 nations are dealing with the refugee crisis properly", appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. It layed out the dangers of Merkel's policy and described the V4 plan to solve the crisis. Amazingly, almost a year later, the same article (with one minor change) could be written today. The point: nothing has really changed; the EU and Merkel have failed to secure the border in spite of Paris, Brussels, Cologne, terrorists posing as migrants, the rapes, fake passports, and smugglers controlling the Italy-Greece borders. The migrants are still coming and very few have been deported as promised. We are back to square one, except 2,000,000 have already arrived.
The question: Is it possible to solve the crisis with what Merkel describes as a "EU Solution"? With the current structure and make up of the EU, I do not believe it is.
The members that comprise the EU, their values and cultures, are too far apart to come up with an "EU solution". Merkel and Hungary's Viktor Orban are one example, and there are many more challenges ranging from vastly different economies to contrasting views on Islam and multiculturalism. However, the most glaring challenge is the total mismatch of cultures and beliefs of the Mediterranean States and the V4-CEE nations that make up the central-eastern European region.
The Med Club is made up of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta and France. They demand entry for all that come and consider it immoral to secure the border. The Med Club cherishes multiculturalism and considers it intolerant to defend "European Culture"; they consider it "xenophobic" and a heresy to their God of Diversity. Their solution does not involve limits or reductions, but an endless redistribution scheme for the migrants to be shuffled to the other EU states.
The Visegrad 4 nations of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech republic have a completely different vision. They view securing the border as a must first step to any solution that protects Europe and helps the true war refugees. They want hard limits, reductions, and have no desire for the way of life of France or Belgium. They consider their culture unique and priceless and are willing to fight to preserve it. They see the results of the failed multiculturalism in Western Europe and do not think Muslim migrants are a fit for their peaceful and traditional societies. Their solution is to secure the border and to decide for themselves who and how many refugees they take. They view migrant quotas as an invitation for more to come and a distraction from the real solution: a secure border.
How can there be an "EU solution" if Italy refuses to secure their border and deny entry? The migrants view this as an invitation to keep coming. However, the V4 will never accept migrant quotas nor should they. Where will all these migrants go? Italy and Merkel are relying on migrant quotas while the V4 advocates securing the border to stop the inflow. Neither side will compromise. Something has to give.
The EU must be broken up, it cannot function with such deeply-held contrasting beliefs. This can be done peacefully. Both regions cannot afford not to trade with each other. In fact, the level of animosity could well be reduced if separated. Both could then live with their own visions as they see fit. The Mediterranean States could continue to welcome migrants, using a redistribution scheme between themselves, instead of trying to force their vision on others.
Obviously, there would be details to work out. Italy would have to consider if their Open Border philosophy is sustainable without having Eastern Europe to wave-through migrants to. Austria would close their border with Italy, thus overwhelming Italy with migrants. Faced with this reality, Renzi may have a change of attitude, or Italians may throw him out of office.
Unless the border is secured, there will be no EU solution. The migrant crisis can be solved, but only with the breakup of the EU into smaller, less intrusive regional alliances that better reflect the values and beliefs of their people. As the EU has proven, bigger is not always better. Let the nation states of Europe solve the problem as the Balkans and Macedonia did in Greece without the EU's blessing; after all, who better to tackle the issue than the nation states with more at stake than some vain unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.
Never be afraid of change and controlling your own destiny.
Shortly after, my OpEd (the pinned tweet on my Twitter account) "The V4 nations are dealing with the refugee crisis properly", appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. It layed out the dangers of Merkel's policy and described the V4 plan to solve the crisis. Amazingly, almost a year later, the same article (with one minor change) could be written today. The point: nothing has really changed; the EU and Merkel have failed to secure the border in spite of Paris, Brussels, Cologne, terrorists posing as migrants, the rapes, fake passports, and smugglers controlling the Italy-Greece borders. The migrants are still coming and very few have been deported as promised. We are back to square one, except 2,000,000 have already arrived.
The question: Is it possible to solve the crisis with what Merkel describes as a "EU Solution"? With the current structure and make up of the EU, I do not believe it is.
The members that comprise the EU, their values and cultures, are too far apart to come up with an "EU solution". Merkel and Hungary's Viktor Orban are one example, and there are many more challenges ranging from vastly different economies to contrasting views on Islam and multiculturalism. However, the most glaring challenge is the total mismatch of cultures and beliefs of the Mediterranean States and the V4-CEE nations that make up the central-eastern European region.
The Med Club is made up of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Malta and France. They demand entry for all that come and consider it immoral to secure the border. The Med Club cherishes multiculturalism and considers it intolerant to defend "European Culture"; they consider it "xenophobic" and a heresy to their God of Diversity. Their solution does not involve limits or reductions, but an endless redistribution scheme for the migrants to be shuffled to the other EU states.
The Visegrad 4 nations of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech republic have a completely different vision. They view securing the border as a must first step to any solution that protects Europe and helps the true war refugees. They want hard limits, reductions, and have no desire for the way of life of France or Belgium. They consider their culture unique and priceless and are willing to fight to preserve it. They see the results of the failed multiculturalism in Western Europe and do not think Muslim migrants are a fit for their peaceful and traditional societies. Their solution is to secure the border and to decide for themselves who and how many refugees they take. They view migrant quotas as an invitation for more to come and a distraction from the real solution: a secure border.
How can there be an "EU solution" if Italy refuses to secure their border and deny entry? The migrants view this as an invitation to keep coming. However, the V4 will never accept migrant quotas nor should they. Where will all these migrants go? Italy and Merkel are relying on migrant quotas while the V4 advocates securing the border to stop the inflow. Neither side will compromise. Something has to give.
The EU must be broken up, it cannot function with such deeply-held contrasting beliefs. This can be done peacefully. Both regions cannot afford not to trade with each other. In fact, the level of animosity could well be reduced if separated. Both could then live with their own visions as they see fit. The Mediterranean States could continue to welcome migrants, using a redistribution scheme between themselves, instead of trying to force their vision on others.
Obviously, there would be details to work out. Italy would have to consider if their Open Border philosophy is sustainable without having Eastern Europe to wave-through migrants to. Austria would close their border with Italy, thus overwhelming Italy with migrants. Faced with this reality, Renzi may have a change of attitude, or Italians may throw him out of office.
Unless the border is secured, there will be no EU solution. The migrant crisis can be solved, but only with the breakup of the EU into smaller, less intrusive regional alliances that better reflect the values and beliefs of their people. As the EU has proven, bigger is not always better. Let the nation states of Europe solve the problem as the Balkans and Macedonia did in Greece without the EU's blessing; after all, who better to tackle the issue than the nation states with more at stake than some vain unelected bureaucrats in Brussels.
Never be afraid of change and controlling your own destiny.
Friday, June 10, 2016
New Domain: ravsreport.com
We have moved to ravsreport.com. We are still improving the site and moving articles but feel our initial start needed a fresher look. One step at a time, but we must keep moving forward.
Thanks
Bill
Thanks
Bill
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