Europeans push back at US over claim they face 'civilizational erasure' (www.npr.org)
from MicroWave@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 12:08
https://lemmy.world/post/43202056

A top European Union official on Sunday rejected the notion that Europe faces “civilizational erasure,” pushing back at criticism of the continent by the Trump administration.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the Munich Security Conference a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a somewhat reassuring message to European allies. He struck a less aggressive tone than JD Vance did in lecturing them at the same gathering last year but maintained a firm tone on Washington’s intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance and push its policy priorities.

Kallas alluded to criticism in the U.S. national security strategy released in December, which asserted that economic stagnation in Europe “is eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure.” It suggested that Europe is being enfeebled by its immigration policies, declining birth rates, “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition” and a “loss of national identities and self-confidence.”

#world

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[deleted] on 16 Feb 12:39 next collapse
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linule@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 13:48 next collapse

What civilization are we talking about anyway? E.g democracy, checks and balances and human rights are hallmarks of modern western civilization, and those are being rapidly erased by those accusing us of civilizational erasure.

comrade_twisty@feddit.org on 16 Feb 14:07 next collapse

Also, if the US is so concerned about immigration from muslim countries into Europe maybe they could start by stopping to destabilize the middle-east and africa so that those people aren’t so desperate that they risk their lives to come to Europe.

If anything the EU should start charging the US for causing most of the so called “migrant crisis”.

linule@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 14:13 collapse

They might soon cause new bigger refugee waves from Iran. Which helps right wing parties.

HazardousBanjo@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 14:09 next collapse

They’re talking “white capitalist civilization”.

They’re appealing to the far-right of Europe that’s been echoing that sentiment.

linule@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 14:23 next collapse

I’m just highlighting the hypocrisy of bringing up civilizational erasure when they’re actively doing exactly that. Western civilization, while associated with whites and capitalism is also associated with not being banana republics.

b_tr3e@feddit.org on 16 Feb 15:09 next collapse

The shit these idiots are addressing by “civilization” is actually culture. Which they don’t have or understand. Don’t make the mistake of adopting their meaning of “ciivilization” which is a fuzzy description of their idea of an ideal society and has nothing to do with civilization itself.

LordR@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 16:41 next collapse

I’m pretty sure it’s not culture either, it’s just a fantasy of white supremacy and “pure blood”. The same shit that was used by the nazis.

linule@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 17:11 collapse

Do they understand what they mean with civilization themselves? It sometimes feels like they want to go back to the middle ages, which tends to be the opposite of what is understood as „civilization“.

WanderingThoughts@europe.pub on 16 Feb 17:46 collapse

Meanwhile an entire civilization is erased in Gaza and nobody bats an eye.

phutatorius@lemmy.zip on 16 Feb 16:53 collapse

They’re talking “white capitalist civilization”.

That’s a contradiction in terms.

b_tr3e@feddit.org on 16 Feb 14:58 collapse

These are hallmarks of democracy, not civilization.

linule@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 17:07 collapse

A dictionary definition of civilization: „stage of human social and cultural development and organization that is considered most advanced“. Seems to me that we can include democracy in western civilization.

b_tr3e@feddit.org on 16 Feb 21:05 collapse

You might wont to get a real dictionary.

Shamber@lemmy.world on 16 Feb 17:37 collapse

A country that was created yesterday thinks that it’s an actual civilisation? Europe have public toilets older than their entire existence

WanderingThoughts@europe.pub on 16 Feb 17:44 collapse

Drunkards have been pissing against the local cathedral since before America was discovered.