2017 May 25 « Dr Alf's Blog

English: Russia Today logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)



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Read this op-ed, written by danish journalist, Iben Thranholm, published in Russia’s RT. She explores the question, ‘What do Macron, May, and Merkel have in common, apart from their neatly alliterative names and being leaders of Europe’s largest nations’? She responds that they have no children but they are by no means exceptional in this respect with many European political leaders being childless.

Macron, May & Merkel: Will Europe’s childless leaders halt demographic decline? — Iben Thranholm – RT Op-Edge

The article blames the growing influence of feminism and that European politicians have not promoted the importance of traditional family life. Ominously, she warns:

Against this barren and infertile Western culture stands Islamic culture, which places emphasis on family and having many children. Muslim women take pride in saving their virginity until marriage in which they foster many children. Turkish President Recep Erdogan recently called for all Turks residing in Europe to have five children each. This will make the future of Europe yours, he declared.

The conclusion is chilling:

The infertility of European leaders is now reflected in self-destructive policies, globalism and mass immigration, instead of policies that promote children and families. Taxes and economic policy have been deliberately shaped to make it virtually impossible for any European household to manage on one income.

Perhaps, the politics of immigration needs to be broadened to include promotion of children and families?

Thoughts?



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There is no real evidence that trust in the EU and democracy is recovering and the economic problems which led to the youth unemployment problems that DrAlf writes about are still there and worsening.

The EU as a whole is £4.4 trillion GBP in debt and is not exporting enough to clear even a fraction of that debt other than in Germany and Holland which do enough to cover their needs but not much more.

The problems of the PIIGS remain, with Greece ready to implode financially and the rich countries of the EU refusing at the moment to bail Greece out. The Italian banks are insolvent, Portugal despite the best efforts of Professor Michael Porter of Harvard University to help the government there, remains stubbornly uncompetitive.

In France, Macron has yet to explain how he proposes to create French jobs in the face of technology and global competition whilst preserving the French way of life.

Europe may be recovering economically but the pace of that recovery is pitifully slow and insufficient to build hope and trust in a better future or deal with the prospect of doubled migration of economic migrants from the countries of the African Union aided and facilitated by President Erdogan.

John Gelmini