Thursday, March 10, 2005

Perpetual Adolescents

The New Sisyphus comments on the "Italian Job"--better known as the Guiliana Sgrena Story:

But the recent absurd heights to which the story has risen has forced our hand. Really, we're not sure which is funnier: that an Italian Communist would think that she is significant enough to warrant our attention, let alone an assassination order, or the spectacle of a full state funeral for a fallen state security officer.

We mean no disrespect to the dead, but, somehow, we get the feeling the poor man's funeral would have been a bit less grand had he merely been beheaded by the usual suspects.

The incident shows the depths of the pathology that is Western anti-Americanism and offers, yet again, another cautionary and exemplary tale for Americans: until and unless we begin to decline to act as the world's superpower, the world's economic engine, the world's policeman, the world's lender of last resort in all instances, the Western pathology will grow. Like the over-spoiled adolescents of Orange County we grew up with, the nations of Europe and the wider West will continue with infantile temper tantrums and faux-rebellious posing, in one long hissy fit against "Daddy," putting at risk all that is of value in our Western Civilization.


New Sisyphus makes some excellent points and you should read his entire post. I particularly find his assessment of Anti-Americanism to be right on target. It has reached truly pathological proportions, with a toxic mixture of ideological paranoia; individual narcissism and national denial. I only wish we were dealing with "over-spoiled adolescents" who will eventually mature as they grow up.

Unfortunately, we are not dealing with adolescents (although they are behaving as badly and irresponsibly), we are dealing with adolescent--or rather, INFANTILE, psychological defense mechanisms that are being used by individual ADULTS and NATIONS of adults.

The adolescent-adults of Europe have little incentive to grow up, since they know that America will always be there to rescue them from their own poor judgement and self-destructive behavior. And when we do, they will be sullen and ungrateful, muttering darkly about our high-handed tactics and how we don't treat them like adults. They will call us names and make fun of us behind our backs to their peers and not want to be seen as agreeing with us on anything in order to define this "independence".

No, the Europeans are far worse than ordinary adolescents. They are PERPETUAL adolescents.

God help us.

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