The End of Europe-- A Metaphor?

Vance goes wilding in Munich

To paraphrase Marx, a specter is haunting Europe — the specter of Trump fascism.

World War I and World War II reshaped Europe's geopolitical landscape, driven by ambitions to re-divide the world among the great powers and then, to safeguard the world from the spread of fascism. The echoes of these global conflicts still resonate today, as Europe stands at a precarious juncture with similar forces at play.

The End of Europe

A few years ago, Susan and I traveled to Portugal and came to Cabo da Roca, a beautiful spot situated in the Sintra Mountain Range near Lisbon. It’s also known as “The End of Europe” because it’s the westernmost point on the continent. It has a rugged coastline with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and it's known for its dramatic cliffs and powerful waves.

Today, it has become the perfect metaphor as Trump and Musk move to extend their populist, neo-fascist, anti-immigrant alliances across Europe and bully Europeans into total dependence on the US for their economic and military survival.

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Vance went wilding in Munich

With a blistering attack on Europe’s cultures, immigration policies, and the “danger from within,” Vice-President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference last week — which was supposed to focus on the war in Ukraine — tore up Washington’s post-war alliances.

Vance called on all German politicians to cooperate with the neo-fascist, anti-European Union AfD party. He then attacked the US ally for “deindustrializing” and for denying the AfD “free speech.”

Vance’s focus on “the enemy within” was not-so-coded racist, anti-immigrant language. Even Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) couldn’t help but notice that this is the same language Hitler used to justify the Holocaust.

Moulton condemned Vance for meeting with AfD, claiming he went to “the old Nazi Party headquarters in Munich to meet with the leader of the modern-day Neo-Nazi party in Germany.”

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‘Deindustrializing’ or Industrial Sabotage?

In recent years, Germany, Europe's industrial powerhouse, has indeed been grappling with "deindustrialization." This term refers to the decline of industrial activities within a country, marked by the closure of factories, job losses in manufacturing sectors, and a reduction in industrial output. Several factors contribute to this situation, including high energy costs, largely stemming from the war in Ukraine. All of Europe is feeling it.

But one of the great ironies here is that US deindustrialization has far outpaced that of Germany.

In the US, manufacturing employment has fallen significantly over the past 40 years. In Germany, the situation is somewhat different. While Germany has faced challenges such as aging infrastructure and underinvestment, its manufacturing sector remains robust and still accounts for a significant portion of its economy.

There is another great irony in Vance’s deindustrialization charge since one of the most significant blows to Germany's industrial sector came in September 2022, when the Nord Stream pipelines—key conduits for natural gas from Russia to Germany—were sabotaged. The destruction of these pipelines led to an immediate energy supply crisis, driving up energy costs and creating economic uncertainty across Europe.

Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published an article last week charging that it was US Navy divers, acting under the direct orders from President Biden, who planted C4 explosives on the pipelines during routine NATO exercises. Then, according to Hersh, the US remotely activated the bombs three months later.

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Keeping an eye on Ukraine

US and Russian officials initiated peace talks in Riyadh today, proposing a peace plan for Ukraine that includes a ceasefire, new elections, and a final agreement signing. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed reservations about these negotiations, emphasizing Ukraine's need for direct involvement in any talks concerning its future.

An end to the US/Russia proxy war in Ukraine, which has resulted in a million deaths and the displacement of six million Ukrainians, could greatly benefit the countries of Europe and the rest of the world while slowing the imminent threat of a third world war.