Menace in Europe: Why the Continent's Crisis Is America's, Too

by Claire Berlinski

Old Europe’s new crisis.


Europe, the charming continent of windmills and gondolas. But lately, Europe has become the continent of endless strikes and demonstrations, bombs on the trains and subways, radical Islamic cells in every city, and ghettos so hopeless and violent even the police won’t enter them. In Spain, a terrorist attack prompts instant capitulation to the terrorists’ demands. In France, the suburbs go up in flames every night. In Holland, politicians and artists are murdered for speaking frankly about Islamic immigration.

This isn’t the Europe we thought we knew. What’s going on over there?

Traveling overland from London to Istanbul, journalist Claire Berlinski shows why the Continent has lately appeared so bewildering—and often so thoroughly obnoxious—to Americans. Speaking to Muslim immigrants, German rock stars, French cops, and Italian women who have better things to do than have children, she finds that Europe is still, despite everything, in the grip of the same old ancient demons. Anyone who knows the history can sense There is something ugly—and familiar—in the air.

But something new is happening as well. Indeed, Europe now confronts—and seems unable to cope with—an entirely new set of troubles. Tracing the ancient conflicts and newly erupting crises, Menace in Europe

• Why Islamic radicalism and terrorist indoctrination flourish as Europe fails to assimilate millions of Muslim immigrants

• How plummeting birthrates hurtle Europe toward economic and cultural catastrophe

• Why hatred of America has become ubiquitous—on Europe’s streets, in its books, newspapers, and music, and at the highest levels of government

• How long-repressed destructive instincts are suddenly reemerging

• How the death of religious faith has created a hopeless, morally unmoored Europe that clings to anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism, and other dangerous ideologies

• Why the notion of a united Europe is a fantasy and what that means for the United States

In the end, these are not separate issues. Berlinski provocatively demonstrates that Europe’s political and cultural crisis mirrors its profound moral and spiritual crisis.

But this is not just Europe’s problem. Menace in Europe makes clear that the spiritual void at the heart of Europe is ultimately our problem too. And America will pay a terrible price if we continue to ignore it.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Religion, Audiobook, Cultural, Current Affairs

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

CLAIRE BERLINSKI WAS born in 1968 in California, and grew up in New York, Seattle and California. She received her undergraduate degree in Modern History and her doctorate in International Relations from Balliol College at Oxford University. She has since lived and worked in Britain, Thailand, Laos, France, and Turkey as a journalist, academic, consultant and freelance writer.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I simply could not continue with this book after the first chapter, which was all that was necessary for it to become apparent that Miss Berlinski's inaugural work of non-fiction was littered with opinion and bias. This is disappointing, since at least some of what she had to say was potentially informative (such as her assertion that anti-Americanism antedates GWB), but I don't have the patience to sift through half-truths. She takes on an Ann Coulter persona, preying on people's vulnerability. The fact that I've found her name hailed on numerous 'right wing' websites suggests that she is part of a combative and divisive ideology that I do not support.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book attempts to answer the questions 'Who are these young Islamist radicals, and why is Europe breeding so many of them?" and "Why is Europe incapable of seeing and solving its own problems?". She discusses their problems through examination of the anti-American lyrics of the German rock group Rammstein; Jose Bove, the founder of the French farmer's union and a spokesman for the anti-globalist movement; and the city of Marseille, a city that 'works' as opposed to Paris that doesn't. Are there any lessons for us Americans? Can we ignore Europe's problems? Yes and no, I think.

[Chris Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great for all people who think that America has issues. Europe has a lot of issues they are not addressing. The sheer number of the non-integrated, Muslim population is as troubling or more more so than China's 20M unmarried, single men. She lays out a lot of stories that are little slow and cannot be quickly integrated into the story she is telling. In this light it is a little confusing, though she does pulls it together in the end. It is not the most engaging read.

[Youndyc · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is not the best in terms of prose - some of the chapters are a bit disjointed, and the author relies on sarcasm in various places throughout (which does not bother me). However, the information is very timely, appears to be very well researched, and is very interesting. I am giving it 4 stars for that reason.

[Joel Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear concise, well research in most areas. This is a must read for anyone considered about international religious issues!

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, provocative look at why Europe has not assimilated its immigrant population well and why this will lead to its downfall if it doesn't address the crisis soon.

[Rachael Aleshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

No option for 0 star. Forced my way through this, despite the clearly biased and poorly researched writing. Most chapters I skimmed through as there was nothing of substance within them. I took nothing away from this aside from Ms. Berlinski's anti-muslim, "Americans are best" and "Christianity is best" opinions. I know I'm late to the game reading this work, as it has clearly not aged well. All blame for the terrorist groups and problems occurring in Europe is placed on the idea that Europeans are turning away from "god" and religion. Perhaps Ms. Berlinski is unaware that correlation does not equal causation.
The chapters have no flow and lack a supported argument. Three hours wasted reading this that I wish I could get back.

[Richard1955 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book repeats much of what I've read of the dangers from vast emigration by multitudes of Muslims with different cultures and radically different political sympathies, it is well written - and covers the strange (and no longer existant?) right wing phenomenon in Germany of cult followers of the band Ramstein - as well as gives a lengthy look at the area around Marseilles.

Well worth reading.

[Savannah Williamson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on this book about a third of the way through. There were statistics but it’s a strong opinion piece. The author is clearly intelligent and well-travelled but she jumps around between topics in a way that feels disjointed, and her pro-Americanism is pretty blatant and comes off as sneery. She does describe Europe’s growing spiritual void and was spot on about that observation, among a few others. Still didn’t feel captured enough to continue.

[Richard Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the subject matter of this book riveting, and identified with many of its evaluations. Yes, there is a spiritual void in western Europe with the death of Christianity that is not adequately being replaced by materialism; yes, the assimilation of immigrants in western societies is becoming more chimerical as time goes on, even with the possibility that it is those societies themselves that will be subsumed; yes, these are dangers hardly addressed by the political establishments. Berlinski hits the point, without affected sophistication and in an unapologetic style, letting us know just how much a rigidly leftist thought pattern has permeated our culture, how anti-American (and anti-Israel)we have become, how countries such as Spain have chosen to give in to Islamic terrorist demands after attacks, thereby being an indication of appeasement that can never be successful. It is this zeitgeist of cowardice and loss of direction currently that distinguishes modern Europe.

On the other hand, Berlinski delves into a possible atavistic reawakening of German nationalism in the form of one of its punk bands, with accounts of Nazi salutes and imagery of war and concentration camps, that are followed with hysteria. Undeniably, she has a point, but her fear of a reawakening of German militarism seems unrealistic - she does much better to highlight the real threats. However, she may have highlighted the possible reaction to immigrant/Islamic threats, namely, a rise in the right.

Overall, a good read, and it is a breath of fresh air to read an academic without none of the condescension that some write with.

[Cold Cream 'n' Roses · Rating 2 out of 5]

Menace in Europe seeks to show that Europe is afflicted by anti-Americanism, Antisemitism, a plummeting birthrate among Europeans, and an un-assimilated Muslim population. It makes its case through describing particular social and political phenomena in the UK, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.

I was already familiar with the ideas in this book, through the writings of Melanie Phillips, Theodore Dalrymple, and the late Oriana Falliaci. By and large, I accept these ideas.

Consequently, Menace in Europe didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. This excerpt, however, is something to contemplate:

European anti-Americanism is a cultist system of faith, rather than a set of rational beliefs, and as such is impervious to revision upon confrontation with facts, logic, evidence, gestures of good will, public relations campaigns, or attempts on the part of the American secretary of state to be a better, more sensitive listener.

The President-elect, who talks about restoring America's standing in the world, should take this to heart.

[Vibeke Hiatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book mostly because I like Claire Berlinski's style. It's refreshing to see her as a character in her own non-fiction work. Most non-fiction writers tend to avoid showing that they really are mortal. Berlinski presents ideas that most of us probably don't consider--ideas that in many cases we choose not to consider. I found this book engaging and easy to read, for the most part. I had trouble getting through the Rammstein chapter, which is why I set the book down for quite a few months and only picked it up again this week. Five years after it's original publication, I think this is still a good book to read.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked: Berlinski's occasional bright wit, and her attention to some very unusual indicators of Europe's inability to integrate Muslim immigrants and evade the ghosts of their past.

Disliked: Her affected Buckley-esque vocabulary (I've heard her interviewed, and it's nowhere to be found when she speaks), too much focus (as in entire chapters!) on tangential matters that are of limited importance, and an overall lack of direction and cohesiveness to the book that makes it seem like a collection of barely connected essays.

In short, it might worth a quick read, but there are much better books on the subject.

[Purple Wimple · Rating 4 out of 5]

If for nothing else, get this book for its chapter about sustainable food as a substitute religion for the otherwise faithless. The chapter is called "The Nine Lives of Jose Bove" and it is a tour de force.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting perspective

[Alexis Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a long time ago, but I found her ideas to be very interesting and thought provoking.