Centrifugal

The European Abstraction is breaking down. Centrifugal forces that have existed for millenia will pull it apart into many small, natural political/ethnic groupings. Think Yugoslavia, but on a continental scale. This is not necessarily a bad thing.

Were the Eurosceptics right?

Sarko joins the chorus: multiculturalism has failed

More interesting doings in Europe. Sarko joins the growing chorus (Merkel, Cameron) of leaders admitting that Europe's multiculturalism experiment has failed. A sea change, or just typical political maneuvering for advantage with an increasingly xenophobic polis?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110210/wl_afp/francepoliticsimmigrationsociety_20110210231042

UK's Cameron declares multiculturalism a failure

First Merkel, now Cameron, declaring that the European experiment with multiculturalism has failed. Interesting times in old Europe. Very interesting times.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41444364/ns/world_news-europe/?fb_ref=story_header&fb_source=profile_multiline

No plastic pigs. Might "offend."

Amazing. I'm not a fan of the Brits, but they were a courageous people once upon a time. Something odd happened to them (and most of the rest of Europe, for that matter) in recent decades, and they've devolved into a low, craven, cringing people. I thought allowing Sharia law in majority-Muslim neighborhoods was ridiculous, but now they won't even ship plastic pigs in the little toy sets for fear of "offending"? Breathtaking. And let's be clear: this has nothing to do with "sensitivity" or "celebrating diversity," and everything to do with kowtowing and cowardice. But then, Europe has a history of rolling over on its back and submitting to dangerous religions out of the Middle East. They did it 1500 years ago when a loopy little fringe death-cult showed up on the scene. It was called "Christianity."


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/world/plastic-pig-banned-from-uk-toy-set-for-fear-of-offending-jewish-muslims/story-e6frf7lf-1225954697030

Plastic pig banned from UK toy set for fear of offending Jews, Muslims

TOY shop bosses removed a plastic pig from a children's toy farm set because they feared it would upset Muslim and Jewish parents.

A mother who complained to toy store Early Learning Centre (ELC) when she found the pig missing was told it had been removed for "religious reasons," British newspaper The Sun reported.

The mother, named only as Caroline, found there was no pig with the cow, sheep, chicken, horse and dog in the store's HappyLand Goosefeather Farm.

Caroline, who bought the toy for her daughter's first birthday, said the farm set still contained an empty sty and a button that made an oinking noise when pressed.

But after writing to ELC's customer services she got an email reply admitting the pig was removed in case it upset Muslim or Jewish parents.