Kevin Myers: We now know there's no such thing as Europe.

[Pen Name]

Kevin Myers: We now know there's no such thing as Europe. Admit it and be grateful: Deutschland uber alles

By Kevin Myers

Wednesday April 28 2010

The sun rises on a new dawn, and once again, the begging bowl is passed to Germany to pay for the excesses of others. And Germany will complain, and it will grumble, but most of all, it will pay. Why? Because payment confers power. The EU might fundamentally be just a Franco-German club, a glorified Franconia, but the club president-paymaster still lives in Berlin. For the most intelligent, the most talented, the most resourceful and energetic people in Europe are those whose lands lie between the Oder and the Rhine.

...

W e now know that there is no such thing as 'Europe'. There is Germany, way out in front, and then there is France, but not much else. A great historic alignment is finally occurring. A new empire is finally arising, 65 years after allied troops were completing the conquest of Hitler's death lands. Germany is now about to become financial and political lord of all of mainland Europe.

Participation in a fiscal-system based on a currency which was designed for German needs, the euro, helped spell ruin for Ireland's tiger. The Mediterranean countries are about to go the same way. The cultural dynamism which, but for the mad militarism of the Kaiser and Hitler, would have naturally given Germany a continental lordship long ago, is now finally triumphing. Germany is today our lawmaker and our policeman. And if this means that in Ireland, real rules are really imposed and are then really obeyed, then it can only be a considerable improvement on the repeated lunacies and debacles of independence. Admit it, once and for all, and be grateful: Deutschland uber alles.

Apart from his usual snide dig at Irish independence, regardless of context, Myers has a point. German common sense will hopefully save Irish taxpayers the €450m Lenihan is willing to risk on a Greek bailout.

[JSE]

Well, if small countries such as ours have to defer to more powerful ones, then German hegemony is far preferable to the Anglo-American form because the Germans have the superior selling point of being a highly cultured and civilised people.

[Milesian]

... the Germans have the superior selling point of being a highly cultured and civilised people.

Isn't that rather a sweeping statement?

[JSE]

Isn't that rather a sweeping statement?

Not every single one of course, but I'm talking about the genius of a people rather than the individuals who comprise it, who may or may not embody it. Apart from Shakespeare, has Anglo culture thrown up anyone who can come anywhere near to a Beethoven, Bach, or Wagner, Hegel, Kant, Heidegger etc?

[West]

The business of continental Europe has been a Franco-German enterprise more or less since Rome was eclipsed. Today a coalition of French neo-revolutionaries and German neo-Marxists struggle to rule a frail empire.

What interests me is how close to collapse the European Empire really is. They're being chased out of the Caucasas by an emboldened Russia that has just broken the Anglo-American seige. Now in a major reversal, it's Ankara dictating to Brussels EU membership terms. On the economic front they're getting a hammering by Greece and a queue of limping nations are lining up for urgent blood transfusions. The Empire can't survive this.

I can see the Empire continuing on for decades but only in the most nominal sense. Not unlike the last days of Rome.

Isn't that rather a sweeping statement?

I think we can get carried away by the trauma of the Skadi experience. The German Skadite does represent authentic Germany. The German masses are chastened and apologetic. Offline the Nazi element is only influential amongst the business community after they evacuated the political scene in the post war era when they where replaced by zealots in the art of self humiliation. These latter types comprise the modern political class and are the types that project Germany's modern national image of uber-humility and obedience. Today Germany projects her national power via business processes. Both Japan and Germany remain domineering imperialists but through international business circles. I don't think business chauvanists nor the ultra-self humiliation types nor the online Skadites represent the ordinary German, IMO.

[Nuada]

Not every single one of course, but I'm talking about the genius of a people rather than the individuals who comprise it, who may or may not embody it. Apart from Shakespeare, has Anglo culture thrown up anyone who can come anywhere near to a Beethoven, Bach, or Wagner, Hegel, Kant, Heidegger etc?

Mayhaps but Freddie der Gross, Herr Bismark, Kaiser Bill and Uncle Adolf have to be counted in too. They managed to carve out an empire in miniature compared to Britain but with a degree of gusto. Whos feeding your mind is one thing but if theres a bayonet at your belly it may not make a soul thankful.

[Crimthan]

Not every single one of course, but I'm talking about the genius of a people rather than the individuals who comprise it, who may or may not embody it. Apart from Shakespeare, has Anglo culture thrown up anyone who can come anywhere near to a Beethoven, Bach, or Wagner, Hegel, Kant, Heidegger etc?

Yes, and much of Shakespeare was derivative of the classics.

Originally Posted by Pen Name
Apart from his usual snide dig at Irish independence, regardless of context, Myers has a point.

Myers, as usual, ignores the fact that despite emerging from centuries of backwards colonial misrule as a tiny and poor nation robbed of one of its primary provinces, Ireland has since been one of the most stable democracies in the world (moreso than britain or the US). Compare this to most other post-colonial states, many of whom are abundant in natural resources.

Originally Posted by Nuada
They managed to carve out an empire in miniature compared to Britain but with a degree of gusto.

When speaking of the british empire, it should be remembered that they were unable to permanently occupy or dominate any other European power (but for their balance of power diplomatic strategy, they most likely would have been invaded and conquered themselves; this strategy was easily facilitated given their innate lack of fidelity). Rather, they won the race to conquer societies who were primitive in their abilities to resist. Therefore, their constant comparison of themselves to the Romans is highly misplaced for this and a number of other reasons.

[JSE]

Mayhaps but Freddie der Gross, Herr Bismark, Kaiser Bill and Uncle Adolf have to be counted in too. They managed to carve out an empire in miniature compared to Britain but with a degree of gusto. Whos feeding your mind is one thing but if theres a bayonet at your belly it may not make a soul thankful.

The scenario I described consists of a comparison between two hegemons. Naturally we would prefer not to be under the sway of any empire, but small countries don't really have much room for movement in these things.

Assuming agreement with Myer's analysis, the difference between the new German empire (the EU) and the British, is that the EU is based on consent, the British empire was based on violence. This is a very important distinction, and while the British stripped this country to the bone, the Germans helped enrich it with large infusions of cash in the 1980's and 90's. Finally, Germany has never done us any harm, in fact it has only ever done us good, the Germans as a people have a great deal of good will towards the Irish which becomes manifest when you travel there and tell them where you come from.

[JSE]

Yes, and much of Shakespeare was derivative of the classics.

Well now, it's not his sources which make him great. Anyway, all tradition is derivative by definition.

Myers, as usual, ignores the fact that despite emerging from centuries of backwards colonial misrule as a tiny and poor nation robbed of one of its primary provinces, Ireland has since been one of the most stable democracies in the world (moreso than britain or the US). Compare this to most other post-colonial states, many of whom are abundant in natural resources.

This is a really good point and should be made more often than it is. It is a remarkable achievement when you consider the history, including a civil war, and that we can still have an unarmed police force.

[Iberian]

Not every single one of course, but I'm talking about the genius of a people rather than the individuals who comprise it, who may or may not embody it. Apart from Shakespeare, has Anglo culture thrown up anyone who can come anywhere near to a Beethoven, Bach, or Wagner, Hegel, Kant, Heidegger etc?

Umh...

"…never before has a lack of truthfulness played such a large and important role in philosophy."
"They did whatever they felt like doing with concepts. As if by magic they changed anything into any other thing."
–Ortega y Gasset on German Idealism

"In consequence of Kant's criticism of all speculative theology, almost all the philosophizers in Germany cast themselves back on to Spinoza, so that the whole series of unsuccessful attempts known by the name of post-Kantian philosophy is simply Spinozism tastelessly got up, veiled in all kinds of unintelligible language, and otherwise twisted and distorted ..."
–Schopenhauer on German Idealism

As a side note, have you ever been forced to attend a full Wagner's opera?