[...]
"Europe as we once knew it is bound to change, probably out of recognition, for a number of reasons, partly demographic and cultural, but also political and social. Even if Europe should unite and solve the various domestic crises facing it, its predominant place in the world and predominant role in world affairs is a thing of the past. What kind of new Europe is likely to emerge as a successor to the old Continent? That, of course, is an open question, whose answer depends on events not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world.
Given the shrinking of its population, it is possible that Europe, or considerable parts of it, will turn into a cultural theme park, a kind of Disneyland on a level of a certain sophistication for well-to-do visitors from China and India, something like Brugge, Venice, Versailles, Stratford-on-Avon, or Rothenburg ob der Tauber on a larger scale. Some such parks already exist; when the coal mines in the Ruhr were closed down, the Warner Brothers Movie World was opened in Dortmund.
"Europe as we once knew it is bound to change, probably out of recognition, for a number of reasons, partly demographic and cultural, but also political and social. Even if Europe should unite and solve the various domestic crises facing it, its predominant place in the world and predominant role in world affairs is a thing of the past. What kind of new Europe is likely to emerge as a successor to the old Continent? That, of course, is an open question, whose answer depends on events not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world.
Given the shrinking of its population, it is possible that Europe, or considerable parts of it, will turn into a cultural theme park, a kind of Disneyland on a level of a certain sophistication for well-to-do visitors from China and India, something like Brugge, Venice, Versailles, Stratford-on-Avon, or Rothenburg ob der Tauber on a larger scale. Some such parks already exist; when the coal mines in the Ruhr were closed down, the Warner Brothers Movie World was opened in Dortmund.
This will be a Europe of tourist guides, gondoliers, and translators: "Ladies and gentlemen, you are visiting the scenes of a highly developed civilization that once led the world. It gave us Shakespeare, Beethoven, the welfare state, and many other fine things... ." There will be excursions for every taste; even now there are trips in Berlin to the slums and the areas considered dangerous ("Kreuzberg, the most colorful district: two hours").
That scenario may appear somewhat fanciful at the moment, but given current trends it is a possibility that cannot be dismissed out of hand. Tourism has been of paramount importance in Switzerland for a long time; it is now of great (and growing) importance in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and some other countries. Tourism's average growth rate across Europe is 4 percent annually. In several European countries, it is becoming the most important single factor in the economy and the main earner of foreign exchange. By now the Chinese are the biggest-spending visitors in Paris..." [>>more]
Walter Laqueur, a historian and a founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary History, lives in Washington. This essay was adapted from his book The Last Days of Europe: Epitaph for an Old Continent, to be published next week by Thomas Dunne Books.
That scenario may appear somewhat fanciful at the moment, but given current trends it is a possibility that cannot be dismissed out of hand. Tourism has been of paramount importance in Switzerland for a long time; it is now of great (and growing) importance in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, and some other countries. Tourism's average growth rate across Europe is 4 percent annually. In several European countries, it is becoming the most important single factor in the economy and the main earner of foreign exchange. By now the Chinese are the biggest-spending visitors in Paris..." [>>more]
Walter Laqueur, a historian and a founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary History, lives in Washington. This essay was adapted from his book The Last Days of Europe: Epitaph for an Old Continent, to be published next week by Thomas Dunne Books.
7 comments:
Bun articol.
Ma gandesc cu furie la elitele imbecile europene, mai ales franceze, care au adus Europa in halul asta si care isi etalau "superioritatea" fatza de sistemul american.
Groaznic!
Iar cand am scris o data, ca fiind in jurul Parisului, m-am ratacit prin doua orase suburbii care aratau perfect arabe sau persane, a sarat pe mine domnul Shadow ca cica inventez.
Cum pot sa postez si eu aici un comentariu care mi-a fost cenzurat pe ZIUA, la harticolul Roxanei Iordache ?
pacuraras
Vaz ca merge sa-l pun aici..
Iata mica mea delatiune in completarea delatiunii publicate de Roxana Iordache in ZIUA din 11 mai 2007 si adresate ''In atentia domnului Wilfried Martens''
Comentariul meu se intitula ''Tot in atentia domnului Wilfried Martens'', si urmeaza:
Draga domnule Martens,
Adoptand spiritul paracios al harticolului doamnei Roxana Iordache, permiteti-mi si mie sa va d'Enuntz un Enuntz..
Autoarea acestui harticol il paraste pe presedintele Romaniei care, stand impreuna cu niste amici la o barfa mica, s-a exprimat foarte nasol despre - ma scuzati - familia socialistilor europeni..
Dupa ce reproduce mascarile pe care presedintele Romaniei le-a exprimat despre - s-avem pardon - familia socialistilor, autoarea d'Enuntzului comite urmatorul Enuntz: ''Asemenea afirmatii, chiar cu acoperire in realitate, nu se fac de la nivelul unui sef de stat''..
Vedeti domnule Martens? Vedeti? Autoarea harticolului crede ca mascarile despre - mii de scuze - familia socialistilor ''AU ACOPERIRE IN REALITATE'' numai ca nu trebuie spuse in gura mare..
Prin urmare rog cuviincios a primi si umila mea delatiune care va semnaleaza ca in timp ce autoarea articolului va serveste niste periute, in adancuri gandeste aceleasi mascari despre - rog pardonati - familia socialistilor, numai ca pledeaza pentru mai multa duplicitate...
saluti Pacuraras,
vad ca te-ai descurcat.
voi citi si eu articolul sa vad daca ai fost suficient de intepator ...
Pacuraras,
daca-i stii baiatule ce ma bucur ca te vad.
Ce mai face doamna? da papuselele?
am cam pierdut firu cu Ziua si articolele, deci no comment fara avocat:)
Servus Sehe,
Am postat 3 variante ale comentariului de cu seara, indata ce s-a afisat editia zearului..Au fost cenzurate.A doua zi, am postat din nou la ZIUA si tot nu a trecut..Dupa ce l-am postat aici, se pare ca cenzura ZILEI i-a dat ok..Probabil ca s-au gandit ca era in avantajul unuia dintre mesajele pe care harticolul trebuia sa le transmita..
Oricum, un harticol cu mesaje multiple, in veche traditie levantina..
Adica pe de o parte invoci civilitatea practicii politice evropenesti, faci cateva reverente la adresa socialistilor si condamni limbajul presedintelui..Normal, nu e bine sa te pui rau cu socialistii..
Apoi, pt. ca popolarii sa nu te banuiasca de fo' tradare, strecori un enuntz mic prin care iti declari acordul mut fata de prezumtiile ce au provocat mascarile presedintelui..
Deci si prin urmare, citind acest harticol, sa afle musiu Martens ca desi noi si-ai nostri nu spunem nasoale despre socialisti, le nutrim.Asta spre deosebire de presedintele Ro. care le clameaza si nu le crede cu adevarat, fiind un ipocrit care mimeaza adevarata credinta de dreapta..
Totul in vechea traditie a denunturilor catre Inalta Poarta care sa trimita firman de mazilire..
Neamtzu, te pup..
Frantuzoaicele mi-s bine si faine..Fii atent: fetita cea mare numai ce a sustinut con brio primele ei doua contzerte de chitara..Si-a stapanit emotiile foarte bine si de aia m-am gandit la tine...Ca daca mai ai emotii oare n-ar fi mai bine sa te imaginezi cantand la chitara sau la vioara atunci cand conferentiezi? Sau, si mai bine, n-ar merge daca in loc sa vorbesti ti-ai imagina ca dansezi?
Uite ceva care te-ar putea ajuta cand repeti in fata oglinzii dar si cand conferentiezi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhXU9POaR5A
Shukar collective,Malademna pe ulitza/Ne mananca lubenitza..
SI dupa asta, cred ca a venit timpul sa-ti fac cunostinta cu Tamango, un om din Ro. care trimis fiind de matusa lui Minodora dupa o caldare de apa, l-a intalnit pe Louis Armstrong langa un gard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQKRvAF9aXc
(si vezi si partile 2 si 3)
Ieri am fost la mine in sat sa pun pe gratar niste pastrama ce-am cumparat-o trecand saptamana trecuta pe culoarul Rucar-Bran...Cu pastrama asta e o poveste veche de 7 ani..Stau foarte rau cu timpul si n-am vreme sa ti-o povestesc acuma..Atata-ti spun numai: frigand si mancand pastrama asta ieri, azi ma simt cumva razbunat, ca dupa 7 ani de foamete..
Altfel, ce sa-ti mai spun daga Primus Tiganus Germanicus? La noi in sat au inghetat toti nucii..I-a prins un inghet tarziu iar acum frunzele li-s innegrite..
Am vorbit cu oamenii din sat, care sunt ingrijorati..Si am vorbit acum cateva zile si cu un om din Uriu (pronunta cu accent pe primul ''U'') Si la ei e la fel..De fapt in tot Ardealul au inghetat nucii si de pe acum se poate prevesti o mare criza de mieji de nuca in partea aceasta de tara....
Oamenii sunt ingrijorati si se discuta intens despre faptul ca anul acesta nu vor avea mieji de nuca pentru cozonaci si ca vor trebui sa faca doar cozonaci cu mac..
In afara de problemele de sanatate, dragoste si moarte, cam astea-s problemele care dau ganduri oamenilor de la noi din sat..
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