Europe and its struggles 6
The entire Europe capitulated in Second World War, irrespective of the affiliations of individual nations. The European pride suffered a major jolt and to some extent the downward journey still continues.
Notwithstanding the development in infrastructure and the social progress made by some of the erstwhile powers, there has been a general decline of the political and financial power.
With the establishment of Euro zone, Europe perhaps thought that they would be able to salvage some of the earlier financial power in a global stage. But the same idea has now hit them back. In their ardent zeal to see a united, strong, Europe, they ignored the common knowledge that weak links added to a strong chain will not make the weak strong but the chain as a whole weak, so much so that it can snap.
There were other problems as well. Some nations of Europe, not driven by any generosity but out of sheer compulsion (of industrial growth and labour shortage – the gap between demand and supply of skilled labour), had opened up their shores to the residents of their erstwhile colonies who were looking for a better life. Others opened up to the neighbors or to the neighbors' neighbors. They strove to meet their immediate economic necessity and ignored any plan of what they would do with the surplus workforce once the demand no longer existed, or about the problem of integration of various cultures. And it hit them rather badly in the end, when things were no longer hunky dory. They discovered much to their chagrin that these so called guests had no intention of going back and that they were bringing in their friends and friends' friends importing their own indigenous culture in the process.
We must remember one important thing here. Historically Europe, being so fiercely nationalistic, did not have the capability to absorb and assimilate people. No race or culture can absorb or assimilate others when it assumes an air of superiority. The process of absorption and assimilation is natural, not a forced one. Europeans, with due respect, lack the humility to understand and respect other cultures and create independent space for them. This is because their core ideal, nationalism, degenerates into a false notion of superiority of their own culture and language over others, thus acting as the major obstacle in their feeble attempt to embrace others.
The other solution that some of the European nations are following is as ludicrous as the previous one, but with far more severe consequences. Instead of opening up, they are closing their borders to the immigration of both skilled and unskilled labors, thinking that probably that will help them in reestablishing the superiority of their indigenous culture. They forget that by closing their borders they will very soon become like a stagnant pool that has no access whatsoever to a vast body of water from where it can draw fresh water. Like the stagnant pool they will stink and perish.
The reason is not difficult to find. Europe is ageing fast, without much population growth and with a large old population to take care of. With the generous social benefit programmes that they have now in place, time is fast running out for collecting enough tax revenue to continue with the social progress and well being and a time will certainly come where they will be at cross roads. At that time they may have to adopt severe austerity measures that some of their less fortunate neighbours are now adopting. Unless they draw from the vast pool of labour available worldwide by further opening up, they have no future. And once they face a hopeless future their attractiveness as a destination for the skilled labour will reduce thus making them further vulnerable and desperate. That will indeed be unfortunate given the contributions of Europe to the world, but that perhaps is part of the divine mother’s play - Intense Rajas or activity without the commensurate Sattvam or gentleness always in the end gives way to intense Tamas or darkness, laziness and stupidity, thus paving the ground for destruction or oblivion.
Notwithstanding the development in infrastructure and the social progress made by some of the erstwhile powers, there has been a general decline of the political and financial power.
With the establishment of Euro zone, Europe perhaps thought that they would be able to salvage some of the earlier financial power in a global stage. But the same idea has now hit them back. In their ardent zeal to see a united, strong, Europe, they ignored the common knowledge that weak links added to a strong chain will not make the weak strong but the chain as a whole weak, so much so that it can snap.
There were other problems as well. Some nations of Europe, not driven by any generosity but out of sheer compulsion (of industrial growth and labour shortage – the gap between demand and supply of skilled labour), had opened up their shores to the residents of their erstwhile colonies who were looking for a better life. Others opened up to the neighbors or to the neighbors' neighbors. They strove to meet their immediate economic necessity and ignored any plan of what they would do with the surplus workforce once the demand no longer existed, or about the problem of integration of various cultures. And it hit them rather badly in the end, when things were no longer hunky dory. They discovered much to their chagrin that these so called guests had no intention of going back and that they were bringing in their friends and friends' friends importing their own indigenous culture in the process.
We must remember one important thing here. Historically Europe, being so fiercely nationalistic, did not have the capability to absorb and assimilate people. No race or culture can absorb or assimilate others when it assumes an air of superiority. The process of absorption and assimilation is natural, not a forced one. Europeans, with due respect, lack the humility to understand and respect other cultures and create independent space for them. This is because their core ideal, nationalism, degenerates into a false notion of superiority of their own culture and language over others, thus acting as the major obstacle in their feeble attempt to embrace others.
The other solution that some of the European nations are following is as ludicrous as the previous one, but with far more severe consequences. Instead of opening up, they are closing their borders to the immigration of both skilled and unskilled labors, thinking that probably that will help them in reestablishing the superiority of their indigenous culture. They forget that by closing their borders they will very soon become like a stagnant pool that has no access whatsoever to a vast body of water from where it can draw fresh water. Like the stagnant pool they will stink and perish.
The reason is not difficult to find. Europe is ageing fast, without much population growth and with a large old population to take care of. With the generous social benefit programmes that they have now in place, time is fast running out for collecting enough tax revenue to continue with the social progress and well being and a time will certainly come where they will be at cross roads. At that time they may have to adopt severe austerity measures that some of their less fortunate neighbours are now adopting. Unless they draw from the vast pool of labour available worldwide by further opening up, they have no future. And once they face a hopeless future their attractiveness as a destination for the skilled labour will reduce thus making them further vulnerable and desperate. That will indeed be unfortunate given the contributions of Europe to the world, but that perhaps is part of the divine mother’s play - Intense Rajas or activity without the commensurate Sattvam or gentleness always in the end gives way to intense Tamas or darkness, laziness and stupidity, thus paving the ground for destruction or oblivion.
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