Citat fra Christopher Caldwells kommende Reflections on the Revolution in Europe. Immigration, Islam and the West. Her specifikt om bådflygtninge fra Afrika, men i overført betydning om hele Europas problemer med indvandring:
Europeans in general could not figure out whether these immigrants were desperate wards, diligent workingmen, or ruthless invaders, and lacked the imagination to admit that they could be all of those things or none. What Europe needed under the circumstances was a moral code that would give answers about what it owed these people. It does not have one. A vague idea that Europe needs labor coexists with a lack of curiosity about whether migrants are indeed coming to work; a vague idea that migrants need to be cared for as refugees makes it seem impolite to count the costs of assuming responsibility for the world’s poor. To roll out the welcome mat for all these people would be nuts; to turn them away would be racist. Unable to muster the will for either a heartfelt welcome or for earnest self-defense, they hope the world will mistake their paralysis for hospitality. (p. 70)
Bogen er både blevet omtalt i Information og Caldwell har givet interview til Martin Burcharth. Jeg har læst de første 100 sider og de er overordentligt interessante og velinformerede – men desværre ikke særligt optimistiske.
The question is whether europe really needs labor, considering the fact that employment has been falling steadily for more than half a century, due to globalization (job displacements) and technological advances (automatization). I can see the issue of pensions, but if jobs are constantly decreasing, it would be suicidal to increase the population of europe at the same time.