2012-03-11

European politicians talk of closing borders

Europe will turn anti-immigrant much faster than the United States because anti-immigration parties can get elected in Europe. In the United States, there are only two viable parties and both are heavily pro-immigration. Anti-immigration parties have won victories or at least seen rising support in Europe, while anti-Islamic referendums (Switzerland) and political parties enjoy widespread support and could even win in the next election if their popularity holds up (Holland). In this week's newsletter, John Mauldin informs us that European politicians are looking for Greece to shut its borders to immigrants.
The fabric of the European Union is becoming frayed around the edges. George Friedman of Stratfor has pointed out in writing for this site that immigration is a much higher priority among many European voters than maintaining the euro. It is not talked about in polite circles, but it shows up in the polls. In line with that thought, my friend Dennis Gartman, who has never been accused of being politically correct, asks some very hard questions. In a few paragraphs with the provocative heading "And By the Way, Close Your Borders Too While Your At It…" He writes:

"The enmity between Greece and her northern European 'cousins' such as Germany and Austria is already high and wide, but it is growing higher and wider by the moment. It is almost to the point where the polite bounds of political correctness are about to be broken asunder, for German and Austrian political figures are now asking that Greece seal her borders and stop the flow of 'foreigners' through Greece and into the rest of the EU.

"Yesterday, the Austrian Home Affairs Minister, Ms. Johanna Miki-Leitner, minced few words and opened the rather racist front when she said, 'We need to put real political pressure on

Greece to implement their asylum authority as rapidly as possible. This border is as open as a barn door.'

"There you have it … out in the open for all to see: northern European dissatisfaction and open disdain for the South and for 'foreigners' generally. And it is not just Greece that the Austrians and Germans fear as a port of entry for 'foreigners' into Europe; they fear Italy too, for Italy has been a port through which North Africans, fleeing the lesser chaos of Tunisia but the greater chaos of Libya and of Egypt, have arrived in shockingly large numbers to European shores. Indeed, more 'foreigners' have gotten access to Europe through Italy than have through Greece, but for the moment it is easier for an Austrian official to take on Greece than it is to take on Italy, and so Greece bears the burden at this point.

"As the German Minister of Justice, Mr. Hans-Peter Friedrich, rather ominously said yesterday, 'The question remains, what happens when a country is not capable of securing its borders, as we see in Greece. Is it possible to reinstate border controls? I want to clarify that this is still part of our discussion.'

"Which then raises the question: Will Germany take it upon itself to secure Greece's borders? My word but we don't want to go down that path now, do we?"
Europe is funding Greece and they want some things in return, one of these is a strong border. Europe also installed a puppet government in Greece to get the financial results they wanted. Putting 2 and 2 together, what happens if a Greek military junta takes control, cleans up the finances and shuts the border? Democracy is already dying in Europe, the question is whether the replacement is effective or not.

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