Thursday, June 23, 2005

The Rise of the Theory of Decline

Cassandra has posted a helluva piece this morning, single-handedly taking on those who naysay America's past, and her future. I am struck by the coincidence that I should read Cass' piece on the same day that this supurb, but chilling, interview with Italian journalist Oriana Fallaci should appear in the Wall Street Journal. If you are not familiar with Ms. Fallaci, you have missed one of the great voices of European conservative leftist independent reason. (Plus, I've had a crush on her for about 20 years and I melt when I say her name out loud: OorrriAHnah Fah-Lah-chi. *sigh*)
Now the Italian courts are trying to silence her because she speaks her mind about the decline of European civilization. Well, not really its decline, but rather the CAUSE for its decline:

Ms. Fallaci speaks in a passionate growl: "Europe is no longer Europe, it is 'Eurabia,' a colony of Islam, where the Islamic invasion does not proceed only in a physical sense, but also in a mental and cultural sense. Servility to the invaders has poisoned democracy, with obvious consequences for the freedom of thought, and for the concept itself of liberty." Such words--"invaders," "invasion," "colony," "Eurabia"--are deeply, immensely, Politically Incorrect; and one is tempted to believe that it is her tone, her vocabulary, and not necessarily her substance or basic message, that has attracted the ire of the judge in Bergamo (and has made her so radioactive in the eyes of Europe's cultural elites).
Read the interview.
Tell me she is wrong.
Tell me it can't happen here.

UPDATE:
Oriana wrote one of the all time great "angry all hell" pieces in the aftermath of September 11.
Here's a review of The Rage and the Pride by Rod Dreher, and another review by Lorenzo Vidino on Oriana's more toned down tome The Force of Reason.
Enjoy.

3 comments:

spd rdr said...

Back at cha. A lot of good it'll do you.

portia said...

Wow. Good read, and thanks for the links. I applaud her passion and courage and ability to strip truth down to the bone. I, too, have been a huge Orianna Fallaci fan, ever since I read her life-changing (mine) masterpiece "A Man." I'll look forward to reading this new book when its released. In the meantime, I'm glad to know that she will not go quietly into that dark night.

FWIW spd, Italian men (well, at least mine) will tell you that they grew up facing a similar weakness for saying the name Gina Lollobrigida out loud:) Men.

spd rdr said...

Gina Lollobrigida and I have spent some time togther...alone...in my room...in my head.