Category Archives: Europe

The EU’s Cosmopolitanism Gap….

Posted on May 26, 2017 by bsixsmith

My new article for Quillette… Senior figures in the European Union are growing impatient with its Eastern members over their refusal to accept refugees. Emmanuel Macron, the new president of France, has threatened sanctions if Poland and Hungary remain stubborn. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | 4 Comments

How French Intellectuals Lost Their Faith…

Posted on March 3, 2017 by bsixsmith

My new piece for Quillette… As the Socialist government of François Hollande slumps into obscurity, the favourites in this year’s French presidential elections are a liberal, Emmanuel Macron, a conservative, François Fillon, and a national conservative, Marine Le Pen. Amid … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Literature, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

The Lukewarm War…

Posted on December 17, 2016 by bsixsmith

The Cold War, to a great extent a farcical display of bumbling and brutality, was at least about something. The Soviet Union represented nationalisation while the United States defended the free market. The Soviet Union supported dictatorships while the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe | 5 Comments

On Normalisation…

Posted on November 13, 2016 by bsixsmith

Progressives delude themselves into believing that the media have “normalised” nationalist politicians. Andrew Marr, for example, is being attacked for interviewing Marine Le Pen. It is in fact world events that have “normalised” such a politician: once abnormal problems have … Continue reading →

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Hot Takes for People Who Take Their Takes Hot…

Posted on November 9, 2016 by bsixsmith

Much as I felt I would prefer Trump to Clinton, I also called him a boor, a cheat, a liar, an overgrown teenager and a man whose principles were as deeply rooted as tumbleweed, so I am not a cheerful … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Europe, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

The Meaning and Meaninglessness of Brexit…

Posted on October 14, 2016 by bsixsmith

I don’t vote in British elections because I don’t live in Britain. Even if I did, however, I would have had a tough time choosing between Leave and Remain. The problem with the Leave campaign, I think, is that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Britain, Europe, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

On Harshness Signalling…

Posted on August 24, 2016 by bsixsmith

The French “burkini” ban is completely pointless – completely pointless, that is, if taken at face value. It will do nothing to combat Islamic jihadism or Islamic totalism – targeting, I suspect, women from more liberal families than many others … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Multiculturalism, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

On Normality…

Posted on July 26, 2016 by bsixsmith

Even before the killing of Father Jacques Hamel the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, said that France “is going to have to live with terrorism”. Regular atrocities have become the “new norm”. Imagine, if you will, going back in time. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, War | 2 Comments

Against “Liberty”, “Democracy, “Independence” et cetera…

Posted on June 25, 2016 by bsixsmith

Among the worst vices of the modern left is a tendency to promote as sacred concepts that are of little or no essential worth. A hundred starving men are “equal” but this is no consolation. Votes for Hitler were “democratic” … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Politics | Leave a comment

This House Cannot Stand…

Posted on May 24, 2016 by bsixsmith

It is often feared that multiculturalism divides native populations from ethnic minorities, but it is becoming increasingly clear that there is multiculturalism within native populations – and that those populations are truly divided. Across Europe, liberal and left-wing voters have … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Politics | Comments Off on This House Cannot Stand…