A few days spent in Belgrade feels like an age. Although I have been here more times than I can remember (albeit not for five years or so) the country remains almost insuperably foreign. There is something radically different about the Balkans, with respect to the rest of Europe, and there are few more quintessentially Balkan states than Serbia.

My book Defeating Eurabia will be published in five parts at the Gates of Vienna blog this week. My original intention was to say that anybody who wants to can republish it, on the Internet or in print, but in order to prevent abuses of my name, I will stipulate a few preconditions for those who want to republish it:

George Handlery about the week that was. Looking for weak foes. Europe dares to defy China. The Tower of Garbage and ecological awareness. Violent movements do not spare their own. Not only the lack of regulations alone but also bad regulations have caused the crisis. The crisis will be gone but Obama will stay. Is it dirty campaigning to mention “the record”?
 
1. It seems that we must admit to the growing scarcity of good citizenship. We like to declare our uncompromising resistance to whatever seems unlikely to do much harm if confronted. In this shadow boxing, it is to our liking if the concerns we raise are caused by forces that deliver no damaging counter punch once tackled. In such cases, regardless of our innate ineffectiveness, we can claim that we went to bat for virtue. Accordingly, foes are wanted who cannot break bones and who can be opposed without being endangered by their response. This is what makes to some the Dalai Lama appear more dangerous than his persecutors. By the same mechanism, Jihadists, crazies with nukes and systems emphasizing aggression are ignored or qualified as representing far-fetched and imaginary issues.

The 12th Summit of the International Organization of Francophonie wrapped up on Sunday in the capital city of Canada’s French-speaking Quebec province. During the three-day event, leaders from 55 member countries (including Belgium, Switzerland and Canada – though in these countries French is only spoken by a minority of the population) and 13 observer nations held talks on wide-ranging issues. The financial crisis stole the limelight. The 70 nations and regional governments also pledged to help cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050. They said they would draft a “concerted francophone position” for upcoming climate change conferences in Poznan in December and Copenhagen in 2009. However, while the French-speaking politicians talk about (financial) bubbles and (greenhouse) gases, their language is dying, both globally and within France itself.

Jacques Barrot is the European Commissioner for Justice. In an interview at Café Babel [in French; English is here] he gives some revealing answers which indicate that the European suicide is underway. He calls immigration an economic and moral necessity, adding that Islam is welcome in Europe.

Mr Barrot is a former deputy in the French National Assembly, from 1967 to 2004. He was one of the founders of today's UMP party, an institution that claims to be conservative. UMP is the party of Nicolas Sarkozy, who is known to the media and the world as a politician of the "Right." Barrot had previously supported Jacques Chirac, and before that had been a leader of the centrist movement. In 2000 he was convicted in a French court of "abuse of confidence". The case involved the diverting of government money to his party. He received an eight month suspended prison sentence but was pardoned by Jacques Chirac. Since 2004, Barrot has been a European Commissioner. He is also a Vice President of the European Commission.

George Handlery about the week that was. The danger of violent pacifism. Who is running on his real record? Accepting foul promises. Che emerges in Vienna. Protecting aged terrorists seeking retirement. Which Krugman got the prize? A swimmer who is even on land all whet. The Dictator’s Tantrum # 5.
 
1. Historically, before the era of modern war – the military mutation of the industrial revolution – the tendency was to resort to war as an alternative to the search for non-violent solutions. Today the cultural preference for war yields to the West’s rejection of military responses. This does not always happen because better means than force are available. It is done due to doubts whether self-defense is practically or morally justified. The danger of the past had been the conditioned reflex of mindless militarism. The threat for us to fear now is an uncritical, and towards those daring to question its premises, aggressive dogmatic pacifism.

Ahmed Aboutaleb, a Moroccan-born Dutch politician holding dual citizenship – Dutch as well as Moroccan – has been appointed mayor of Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands. Aboutaleb, a member of the Dutch Labour party PvdA, is currently secretary of state (deputy minister) of social affairs, and an inhabitant of Amsterdam rather than Rotterdam.

Morocco has been granted an “advanced status” in preparation for a gradual integration into the European Union. The Moroccan Foreign Minister, Taïeb Fassi Fihri, welcomed the “advanced status” and stressed that Rabat would henceforth benefit from “all” the advantages of the EU, “except the institutions.”

We all know that the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are busy little bees. Constantly legislating for our benefit and making the world a happier, safer, more comfortable place. So it was no surprise to me when I read in Die Welt about this splendid proposal,