Thoughtful as ever. Europe cannot acknowledge its weakness (hence its hatred of Trump who exposes its nakedness so to speak). Furthermore by acknowledging Irans’s hostility and actions, Europe would then have to accept the validity of Trump’s approach. What is perhaps harder to understand is their reluctance to assist in the SOH operation which is most definitely in their economic interest.
The bigger question leading on from last point is why the Emirates, who have had to put up with Iran’s destabilising machinations in the region for the last 40 years, and whose populations are currently suffering the Regime’s missile attacks, are not taking the opportunity to militarily assist in the Regime’s destruction.
Presumably because such action could easily result in mutually assured destruction of energy & desalination infrastructure. Today’s actions suggest that such an escalation is a possibility.
From the use in the preamble of Aron's prescient and fatidic observation to your masterful description and analysis of the strange and self defeating posture of many of the EU's leading members, this essay strikes all the right notes.
Fearing and coddling the jihadist element in the homeland is the policy of England’s Labor government. These are not the same Brits who landed at Normandy and stood beside us in Iraq and Afghanistan. As Teddy Roosevelt said about Taft they have the spine of an eclair.
Iran's Islamic Republic was instigated by mistakes made by both Europe and the U.S. Yes, Iran was obsessed with creating its version of fascist Islamism as a counter to Western secular decadence, but for the U.S. and Israel to unilaterally attack Iran, while negotiations were being held is their own level of fascism and authoritarianism, their 'final solution' to the Iranian problem.
It was Trump, probably at Netanyahu's suggestion, who unilaterally pulled out of JCPOA, prompting Iran to retaliate, leading to Europe reinstating sanctions in an attempt to force Iran to return to negotiations with the Joint Council. Instead, Iran went rogue, encouraging attacks on Israel and other Western nations.
Rather than forming a coalition of nations to confront Iran, Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran's nuclear facilities without consultation with JCPOA allies and Arab nations, sending repercussions throughout the region and waves of missiles and drones filling the skies. This recent full-scale attack and attempted regime change also blindsided allies, leaving them both physically and economically vulnerable.
Europe may have had a hand in the process, but this war is fully owned by Israel and the U.S. Europe is wise to keep its distance from the fallout yet to follow. Netanyahu is already indicted for war crimes, and Trump is likely to join him after this fiasco. All sorts of international laws are being violated, and the EU sees this clearly. A stable future cannot happen without respect for the rule of law, and that is Europe's red line. This is not their war, and not their moral values.
Go tell it to the grooming gangs and the jihadist enforcers in the no-go zones throughout European cities. Perhaps they are simply unaware that they are violating European moral values.
The point is radical Islamism is a Muslim problem and the “no-go” zones you mention are ghettos of poverty and despair. A vast majority of Muslims can integrate and coexist with Westerners, and it is they who need to police their ranks and confront extremism.
Judaism had a major reformation in Western Europe at the turn of the 20th century, and Muslims are capable of the same. Islamist Iran is a Muslim problem and it should be a coalition of Arab states finding a solution, not the U.S. and Israel whose intervention will only increase the radicalism.
Estimates place the number of Basij and IRCG sympathizers in Iran at approximately 15%. The majority of Iranians are peaceful and sympathetic to Israel and Western values. However, in their recent efforts "to police their ranks and confront extremism", more than 30,000 of them were brutally slaughtered in just a couple days. You may find it helpful to adjust your ideological convictions in response to the feedback that reality provides.
Trump has 60 or 90 days under the War Powers act, approved by a bipartisan majority in Congress that overrode a Presidential Veto. He disclosed what he was going to do with the main Congressional leaders (the gang of 8) and notified Congress of what he had done within the required timeframe. Note this is American Law, not “Internationl Law”
But, was it "democratic"? The Constitution says that Congress has the power to declare war, and the War Powers Act was intended as an emergency workaround for a crisis, not as standard operating procedure. This is the action of an autocrat sanctioned by his sycophants, and the vast majority of the American public are not amused.
Article 2(4) of the UN Charter is the foundational provision prohibiting the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. That is the main violation of international law, and I am sure among many other violations.
I don’t recall ever participating in voting on any “international law”. When was the vote? In the USA, any treaty requires 3/4 of the Senate to approve. When did this happen? Neither the USA or Israel has accepted the jurisdiction of the so called “International Court of Justice”. Are we not a democratic republic?
The U.S. was instrumental in writing the UN Charter and we have historically been compliant with international laws of military conduct. The U.S. Congress has not ratified the UNCLOS, international law of the sea, but we still patrol and enforce international laws globally.
Are you suggesting the U.S. go rogue and encourage others to follow? Do you prefer the rule of the jungle over international rules of law?
This is the first piece that I have read in a long while that shares some encouraging news about Europe's political class. Thanks for this close reading of a cloudy reality that reveals a silver lining that I had missed.
Pressure is growing about the inherent sense of NATO that cannot be ignored … What allies do we have in the age of Trump, how far gone are the TDS-afflicted overseas and domestically who are siding with mullahs and the communist left … wretched spectacle … we see who they are rooting for!
Again pointing out the unspoken. How far will Europe go in fearing to state the obvious? How about a tidal wave of rape and sexual exploitation of girls - Rotherham? Where incredibly not just wobbly politicians remain silent but police officers sworn to protect? How about never discussing the wisdom of inviting in hundreds of thousands of people who do not understand or appreciate the culture (and in many instances hate it)? And if, as it seems, it is fear of speaking truth to power, then it’s their own doing by attributing that power to those who would subvert Europe. And arresting those who raise questions on Facebook? It seems both disgusting and suicidal.
I dont believe that it should be so hard to answer or to speculate on and answer. It is called for lack of a better word, Cowardice. The fear of offending muslims. They fear retribution, the same reason they allow the rape and murdered of young girls and women, Of assaults......
If you will allow me, I would like to draw your attention to something.
I would like to begin with a quote from Horst Seehofer (former Interior Minister of Germany).
Those who decide are not elected, and those who are elected have nothing to decide.
(TV Show "Pelzig unterhält sich", 20. Mai 2010 )
Horst Seehofer thus made it clear that German democracy is only a sham democracy.
With the words "Those who decide are not elected," he refers to the Atlantik-Brücke association.
The Atlantik-Brücke (1952) is an association of leading figures from business, politics, the armed forces, academia, media, and culture who use their shared network to exert socio-political influence and cultivate contacts. In addition to decision-makers from these sectors...(Lobbypedia)
German industry, banks, and the media are controlled by this association.
Anyone aspiring to a leadership position in business and politics can only achieve this if they are a member of the association.
For example: In the federal election on February 23, 2025, all three chancellor candidates were members of the association.
Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union)
Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic Party)
Robert Habeck (Alliance 90/The Greens)
The elections in Germany are a theatrical performance.
Investigate and you will be shocked by what you will find.
Remember that;
Those who decide are not elected, and those who are elected have nothing to decide.
Always refusing to confront the reality of a corrupt and thug POTUS, who doesn't know how to end a war and, after disparaging EU from the onset of his presidency, is now scrambling to search help from the enemy.
Lol, American shipping doesn't go through the strait of Hormuz.
If Europe wants it open it can try clearing it with its combined navy, not that it's likely to be up to the task. Otherwise, the US will probably get around to doing it eventually.
Thoughtful as ever. Europe cannot acknowledge its weakness (hence its hatred of Trump who exposes its nakedness so to speak). Furthermore by acknowledging Irans’s hostility and actions, Europe would then have to accept the validity of Trump’s approach. What is perhaps harder to understand is their reluctance to assist in the SOH operation which is most definitely in their economic interest.
The bigger question leading on from last point is why the Emirates, who have had to put up with Iran’s destabilising machinations in the region for the last 40 years, and whose populations are currently suffering the Regime’s missile attacks, are not taking the opportunity to militarily assist in the Regime’s destruction.
Presumably because such action could easily result in mutually assured destruction of energy & desalination infrastructure. Today’s actions suggest that such an escalation is a possibility.
From the use in the preamble of Aron's prescient and fatidic observation to your masterful description and analysis of the strange and self defeating posture of many of the EU's leading members, this essay strikes all the right notes.
Fearing and coddling the jihadist element in the homeland is the policy of England’s Labor government. These are not the same Brits who landed at Normandy and stood beside us in Iraq and Afghanistan. As Teddy Roosevelt said about Taft they have the spine of an eclair.
"Two wrongs do not make a right."
Iran's Islamic Republic was instigated by mistakes made by both Europe and the U.S. Yes, Iran was obsessed with creating its version of fascist Islamism as a counter to Western secular decadence, but for the U.S. and Israel to unilaterally attack Iran, while negotiations were being held is their own level of fascism and authoritarianism, their 'final solution' to the Iranian problem.
It was Trump, probably at Netanyahu's suggestion, who unilaterally pulled out of JCPOA, prompting Iran to retaliate, leading to Europe reinstating sanctions in an attempt to force Iran to return to negotiations with the Joint Council. Instead, Iran went rogue, encouraging attacks on Israel and other Western nations.
Rather than forming a coalition of nations to confront Iran, Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran's nuclear facilities without consultation with JCPOA allies and Arab nations, sending repercussions throughout the region and waves of missiles and drones filling the skies. This recent full-scale attack and attempted regime change also blindsided allies, leaving them both physically and economically vulnerable.
Europe may have had a hand in the process, but this war is fully owned by Israel and the U.S. Europe is wise to keep its distance from the fallout yet to follow. Netanyahu is already indicted for war crimes, and Trump is likely to join him after this fiasco. All sorts of international laws are being violated, and the EU sees this clearly. A stable future cannot happen without respect for the rule of law, and that is Europe's red line. This is not their war, and not their moral values.
Go tell it to the grooming gangs and the jihadist enforcers in the no-go zones throughout European cities. Perhaps they are simply unaware that they are violating European moral values.
The point is radical Islamism is a Muslim problem and the “no-go” zones you mention are ghettos of poverty and despair. A vast majority of Muslims can integrate and coexist with Westerners, and it is they who need to police their ranks and confront extremism.
Judaism had a major reformation in Western Europe at the turn of the 20th century, and Muslims are capable of the same. Islamist Iran is a Muslim problem and it should be a coalition of Arab states finding a solution, not the U.S. and Israel whose intervention will only increase the radicalism.
Estimates place the number of Basij and IRCG sympathizers in Iran at approximately 15%. The majority of Iranians are peaceful and sympathetic to Israel and Western values. However, in their recent efforts "to police their ranks and confront extremism", more than 30,000 of them were brutally slaughtered in just a couple days. You may find it helpful to adjust your ideological convictions in response to the feedback that reality provides.
So, the “reality” you are advising is Israel’s “ethnic cleansing” final solution as practiced in Gaza. We shall see how that works out for them.
I fully agree. The rule of law is Europe's red line. And echoing the talking points of the WH-gangsters isn't called "analysis".
Trump has 60 or 90 days under the War Powers act, approved by a bipartisan majority in Congress that overrode a Presidential Veto. He disclosed what he was going to do with the main Congressional leaders (the gang of 8) and notified Congress of what he had done within the required timeframe. Note this is American Law, not “Internationl Law”
But, was it "democratic"? The Constitution says that Congress has the power to declare war, and the War Powers Act was intended as an emergency workaround for a crisis, not as standard operating procedure. This is the action of an autocrat sanctioned by his sycophants, and the vast majority of the American public are not amused.
Article 2(4) of the UN Charter is the foundational provision prohibiting the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. That is the main violation of international law, and I am sure among many other violations.
I don’t recall ever participating in voting on any “international law”. When was the vote? In the USA, any treaty requires 3/4 of the Senate to approve. When did this happen? Neither the USA or Israel has accepted the jurisdiction of the so called “International Court of Justice”. Are we not a democratic republic?
You and Congress did not vote to enter this war either, which probably answers your question about whether we are no longer a "democratic republic."
The U.S. was instrumental in writing the UN Charter and we have historically been compliant with international laws of military conduct. The U.S. Congress has not ratified the UNCLOS, international law of the sea, but we still patrol and enforce international laws globally.
Are you suggesting the U.S. go rogue and encourage others to follow? Do you prefer the rule of the jungle over international rules of law?
Thank you Zineb for all. And now, for quoting Raymond Aron!
Weak men make hard times
Strong men make easy times
Where are we here? yes
The university = The "new Religion" (religion of nihilism)
Europe’s problem is not pure weakness. It is legitimacy lag.
Its strategic layer can still recognize threats and sometimes act on them.
But its public moral vocabulary can no longer comfortably describe what that action means.
So Europe participates in hard power while narrating itself as if it does not.
That is not just hypocrisy. It is a sign that execution and legitimacy are drifting apart.
This is the first piece that I have read in a long while that shares some encouraging news about Europe's political class. Thanks for this close reading of a cloudy reality that reveals a silver lining that I had missed.
which of them? We got 27+1 of them.
Pressure is growing about the inherent sense of NATO that cannot be ignored … What allies do we have in the age of Trump, how far gone are the TDS-afflicted overseas and domestically who are siding with mullahs and the communist left … wretched spectacle … we see who they are rooting for!
Again pointing out the unspoken. How far will Europe go in fearing to state the obvious? How about a tidal wave of rape and sexual exploitation of girls - Rotherham? Where incredibly not just wobbly politicians remain silent but police officers sworn to protect? How about never discussing the wisdom of inviting in hundreds of thousands of people who do not understand or appreciate the culture (and in many instances hate it)? And if, as it seems, it is fear of speaking truth to power, then it’s their own doing by attributing that power to those who would subvert Europe. And arresting those who raise questions on Facebook? It seems both disgusting and suicidal.
I dont believe that it should be so hard to answer or to speculate on and answer. It is called for lack of a better word, Cowardice. The fear of offending muslims. They fear retribution, the same reason they allow the rape and murdered of young girls and women, Of assaults......
Just no moral courage, no backbone.
AND NOW FOR RUSSIA....
Moderates, never driven by principle, always trimming their sails to the latest wind.
https://thejunglechaosco.substack.com/p/the-cracking-of-fear-why-is-iran?r=6xmz51
Dear Mrs. Zineb Riboua,
I congratulate you on this article.
If you will allow me, I would like to draw your attention to something.
I would like to begin with a quote from Horst Seehofer (former Interior Minister of Germany).
Those who decide are not elected, and those who are elected have nothing to decide.
(TV Show "Pelzig unterhält sich", 20. Mai 2010 )
Horst Seehofer thus made it clear that German democracy is only a sham democracy.
With the words "Those who decide are not elected," he refers to the Atlantik-Brücke association.
The Atlantik-Brücke (1952) is an association of leading figures from business, politics, the armed forces, academia, media, and culture who use their shared network to exert socio-political influence and cultivate contacts. In addition to decision-makers from these sectors...(Lobbypedia)
German industry, banks, and the media are controlled by this association.
Anyone aspiring to a leadership position in business and politics can only achieve this if they are a member of the association.
For example: In the federal election on February 23, 2025, all three chancellor candidates were members of the association.
Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union)
Olaf Scholz (Social Democratic Party)
Robert Habeck (Alliance 90/The Greens)
The elections in Germany are a theatrical performance.
Investigate and you will be shocked by what you will find.
Remember that;
Those who decide are not elected, and those who are elected have nothing to decide.
Always refusing to confront the reality of a corrupt and thug POTUS, who doesn't know how to end a war and, after disparaging EU from the onset of his presidency, is now scrambling to search help from the enemy.
Lol, American shipping doesn't go through the strait of Hormuz.
If Europe wants it open it can try clearing it with its combined navy, not that it's likely to be up to the task. Otherwise, the US will probably get around to doing it eventually.