The hippopotamus in the EU

Ten Million Muslim Turks were ten million too much for a third of French voters, according to this story from AP.

"The integration of Turkey is one of the most important decisions that is going to be made and a significant chunk of the European voters felt that this was something that they could not stomach,"

Europe fears ten million turks free to wander Europe as they please will threaten their sovereignty. Ten million Turks feel new oats of nationalism needing to be sown out of fear their giving up too much sovereignty to belong. The ghost of the last Ottoman laughs as Europe faces the new conquest of Byzantium, a handful of days from that famous anniversary. Meanwhile, the common European tries to pull its own Lepanto. Is keeping Turkey out worth the years Europeans have struggled to build the super state? To some, the answer may be yes:

At issue is whether the Europe Union, which just last year accepted 10 new members, mostly Eastern European countries, is now willing to expand its border further east and allow in tens of millions of Muslims.

Doubts also center on whether the EU should become a sort of United States of Europe, or whether that ambitious dream is beginning to fall apart as Europeans question whether they want to cede the power of their states to a central authority.

The French and Dutch votes reveal how deeply divided Europeans are on their own identity. The Dutch do not want a large central government commanding their culture, yet they have little problem supporting a social benefits system that makes securing the Dole absurdly easy. The French may not want any more Muslims, but they want British free market thinking even less--even though their debt-hemorraghing economy has an unemployment rate of at least 12% on any given day. It appears as though Europe is so satisfied with their peace-centered internationalistic culture that they don't want to share it with future generations. Spirituality without religion is perhaps the only non-moribund religious thinking left on the continent. Yet the Netherlands and Belgium push the envelope on euthanasia for children--with or without parental consent.

Whether this is Europe's last stand as a continental ethnicity or merely the last delay before the eventual islamification of the cradle of Western Civilization remains to be seen. Neither the Turks nor Europe can figure it out. Yet.

Update: Vox shares some thoughts on the latest developments in Europe.