tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post116109729833110897..comments2023-08-20T11:07:28.396+01:00Comments on Freeborn John: Why Now?Peter Risdonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17792275403997179926noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12471112.post-1161118447346789982006-10-17T21:54:00.000+01:002006-10-17T21:54:00.000+01:00This is quite extraordinary.Aging populations and ...This is quite extraordinary.<BR/><BR/>Aging populations and shrinking work forces have encouraged many Western European countries to accept large numbers of immigrants from Muslim countries.<BR/><BR/>Early problems with integration encouraged these countries to adopt official policies of ‘multiculturalism’ with disastrous consequences.<BR/><BR/>Significant numbers of Muslim immigrants are now living parallel lives from those of the host populations. As these communities focus inwards, extremist groups have become ever more confidant and many European countries have now experienced the horror of ‘home-grown’ Islamic terrorism.<BR/><BR/>Muslim advocacy groups have responded by launching into full ‘victim’ mode, demanding more funding and concessions from European governments, citing ‘Islamophobia’ as the explanation for the community’s relative lack of success.<BR/><BR/>Would it be totally surprising if the Americans viewed these developments with anything other than a growing sense of unease?<BR/><BR/>In the struggle for oil that has characterised the early years of the 21st century, the Middle East has been the focus of American foreign policy and this ‘creeping Islamification’ of Europe means that once-trusted allies have become less reliable, of late.<BR/><BR/>Given the Blair government’s overriding wish to maintain the ‘special relationship’ at all costs, it occurred to me in the past few days that the recent massive change of direction could have been prompted by some of the recent suggestions of ‘unreliability’ coming out of America.<BR/><BR/>What else could possibly cause such a massive change of heart?Legacy Userhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06108569193268515749noreply@blogger.com