Who stands for the West?

Consider these statements:

I made it very clear to the prime minister I think it’s in the United States’ interests that Turkey join the European Union.
— President George Bush, after meeting with the Turkish prime minister Erdogan at the White House, October 2, 2006

[There are] two visions [concerning Turkey]: either membership, or as close an association as possible.
— President Nicholas Sarkozy, September 2007, after having been elected on a platform of opposing the admission of Turkey.

We are not political but we wish for Turkey to join the EU.
— Pope Benedict XVI to Turkish president Erdogan on arriving in Turkey in November 2006 (Vatican representatives later put out PR statements saying that this was not the pope’s position, but they never actually denied that he spoke the words attributed to him)

“zzzzzzz”
— American mainstream “conservatives” on Turkey’s admission to the EU.

And now consider this statement:

Should Turkey as an Islamic country be able to join the European Union? We are the only party in Holland that says, it is an Islamic country, so no, not in 10 years, not in a million years.
— Geert Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party, as polls opened in the Netherlands for the June 4 European Parliament elections.

—end of initial entry—

LA writes:

However, Sarko, indescribable lowlife that he is, has now apparently switched his position once again and is opposing Turkey’s membership.

Also, see VFR reader Alex K.’s brilliant account of how, when it comes to the looming EU superstate, American conservatives/neoconservatives mindlessly follow the evasive prescriptions of Mark Steyn and simply ignore the issue.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 04, 2009 06:47 PM | Send