Europhobia

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

International Herald Tribune - The wages of fundamentalism - Western Europe has overtaken the US in scientific research and how this shows Turkey shouldn't join the EU. Erm... Okaaaay...

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...: "Fundamentalism," whether in the form of Islamofascism, Environmentalism or Secularism is a much larger problem in Europe than in the U.S. Basing the crux of one's assertion on the Kansas situation is dishonest and propaganda. It is also worth noting that Europe, along with Australia and Canada are the ones routinely having blashmey trials, not the U.S.

There is no question that poor immigration policies are hurting the U.S.' near-absolute advantage on scientific research, but religious fundamentalism has absolutely nothing do with it.

In fact, I'm trying to locate a recent article I read that outright refutes this misguided author.; 6/22/2005 02:29:00 pm
Anonymous said...: If technology investment is any indication, and it probably is:

A recent study by Indepen Consulting and Ovum, two London-based consultancies, concluded that Europe’s spending on technology is 20 years behind the U.S.

The broadband gap with other regions is also getting wider: the U.S., Japan, and Korea have surpassed Europe when it comes to broadband penetration rates and speeds.

And Europe has fallen behind on research and development spending. Investment in the EU is one-third of the U.S. total and two-thirds of Japan’s, “with a consequent impact on economic results,” says Ms. Reding, who vows to double the European Community’s investment in information and communications technologies under the next E.U. Framework Research Program.
http://redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=11911&hed=Can+Europe+Survive%3F

ALSO:

Data suggest that Europe lags behind the United States and Japan in key areas of scientific research and innovation. A Mobility Strategy for the European Research Area, a report prepared for the European Parliament, indicates that the European R&D workforce is relatively small compared with that in the United States or Japan. In Europe, only 5.1 of every 1000 people are part of the R&D workforce, whereas in the United States and Japan, the corresponding numbers are 7.4 and 8.9.
http://www.aibs.org/washington-watch/washington_watch_2004_02.html

This author also overlooks the fact that while Europe may be "open minded" in scientific research, he forgets to mention that Europe is the place where some of the most egrigious scientific experiements ever known took place. There is a good reason why places like Germany and Austria have some of the harshest genetic research restrictions in the world.; 6/22/2005 02:45:00 pm
Anonymous said...: This really was one of the most bizarre op-eds I have ever read in the IHT! What were they thinking letting that one in? As it happens, I am starting to reconsider my long-term support for Turkish membership of the EU, but not because I think that Turkey cannot integrate into the EU in time. I think they can. Instead, I am just growing ever more certain that most EU citizens are too prejudiced to ever let the Turks become EU citizens en masse.

Anyway, at a grand political level, I think we will soon see Turkey become the victim of a wider debate on the future of the EU. Ditching the Turks is an ideal sop that could be offered by economic modernisers to the political integrationists. More economic liberalisation in return for a Europe without Turkey. The integrationists (Chirac et al.) would love that. Meanwhile, the economic liberalisers (Blair and Co.) also benefit as they don't need to take any steps on further integration within the EU here and now. An ideal EU compromise if ever there was one - except for the Turks, who are stuffed on the deal.; 6/22/2005 03:52:00 pm