The facts are stark: Europe must open the door to migrants, or face its own extinction | George Monbiot

Europe Teeters on Brink: Without Immigrants, Europe Faces Potential Extinction

A stark reality is unfolding before the eyes of Europe. The European Commission's latest data reveals a declining total fertility rate, averaging 1.38 children per woman, with the UK at 1.44. This decline poses an existential threat to the continent as it risks plummeting below replacement rates of 2.1, sparking a downward spiral towards extinction.

The notion of "civilisational erasure" coined by Donald Trump's administration has been widely debunked. Instead, Europe is facing a far more insidious threat โ€“ demographic collapse. The erosion of population is not due to immigration constraints but rather the result of a complex interplay between high life expectancy and declining birth rates.

The origins of European culture are often shrouded in myth, with Italy's tomato-based cuisine being a prime example. Originating in South America, tomatoes were only widely adopted in the 19th century, illustrating how the concept of cultural superiority is an illusion. Similarly, beef consumption in Britain was largely dependent on colonial trade and the eradication of Indigenous populations.

The failure to acknowledge this historical context has led to an alarming fixation on population control as a scapegoat for environmental crises. This simplistic approach distracts from real solutions such as reducing consumption and transitioning to renewable energy sources.

A dire consequence of demographic decline is that there will soon be insufficient immigrants to sustain Europe's aging population. The European security strategy, championed by Donald Trump, not only fails to acknowledge this reality but also risks creating a dystopian future where the very notion of "Europe" becomes an unattainable dream.

As historian David Runciman astutely observes, there is no scientific basis for curbing population growth without addressing the deeper issues driving consumption and environmental degradation. The relentless pursuit of a flawed narrative threatens to erase not just European culture but also its future.
 
Europe's in trouble ๐Ÿค”, big time. All this whining about immigrants is like, soooo overrated ๐Ÿ™„. They're not going anywhere, and honestly, it's about time we got used to the idea of a diverse Europe, rather than clinging to these outdated national borders. I mean, have you seen those birth rates? Like, 1.38 kids per woman? That's basically extinction-level stuff ๐Ÿ’€. And what's with all this "civilisational erasure" nonsense? It's just code for "we're scared of change" ๐Ÿ˜ณ.

And can we please get some perspective here? These tomato people in Italy have been eating tomatoes since, like, forever ๐Ÿ…. And beef in Britain was only popular because of colonialism and genocide... yeah, let's not pretend like that stuff didn't happen ๐Ÿ’ฏ.

So, instead of panicking about population control, why don't we focus on some actual solutions? Like, renewable energy, for real ๐ŸŒž. We can't keep relying on the same old tired ideas to fix everything. It's time to get creative and come up with something new ๐Ÿ”ฅ. And by the way, what's with all this "Europe" business? Is it even still a thing? ๐Ÿ˜‚
 
๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ come on guys, don't go all zombie apocalypse on us yet... demography is complex and it's not like Europe is gonna suddenly lose all its charm or something ๐Ÿ˜’. let's focus on reducing consumption and using less energy instead of shying away from the whole immigration thing ๐ŸŒŽ it's like we're trying to solve a puzzle with one hand tied behind our backs ๐Ÿ™„
 
OMG, I'm so concerned about Europe's future ๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿ’”. Like, how can you even think that immigrants are the problem? It's all about the birth rates and life expectancy, but we need to talk about the root cause โ€“ our addiction to fossil fuels and consumerism ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’ธ. We can't just blame the newcomers for Europe's problems; it's time to own up to our mistakes and work towards a sustainable future.

I love how this article highlights the complex history of European culture ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น. It's like, let's acknowledge that we didn't discover tomatoes in South America (like, duh!), but also recognize that our consumer habits are contributing to environmental disasters ๐ŸŒช๏ธ. We need to have a more nuanced conversation about population growth and find solutions that address the real issues.

It's crazy to think that Europe might become extinct if they don't adapt ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿšจ. Can you imagine living in a world where "Europe" is just a myth? That would be, like, totally tragic ๐ŸŒช๏ธ. We need to get our act together and work towards a brighter future โ€“ for everyone! ๐Ÿ’–
 
man... Europe's got this major identity crisis going on ๐Ÿคฏ like, what even is their purpose if they can't even sustain themselves? it's crazy to think about how they're fixated on population control without acknowledging the real issues at play - consumption and environmental degradation ๐Ÿ’ธ๐ŸŒŽ. i mean, we're living in a world where we've already seen the devastating effects of colonialism and industrialization... have we learned anything from that? ๐Ÿค” it's like they're trying to recreate this same toxic narrative with population control as their scapegoat... meanwhile, immigrants are the ones who can actually save them ๐ŸŒŸ. i feel bad for Europe, but at the same time, I think they need to take a step back and reevaluate what they really want - is it just about preserving their culture or is there something more to it? ๐Ÿ’ญ
 
lol what's next? "Europe will collapse if we don't have enough avocado toast?" ๐Ÿฅ‘ I mean come on, who needs all that drama about European extinction when there are actual issues like climate change and energy production to tackle? Let's focus on the facts, not some made-up narrative about cultural superiority. And btw, how did tomatoes even become a staple in Italian cuisine if they originated in South America? ๐Ÿค”
 
๐Ÿค” Europe's demographic crisis is being blown way outta proportion... it's all about perspective. We're not talking extinction here, we're talking a slight decrease in population. ๐Ÿ“‰ 1.38 kids per woman? That's actually pretty chill considering the rest of the world is booming. It's time to focus on the real issues โ€“ like how to make people want more than just one or two kids ๐Ÿ˜ด and not rely so heavily on automation ๐Ÿค–. We're already seeing major strides in renewable energy, let's not forget that! ๐Ÿ’š And btw, cultural superiority is a total myth - we've all borrowed from each other ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง. Instead of scapegoating immigrants, Europe should be looking at its own consumption patterns and making some serious changes ๐Ÿ“Š.
 
๐Ÿ˜’ Europe's got itself into a bit of a pickle. They're all like "oh no, we'll die out if we don't have more babies" ๐Ÿคฃ like that's the only issue they face. What about investing in actual solutions instead of just blaming immigrants for everything? It's not like they're going to magically appear on Mars or something ๐Ÿš€ And can we talk about how ridiculous it is to say Europe is at risk of "extinction"? Like, come on, you guys are one of the richest continents on Earth...you've got this ๐Ÿ’ธ
 
OMG you guys, I'm literally shaking thinking about this ๐Ÿคฏ Europe is in BIG trouble and it's not because of immigrants anymore! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ I mean, we all know that the EU is already dealing with so much stuff like Brexit and climate change...but this demographic collapse thing is like, whoa! ๐Ÿ‘€ The fact that they're facing potential extinction without enough people to sustain their population is just crazy ๐Ÿคฏ

And can we talk about how unfair it is to blame immigrants for this problem? Like, I get it, immigration has its own issues, but this isn't the same thing. It's like, Europe needs to take responsibility for its own birth rate and consumption habits instead of scapegoating people who are just trying to make a new life for themselves ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ

I'm so glad someone is bringing up the historical context of cultural superiority and how it's led to this mess ๐Ÿ™ It's like, we need to have these kinds of conversations in Europe before they try to implement more population control measures that are just gonna hurt people who already don't have a lot ๐Ÿ˜”

Anyway, I'm all about finding real solutions to environmental crises like reducing consumption and transitioning to renewable energy sources ๐Ÿ’š Not this population control nonsense. Can we please just focus on sustainability instead? ๐ŸŒŽ
 
๐Ÿคฏ Europe's demographics are sounding like a death spiral... 1 child per woman? That's like, almost impossible for people who love kids! What's the point of even having kids if there won't be anyone to inherit our stuff? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ And don't even get me started on this "civilisational erasure" thing - what's next? Erasing history books that mention everyone else's cultures too?! ๐Ÿ“š It's like they're trying to forget their own roots. The only solution is to chill out and find ways to live with a smaller population, not try to control it through ridiculous immigration rules or whatever.
 
omg europe is literally facin a crisis!!! ๐Ÿคฏ demography is such a mess rn and ppl r all like "let's blame immigrants" lol nope thats not how it works the real prob is high life expectancy & low birth rates, can't we just focus on renewable energy & sustainability instead of tryna control population growth? ๐ŸŒŽ๐Ÿ’š its also weird how we think our cultures r superior jus cuz they came 1st its like, hello europe u got ur history from colonized ppl & u cant even acknowledge it? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ anyway lets not forget the future of europe is at stake ๐Ÿ•ฐ๏ธ
 
can't believe the EU is focusing on immigration control instead of tackling the real issue at hand ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. demographic collapse is like, literally facing extinction ๐Ÿ’€. we're talking 1.38 kids per woman, folks! it's not just about immigrants, it's about addressing consumption and environmental issues ๐ŸŒŽ. let's focus on renewable energy and reducing waste instead of scapegoating a group of people for our own failures ๐Ÿ˜”. it's time to put the "Europe" back in Europe ๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡บ.
 
๐Ÿค” you know what's crazy about this whole situation? we're so caught up in trying to control people & their reproductive choices that we're neglecting the real issues at hand - like how our consumption habits are killing us ๐ŸŒŽ& our planet. it's like, if europe wants to survive as a continent, they need to rethink their approach to sustainability & development, not just focus on who's coming in & out of the country ๐Ÿค. we gotta look beyond the numbers & stats & acknowledge that there's no one-size-fits-all solution - every community is unique & needs to find its own path forward ๐Ÿ’ก
 
The whole immigration thing is just a smokescreen ๐Ÿšญ, folks. Europe's demographic crisis is a ticking time bomb, and we need to stop pretending it's all about the immigrants. It's about population control and the EU's outdated values ๐Ÿค”. They're so caught up in trying to save their cultural identity that they've forgotten how to address the real issues โ€“ climate change, overconsumption, and unsustainable economies ๐Ÿ’ธ.

I mean, think about it: European countries have been consuming resources for centuries without a care in the world ๐ŸŒŽ. The concept of "cultural superiority" is just a euphemism for "we're better than everyone else" ๐Ÿ™„. And now they're surprised when their populations start to decline? It's like they're saying, "Hey, let's blame the immigrants!" ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ.

We need to have a nuanced conversation about this issue, not just regurgitate outdated stereotypes and myths ๐Ÿ“š. The EU needs to acknowledge its own role in driving consumption and environmental degradation, rather than shunting it onto the shoulders of would-be immigrants ๐Ÿ‘ฅ. It's time for a new narrative โ€“ one that prioritizes sustainability, equality, and coexistence ๐Ÿ’š.
 
Europe's demographic crisis ๐Ÿคฏ is being solved by blaming immigrants? ๐Ÿ˜’ That's like saying our climate crisis is caused by aliens ๐Ÿ‘ฝ, when it's really about our consumption habits ๐Ÿ“ฆ. We need to shift focus from controlling immigration to reducing waste and embracing sustainable energy ๐Ÿ’š.
 
I gotta say, I think this whole "Europe on the brink" thing is being blown outta proportion ๐Ÿคฃ. I mean, people are hyped about immigration controlling population decline... like, isn't it kinda obvious that a bunch of old folks aren't having as many kids anymore? It's not exactly rocket science ๐Ÿš€. And let's be real, if we're really worried about "civilisational erasure", maybe we should focus on what's causing the decline in birth rates instead of just blaming immigrants ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ. I mean, sure, the history stuff is cool and all, but it doesn't necessarily change the fact that Europe needs to figure out how to keep its population growing if it wants to survive in 50 years or so โฐ. We need to be having a real conversation about sustainability and reducing consumption, not just blaming people for being old ๐Ÿคช.
 
๐Ÿค” this is so true... europe needs immigrants to survive... it's like they're forgetting about their history how did they even become who they are today if it wasn't for other cultures influencing them? ๐ŸŒŽ and btw, 2.1 kids per woman is still pretty low... not sure if anyone can sustain that kind of population growth without some sort of incentives or changes to their lifestyle ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ
 
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