Mark Steyn is right as far as it goes that the Europeans are reaping the results of their efforts to limit acceptable debate in polite society:
[In] the western half of Continental Europe, politics evolved to the point where almost any issue worth talking about was ruled beyond the bounds of polite society. In good times, it doesn’t matter so much. But in bad times, if the political culture forbids respectable politicians from raising certain issues, then the electorate will turn to unrespectable ones.
And if the people keep insisting on electing crude politicians who will discuss what is not permitted to be discussed?
Aside from professions of “horror” at the success of the neo-nationalists, there is now talk of shutting down these parties by using the legal system (as was done in Belgium) or by denying them the public funding to which their share of the vote entitles them.
I'm sure the European elites are thinking about something along the lines of Iran's Guardian Council that keeps those unwilling to stick with the Islamist program out of politics.
Remember, the EU is all about keeping those bloody peasants from turning the lights out all over Europe and plunging the continent into another civil war after the two world wars nearly destroyed Europe. The elites really believe only they stand between civilization and goose-stepping fascists arising all over Europe.
If a pan-European parliament with the power over nations isn't enough to keep national voters from electing bad people to national parliaments who will plunge Europe into war, the Euro elites will stop elevating the jursidiction of power and just stop letting those bloodthirsty people vote at all.
Europe, as an institution, cannot be our friend.
