Europe and Boundaries

A second general observation before I get into some more specific stuff, but Europe came across as a bit schizophrenic. Yes, on the one hand, if you read the official news reports and proclomations of government, if you watch how England cowers before rape gangs and vans of peace, how Merkel invites in the world, and how the Swedish government treats those who might be radicalized by noticing the problems that bringing in third worlders hath wrought, you'd think they're all cosmopolitan and could not care less about borders.

Yet.

One hint is the Petro museum in Stavenger, Norway. Yes, an entire (and relatively attractive) museum dedicated to the industry of oil drilling in the North Sea. And it is strongly themed around how the drilling industry has brought Norway wealth, and shows a little why Norway, while it has engaged in some economic ties, has stayed out of the EU.

Norway wants to take care of Norway, and if you recall, the main character of "In Order of Disappearance" was a Swede immigrant who had supposedly adapted and integrated. Even in a movie with a bit of poz you see some implicit Norway-first attitude, and a few digs at how immigrants don't respect the culture or its norms, to the point of wondering if they should get arrested for the dental care.

I didn't spend a lot of time with blue collar types, but even among fairly cosmopolitan and travelled white-collar types, you will find some who will, in trusted company, when you ask why you didn't hear German on the train, look at you knowingly, and bitterly complain about how a certain population group doesn't want to integrate, or act like Germans. And that they resent being called "Nazis" or worse for simply wanting people who want to live in Germany to act as the Germans do. And thank you for, as an outsider, being able to point out the obvious that they're not allowed to notice in polite society.

I'm talking the kind of people who would be die hard civic nationalists, if "nationalism" wasn't a dirty word. Who are all in for recycling, green power, public transport, and so forth.

There are some deep and current fractures there, but then anyone paying attention to the yellow vest protests, we can only nod and go "yup".