My post below pretty much sums up what many, many have been saying and arguing ever since September 11. Roger Simon and Andrew Sullivan kindly linked to it and while the resulting spike in traffic would usually get me very excited I was overcome with a feeling of grief when I re-read it and digested the many comments it has generated. The country I knew that, despite all my criticisms, I so love has indeed entered a phase of peril, terror and deep fear that it hasn’t felt since the dark years of the Second World War. And it’s not just Holland, it will be a pan-European issue, a reader weighs in on Germany:

The result is likely to be extreme social unrest combined with economic decline. Containing these forces is problematic, particularly in Germany which, as countries go, does not have a history of success in restraining such forces. I am particularly concerned by Germany's extreme swing over the last 60 years from a society with a very strong martial element to the almost total pacifist culture today. It appears to me that such a swing does not result in a natural resting place for Germany's national character and is likely to be temporary, particularly as the pressures build up. That is one of the reasons I was not totally thrilled with the DOD's plan to reposition US forces. The question is not whether there are extraneous threats to Europe or whether Europe is a good springboard to other theaters. The issue is from our perspective that we may just want them in Germany because the threat may be endemic.

While I was hoping to ease into the weekend with a few upbeat pieces about Bush and his challenges ahead it seems we are starting to write obituaries for the old continent or position and evaluate our ideas about an even wider battle that lies ahead.

UPDATE: Maybe I am too pessimistic, a reader from Holland writes:

1) Yes, there are some radicals, but by the looks of it, they are not numerous and have limited support in the muslim community.

2) The overwhelming part of muslims not only condemned the murder (yawn), but is actively taking responsibility for making sure nothing of the kind will happen again. Also, there is open criticism of leading muslims of their own community, which is quite exceptional in a culture that keeps criticism to their own.

3) The response of politicians has been much more astute than in the past, only little nonsense about "we should not stigmatize" but clearly calling the problem by its true name.

That's encouraging, for sure. It also points to an important part of the solution which is that the muslim community at large needs to be part of the fight against the radical elements in their ranks. Without them on board any fight will ultimately be ineffective.