Is Europe the New �Dark Continent�?

Personally I believe that rather than Europe being a "dark continent", it is in fact a desirable model to follow for the rest of world. This is a problem which should be approached from a global perspective, over space and time. Limiting it to the ethnic makeup and economic problems over the next few decades is myopic.

The fact is that the the biggest problem Earth will face in the upcoming century is overpopulation, which causes several other problems along with it: environmental degradation, global warming, wars and social unrest, and if these problems are pushed to their hypothetical limits, the collapse of global civilization.

Yes, over the course of human history, the recipe of population growth and economic growth have worked well for human civilizations. However, that was because this growth was achieved thanks to the large potential of the Earth to support such an increasingly demanding population. Not only are modern humans six times as numerous as they were a thousand years ago (a blink of an eye in ecologic terms), but they also consume orders of magnitude more energy. The demands of human civilization upon the environment have increased exponentially oevr the past few thousand years, but the environment only has a limited ability to meet them. If current trends of economic and demographic expansion will continue, we will quickly reach a point of no return, which will result in a decreased ability of the ecosystem to support us, and a subsequent catastrophe.

Viewed in this sense, Europe is a kind of model to follow. Fearmongers point to falling birth rates and potential social problems 20-30 years down the road. However, such a gradual reduction in population and footprint on the environment is in my opinion greatly desirable over rapid growth followed by collapse. Europe has an economic and social infrastructure which could enable it to gradually weather the problems caused by an aging population, better than any other continent. On top of this, Europe is also supported by the rest of the world, by virtue of the global system of economic and financial exchange, which should make the transition easier.

As far as the emigration "problem" is concerned, most of the immigrants to Europe are resourceful and often educated individuals. The second and third generations of immigrants will adapt to the European culture, and whatever cultural contribution they bring to the established culture will probably only help the intellectual and cultural life of the continent. In the long run, this will only help make Europe a more diverse and culturally rich continent.

Is the decline in christian values such a large concern after all? Is the rate of crime and social cohesion in Europe really skyrocketing? No, people still maintain many of the christian values which are at the base of society, through education from their parents and through  the secular system of values whcih succeeded it. The only area of life which is affected to a large extent is family planning, which is affected principally by costs such as housing. However, can the world still afford a "have as many children as God wills it" mentality, in an era when child mortality is lower than at any point during the humanity's history? Besides, as population decreases, the cost of housing will decrease as well, to the point where an equilibrium is reached.

So what I'm saying is that while Europe may undergo economic and demographic stagnation, this is actually a good thing.