© Youssef Boudlal/Reuters
Belgian soldiers and police patrolling the streets of Brussels, protecting against imminent terror.
Things are heating up and moving fast since the terror attacks in France just over one week ago. Since then, we have seen almost daily police raids, arrests and terror alerts and threats on every continent. Western governments are reacting in the only way they know how: declaring states of emergency, cracking down on maybe terrorist cells, staging night-time raids on citizens' homes, dropping bombs in Syria and Iraq, and pushing through new 'anti-terror' legislation.
What we are seeing, among other things, are the reactions of various factions within the Western power elite, sometimes acting at cross purposes. Chaos - no matter what the cause - is always an opportunity to bring about a new kind of 'order'. It's cynical, but for those of a fascist bent, this means tightening controls on populations, solidifying their own power base, and manipulating the public through fear. Think of it as a social 'shock doctrine'.
Having said that, not all European leaders are likely to be fully on board with this kind of "fascist" agenda where big government and big business hook up to expand their influence and wealth. Some have some shred of decency, or at the very least, some enlightened self-interest. They realize that as the leaders of supposedly sovereign nations, they are little more than US vassals, and while they are largely powerless to do anything about it, they don't like it. They know that such a power relationship only ends up benefiting the U.S. They've been blackmailed, threatened and otherwise coerced into toeing Washington's line for years, and that's bound to grate on the nerves.
Comment: Is this another sign Europe is losing trust in their American ally?