For the longest time, the smart people looked at the situation in Greece, fainted and then, having been resuscitated, declared it impossible for Greece to leave Europe. Something had to be worked out to address their financial problems. Greece was, in a way, a test for the idea of Europe, but also an excuse to move from an economic cooperative to a political union. In Greece and Italy, leaders were replaced with ones more pleasing to Brussels and willing to sign off on austerity measures.

After a short interlude, the Greeks are back in the news. This time they are threatening to throw off their Euro-approved leaders in favor of a neo-fascist outfit called Syriza. I know, I know, the Left can never be called fascist, even if they look just Mussolini’s old party. Whatever you want to call them, Syriza is not interested in sticking with the austerity program or even with Europe. What they want is unclear, but all of the beautiful people are now convinced that their elevation will lead to a crisis.

The tone this time seems different. At least that’s my read on stories like this one. No longer are the money-men convinced that a Greek exit will collapse the Euro. I suspect the reason for that is the realization that it was always nonsense. Greece is a small country with little impact on Europe. Even the worst case scenario said they would not drag the continent into depression. They are simply too small. Now, everyone has insulated themselves to their problems so the risk is simply not there.

As the article indicates, there’s also a strange belief that Syriza is not what is claims. Once they gain power, they will like being in power. That means cutting a deal with Germany and remaining in Europe. The alternative would mean a depression and with that political turmoil. The conventional wisdom is that turmoil is bad for those in charge, even though Syriza is a different breed of cat. The thought of a party of the hard left using a crisis to seize total power seems to have been forgotten by everyone.

The Germans are now talking tough, in that post-modern German way. Merkel has no choice, given what’s happening to her coalition. On the one hand she has to acknowledge the growing frustration of many Germans over the bailing out of profligate Greeks. On the other hand, she has to remind the trouble makers that their heresy will not be tolerated. In other words, she can notice their noticing, but she can’t let it slide. It sounds like madness, but that’s all she and the globalists have at this point.

France is taking a somewhat different tack. The French elite are nowhere near as unified as the German elite over Europe. Frustration with the loss of “Frenchness” is not just a phenomenon of the lower classes. Gaullism still resonates with the French elite. The stunning success of Eric Zenmour’s book Le suicide français as well as the slow legitimization of Marie Le Pen suggests the French elite are not prepared to go all in with their German partners. That Weekly Standard piece is well worth reading, by the way.

People can convince themselves of anything. The globalization project, of which Europe is a major force, is predicated on the belief that the people will never notice what’s happening to them. The average German will not notice that his town is being over run by Muslim migrants living on the welfare system. The typical Frenchman will not notice his standard of living collapsing.

It’s also dependent on religion. Much like how religion was used by the Foundation in the Asimov novels, the religion of cultural Marxism is a narcotic that turns the addict into a defender of the faith. If you dissent from the bulldozing of traditional culture, you are branded a racist, which is just the new term for heretic. If you dissent from globalism and free trade uber alles, then you are an isolationist trying to turn back the clock. Again, this is just another way to brand you as a heretic.

In America, this brand of religion works exceptionally well. Calling someone a racist is about the worst thing imaginable. No one, of course, thinks isolationism is good so that means you have to be for free trade, open borders and globalism. Then there’s the job of being the world’s cop, which is America’s God given responsibility! Anti-racism, global capitalism and policing the world are wrapped in the flag of patriotism to keep the American public fully supportive of the ruling class.

In Europe, anti-racism is not the magic fairy dust it is in America. No one seriously thinks the Europeans can keep the peace. In fact, their inability to keep the peace is one of the justifications for Europe. Instead of racism, nationalism is the bogeyman used to scare the faithful and bully the heretics. That’s what makes the Eurozone crisis so thorny. You can’t help but notice that the problems all stem from the places where everyone has black hair, brown eyes and olive skin. It’s a big reason the European elites have been desperate to keep Greece from leaving the fold. Anti-nationalism is supposed to solve these problems, not exacerbate them.

The Greeks remaining in the Euro seems untenable. The Greek people will not tolerate the conditions placed on them and the Germans cannot make exceptions for the Greeks. They have to go. The details of that will slowly be worked out as both sides come to accept reality. The Germans, however, need Greece to suffer. Their exit from Europe has to be so terrible that Italy, Spain and Portugal are scared straight. That means the coming Greek crisis will be at a time and place of Merkel’s choosing.

The Germans and French may try to bolster their own standing by tightening immigration ever so slightly and dumping the Greeks from Europe. That would take some wind out of the sails of the anti-Euro parties. Daily images of Greeks rioting or waiting in line for money will drive home the point, at least for a little while. In the long run, Greece is not going to dissolve. If they find a rich uncle to help them through it, they could end up being what Euro elites have feared – a bad example for the trouble makers.