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Wisconsin Public Radio

EUROPE RISES AGAIN

Program 05-02-27-A

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What's the biggest threat to American supremacy? Islamic fundamentalism? China? How about Europe? Today Europe has more people, more trade, and more wealth than the U.S. And the European welfare state offers a potent alternative to American capitalism - and what government's supposed to do. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, how Europe has emerged as the great counterweight to American power. Also, Europe's own struggle with radical Muslims.

SEGMENT 1:

Washington Post report T.R. Reid tells Anne Strainchamps about the changing relationship between Europe and the United States as Europe emerges into a leading economic superpower. Reid's new book is "The United States of Europe." Also, Steve Paulson talks with Jorgen Nielsen and Sam Cherribi about the influence of the growing numbers of Moslems who have immigrated to Europe. Nielsen teaches Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham in England, and Cherribi is a former member of the Dutch Parliament.

SEGMENT 2:

Adam Gopnick reads excerpts from his book "Paris to the Moon," set to music by the band Paris Combo. Also, Joe Queenan is an American married to an Englishwoman, and the author of "Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country." Queenan tells Jim Fleming why he admires the ambivalence of the British toward their historical figures like Oliver Cromwell and Margaret Thatcher and explains the real difference between Beatles Paul and John.

SEGMENT 3:

Orhan Pamuk is Turkey's most famous writer and a cultural ambassador for Turkey around the world. He talks with Steve Paulson about his novel "Snow" in which a secular poet is confronted by Islamic fundamentalists in a provincial town. Excerpts from the book are read by actor Steve O'Connell.

CD copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 05-02-27-A.

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Books:

• Adam Gopnik, Paris to the Moon (Highbridge Audio)
• Orhan Pamuk, Snow: a novel (Knopf)
  
• Joe Queenan, Queenan Country: A Reluctant Anglophile's Pilgrimage to the Mother Country (Henry Holt)
  
• T.R. Reid, The United States of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy (Penguin Press)

Music:

• After Return:
  Ilhan Ersahin w/ "Girl"
  on Putumayo Presents Euro Lounge
• After Reid:
  Thievery Corporation w/ "LouLou"
  on Putumayo Presents Euro Lounge
• After Neilsen & Cherribi:
  S-Tone Inc. w/ "Limbe"
  on Putumayo Presents Euro Lounge
• In Gopnik:
  All from Paris Combo's CD "Motifs"
  -"High, Low, In"
  -"Baguee"
  -"Reflet"
  -"Motus"
  Polydor
• After Queenan:
  "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
  on The Beatles' White Album
  Capitol Records
• After Pamuk:
  "Les ailes du Bourak"
  on Anouar Brahem/s "Le pas du chat noir"
  ECM Records

Distribution dates:

week of 05/07/2006 - hour 1 week of 02/27/2005 - hour 1

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Questions and comments can be addressed to: flemingj@wpr.org

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