Throughout Western Europe last week, returning vacationers by the millions clogged highways, jammed airports, and crowded into trains. The traditional month of summer holiday was at an end and a season of discontent was beginning. Across the Continent, shaky minority governments were the rule, national economies appeared in danger of spinning out of control, and even tradition-bound Englishmen were worrying whether democratic governments were capable of dealing with the severe problems that face Europe.
A feeling of helplessness and frustration was fueled by rising unemployment, a slump in economic growth, skyrocketing inflation and precarious governments. For example, the Cabinets ruling...