Résistance: Igniting the flame of the New European Left.

It all started in 2007, on spring day in may. Nicolas Sarkozy was the candidate of reform, the self-proclaimed champion of the "silent majority". The notion of "silent majority" is very interesting, the belief that the majority of population in France are oppressed by a radical fringe of the population, that has pursued to push the public debate to the left. Mr. Sarkozy openly declared war on the "relics" of Mai 68 and on the ideology that has somehow "occupied" the France political scene, that the social state is the "holy grail".
The truth is that, the feeling that something along the path of the 5th Republic went wrong is recurrent in the French common psych. But the to just conner these occurrences to France, would be to forget the larger European image.


If you look throughout European history, it has always been a history of shocks and counter-shocks, of revolution and counter-revolution. The examples are various and diverse from the battle for the soul of Christianity that was embodied by Martin Luther's revolt in the German speaking lands, and from that epicentre flared dissent and civil unrest throughout Europe, to the French Revolution that brought yet another period of dissidence in Europe and social/political and economic transformation. Europe has always been like a schema of unstable dominos on the verge of collapse.
The last time, Europe did experience a vast and divisive period of revolution and counter-revolution was during the period of the 1920s-1930s. For many it was called the "European Civil War", from the physical and officially declared confrontation in Spain (the Spanish Civil War) that opposed the Republicans to the "Falangists" of the reactionary military uprising, to France and the period of relative instability that preceded and precipitated the birth of the "Front Populaire" and which continued during its rule, to Italy and the fight between communist and anarchist fractions and the reactionary/fascist "grouplings". In the 1920s-193's an ideological war took place in Europe, the conclusion of that war was supposed to be World War II and the death of fascism and reactionary ideology in Europe. But this fight prolonged deeper into the 20th Century and was called the "Cold War". Many times we speak of the proxy wars that occurred in South Eastern Asia or in Africa as the main conflicts of the "Cold War", but on a certainly lesser scale but certainly as intense, a continental proxy war did occur in Europe. The dictatorships of Franco, Salazar and of the Colonel Regime in Greece were supported diplomatically, financially and militarily (even) by the Western Bloc, a bit like the support that Ben Ali and Mubarak received before their fall-out. This points to the truth that capitalism does not always go hand in hand with democracy or freedom of speech. The countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy before them, that did have a significant leftist base, experienced after the fall of their respective dictatorships, "undercover" civil wars. In Italy for example the Christian Democrat Coalition that had tries with the mafia and other organized crime did receive support and backing from the "Free World". But generally socialist/communist parties and anarchist organizations were the target of false flag operations, intimidation and even destructive action. The only reason that, those groups persisted was that their efforts were fuelled by the "Cold War". And then the Berlin Wall was shattered and the leftist heritage of Europe was in disarray and fell into the infernal spiral of outright decadence.
But like a religion that is banned, the belief in a set of values and principals under the ban only amplifies. The ban instead created the ecosystem for a rebirth of the left, but not of the same left, a more divergent and modern ideological purpose was born.


Starting in 1979, and having its nirvana during the 1990s the neo-liberal ideologies, built up through Thatcherism in England and spread like a wild fire throughout the European continent (another example of shock and counter-shock). It deregulated and destroyed the social and economical system that was predominant in Europe... the welfare state. After the fall of the Soviet Bloc, it was almost as if the European left dug their own graves and went for a long hibernation. Some decided to ditch the sinking boat and join the neo-liberal shinning cruiser, other just silenced themselves as if the fatality of reality was a too heavy burden on their shoulders so they collapsed into silence, and some "radicals" didn't shy from the path of truth because of the few walking along it and started the grassroots "résistance" against neo-liberalism and wild gilded age capitalism. At times they might of seemed as if they were peaching the desert, but now with the failing austerity measures, the rising inequality and the destruction of the enlightenment ideals of social justice, from that arid desert land has sprouted a forest of discontent and disobedience.
The last of the resisting domino's to fall was France, in 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy was elected, he was from the 1%, elected by the 1% to protect the interests of the 1%. His administration started little by little dismantling the French welfare state and tearing apart the French social fabric. It resulted in the push the French left needed to harvest the invisible forest of discontent. The champion of this new libertarian Left is Mélenchon, but this libertarian left is not exclusively French. In German parties such as "Die Linke" and in Spain "La Izquierda Unida" have shown the strongest showings since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the "death" of the European left. So is this the "renaissance" of the European Left?(...) Yes, but without a  wakening the revolution of mentalities will never completely be accomplished. Looking at the political environment in Europe, I believe that the new libertarian Left is without doubt on the rise, this being said without power, these fantastic speeches and ideas are but a sermon with nil attendance. So what is the viable option for the "New Left", should it compromise and join the Tony Blair fringe of "fake-leftist" parties, to win over the electorate? Certainly not the true Left should never compromise on it's true and core ideals. The easiest solution is to compromise, but how can you compromise without being compromised? In fact that's an impossibility, we've seen that happen time after time in Spain under Zapatero, in the U.K under Tony Blair and in Germany under Schröder, what was the result of compromising on core values: defeat.
The mission of the "New Left" is to hijack the "mushy" Left movement and bring back the centre of debate to the "real" Left and that is something Mélenchon has done very well during this French presidential election, 2nd ballot or not, his campaign has reignited the flame of the French Left.
And so this is crossroad at which we encounter ourselves now. Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal are drowning in debt, the crisis is far from over. The myth of neo-liberalism is dying in the minds and hearts of the majority of people and so a vacuum is left. This vacuum has to be filed but not by the authoritarian left of the 1960s or the "mushy" left of the 1990s, but a new vibrant left powered by communities and by social activism and not by lobbies or economic interests.
The "Silent majority" is us and this is our "silent revolution" reloaded.


Résistance.


Sky 

Greece: Or the death of an unborn "social" European Union

Imaginary flames surround Athens tonight. But they also surround the "eternal city" tonight.

Rome was the birth place of so many things, but in the history of the European Union more specifically it was the birth place of the accords of Rome, that are the "birth declaration" of the European Union.

Since the out burst of the economic global crisis in at the end of 2008, Europe has more and more set it's "fundamental" values (in the sense of the values at core of it's foundation). The construction of a federative European association of nations. During the 19th century after the Napoleonic wars, the revolutionary experience flared throughout Europe, many intellectuals built the idea of a unified Europe, these ideas ran throughout the common European bloodline. The fact is that the ideological source of the European Union, has gone dry. The actual EU as an institution has almost nothing to do the founding principals of the "European Ideal".
The actual European Union is nothing more then a free market zone and a "neo-liberal" transnational authoritarian regime. I will not come back on to the toppling of the democratically elected governments of Greece and Italy. But this is just the visible tip of the iceberg. The fact is that because of the disinformation firewall that has used the myth of economic prosperity, of peace and of democratic values.  It's time to get the information out there, and to destroy this firewall.
Since the fall of the Berlin wall, and the end of the bipolar world, the European has started it's quest to perfect it's "neo-liberal" union.
In eastern Europe, the European Union on behave of the idea of integration into the union, imposed a very severe and "undemocratic" integration criteria. In Poland, the EU hijacked the Solidarnosc union/political movement, and forced them to water down their social democratic values and mix those up with "neo-liberal" dogma.
And throughout eastern Europe, this was common currency. Eastern Europe had lifted itself from underneath the iron curtain, and it was hustled down by the new "bleu stared" curtain. Many still tend to believe that the fall of Communist regime in the URSS, meant that the whole of the left leaning ideologies were condemned to death. I don't believe that affirmation whatsoever. I believe that now, more then ever in this time and context in the general history, that arrogance has been defeated, and is in retreat everywhere... except in Brussels and in Strasbourg.
The "Brussels Consensus", has shown over these past months it's dictatorial face. How can you pass austerity bills and plans, when in front of the very place your are signing those bills/plans into law, massive protesting is ongoing and a battlefield has been entrenched.
That's exactly what has happened through Europe, fault line have been created, and the EU has no plans to soften those tensions. Because the EU generates it's strength from those same fault lines. The truth is that the "Eurocrats" have no will whatsoever to see a unified Europe, the ideal Europe that was dreamt by its founding fathers.
So the tend continues, between the "1st" set of European Union nations, and the "2nd" and "3rd" sets. It almost seems like an elaborate plan of power transfer from the secondary and tertiary nations. As we have seen the European power is centralized in the hands of an Oligarchy. And since the 1970's there has capitalization of power into the hands of an elite, of cooperative/financial/multinational interest.
The European Union of it's founders wishes, was supposed to be. So we actually need a revolution, in the real sense of the term, a revolution to rotate the European Union back to it's rightful directory, and it's righteous "ideology".
Today as I finish, this article on the 1st of March. The European Spring is coming.  The links between the Arab spring and the perhaps future European spring, may seem to many as incoherent, let me say it bluntly it's not that is not my point of view.
Many may, say that those peoples were fighting against undemocratic regimes. But isn't our fight a fight against the undemocratic deals struck by politicians in our name? After the Arab spring, one of the questions that passed through my mind and since it have has nested it's egg and they have hatched: Do our "democratic" regimes differ realistically from the "authoritarian/oligarchic" regimes of North Africa?
Our manifestations are met with less violence, but aren't they shut down anyways? Do our regimes hear our demands?
The answer to the both of those question are obvious, Yes to the 1st and No to the 2nd. Those answers underline the basic knowledge that questions the legitimacy of a "democratic" regime.
The fact is that for some time, a trend has been that D.O.I.N. have been popping up through out the western world. Neo-Liberalism is unpopular, true story. From Tunisia, to Poland, from Bolivia to the Congo, the Neo-Liberal project has been met with fierce hostility. In one of my "elder" articles I explained that from my point of view, Neo-Liberalism as a global power machine was built in two times. Imperialism on the colonial scale, was the first from of Neo-Liberalism that profited the more "developed" countries industrially. Then came Neo-Colonialism came hand in hand with Neo-Liberalism. It's was ironically and cynically easy for the post-colonial and the "leader" of the free world to topple elected governments and instate dictatorial regimes, that would basically sell off their natural resources for have the market price. That's a good deal right...
But it wasn't enough back at home, unions and the political left and the "fringe" (as if the neo-liberal policy wasn't fringe)  were a block in the path heading to a fully "globalized, Neo-Liberal" world.
So they'd have to cut down.

There will be another article detailing the whole process of transition from the "30 glorious years", during which the social state and grand prosperity. The Keynesian political thinking that was born in crisis period of the 30's, was born with the will to end the enduring burst and collapse system of the global capitalistic system of the age of the great barons (they be of the railways or of high finance). They pushed the world into the hands of an economic recession. With regulation and the construction of an active government role in economics.
The link with the European Union is that, the Union was built in that optic. In the optic of building together economic common prosperity. But today Brussels and Strasbourg are not creating and generating economic prosperity... it's called economic vandalism and destruction.
The fact is that Neo-Liberalism and the political parties linked to Neo-Liberalism (the New Right) only thrive through division and shock.
In Europe very few Right wing political parties access the reign of political control, with a clear and decisive majority.
Because decisive and divisive are not synonyms to the contrary.
Political victories of the New Right, do not unite or make the electorate flock to the polling station. Sarkozy divided electors on the issue of immigration and "national identity".
National identity is another myth of creation, it's a dogma (but that's another post soon enough).
In Holland/Belgium/Danemark/Poland/France/Germany/Italy/Spain "Neo-Liberal" political parties marry with basic "racist islamophobia". Divide the electorate and disintegrate the electorate.
So are these elected "Neo-Liberal" parties legitimate? They are elected with less then 50%+1 of the Nation wide vote.

I guess that it's time to believe in another way of doing politics. Politics don't have to be (excuse my french) a shit-throwing match up between the various political parties or political allegiances. The European Union is a fantastic ideal, just the fact that ideal does exist makes me believe that "pendulum" swings back and forth between regression and progression but always push a bit more on the progress side of things, so even if we feel that no progress is made immediately over the long run progression is a factor, I would say the most important factor.
So it's time to ridden Europe and the world of the Neo-Liberal disease of austerity and divisive politicking.
The "rebellious" geese that once awaken the Romans in the accent times, just before a barbaric tribe of Celts was going to conquer the city during the night in a surprise attack, have awoken today and are screaming at the top of their lungs. It's time to send the financial barbarians packing and their political chosen elite.
We can defend the "eternal" city. We must just awake from our long hibernation. Good news the spring is coming...
TO BE CONTINUED...

Sky

The European Union of Austerity.

And so the farce of the so called E.U. has finally been uncovered! The "Eurocrates" in Brussels and Strasbourg finally have taken off their masks. The myth of the European Union did live a rather long life and we did believe in it for a time. But when the going got tough, the horrid reality and the "real meaning" of the European Union was for all to see.
Since the birth of the European Union in post-war Europe, 1957 and the signing of the Rome accords that have been put down in the history books as the birth mark of the European Union, a myth has been created. The myth that a basic neo-liberal free trade agreement was in fact a much more humane and dignified human experience. In this "utopia" the E.U. was more then just a free trade agreement, it was the start of the construction of "United States of Europe" as Churchill once pronounced. It was more social then economic, it was about the people and not about the corporations. The "common-money" was not just an economic factor, it was a factor of unity. The birth of the common monetary zone was supposed to be a step in the right direction, a step in the direction of further unity and cooperation between divergent european nations. It was supposed to bring us together... but it has brought us apart!
Europe, the European Union nations are now facing the worst economic downturn in the history of the union without doubt. The 2008 crisis that lead to a globalized recession, is the worst possible scenario for Brussels, but it is also the E.U. first major crisis.
You see transnational institutions that have the pretension to affirm such global and humane values are really only put to test in economic downturns such as the one we are passing through as this article is being written. And so what lessons can we take from the E.U.'s reaction to the global economic crisis? Not a very good from my point of view.
The fantasy of a great and grand European Union was torn into shreds by the debt crisis, so were the acquisitions of the European Union founding fathers (Jean Monet and Konrad Adenauer etc...). The fact is that the general idea we have of the European Union and it's real face are very divergent. It's "ideal" face (in sense of the way it should be) and it's practical face are unrecognizable. That's why it's fair to say that European Union is bipolar and edging on schizophrenia. Because on one hand the European Union has such great principals and values, and on the other it erodes democracy and diminishes economic equity in it's member countries.
I'm from the first generation of "Europeans". The first real generation of a generalized erasmus exchange system. Me and so many of my close friends are the product of Europe. We have lived in various European countries, speak various languages and have contacts throughout Europe. We are the first generation to almost automatically say we are Europeans instead of French, Spanish or German etc...
But we are not products of the European Union, but we might soon be...
By this I'm saying that in one way the E.U. did break down the national barriers and permitted a greater transnational cooperation/connection. But this success is only the visible tip of the iceberg. I also have the firm conviction that E.U. or no E.U. transnational cooperation/exchange/connection would have only increased.

Having lived in Europe for 11 years of my life, and having travelled extensively throughout the European heart land and speaking four of it's languages, I considered myself as much as I am Canadian, a European. And more then just a European I considered myself pro-European. And in being a pro-European, I believe that it is my duty to point out the problems with the E.U.
Having lived in Belgium and having spent some time in Brussels, I always had the impression passing by the great buildings of the European Commission and other "grand" institutions of "Pan-Europeanism" that there was a huge disconnect between the European quarter of Brussels, between the spirit that resided in such a place and the rest of Europe and specially in my "European" home of Lisbon. It's almost impossible to explain how huge the gap is, because the gap is so big it's impressive. They really are two worlds apart.
Sometimes I hear, people referring to the European Union as a Union of different countries of different speeds. Let me explain myself, first you have the European Heart: I would consider that the more robust economies meaning Germany, the United Kingdom, the Benelux, France and the Scandinavian members, then you have the group of less integrated members (medium speed): that being Spain, Italy, Poland the "economic miracle" of Slovenia and others... and then you have the "outsiders" (low speed): that being since the economic downturn of 2008 Ireland, Portugal and Greece but also countries like Latvia ( that in 2008 hit a recession of 10.5% of it's GDP, an important chunk of it's economic growth since it's entrance into the "free" market economy, "evaporated").
The E.U. imposed "criminal" economic austerity measures in countries such as Greece and Portugal. Those two countries have been forced by the almighty Troika to accept to be the economic slaves of creditors in big multinational banks (alike the banks that "levelled" the terrain for such an economic crisis to grow) for the next decade. The problem with those countries, is that they have been hijacked by a political elite that cares more for benefit, then for social justice and social ascension. Just like Portugal and Greece, the E.U. has been overrun by corporate and banker interests. The once grand idea of a social/cultural union between European nation-states is but a fade, old, grey memory, lost in the dustbins of history.
Now the agenda of the day is austerity and the concentration of economic power in the hands of a political and economical elite and the "damnation" of the lower and middle classes of the "damed nations".
The funny thing is that in these modern days and times, political guidelines of left and right, are of no importance whatsoever. So the E.U. does it's magic of a European division of labour. The lower speed countries thus will always be dependent on the higher speed countries. And so the shift of national sovereignty and self-determination is transferred from Lisbon and Athens to Brussels (the HQ of the multinational corporation that is the E.U.).
And this is a fact, the European Union staged a number of "democratic coups" and even undemocratic coups. But because they aren't violent and gruesome, they aren't newsworthy. At the end of the last year the democratically elected governments of Portugal, Greece, Italy and Spain we're removed from power through democratic and undemocratic coups. The most notable one was the coup the E.U. backed by Sarko-Merkel axe hosted against the left-wing coalition of Mr. Papandreou. The link between all of these coups each and every government was replaced with a neo-liberal cabinet.
The problem with Brussels, isn't that Brussels is broken, it's that Brussels is bought.
But do not lose hope. As you few that read my posts with regularity know, I'm a eternal optimist. I believe that many Europeans are now awakening to this reality and want change. They don't want change because they are fed-up with the current system, they want change because that's their only way out, the only way to survive. We have been pushed into a conner, the media and our political elite want to make us believe that this the only way. But we know it isn't! We just have to look north to Iceland to see that there is an alternative way.
As I write this post, families in Greece and my dear Portugal awake to yet another painful day of austerity. The pain is huge in Portugal and Greece over the last past 6 months, the number of child "abandonments" has risen dramatically and let's not talk about the suicide rates (that I guess that isn't newsworthy either). People tend to link crime to murder and violent crime, but how ,about the crime of being the cause of death indirectly? Economic crimes against humanity have been lunched by the corporate interest, their banks and by their lobbies and for the time being the I.M.F., the E.U. and the World Bank have been complacent.
But we have to remind Brussels, one little thing... they aren't "EUROPE", we are "EUROPE". We citizens of all colours and creeds, of all walks of live, of all linguistic backgrounds and cultural settings we are the "European Dream". It's time to take back our Europe, the Europe of our founding fathers.
"EUROPE" doesn't solely reside in Strasbourg or Brussels, "EUROPE" resides in the port workers of Piraeus, "EUROPE" resides in the dreams of an African immigrant traveling stormy seas tonight. "EUROPE" resides in us, not in some of us, but in all and each and everyone of us. And a threat against the spirit of "EUROPE" anywhere is a threat to "EUROPE" everywhere.

Sky