Own Tudor of the TUC has written a really useful blog on the impact of the Troika on EU states that have been the subject of severe austerity. The picture is grim; the programme has failed on any reasonable measure - including economic ones. What is however, most starkly revealing is the data on the impact on trust in both democracy and political parties which actually comes from this LSE blog by Sonia Alonso. This is a case when two graphs do the talking:
These charts plot a tale of political disintegration that is profoundly worrying. And yes, I mean, I am worried by it. This is threatening to well being. It's in this environment that parties like Golden Dawn in Greece gain support and from there fascism spreads.
My eldest son asked me yesterday what I was most worried about and I said fascism. These charts show I am right to do so.
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In the case of Greece, at least, it’s very hard to see the alternatives. They could leave the Euro – I’d say this is the best option but it is vastly unpopular in Greece. The Northern European states could provide financial support – but this won’t fly politically. What else is there?
War
That’s why Northern Europe has to take note
War!….Really, War with who exactly?……….Is there to be a Blitzkrieg thrust up into Italy and France?
Or do you mean civil war?……….In which case is not the current position that we don’t interfere?……..Just like in Syria?
And before you do the usual riff on lack of concern for human life, morality etc………..I don’t remember seeing articles on Tax Research asking for us to intervene in Syria….
Oh dear
Do you need history lessons too?
Richard, and fellow readers/posters to the Blog – let’s not turn our gaze too far away from the UK. That excellent Blogger Another Angry Voice, points out here
http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/cutting-red-tape-or-creation-of.html
how our despicable Government is planning not only to muzzle the Press, but to bring in powers to repeal any laws they don’t approve of, on the bogus grounds that they constitute “red tape”. (See the paragraph headed “Red Tape”
This really is a “clear and present danger”, as we seem to be drifting into a pre-Salazar situation, where prior disruption was used as an excuse to establish an authoritarian, and subsequently a fully dictatorial, State. Cameron won’t bring that in, but odious twerps like Gove or Pickles or Letwin,would (and WILL, if given a chance).
They really DID lie to the Electorate in 2010, and would never have won if they’d told the truth about what they planned to do. And here the lib-Dems really COULD have acted honourably, agreeing to support a minority Conservative administration on a case by case and policy by policy basis, as David Steel – WHAT a different sort of Liberal from the oleaginous, clueless Clegg – with the Callaghan Government and the Lib-Lab pact. Instead, like Esau, they “sold their birthright for a mess of pottage” – and thereby sold the British public down river, condemning us to the tyranny of the worst, most deceitful, cruel and corrupt Government in 200 years.
I couldn’t agree more Richard.
“Trusting requires that we can, 1) be vulnerable to others (vulnerable to betrayal in particular); 2) think well of others, at least in certain domains; and 3) be optimistic that they are, or at least will be, competent in certain respects.” McLeod, Carolyn, “Trust”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2011 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)
In a healthy society trust is the mechanism we deploy when we are asked to cooperate in a situation where insufficient data is available for a fully rational decision. The imposition of rules and systems that removes vulnerability from some while adding to the vulnerability of others may be necessary from a purely economic standpoint. As a political strategy it is fraught with potential uncertainty as it tends to undermine trust. Trust being that which persuades individuals from engaging in ‘self defence’ it is a strategy that is to say the least risky. Exploitation of the delicate nature of trust is made easier for those of the extreme left and right.
My work with young people tells me trust has already been lost. They don’t engage with the political system because they don’t trust it not because they are apolitical. It is a situation exploited by extremists and criminals. It must be orders of magnitude worse in Greece with unemployment reaching astronomic levels. It would be as well to remember that the epidemiology of civil unrest is viral (look up the studies of the Detroit riots in the 70s) and unlikely to respect geographical or political boundaries. Nor should we consider ourselves immune. We must supply our youth with access to work, higher and further education, homes. It is not something to get around to when things improve, it is urgent and vital for all of us.
Bill- I used to work with young people in education. You are right that young people are not engaging. The education system itself doesn’t help as our useless politicians do not feel their role is to educate the young about the forces that control their lives -instead they are fed myths about ‘striving’ and ‘getting up in the morning’ -all variations of the bogus American dream. As a result they are turning to simplistic explanations beloved of extremists (such as our present Government).
We live in a hugely dumbed down culture partially caused by a corrupt media that pedals neo-liberalism through every orifice.
The vilification of the poor, unemployed and ill is almost beyond belief and feed a survival of the fittest (or should it be ‘shitest’!) mentality fuelled by bogus evolutionary psychology.
And to think that the last European tragedy is still in living memory for many!
What amazes me still is that there is little sign of significant social upheaval in countries like Greece where people are dying through lack of health care.
We need to explain why populations are willingly subjecting themselves to this-as they see the finance sector enriching itself on their backs.
In France we are getting a resurgence of Anti-Semitism, traditional family values (the crucible of fascism in my view), it is as if people have no mental energy and slump to the lowest common denominator.
In Britain we now have a one party system dominated by gutless and cowardly politicians who are little more than lying scammers and thugs.
The sleepwalk to fascism has begun – it is time to worry.
Maybe this is a warning that we shouldn’t become over reliant on the state in the first place. Because it becomes very difficult to rein it in if you over extend it as parts of Europe have undoubtedly done without releasing extremist elements. Hayek made this argument in The Road to Serfdom.
What do you suggest instead?
Abject poverty?