This is cross posted over at DKos, but wanted to share it here too:
My dear cousin sent me the article from today’s NYT, entitled: “Two No Votes in Europe: the anger spreads” (sorry subscription required)
I have been thinking a lot about the meaning of this, and where it will all lead to…I explained my current views on the subject (which continue to evolve)…and I’d like to share these with you:
Hi Cuz,
I think this is an interesting article…thanks for sending it along…although I also think there is (on the one hand) far too much doom-saying and gnashing of teeth, and (on the other hand), too much gloating that Europe has failed. I suspect it’s something else altogether. Right now, as a new European immigrant, I’m trying to wrap my brain around what it all might mean…and what is coming up right now is: what’s more important? Being an economic power, or being more of a democracy? (more below)
There seems to be this assumption that economic competitiveness is more important than taking care of people socially…that that is part
of “reform”. Who says? Why can’t it be a capitalism that that is also socialistic?
Why can’t corporations make their profit, but that people also have jobs and have a social safety net? I’m sorry, but the people ARE more important than corporations and their bottom lines. Already, there is massive unemployment
here…and as far as I can see, this is NOT being addressed by this “reform economy”. I see fewer people doing more work, more people out of work, and most corporations making lots of money. And they wonder why people are pissed.
I did think these two paragraphs were closer to the truth: (from the NYT, 6-2-05)
“The public disaffection is different in each country, and more than economic matters are involved. Europeans are worried, among other things, about the rapid enlargement of the European Union…There is a sense, palpable in the Netherlands, that the whole European enterprise is controlled by unresponsive,
unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels who have it in their power to rob countries of their national identities.
But in France, Germany and Italy, already beset by high unemployment, the worry that free-market reforms will only make matters worse predominates. A week before the French rejected the constitution, Germany’s chancellor,
Gerhard Schröder, called early elections, after local defeats had left him essentially without the authority to govern. Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has promised reforms but failed to deliver them, out of concern
for mass discontent”.
I don’t think its doom…I think it is the voice of democracy…politicians (and corporations) are out of touch with the needs of the people. The people are pushing back. It is only a crisis or failure if the politicians fail to listen to what the people are saying. My other question: When are the Americans going to start speaking out their concerns, like the brave and
social conscious Europeans have? I have to believe that time will come…
Love ya…and Peace!
