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I strongly suspect that this "market liberalization" is being pushed by American "conservatives" who I also strongly suspect are working night and day to push "American conservative" ideology off on the Europeans.

This ideology includes bigotry of minorities (which Europeans appear to be susceptible to) and the notion that some human beings are without human value. This includes the pushing of "law and order" strategies that are most degrading to human dignity. Notice the way the Roma are treated in Italy and the policies pushed by Sarkozy.

This ilk is out to undermine the noble and decent society that Europeans are trying to build for their continent. These people despise European welfare states and the social market they regard at "socialism." They have already undermine Christian Democratic parties, which appear to be adapting American "conservative values" over traditional Christian Democracy, which places value and worth on all people.

Along side of that, you can hear this being cheered on by American national talk radio hosts, push off gross misunderstandings and falsehoods about the situation in Europe. Even going so far as to state that Europe "is becoming like the Soviet Union." You can then notice this same mentality in the publication The Brussels Journal, the American conservative voice in Europe. The American conservative onslaught against European values appears to have anti-European, British nationalists as its staging point.

The American conservatives find the Lisbon Treaty the most dangerous, and view it as undermining the outdated "Euro-Atlantic Alliance." The same ilk that is cheering for the Sarkozys and Merkels of Europe actually despise European independence from the United States. The new European foreign policy instruments of the Lisbon Treaty means a shift away from the "transatlantic alliance," and the transatlantic alliance is the chain that hold Europe in bondage to America.

by euamerican on Fri May 16th, 2008 at 07:20:43 AM EST
I think you give Europeans too much credit when you say we are trying to build a decent society for the continent and it is the American conservatives who hinder us. The neoliberal rot has already spread to the core of our institutions. The Barroso commission's deregulation schemes are hardly caused by American arm-twisting. When Austria's finance minister announces plans to privatize the railways and build a social security fund with the proceeds he doesn't get his orders from the American embassy. And even the worst of our politicians have an indigenous power base, be it the Mafia or the Catholic Church.

On the other hand the US has meddled extensively in our political and media landscape. As Tim Weiner writes in Legacy of Ashes 5% of Marshall plan funds were made available to the CIA for bribing politicians media outreach and whatever else it cooked up. And the Gladio-network was active at least until 1990 and maybe still is.


The plural of anecdote is bullshit.

by generic on Fri May 16th, 2008 at 05:02:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]
When Austria's finance minister announces plans to privatize the railways and build a social security fund with the proceeds...
Ah, Austria too? The Greek PM said words to the same effect (not limited to the railways). They're on a selling spree which they aim to portray as a way to keep the SS system out of trouble (they're meeting unexpected resistance too, but that's a diary of its own). Do EU governments have the same political advisors or what?

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake
by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Fri May 16th, 2008 at 07:44:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Maybe the EPP had a meeting.

The plural of anecdote is bullshit.
by generic on Sun May 18th, 2008 at 08:15:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]
BTW, I'd be very much interested in a diary on these current plans, if you have the time.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Sun May 18th, 2008 at 12:50:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I'll see what I can find.

The plural of anecdote is bullshit.
by generic on Sun May 18th, 2008 at 06:27:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I can not understand why the overwhelming majority of Europeans would buy this bilge given that they can see how well it's worked for the overwhelming majority of Americans.  We have no health care, no pensions, no job protection.  Environmental, safety, and health regulations have been gutted, to the extent they existed in the first place.  Capital and credit structures are chaos.  Transportation infrastructure has been decaying for years and has effectively no capacity to address increasing fuel prices.  In spite of our agricultural capacity, we are a net food importer.  Decent education is available only if you can afford to live in the right place.  We have a regressive tax structure.  And we may have the most economically rigid society in the industrialized West; the only economic mobility is down.

If this sounds like a system you would like to emulate, by all means buy a ticket and get on board.

by rifek on Sun May 18th, 2008 at 08:38:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]
rifek:
I can not understand why the overwhelming majority of Europeans would buy this bilge given that they can see how well it's worked for the overwhelming majority of Americans.
But they can't. Can we have more americans coming to Europe and telling us that, no, the grass is not greener?

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri May 23rd, 2008 at 08:54:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]
We can't afford to go to Europe, which ought to say a lot.
by rifek on Fri May 23rd, 2008 at 10:49:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]
1) as Migeru said; 2) I am not at all sure that even a simple majoriuty of Europeans still dreams the American Dream - but, unfortunately, the majority of our political (and economic, and military, and media) elites do.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.
by DoDo on Fri May 23rd, 2008 at 12:44:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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