by Oui
Thu Sep 13th, 2018 at 08:41:51 AM EST
Big update with Opinion piece in The Guardian by Bernie Sanders - a man speaking his mind and from the heart!
The political urgency to "conquer" the former satellite states of the Soviet bloc of nations is coming home to bite the EU in its behind. The corruption in these states prevents real steps to close the gap to democracy, human rights and Europe's Four Freedoms principle. No leadership but ordinary politicians who belief in winning the next election as a priority above a vision for a future of the next generation. Just take a view on thousand years of "belonging" to the Christian European family [?] and where there is abuse of LGBT citizens.
○ Visionaries from the history of European integration
"In all our future efforts we shall have to keep in mind that mankind cannot give concrete shape to all the potentialities with which Nature and History have endowed it, if it does not live in harmony with its time. The single market which we will institute for the first time represents one of the essential elements for achieving great developments in production. These developments are necessary and are possible, but only if we unite ... In these days when the first supranational institutions of Europe are being established, we are conscious of the beginning of the great European revolution of our time: the revolution which, on our Continent, aims in substituting unity in freedom and in diversity for tragic national rivalries, the revolution which tends to stop the decay of our civilization and to initiate a new Renaissance."
[Jean Monnet - 1957]
More below the fold ...
Interview Jean-Claude Juncker: EU must close 'gap between East and West'
DW: Mr. Juncker, in your speech on Wednesday you talked about how powerful and influential Europe can be when it speaks with one voice. But at the same time we have this rift, for example, between Hungary, Poland and other states, that's growing deeper and deeper. How are you planning on resolving this contradiction?
Jean-Claude Juncker: By talking to people. Everyone agrees with me in saying almost with pathos: We've got to move closer together. Sometimes, the differences can be monumental. We can't allow this. But I'm very much against widening this gap between East and West further. There are also many issues that we agree on.
DW: What's your strategy? Are you just going to sit it out or what would you suggest? Will you wait for someone new to be elected, or is it perhaps time to look at building a two-speed Europe? What's the solution?
Jean-Claude Juncker: I don't think we should be talking about a two-speed Europe yet. We're not a debating club, but a club that debates. Incidentally, the president of the [European] Commission has much less influence on these kinds of things than many people would think. Governments take decisions on the basis of recommendations presented by the Commission.
On Immigration policy and the EU ... statement made by MEP in Strasbourg today!
EU Parliament votes to trigger Article 7 sanctions procedure against Hungary | DW |
Members of the European Parliament voted to censure the Hungarian government on Wednesday for eroding democracy and failing to uphold fundamental European Union values.
The measure to trigger Article 7 sanctions procedures garnered the necessary majority needed to pass, with 448 voting in favor of the motion, 197 against and 48 abstentions. The move means that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government could eventually lose its EU voting rights.
Prior to the vote, it was unclear how many members of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) bloc, the largest political group in the European Parliament, would support the measure. Although Orban's Fidesz party is part of the EPP, several of the lawmakers voted against their Hungarian allies.
Juncker: 'I've given up' on reasoning with Orban
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who gave a speech in parliament before the vote, told DW that he had "given up" on trying to talk with Orban about his hardline policies, saying "there are big differences" between the two of them.
"I constantly explain to Viktor Orban that this radical rhetoric he's directing towards Europe helps neither him nor Europe."
○ It isn't the Hungarian government they want to denounce, but Hungary | The Prime Minister |
○ Orbán defiant as EU parliament considers sanctions on Hungary | The Guardian - 1 day ago |
Related reading on Britain going alone ...
○ Brexit Negotiations Ending In Divorce Talks
○ May Concedes Negotiation Task
The Washington leadership under president Trump just loves to see the EU break up as the NY capitalists move in to pick up the scrap pieces ...
○ How Steven Bannon's 'The Movement' Is Uniting the Far Right in Europe | Haaretz |
○ The Man Who Wants to Unmake the West
○ 'Lunacy': US ambassador warns of Trump backing EU breakup
... and of course the Americans are pointing to Putin as the scoundrel who wants to undermine the Western alliance.
[Update-1]
[Links added to article below are mine – Oui]
There is a global struggle taking place of enormous consequence. Nothing less than the future of the planet – economically, socially and environmentally – is at stake.
At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, when the world’s top 1% now owns more wealth than the bottom 99%, we are seeing the rise of a new authoritarian axis.
While these regimes may differ in some respects, they share key attributes: hostility toward democratic norms, antagonism toward a free press, intolerance toward ethnic and religious minorities, and a belief that government should benefit their own selfish financial interests. These leaders are also deeply connected to a network of multi-billionaire oligarchs who see the world as their economic plaything.
…
Three years ago, who would have imagined that the United States would stay neutral between Canada, our democratic neighbor and second largest trading partner, and Saudi Arabia, a monarchic, client state that treats women as third-class citizens? It’s also hard to imagine that Israel’s Netanyahu government would have moved to pass the recent “nation state law”, which essentially codifies the second-class status of Israel’s non-Jewish citizens, if Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t know Trump would have his back.
All of this is not exactly a secret. As the US continues to grow further and further apart from our longtime democratic allies, the US ambassador to Germany recently made clear the Trump administration’s support for rightwing extremist parties across Europe.
In addition to Trump’s hostility toward democratic institutions we have a billionaire president who, in an unprecedented way, has blatantly embedded his own economic interests and those of his cronies into the policies of government.
…
We must understand that these authoritarians are part of a common front. They are in close contact with each other, share tactics and, as in the case of European and American rightwing movements, even share some of the same funders. The Mercer family, for example, supporters of the infamous Cambridge Analytica, have been key backers of Trump and of Breitbart News [Steve Bannon], which operates in Europe, the United States and Israel to advance the same anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim agenda. Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson gives generously to rightwing causes in both the United States and Israel, promoting a shared agenda of intolerance and illiberalism in both countries.
…
In order to effectively combat the rise of the international authoritarian axis, we need an international progressive movement that mobilizes behind a vision of shared prosperity, security and dignity for all people, and that addresses the massive global inequality that exists, not only in wealth but in political power.
Let’s not forget the link with the Michigan Holland gang – Erik Prince – XE mercenaries – link to Abu Dhabi (UAE) – Yemen atrocities – US/UK allies to destroy the opening of the West to Iran with the nuclear disarmament deal.
○ Democratic Ideologues, Populism and Identity Politics
