DEPLETED EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY
Politicians are getting increasingly tired, citizens increasingly frustrated,
the pace and
action requirements dictated by
the financial markets increasingly dominant – High time for a strategy of slowing down.
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THERE ARE CURRENTLY 22 STATES IN THE WORLD WHICH EARN OVER 60% OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GDP FROM OIL (AND GAS), AND ARE RULED BY NON-DEMOCRATIC, AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2012/12/europe-and-arab-spring-that-never-sprung.html
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REGIME CHANGE IN EUROPE, FROM DEMOCRACY TO FINANCE DICTATORSHIP?
http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.com.ar/2011/11/regime-change-in-europe-from-democracy.htmlTHERE ARE CURRENTLY 22 STATES IN THE WORLD WHICH EARN OVER 60% OF THEIR RESPECTIVE GDP FROM OIL (AND GAS), AND ARE RULED BY NON-DEMOCRATIC, AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES
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Democracy as a form of government, whose law emanates from the people, has ceased to exist, according to the perception of
a growing number of EUROPEANS. The
law is no longer derived
from the people. People are just invited
to participate in elections, regardless
of whether this means to have an actual choice on
subject matter.
A SPECTER IS
HAUNTING EUROPE: THE SPECTER OF HETERONOMY – IMF, ECB AND THE WORLD BANK
After all, a specter is haunting EUROPE: the specter of heteronomy.
The EUROPEANS, especially GREEKS, IRISH and PORTUGUESE, perceive their
governments no longer as Governments per, but as a lobbyist or even advocate of international organizations such as the
IMF, the existence of which is not democratically legitimized. Politicians,
even in those European countries that are economically well off, follow
obediently to the shouts of "financial markets" for fear of international
rating agencies downgrading the credit rating of their country or increase the
interest rate on government bonds.
EVEN THOSE
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY WELL OFF, FOLLOW OBEDIENTLY TO THE
SHOUTS OF "FINANCIAL MARKETS"
Democracy in the eyes of
many EUROPEANS, not only in GREECE, IRELAND and PORTUGAL
and ITALY, has become unfair. Docility is deemed appropriate,
otherwise and increase in debt service coverage margin is imminent.
A political
statement of the legendary Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky (22 January 1911 – 29 July 1990)
"I prefer
dept of a couple of billion shillings rather than a few hundred thousand
unemployed" is no longer conceivable. "Deficit spending" to
support the welfare state to pay for a "New Deal" would be severely punished
by the "markets".
For the markets
don’t feel obliged to heed to demands by society, not even the ideas of the founder
of “National Economics”, Adam Smith seems to prevail: "No society can
flourish and be happy, if the vast majority of its members are poor and
miserable."
SOCIAL
DEMOCRACY, CAPITALISM OR CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE THIRD KIND?
Heteronomy
equals loss of freedom. And thus the central
achievement of liberal societies is at stake: liberty. Liberty, of
being able to choose over one’s own future and that of future
generations: To preserve a social
National-State, or submit ourselves
to the system of free-market world trade? Or is there a third option? The option which is never up for discussions?
EUROPEAN DEMOCRACY
RECEIVED SERIOUS COMPETITION BY AUTOCRATIC REGIMES
The exhausted
democracy is represented by a growing number of politicians who have reached
the point of fatigue.
"Actually, politics is in need to reduce its pace and relax, enter a “reflection
loop” in order to think about fundamental topics," says the president of
the GERMAN Federal Constitutional Court, Andreas Voßkuhle. And he's right.
Democracy takes time, needs - as the former SPD leader Franz Müntefering once
put it - a "humanly possible" pace. "Democracy can only survive by
not destroying the patterns of action by the speed of events."
The fact is
that democracy, in the early stages of the modern epoch and through election
processes and dynamic legislation had the reputation for being able to respond promptly
to the needs of society, nowadays received serious competition by autocratic
regimes. The main criticisms addressed towards the democratic system: democracy
is slow in response; produce too much variability - for example, in economic
decision-making processes – thus is in the medium terms, politically difficult
to evaluate. Which in part explains the attractiveness of RUSSIAN and CHINESE financial
markets - the predictability of these political systems promises safe returns.
ALWAYS
IN THE LIMELIGHT
Democracy has evolved of being a "24/7" show. Politicians nowadays are committed 24 hours, seven
days a week and are constantly
exposed to the “media – democracy” limelight. For reflections
between cause and effect remain little
or no time. Time pressure
and responsibility, workload and the comparatively
low salaries are seldom highlighted in general public
debates. This may the reason for lack of potential young successor
politicians in the current worldwide democratic political landscape.
A successful WESTERN
EUROPEAN style democratic system will only sustain by bethinking its strengths
and roots: the equal rights debate and participation by all Democrats in the
design of "res publica", our public affairs. This requires dialogue which
cannot be done between power napping, speed dating and multitasking. Rejecting "Hurry
Sickness" also means to give politicians the chance to cancel two or three
not so important appointments without the fear of political repercussions, in
order to focus on people and content, rather than heed to the pressures and demands
enforced upon politicians by lobbyists.
Such
approach in most likelihood will open up new strategies, to oppose the threats of loss of liberty through heteronomy, in order to
regain sovereignty, and thus preserve democracy.
By Michael Kerbler, via DER STANDARD
Original article published in
German. Translated by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring
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