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Sunday, May 06, 2012

Euros Boot Austerians

Austerity was never going to work. Its disastrous failure is a reality both predictable and predicted. But also predictable was that Europe's Very Serious Plutocrats would administer punitive suffering on millions of Other People anyway -- perhaps as an end itself, perhaps to appease the predator gods of Capital -- in the face of endless evidence of failure and a rich neglected archive of historical experience and Keynesian theory demanding effective contrary prescriptions. Now, the French and Greek elections booting austerity advocates and wooting critics of austerity are obvious anti-austerian mandates. The people are demanding that the plutocrats stop the needless sadistic bleeding of the already weakened and suffering patient. It remains to be seen if the European project can be disarticulated -- if this is what it comes to -- from the Euro project. Hell, it remains to be seen if Europe will begin to change course at all, even now. Britain's conservatives aren't about to admit they are wrong about literally everything, and Germany's self-myth of disciplined superiority isn't an easy fit with the anti-austerian ethos. Things are going to get worse before they get better, and one can only hope they don't get worse enough to make things worse enough here that Republicans can opportunistically seize upon the mess to lie their way into a position to make things even worse here as a result.

4 comments:

jollyspaniard said...

The Tories and the BNP got a drubbing here recently in the local council elections so they're smarting a bit. I don't think they'll win relection. The Lib Dems won't fare too well either. A lot of leftward leaning people voted for them and feel betrayed.

Dale Carrico said...

What's the timing look like to you? I've heard it's likely fourteen months to the next general election...

jollyspaniard said...

The coalition will probably hold until the next election. There's talk of Boris Johnson angling for Cameron's job. That's usually a sign that the party brass aren't happy with their prospects of relection.

pridczar said...

speaking of austerians- did you see this?

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/10/wife-hits-husband-with-suv-after-fight-over-wisconsin-recall-election/