Monday, June 06, 2005

American Nightmare

I'm sick and tired of condescending columnists in the US newspapers (the Washington Post and the New York Times come to mind) who go around claiming Europe must bow to the One Truth and give up its ludicrous, obsolete social system.

I'm fed up with those same columnists dripping self-proclaimed compassion on how hard the path of Europe toward righteous respect of the One Truth of ultraliberalism is bound to be.

We have no need for your pity. No need for your compassion.

Do you want me to describe exactly what you can do with them? No, I didn't think you did, anyway. Wouldn't be politically correct.

I wish those same columnists would STOP spewing their worthless brainwashing propaganda. The only people they can fool are the poor deluded souls who believe in the myth called the "American Dream." Oh, yes, economy is flourishing in the US. Yes, the very rich get much richer, very fast. That is true. Now, tell me how the numbers of a healthy economy help the millions of poor people in the US, those who are homeless, who have nothing left? Tell me how it's all helping a disintegrating middle class in the US?

I think that what gets to me the most is how those columnists, those thinktanks and all keep at it. It's how they won't leave us the hell alone. For all their claims of belonging to a great country which respects all the political opinions, all the religions (they take that so far that they support sects like the church of scientology), they display a rather blatant lack of overture on the social and economic aspects of life. I'm not spending my time telling the US people to stop being morons who have a heart attack at the single mention of the words "left" or "socialism", am I? I'm not telling the US to give up its inhuman model, am I?

What right do those columnists have, telling us we must bow down to THEIR views?

None.

Why am I ranting on this all of a sudden? Well, it's been bugging me for years, how people in the US dare passing judgements on systems they neither live in, nor understand. Nobody has ever demanded they give up their system to live in ours. Yet, from their self-proclaimed position of superiority, they have tthe gall of telling us we must bow to their One Truth. And they do this, in spite of all the signs that demonstrate that economic good health serves none other than the very rich people in the US, while impoverishing the middle class. That, and I read this column in the New York Times today.

Ever noticed how One Truth rhymes with One Ring?

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Apocalypse Knight

On the morrow of the French "no" to the project for a European Constitution, the French president has reshuffled his whole cabinet. Months too late, he has sent his former prime minister back to his countryside. To lead the government until the next presidential elections, he has called Dominique de Villepin. It could have been far worse.

It could have been Nicolas Sarkozy.

It could have been I-know-it-all-the-social-model-of-Europe-is-doomed, ultra-liberalist, pro-US, populist, authoritarian Nicolas Sarkozy.

Nicolas Sarkozy would have been the daring, bright, extremely dangerous choice. Naming him prime minister might have weakened him, unmade him for the presidential election, but only if Jacques chirac could give him free reign to lead his destructive policies, and force him to remain as prime minister until the time of the election--to remain until his politics had time to show their terrible effects and the character of Sarkozy lost his hold on people held in thrall by the honeyed words of the populist he is. I doubt Jacques Chirac would have managed to force him to keep his post until the election. And if Nicolas Sarkozty had been allowed to leave his position of prime minister a year before the election, claiming he had no means to lead his policies, the situation would have left him a winner, and a virtual president for France.

The gods and goddesses know I NEVER want to see Nicolas Sarkozy in power. The man is everything I reject, all that revolts me. He would destroy our social model--or give anything to do it anyway.

But the dice have rolled, the advisors have spoken, and Dominique de Villepin is the new French prime minister.

A Knight in Shining Armor.

Proud.

Noble.

A striking figure, Dominique de Villepin is a perfect hero of shoujo manga. Slim and tall, eloquent, with a beautiful deep voice, he's also smart and the ideal herald for Europe. All of us felt our hearts beating with pride on the day he spoke out at the UN stronghold in New York city, refusing to go to war in Irak.

Of course, if Jacques Chirac had really wanted to show he understood the significance of his failure to get a "yes" in the referendum, he's simply have resigned from his post and called for presidential elections on the spot. Or he'd have dismissed the parliament and called for legislative elections on the spot. But then, he could hardly do that. No matter how he's been trying to say Europe is of the utmost importance, still Jacques Chirac, his party and others are just as bad as some voters: in truth they only focus on the domestic issues. Europe is a simple tool, a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong.

Sick of the unemployment rates?

Sick of taxes?

Sick of companies closing down and leaving for Poland or Roumania so they can hire wrokers for virtually nothing and quarduple their profits?

Well, blame Europe, of course. It's not their fault--no, how could it be? After all, they're the ones sitting at Europe's negociations tables, they're the ones bowing down to ultra-liberalist policies, or they're the one shaping them!

I find myself in a weird position right now. I am a left-wing union representative, and yet here I am, watching Dominique de Villepin, and dreaming of Knights in Shining Armor.

Of nobles in castles of old.

Of kings and princes of long ago.

I find myself hoping this brilliant figure can somehow stand strong and steady, and resist the irrepressible assaults that Nicolas Sarkozy is bound to make on his government. Nicolas Sarkozy, named minister of Interior and number two in the government, a virtual prime minister in the shadows.

A bitter enemy of Dominique de Villepin, who will stop to nothing to thwart whatever attempt Dominique de Villepin to salvage a hopeless situation. For, make no mistake, Nicolas Sarkozy will move, he will act and if he can, he will destroy everything we stand for.

Nicolas Sarkozy cares nothing for us, the only thing driving him is his all-devouring ambition. He will stoop as low as it takes, he will betray anyone and anything for power. In contrast, Dominique de Villepin has accepted the mission to lead a doomed government, a fact that will certainly bar him from the possibility of competing during the next presidential race.

So, while the political elite indeed seems oblivious to the landslide that had triggered the massive "no" to the project of European Constitution, while they seem oblivious to the primeval importance of that result and its significance--while they seem oblivious that this time it's not governments, prime ministers or presidents who say "no" to Europe but whole populations

Well, at least the proud silouhette of Dominique de Villepin is now leading the French government.

A Knight of Ancient Times...sigh.

I've always had a weak spot for noble figures, for kings and princes and knights. So I wish you good luck, Mr. De Villepin. May you stand steady and strong in the storm. May you find success on your path of opposition to Nicolas Sarkozy's rise in power.

I find some consolation in the knoweldge that Dominique de Villepin is fiercely attached to the European model and values. Some hate him because he belongs to the great, ancient families of France and to the intellectual elite, but I say enough with this stupid low-level thinking. Why hate and brand people as elite? Those who do so only need to work for it, to reach out. No, you can't become a billionaire with simple effort, but you can learn, and become a member of any intellectual elite, if only you condescend to use your mind and make it work.

Then, I find some measure of comfort and amusement at the thought of the temper tantrums and outbursts that must have taken place at the White House upon the nomination of Dominique de Villepin as prime minister. My, poor Bush administration, how that must rankle. I think I can even find a bit of compassion for you...

At least, Dominique de Villepin will fight for our values. Even if the question of Europe gets back to the shadows for a time, at least he won't start unmaking everything.

So, yeah, give me Dominique de Villepin. I'll choose him everytime over a greedy minion of the heartless, inhuman financial interests who are busy killing the blue planet we call earth.

Give me a Knight in Shining Armor.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Told You So !

The French voted " no " because the EU Constitution treaty doesn't have enough social aspects and far too many aspects stinking of unfettered market economy--aka ultraliberalsim--to it (that is, if you don't count the racists and nazi nostalgics of the far-right and the deluded fools who believe they're back in the years of Louis XIV)

The Dutch voted "no" because some are deeply xenophobic, and others are greedy rich people who refuse to be a part of the solidarity system that helps poorer countries to catch up with us (well, there were a few "no of the left" lost in that crowd, but they weren't exactly a majority).

The UK is contemplating a totally unsubtle attempt not to go forward with darling Tony Blair's promise to put the project to the vote (but then, if you ask me the UK shouldn't be in the EU to begin with, they hate the EU and everything it represents; over the years they've been nothing but a spoke in our wheels, and a convenient way for non European interests to paralyze Europe's development).

The US thinktanks have seized this too-good-to-be-true opportunity to bash on oursocial model : according to them, the "no" votes are proof that our "welfare" social models have outlived their usefulness and are now obsolete. According to them, the "no" votes are the undeniable proof that we must abandon our welfare system and embrace the so wonderful unfettered concurrency, ultraliberal model.

Better to live in a poor country that's looking forward than to live in a rich country with a full-fledged social system that refuses to yield on the principles that have defined the existence of its population for generations.

Why should we cling to and defend the rights that our parents and grandparents fought so hard to gain?

After all, we're busy voting "no" to Europe, are we not?

It does mean that we've shed our delusions about social security nets and all those hindrances to the free market, that we'd rather live by the so perfect US or UK model, does it not?

You don't believe me? Well read this first, and then come back to me..

This post's title tells it all. The "no of the left" was pure stupidity and madness, and the only thing it could do was backfire. It's just started, and we haven't seen the end of it.

I told you so.