Monday, March 9, 2015

Mike Whitney — Ironman Varoufakis’s Revolutionary Plan for Europe


Democracy and federalism. Back to the old dilemma, move forward or dissolution.

Counterpunch
Ironman Varoufakis’s Revolutionary Plan for Europe
Mike Whitney

1 comment:

Kristjan said...

"So, there you have it. Nationalize the banking system, create a Euro-wide bond market, and establish mechanisms for fiscal transfers to the weaker states like we do in the US via welfare, food stamps, gov contracts, subsidies etc. to create some balance between the very rich and productive states like California and New York and the poorer states like South Dakota and Oklahoma."



More dreaming http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_European_Constitution_referendum,_2005

French European Constitution referendum, 2005

The French referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was held on 29 May 2005 to decide whether France should ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union. The result was a victory for the "No" campaign, with 55% of voters rejecting the treaty on a turnout of 69%.

The question put to voters was:

Approuvez-vous le projet de loi qui autorise la ratification du traité établissant une Constitution pour l'Europe ?
"Do you approve the bill authorising the ratification of the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe?"

France was the first country to reject the treaty, and the second country to go to the polls in a referendum on ratification, after a Spanish referendum approved the treaty by a wide margin in February 2005. France's rejection of the Constitution left the treaty with an uncertain future, with other EU member states pledging to continue with their own arrangements for ratification.






Estonia had elections recently and nationalistic party got into parliament. I voted for them too. Similar to UKIP and FN.They got 7% of votes. They are the only eursceptic political force in Estonia.
Nationalistic sentiment is growing in Europe but it is not only because people are into nationalism.


here is a good article

http://www.iwm.at/read-listen-watch/transit-online/europes-democracy-paradox/

Perhaps the strangest thing about today’s European rebels is that they seek to preserve the old status quo; we are thus witnessing 1968 in reverse. Then, students on the streets of Europe declared their desire to live in a world different from that of their parents. Now students are on the street to declare their right to live in the same world as that of their parents, but fear they cannot. Faced with the choice between opening their borders to preserve prosperity and closing them to preserve the cultural identity of their societies, they choose both: prosperity and fortress Europe.

European democracy today is thus not threatened by the rise of anti-democratic alternatives; it is trapped by citizens’ fully democratic desire to choose “none of the above.