[WS:] Because that is a rather non-remarkable event. The Euro left has been long dead - as political identity that is. Most of what used to be the Left's agenda has long been accepted by mainstream and right leaning parties (or I should say pro-business parties, as the Left-Right distinction has lost most of its meaning.)
That of course has not happened in the US where both pro-business parties have not advanced past the 19th century social policy - but in Europe the welfare state is not seriously challenged even from the so-called right, and the fuss is mainly about relatively minor adjustment to welfare policy, not its principles (i.e. public funding of it.)
So the successors of what used to be the Left in Europe either blended with the mainstream or in some cases crossed to the dark side and embraced neoliberalism, while the fringe margins engaged in cultural identity politics that appeal mainly to conumacious teenagers and loons. With the death of the Left as a serious political alternative, (which btw happened some 25 years ago) election results make little difference in terms of policy outcomes - at least for the great majority of the population.
So since electioneering in EU is basically equivalent to beauty pageants and cultural identity statements - why should 'Europhilic listmates" feel obliged to comment on its outcome? I am fairly positive that Merkel would pursue a virtually unchanged policy course after the election, and the only thing will chnage is the tenor of right wing pundits - it will become more trumphalistic.
Wojtek
On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 9:30 AM, Eric Beck <ersatzdog at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 29, 2009 at 7:48 AM, Matthias Wasser
> <matthias.wasser at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > PARIS — A specter is haunting Europe — the specter of Socialism’s slow
> > collapse.
>
> The entire premise of this story is ridiculously stupid. But, it is
> worth pointing out (again) Europe's hard turn to the right in the last
> few years, a turn that is in no way limited to the electoral arena.
>
> I notice our Europhilic listmates have been quiet about German election
> results.
>
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>