[lbo-talk] Workers of Europe unite, you've only Euro chains to lose

[ken hanly]

 A substantial part of the working class may simply think that in the circumstances their socialist governments should be supported to prevent a worse outcome. These "socialists" are in no way revolutionary and hence they see the imperatives of capitalism as their imperatives as well but want to get the most they can for the working class given these constraints. When the economy was expanding they were able to gain much for workers and expand the state sector and the social safety net. However once the crisis hit they consider themselves forced to undo much of what they have achieved . But even Papandreou tried to give the people a chance to vote on the austerity measures. Of course enough of the working class is against the austerity policies to defeat socialist governments that try to impose them.
   The political stripe of whomever is in power does not seem to make much difference. Both in Greece and now in Italy politicians have been replaced by technocrats.

Cheers, ken
 
Blog:  http://kenthink7.blogspot.com/index.html
Blog:  http://kencan7.blogspot.com/index.html

----- Original Message -----
From: c b <cb31450 at gmail.com>
To: lbo-talk <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
Cc: 
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 1:46:31 PM
Subject: [lbo-talk] Workers of Europe unite, you've only Euro chains to lose

Marv G.:
-clip- The question assumes, of course, that the interests of the
Socialist leaders mostly coincide with those of their base across
Europe, an assumption not borne out wherever they have governed.

^^^^^

CB: Marv, with respect to  the giant and varied protests in the E U
countries where there has been austerity attacks on the working
classes , I always say to myself that there must be a substantial
portion of the working class that supports these attacks on their own
material interests, otherwise the strikes and protests would bring the
countries to a halt, and force the Social Dems to do something
different.  I have suspected that this hypothesized right wing of the
working class is scared of the long term growth of immigrants of color
"coming home to roost" in the former colonialist metro-poles.  Anyway
, why would the European Social Dems attack their own base unless a
substantial portion of it supported cutting itself ? What is going on
?
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