The EU treaty is a disaster for the left

[Stoatwobbler]

Interesting read.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/european-treaty-cameron-stop

 

Stop your crowing about Cameron leaving Britain marginalised, lefties. The proposed EU treaty is perhaps the biggest catastrophe to befall the European left since the Second World War.

 

Sounds like semi-deranged hyperbole? Consider this: as Paul Mason has written, "by enshrining in national and international law the need for balanced budgets and near-zero structural deficits, the eurozone has outlawed expansionary fiscal policy".

 

Read that last bit carefully. Left-wing governments of all hues will, in effect, be banned by this treaty. If the French or the German left returns to power in the near future (and both are in a good position to do so), it will be illegal for them to respond to the global economic catastrophe with anything but austerity. An economic stimulus is forbidden – because the treaty has buried Keynesianism.

 

After this stitch-up, the left really needs to have a long, hard think about its attitude to the EU as it is currently constructed. There's still a sense that any criticism of the EU puts you in the same box as swivel-eyed Ukip-ers who rant about gypsies in shire inns. But there's a powerful left critique that needs to be made.

[Mecky]

But that's a tory rag as is the Economist, I'd expect nothing less from them

[I1L2T3]

But that's a tory rag as is the Economist

 

It's not Mecky

[Penistone999]

But that's a tory rag as is the Economist, I'd expect nothing less from them

 

Whats your view on the fact we now have a prime minister in Cameron that stands up for British interests ,rather than one ,(Blair or Brown) that would roll over and give in to the french and germans ?

[Mecky]

Whats your view on the fact we now have a prime minister in Cameron that stands up for British interests ,rather than one ,(Blair or Brown) that would roll over and give in to the french and germans ?

 

You know my view on the subject because I've said it many times but because you didn't catch it, I'll put it as simple as possible, so even you can understand.

 

I'm glad we didn't adopt the Euro because it was always bound to failure. This is because you can't have a single currency covering seperate states, each with their own seperate economies running at different levels. If all member states were at the same economic level/ cost of living etc, you might stand a chance with a single currency, but that will never happen.

 

In times of economic hardship like this you need as many friends as you can get, you don't want to go annoying other countries which are often temperamental, especially if you have daily dealings with them and because they are always tit-for-tat, always trying to outdo each other - France and Germany would just love to get one over the UK. Remember, no man/country can do it all on their own, to try and do so will lead to isolation and hardship. Sadly the UK needs Europe more than Europe needs the UK ... Better the devil you know.

[wednesday1]

But that's a tory rag as is the Economist, I'd expect nothing less from them

 

 

The New Statesman is about as pro-Tory as the Daily Liar is pro-Labour!

[bigsexydoug]

You know my view on the subject because I've said it many times but because you didn't catch it, I'll put it as simple as possible, so even you can understand.

 

I'm glad we didn't adopt the Euro because it was always bound to failure. This is because you can't have a single currency covering seperate states, each with their own seperate economies running at different levels. If all member states were at the same economic level/ cost of living etc, you might stand a chance with a single currency, but that will never happen.

 

In times of economic hardship like this you need as many friends as you can get, you don't want to go annoying other countries which are often temperamental, especially if you have daily dealings with them and because they are always tit-for-tat, always trying to outdo each other - France and Germany would just love to get one over the UK. Remember, no man/country can do it all on their own, to try and do so will lead to isolation and hardship. Sadly the UK needs Europe more than Europe needs the UK ... Better the devil you know.

 

my bold.

 

how do you work that out ???

 

the fact that 60% of european goods are bought by the u.k says they need us WAYYYYYYY more than we need them.

[I1L2T3]

Interesting read.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/12/european-treaty-cameron-stop

 

Stop your crowing about Cameron leaving Britain marginalised, lefties. The proposed EU treaty is perhaps the biggest catastrophe to befall the European left since the Second World War.

 

Sounds like semi-deranged hyperbole? Consider this: as Paul Mason has written, "by enshrining in national and international law the need for balanced budgets and near-zero structural deficits, the eurozone has outlawed expansionary fiscal policy".

 

Read that last bit carefully. Left-wing governments of all hues will, in effect, be banned by this treaty. If the French or the German left returns to power in the near future (and both are in a good position to do so), it will be illegal for them to respond to the global economic catastrophe with anything but austerity. An economic stimulus is forbidden – because the treaty has buried Keynesianism.

 

After this stitch-up, the left really needs to have a long, hard think about its attitude to the EU as it is currently constructed. There's still a sense that any criticism of the EU puts you in the same box as swivel-eyed Ukip-ers who rant about gypsies in shire inns. But there's a powerful left critique that needs to be made.

 

Thanks for posting this. Very interesting read.

 

It makes the direction the EU is going in even more perplexing. It is locking itself into a type of economics that might turn out to be not what is needed in the future. What then?

 

If I was cynical it's about locking in austerity economics for long enough for banks to sell off toxic assets, taxpayers picking up the tab.

 

I am so glad we are not part of that and I bet there's so many people in the 26 countries who wish they were out of it too.

[andyofborg]

If I was cynical it's about locking in austerity economics for long enough for banks to sell off toxic assets, taxpayers picking up the tab.

 

how does that (austerity economics) help them (the banks) do that?

[altus]

The New Statesman is about as pro-Tory as the Daily Liar is pro-Labour!

 

If you're going to use pet names for things can you at least make it obvious what they are referring to. There are several newspapers called Daily Something. I can't tell from the above whether you mean Daily Mirror or Daily Mail - which makes it impossible to tell if you are being serious or sarcastic when you refer to the New Statesman as pro-Tory.