The Politics Of The European Union

[zazen]

@Daniel Balan  Yeah, its a tricky one as that process of being more liberal needs to come more organically from the ground up. Leo is spot on below where he speaks on what you fear - which is the rise of right wing facism/nationalism. I think there is one advantage Europe has though which is its silver lining - I'll comment below.

11 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

It's a big deal since Europe will fall behind in the AI race and become poor, which will lead to fascist movements.

Europe needs to be technologically and economically competitive, not just stagnant wellfare states. Europe needs to compete with China's rapid development.

10 hours ago, Lyubov said:

USA has been ahead in tech for ages and is falling into fascism. The USA. The model democracy. China has been authoritarian. They aren’t stagnant welfare states. They have fallen behind but that is a right wing talking point. People are so spooked and warped by what’s going on in the USA they think a balanced country with workers right (USA 50 years ago) is now a commie welfare state. I’m not arguing with reality though. Who knows what will unfold. And I do think Europe needs to ensure its own safety much more so, especially after Trump blundered. No doubt Europe innovating more would be a good thing. 

If economic disenfranchisement is the dry timber for the fire of facism - then to keep facism at bay requires economic inclusion.

The reason facism is rising in USA despite the USA leading in technology (and economically) is because the gains made by technology aren't re-distributed across the society but are instead accumulated at the top.

Unlike the US where redistribution is viewed with suspicion and the state is expected to step back, Europe is much more culturally comfortable with the idea that the state has a moral role.

If the EU can catch up in innovation while using its already existing mechanisms to equitably distribute the benefits, it would preserve and even enhance what it’s best known for which is a high quality of life.

The US excels at creating wealth but fails at sharing it. The EU shares better but struggles to generate as much. China forces the balance through command and control - which is why they are going to win the future and why the US is panicking now.

Edited May 29 by zazen

[Twentyfirst]

Real politics of EU, I think UK is a recent member. Basically same organization 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DKMfAbMS46g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.humantiproject.org/uk-admits-its-breaking-own-laws-to-supply-arms-to-israel/#

 

Edited May 29 by Twentyfirst

[Daniel Balan]

@zazen Great answer! Thank you!

[Alex4]

I work in international trade in an EU country. I'm just an average worker, but I cann tell you by my experience managing exports, I'm happy when there are projects in the Netherlands, France, or Italy. Sending stuff to the UK is a pain in the ass because of all the bureaucratic paperwork and customs clearence. Exporting outside the EU is even more of a hassle. Those right-wingers who complain about bureaucracy in brussels are myopic. 

Edited May 29 by Alex4

[Daniel Balan]

@Alex4 So you say Brexit was a bullshit move from both Great Britain's and EU's POV? That's what I also initially thought. So you say that if other countries from the EU would want an exit it would cause much more damage than benefit to that particular country?

[nerdspeak]

14 hours ago, Lyubov said:

USA has been ahead in tech for ages and is falling into fascism. The USA. The model democracy. China has been authoritarian. They aren’t stagnant welfare states. They have fallen behind but that is a right wing talking point. People are so spooked and warped by what’s going on in the USA they think a balanced country with workers right (USA 50 years ago) is now a commie welfare state. I’m not arguing with reality though. Who knows what will unfold. And I do think Europe needs to ensure its own safety much more so, especially after Trump blundered. No doubt Europe innovating more would be a good thing. 

I agree. We need to treat the US at arm's length, be much more careful about our involvement with them. 

Europe innovating more is just a function of investing more in science. For 17 years--and especially since the Ukraine war--there's been continual downward pressure on funding for research. That needs to be reversed, which means we need to get over the fixation with balanced budgets. That doesn't mean to go crazy and cause runaway inflation, but a bit of strategic investment using fiat currency (you can call it debt if you want) is what we need. The good news is, we have a lot of space for more of that, unlike the US.