Kwisatz Haderach
14th September 2007, 02:15
It seems the bourgeois media never ceases to be amazed at the shocking discovery (and re-re-re-discovery) of the fact that when capitalism makes one's life suck, one tends to turn to real or imagined non-capitalist political choices.
I say "real or imagined" because, as we all know, not all people disillusioned with capitalism turn to the real alternative of a socialist revolution. Various populist ideas also find more supporters, and so do far-right parties who insist that X or Y minority group is the cause of all the problems in the world.
Given the state of things in the eastern parts of Germany, it should be no surprise that workers there are becoming more and more disillusioned with the status quo:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6991349.stm
(the article makes a big deal about the NPD and SPD polling numbers, but note that the Left Party - which stands to the left of the SPD in the ambiguous territory between socialism and social democracy - polls 27%; the social democrats are being driven into oblivion by a challenge from the left, which is good news)
The ongoing decline of the SPD gives me reason to pause and wonder: When it should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that the SPD is losing votes for not being sufficiently left-wing, why do social democrats cling so dearly to their reformism?
I say "real or imagined" because, as we all know, not all people disillusioned with capitalism turn to the real alternative of a socialist revolution. Various populist ideas also find more supporters, and so do far-right parties who insist that X or Y minority group is the cause of all the problems in the world.
Given the state of things in the eastern parts of Germany, it should be no surprise that workers there are becoming more and more disillusioned with the status quo:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6991349.stm
(the article makes a big deal about the NPD and SPD polling numbers, but note that the Left Party - which stands to the left of the SPD in the ambiguous territory between socialism and social democracy - polls 27%; the social democrats are being driven into oblivion by a challenge from the left, which is good news)
The ongoing decline of the SPD gives me reason to pause and wonder: When it should be obvious to anyone with half a brain that the SPD is losing votes for not being sufficiently left-wing, why do social democrats cling so dearly to their reformism?