Results 121 to 140 of 142
I fail to see a coherent argument as to how ending the monarchy, whether it's the Dutch or the English, will benefit or empower the proletariat.
Well, obviously, I agree, but does the fact its happening open up any space for a debate in workplaces or even in the pub, along the lines of 'getting rid of the Queen (Beatrix, or Elizabeth, she's not just the 'Queen of England' after all, this applies to Canada too) is not enough, we need to get rid of the whole capitalist system'?
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
If anyone thinks that's the case I feel sorry for them.
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree..."
- John Milton -
"The place of the worst barbarism is that modern forest that makes use of us, this forest of chimneys and bayonets, machines and weapons, of strange inanimate beasts that feed on human flesh"
- Amadeo Bordiga
OK, so what do you think communists should be doing?
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
In this particular case? Nothing really. Enjoy a bit of your life before the house of cards inevitably comes crashing down.
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree..."
- John Milton -
"The place of the worst barbarism is that modern forest that makes use of us, this forest of chimneys and bayonets, machines and weapons, of strange inanimate beasts that feed on human flesh"
- Amadeo Bordiga
How about we remove the queen and, for once, recognize the fact that we need no alternative to despotism.
A president, a queen, a chairman; it does not matter. Contrary to public belief, we need none of that to function.
[sarcasm]
Well, thank you, "rest of us". That was a very enlightening, profound and nuanced discussion on the Dutch political situation and on the relation between republicanism in monarchic States and proletarian politics. I certainly know a lot more about these subjects now that you have exhausted all possibilities.
[/sarcasm]
Luís Henrique
I'm totally not trying to offend anyone, so please don't be.
I think the difference in views about a republic is more tendency-related.
One might be against, another pro. Both might be right from their own ideology.
"But we anarchists do not want to emancipate the people; we want the people to emancipate themselfs" - Errico Malatesta ("Anarchism and Organization")
"It is very well imaginable that man can get a communist dictature, which takes care that the needs of the stomach are provided, but that thereby freedom still by far isn't for everyone. That's why the struggle shouldn't just be against private property, but against authority too." - Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis ("Van christen tot anarchist ")
I don't think it's offensive, it's just wrong. If one advances the working class's struggles - if, for example, the call for a republic could be linked to a genuine working class movemetn that put not only the monarchy but the whole capitalist order in question while abstention from the question merely succeeded in isolating the working class's political minorities and failing to capitalise on the situation - then the first would be the right thing to advocate and the second wouldn't.
The trick is, deciding which is which.
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
It seems it is getting fashionable, now the King of Babylon... I mean, the Pope, has also decided to abdicate. This, of course, will be more interesting, since there is going to be an election - and not just an election, but a secret election.
Luís Henrique
Requires a discussion of the actual situation on the ground, what interests the royal House represents, whether those of a particular sector of the ruling classes (such as, famously, the Bourbons or Orleans in early 19th Century France) or of the ruling classes as a whole (such as the Bonapartes at the same place and time), which are the forces supporting or opposing the royal House and the institution of monarchy, what kind and degree of organisation the working class have, if any, what the situation of the economy is, what demands might mobilise the workers, what kind of divides exist within the ruling classes, etc.
The Netherlands at the moment seem to be one of the weakest links of the imperialist chain in Europe, though they usually do not appear as such in the media. And its politics are getting increasingly chaotic.
Luís Henrique
Where did you get this idea?
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree..."
- John Milton -
"The place of the worst barbarism is that modern forest that makes use of us, this forest of chimneys and bayonets, machines and weapons, of strange inanimate beasts that feed on human flesh"
- Amadeo Bordiga
The Dutch economy is in a quite problematic situation - probably the worst situation among the core European economies (ie, PIIGS periphery discounted).Where did you get this idea?
And the elections last year saw the the crumbling of the long time main right-wing coalition, the CDA, in favour of the liberals - who probably succeeded because they incoporated some of Gert Wilders policies. So while Wilders's PVV didn't have a glorious election last time, this is more a measure of his success than of his failure; since his policies have been partially incorporated into the mainstream, he can go more radical now, which he will, if he is smart and really consistent in his far-right beliefs. In the left, the PvdA managed to recover and take back much of the room they had been loosing to the SP - but this may have been just a symptom of "strategic voting"; the whole party system seems unstable, and if the economy's frailties explode into the open, I wouldn't be surprised if the Netherlands had their "Greek" moment.
Luís Henrique
This is plain bullshit, seriously. The Dutch economy is completely interwoven with the economies of the other core countries as well as dependent upon the health of international trade but its, next to Germany, one of the most stable economies of the European core.
The liberals (VVD) didn't incorporate anything the soc.dems (PvdA) or the christian democrats (CDA) didn't incorporate regarding immigration policy. Apart from rhetoric and his anti-EU stance, policy-wise Wilders' PVV acted as a pressure group in the Danish fashion, none of that contributed to its or the VVD's popularity though. Cyclical rotation of CDA, VVD or PvdA domination is the most Dutch thing there is and cabinets dissolving themselves (only to be re-elected in virtually the same composition) is too.
A success which has since resulted in him being largely wiped out of the media landscape save for the occasional scandal. While having taken a hold the stable conservative undercurrent together with disgruntled voters from all kinds of parties, he's hardly the 'hotshot' he was presented to be a few years ago internationally.
What policies are you talking about?
Thing is, it isn't at all. There's nothing there that's not Dutch politics as usual and parties doubling in size only to discover 2 days before the elections the usual thing happens is business as normal. I don't get where you get the weird idea Dutch party politics are unstable compared to other European countries.
Being Dutch this is probably the weirdest thing I've ever read on Revleft.... Sorry man but there's probably no country in the Eurozone (maybe even the world) that's further from open social war than the Netherlands. Both economically and socio-politically that statement is bonkers, I'm really curious where you got that idea from and on what sources you base such a wild claim..
Seriously man, when the entire world is burning the Netherlands will just be selling lighter oil and matches...
"Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree..."
- John Milton -
"The place of the worst barbarism is that modern forest that makes use of us, this forest of chimneys and bayonets, machines and weapons, of strange inanimate beasts that feed on human flesh"
- Amadeo Bordiga
I too do not see anything happening anytime soon.
(did lenin not say that russia would never amount to anything only to have the revolution in a matter of months ? that would be hilarious if the same thing happens to the netherlands)
You are entering the vicinity of an area adjacent to a location. The kind of place where there might be a monster, or some kind of weird mirror...
Lenin said in January 1917 'many of us of the older generation may not live to see the revolution', or something, 3 weeks before the February Revolution.
Rosa said something along the lines of 'the day before the revolution, nothing is less likely; the day after, nothing is more natural'.
But I can't see it happening in the Netherlands in the coming months.
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
It will depend on the rhythm of the disintegration of the Eurozone, I think.
Luís Henrique
Is the Eurozone disintergrating? Greece and Spain might be considered to be highly at risk of an exit (but 4 years after the crash, they're still there). Portugal, Ireland and Italy maybe. But the Netherlands? Really?
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
Well... it seems obvious at this moment that the inflationary offencive of the US has provisorily reinstated them as the clear hegemon in the imperialist chain. And that the Euro is a problem, since it is a currency that cannot be devaluated. And so, European economies will be put to the corner on the issue: how to compete against American products, if those are made cheaper by US overminting? It would seem that they would need either to make the Euro devaluable (which goes against German interests) or quit the Euro in the misguided hope to regain control over their economies. And that, if they don't do either, their continual deflation -> austerity -> increased deflation spiral will take them into very complicated situations. It is not just 4 years after the crash, after all, as if the crash was a merely past, punctual event - it is 4 years into a systematically deepening crisis, one that has not been solved at any structural level.
And Greece or Portugal or Ireland leaving the Eurozone, while on the paper might not look very impressive - they are the smallest economies of the block, after all - won't be taken by anyone one as the mere failure of one singular country.
But, of course, maybe the US has to stop its overminting for other reasons before the Euro crashes. But then we would probably be seeing something far more impressive than a "Greek situation" in the Netherlands.
Luís Henrique
It's not about whether Portugal, Ireland or Greece leaving the Euro would look 'impressive' (I ssume you mean making an apocalyptically negative impression) - no matter how small they are, the inability of the Eurozone to keep them on board would be evident. It would look 'very bad'. Spain or Italy leaving would be I'd say definitely 'apocalyptic' (ie, worse than 'very bad') for the Euro. But the relative size of these economies isn't the point. The point I was making was that these five economies are those that appear at most risk of an exit. What I don't understand is why you think the Netherlands is in any such danger; or, convversely, what the relevance of the potential for Eurozone failure has to do with the situation in the Netherlands in particular that isn't also applicable to France, Italy, Germany, Belgium (a country that is still functioning even though it was without a government for 14 months), etc.
Critique of the Gotha Programme, Pt IV: http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1875/gotha/ch04.htm
No War but the Class War
Destroy All Nations
Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC): "A man whose life has been dishonorable is not entitled to escape disgrace in death."
