Draghi is the clearest expression of the kakistocratic nature of EU politics, where failure is not punished but rewarded, and where incompetent leaders routinely fail upwards
Very well said. Your thoughts on Draghi's "born-again" conversion echo my own exactly. A year or two ago I read his full report to the EU of on how to fix the EU going forward, and I was gob-smacked not only on how trite (yet simultaneously implausible) it was, but also on how little he appeared to understand the mechanics of EU law and the EU constitution.
And that was even before I realized just how much the Commission's gaming of the Common Foreign and Security Policy since 2016 (of which the Ukraine war is merely the latest instance) has shattered the EU beyond recovery.
"Draghi’s so-called analyses usually amount to little more than stating the obvious — facts that are evident to anyone not blinded by ideology or vested interests."
His new found concern about sovereignty is an act. In the US we have "socialists" who support genocidal Israel, billionaire Oligarchs and Capitalism. So, his sudden costume change is probably a further proof of Europe's adoption of the methods of their overlords in DC, New York. That said, it is significant that he feels the need to change costume at this moment.
So many of our "leaders 😝" deserve rotten eggs in their faccia not praise. For example when Netanyahu spoke to Congress(USA) and got 50 standing ovations of praise instead of rotten eggs thrown into his face.
You forget that Netanyahu's Hamas opponents are even nastier than he is. A fact usually forgotten in today's West, where anti-Israel groupthink has taken over.
No, they are not. Hamas is just demonized by Israel:
- it is quite likely that Netanyahu deliberately let the attack happen and get out of hand. The plans were leaked and the military exercises by Hamas were observed and Israel did nothing. On the morning of the attack the Israeli army had the instructions not to patrol and the army was forbidden to react until four or five hours after the attacks started.
- a large part of the victims were either killed by the Israeli army (using the Hannibal directive) or Palestinians not connected to Hamas. The latter would not have happened if the Israeli army had reacted earlier. Hamas says its fighters had instructions not to kill citizens and that may well be true.
- under international law the Palestinians have the legal right to armed resistance.
Couldn't agree more. Draghi should be chased out of town for past crimes and for suggesting EU should borrow more money. He epitomizes everything that's wrong in EU. His carbon would serve humanity better in the ground.
By picking a fight with Russia and China (and maybe in the future also with India) the EU is turning itself into a hostage of the US. The EU should do the opposite: accept that there is a conflict and be prepared to pay the price; plan to support industries that would be harmed in such a conflict and reconcile with all those other countries.
That would put the US on the spot: it too would have to pay a price when it continues the conflict. And as we have seen with China - it isn't too happy to do so.
Such a fight can turn ugly: China saw its access to chips restricted and had to react by cutting off rare earths. Europe should be prepared to take similar measures.
A big problem with such a fight would be some European leaders who are little more than American poodles who obey every command from Washington.
"based upon state retrenchment, fiscal austerity"? I have been around a long time in Western Europe, have followed its politics all that time and these words strike me as detached from reality....I mean these phenomena never occurred in the actual world. The state has expanded continually since WW2 (apotheosis during Covid when society was put on a military footing) and because it couldn't tax its citizens into poverty the state has had to borrow ever more money. These concepts sound particularly hollow and delusional coming from an Italian politician, a state that has continually hovered on the edge of bankruptcy.
The whole idea is to control the market system instead of allowing the free market to operate. Europeans surely would chose a regulated system, not neo-liberal takeover. So they need to obfuscate in order to better serve they corporate masters, the most short-sighted of persons.
In other words: if they simply stuck to their original "free market" capitalist ideas, they would have figured out enough to regulate.
Very well said. Your thoughts on Draghi's "born-again" conversion echo my own exactly. A year or two ago I read his full report to the EU of on how to fix the EU going forward, and I was gob-smacked not only on how trite (yet simultaneously implausible) it was, but also on how little he appeared to understand the mechanics of EU law and the EU constitution.
And that was even before I realized just how much the Commission's gaming of the Common Foreign and Security Policy since 2016 (of which the Ukraine war is merely the latest instance) has shattered the EU beyond recovery.
Exactly. I read the report after seeing it praised in the media and I was shocked - it was empty of insight or ideas. An expensively produced nothing.
If this is what passes for intellectual leadership and media perspectove in the EU then no wonder there is a crisis going on.
Quite so.
"Draghi’s so-called analyses usually amount to little more than stating the obvious — facts that are evident to anyone not blinded by ideology or vested interests."
His new found concern about sovereignty is an act. In the US we have "socialists" who support genocidal Israel, billionaire Oligarchs and Capitalism. So, his sudden costume change is probably a further proof of Europe's adoption of the methods of their overlords in DC, New York. That said, it is significant that he feels the need to change costume at this moment.
So many of our "leaders 😝" deserve rotten eggs in their faccia not praise. For example when Netanyahu spoke to Congress(USA) and got 50 standing ovations of praise instead of rotten eggs thrown into his face.
PS. Had to look up the word 'kakistocratic'.
What a perfect word to use for so many western governments.
You forget that Netanyahu's Hamas opponents are even nastier than he is. A fact usually forgotten in today's West, where anti-Israel groupthink has taken over.
No, they are not. Hamas is just demonized by Israel:
- it is quite likely that Netanyahu deliberately let the attack happen and get out of hand. The plans were leaked and the military exercises by Hamas were observed and Israel did nothing. On the morning of the attack the Israeli army had the instructions not to patrol and the army was forbidden to react until four or five hours after the attacks started.
- a large part of the victims were either killed by the Israeli army (using the Hannibal directive) or Palestinians not connected to Hamas. The latter would not have happened if the Israeli army had reacted earlier. Hamas says its fighters had instructions not to kill citizens and that may well be true.
- under international law the Palestinians have the legal right to armed resistance.
Whatever Netanyahu's role, it is certain that Hamas killed civilians on October 7 with great eagerness.
It is even more certain that Hamas are demonic.
Their constitution commits them to genocide against the Jews.
Couldn't agree more. Draghi should be chased out of town for past crimes and for suggesting EU should borrow more money. He epitomizes everything that's wrong in EU. His carbon would serve humanity better in the ground.
By picking a fight with Russia and China (and maybe in the future also with India) the EU is turning itself into a hostage of the US. The EU should do the opposite: accept that there is a conflict and be prepared to pay the price; plan to support industries that would be harmed in such a conflict and reconcile with all those other countries.
That would put the US on the spot: it too would have to pay a price when it continues the conflict. And as we have seen with China - it isn't too happy to do so.
Such a fight can turn ugly: China saw its access to chips restricted and had to react by cutting off rare earths. Europe should be prepared to take similar measures.
A big problem with such a fight would be some European leaders who are little more than American poodles who obey every command from Washington.
"based upon state retrenchment, fiscal austerity"? I have been around a long time in Western Europe, have followed its politics all that time and these words strike me as detached from reality....I mean these phenomena never occurred in the actual world. The state has expanded continually since WW2 (apotheosis during Covid when society was put on a military footing) and because it couldn't tax its citizens into poverty the state has had to borrow ever more money. These concepts sound particularly hollow and delusional coming from an Italian politician, a state that has continually hovered on the edge of bankruptcy.
We can enjoy the sight of a rat leaving the sinking ship - enjoyable because it is the ship of neoliberalism and Atlanticism that is sinking.
"Super Mario" is generally used jokingly. But at least Draghi has a capacity for reasoning and thought absent from most of the West's leaders.
The whole idea is to control the market system instead of allowing the free market to operate. Europeans surely would chose a regulated system, not neo-liberal takeover. So they need to obfuscate in order to better serve they corporate masters, the most short-sighted of persons.
In other words: if they simply stuck to their original "free market" capitalist ideas, they would have figured out enough to regulate.