A wide-ranging interview where I discuss my political evolution, the origins of the EU, the transformation of the left, von der Leyen's power grab, and much more
I concur with this whole piece. I remember in Britain when Tony Benn, who was of course on the Left and Enoch Powell who was definitely on the Right and quite anti-immigration, were both of one mind over the European Union or as it was called then, the Common Market. Like most people I was quite keen to begin with but gradually much at the same time as Thomas Fazi I started to question it and although I voted to stay in in the UK it was with a heavy heart. I read your book in 2014 and was quite impressed with that and we see now the history has unraveled much the way that you thought it would. I suppose all institutions if left unchecked and taken over by ambitious and greedy people will end up in much the same place as the European Union is now. However it's not all going their way is it. There will be splits I'm sure in Eastern Europe from Western Europe and even within the western block so let's see,.... if I live long enough.
That's the thing. What the EU once was, what you might call a Free Trade Zone with Benefits, for sovereign states, was an excellent idea and worked well for a time. That it morphed into something truly awful is shocking and dreadful to see. Still too few people IMO have caught on to what has happened...
You're right. People still bemoan UK leaving as they see EU project as some kind of saviour from the sickening jingoism of GB. The latter is true but no salvation will occur through a totalitarian entity like the EU.
I've only read half of this so far but would just like to add a quick comment. When Thomas writes for UnHerd, the comments below the article usually include numerous readers who struggle with how they agree with what he says, but they can't understand how someone they identify with 'the left' could write many things that chime so well with them. If those folks were to read what Thomas has said here, I think they would understand him far better and realise that we're all in the same fight at this time.
Judging from the comments, quite a few Unherd readers are reactionaries and virtually all of them are utterly in thrall to neoclassical economic orthodoxy.
Yes. I wondered why Thomas wrote for Unherd because most people seem to be thoroughly objectionable in their views. They are purely prejudiced and have no interest in the truth.
I'm not sure that's the case. From what I've read on Unherd, the majority there don't seem to follow the mainstream narrative on C-19 (for example). I'd say that is showing some interest in the truth. On other subjects they probably wouldn't agree with me, or maybe you, and obviously (as many make quite clear in the comments) with Thomas. That just means they have different opinions. But it seems a lot of people (everywhere, not just on Unherd) want to get back to a 'better' form of democracy (for want of a better phrase). And for democracy to work at the national level (the only level it can really work) everyone has to be in on it, and we have to have open conversations. And we all would have to accept that, within such a system, many people would have different opinions to ours. If we can't accept that, then we can't accept democracy. This is why I support Thomas when he writes for Unherd. He doesn't seem to view the readership there as a 'basket of deplorables', and maybe, one day, that'll be appreciated, and he'll no longer be labelled as a 'commie' (or whatever) in the comments there.
I first encountered Maike Gosch on a segment of Kevork Almassian's Syriana Analysis podcast and I appreciated hearing her take on the German domestic political situation, about which many of us outside that country know far too little given its relative importance within Europe. I hope Kevork invites her back soon.
Back the late 90s, the Dutch Socialist Party (SP) campaigned against the single currency for reasons which later indeed appeared prescient. One the euro was rolled out in Jan 2002, I was less than enthusiastic. In May/June of 2005 I was one of a majority in the Netherlands, along with a majority in France, who voted AGAINST the proposed EU Constitution. That it was rebranded as the Lisbon Treaty and adopted nonetheless confirmed to me that the EU was bad news and heading in the wrong direction. The EU project is a dead-end and the once sovereign member-states must regain their full self-determination, including their own currencies. Until then, we will languish, stagnate, and go into decline.
How depressing. I only realised when the UK had sensibly decided not to ditch their currency and join the Euro that states are unable to take any kind of fiscal action to manage their economies. The Euro as a currency is bound to fail given the disparities among the countries in terms of their economic output and growth. I also read the book by Yanis Veroufakis Adults in the Room about the Greek debt crisis; that was when I really realized that the EU was just an appalling centrist, domineering and oppressive type organisation.
I read that book too, it should shatter the illusions of anyone who still thinks the EU is a force for good or that the ECB is in any way "neutral". Hungary is one of the few EU countries which has maintained its own currency, and this gives Victor Orbán and his government some room for maneuver. It would far easier for Hungary to leave the EU, if and when it so desires.
That was very interesting and paradoxically seems something that would come out of the US not Europe.
But a question: the opposite of neoliberalism is Socialism and/or Liberalism but both have become dirty words. So is there another term we can use? Classic Liberal is the only term I can think of
One minor point - I think this is less an assault on workers rights - unions still remain very strong (pensions, holidays healthcare etc) and more about consolidating power at the EU level. Making Brussels an equal partner to Washington.
A truly perceptive summing up and clarification. Also a close tracing, minus your active engagement, of the evolution of my own thinking, starting from the left, about Europe and the Fourth Reich.
Bravo Thomas! Let’s hope that people start to put on the brakes here in Europe. Excellent summary of what’s really happening here!
I concur with this whole piece. I remember in Britain when Tony Benn, who was of course on the Left and Enoch Powell who was definitely on the Right and quite anti-immigration, were both of one mind over the European Union or as it was called then, the Common Market. Like most people I was quite keen to begin with but gradually much at the same time as Thomas Fazi I started to question it and although I voted to stay in in the UK it was with a heavy heart. I read your book in 2014 and was quite impressed with that and we see now the history has unraveled much the way that you thought it would. I suppose all institutions if left unchecked and taken over by ambitious and greedy people will end up in much the same place as the European Union is now. However it's not all going their way is it. There will be splits I'm sure in Eastern Europe from Western Europe and even within the western block so let's see,.... if I live long enough.
That's the thing. What the EU once was, what you might call a Free Trade Zone with Benefits, for sovereign states, was an excellent idea and worked well for a time. That it morphed into something truly awful is shocking and dreadful to see. Still too few people IMO have caught on to what has happened...
You're right. People still bemoan UK leaving as they see EU project as some kind of saviour from the sickening jingoism of GB. The latter is true but no salvation will occur through a totalitarian entity like the EU.
I've only read half of this so far but would just like to add a quick comment. When Thomas writes for UnHerd, the comments below the article usually include numerous readers who struggle with how they agree with what he says, but they can't understand how someone they identify with 'the left' could write many things that chime so well with them. If those folks were to read what Thomas has said here, I think they would understand him far better and realise that we're all in the same fight at this time.
Judging from the comments, quite a few Unherd readers are reactionaries and virtually all of them are utterly in thrall to neoclassical economic orthodoxy.
Yes. I wondered why Thomas wrote for Unherd because most people seem to be thoroughly objectionable in their views. They are purely prejudiced and have no interest in the truth.
I'm not sure that's the case. From what I've read on Unherd, the majority there don't seem to follow the mainstream narrative on C-19 (for example). I'd say that is showing some interest in the truth. On other subjects they probably wouldn't agree with me, or maybe you, and obviously (as many make quite clear in the comments) with Thomas. That just means they have different opinions. But it seems a lot of people (everywhere, not just on Unherd) want to get back to a 'better' form of democracy (for want of a better phrase). And for democracy to work at the national level (the only level it can really work) everyone has to be in on it, and we have to have open conversations. And we all would have to accept that, within such a system, many people would have different opinions to ours. If we can't accept that, then we can't accept democracy. This is why I support Thomas when he writes for Unherd. He doesn't seem to view the readership there as a 'basket of deplorables', and maybe, one day, that'll be appreciated, and he'll no longer be labelled as a 'commie' (or whatever) in the comments there.
I first encountered Maike Gosch on a segment of Kevork Almassian's Syriana Analysis podcast and I appreciated hearing her take on the German domestic political situation, about which many of us outside that country know far too little given its relative importance within Europe. I hope Kevork invites her back soon.
Back the late 90s, the Dutch Socialist Party (SP) campaigned against the single currency for reasons which later indeed appeared prescient. One the euro was rolled out in Jan 2002, I was less than enthusiastic. In May/June of 2005 I was one of a majority in the Netherlands, along with a majority in France, who voted AGAINST the proposed EU Constitution. That it was rebranded as the Lisbon Treaty and adopted nonetheless confirmed to me that the EU was bad news and heading in the wrong direction. The EU project is a dead-end and the once sovereign member-states must regain their full self-determination, including their own currencies. Until then, we will languish, stagnate, and go into decline.
How depressing. I only realised when the UK had sensibly decided not to ditch their currency and join the Euro that states are unable to take any kind of fiscal action to manage their economies. The Euro as a currency is bound to fail given the disparities among the countries in terms of their economic output and growth. I also read the book by Yanis Veroufakis Adults in the Room about the Greek debt crisis; that was when I really realized that the EU was just an appalling centrist, domineering and oppressive type organisation.
I read that book too, it should shatter the illusions of anyone who still thinks the EU is a force for good or that the ECB is in any way "neutral". Hungary is one of the few EU countries which has maintained its own currency, and this gives Victor Orbán and his government some room for maneuver. It would far easier for Hungary to leave the EU, if and when it so desires.
That was very interesting and paradoxically seems something that would come out of the US not Europe.
But a question: the opposite of neoliberalism is Socialism and/or Liberalism but both have become dirty words. So is there another term we can use? Classic Liberal is the only term I can think of
Agree, new need to come up with new language, new terms. The old Left/Right continuum is no longer useful.
Absolutely Sahra Wagenknecht of the BSW is a great example- no one seems to know where to place her
😀 yes, maybe that will shut them up for a while as they sit scratching their heads on how to discredit her without sounding born again Commies.
One minor point - I think this is less an assault on workers rights - unions still remain very strong (pensions, holidays healthcare etc) and more about consolidating power at the EU level. Making Brussels an equal partner to Washington.
A truly perceptive summing up and clarification. Also a close tracing, minus your active engagement, of the evolution of my own thinking, starting from the left, about Europe and the Fourth Reich.
And a clarification of my own, less perceptive, thinking!