Steward correctly writes...except for this..
> Despite the restoration to 'health' of government finances (by dint of
> continued systematic dismemberment of the social welfare system) and vague
> promises of "new proactive welfare measures" (see Hugh on this below),
> current polls show no sign of increasing support for the Social Democrats.
Vague promises my ass! In fact they have completely dismembered unemployment programs
into workfare/welfare programs and now are in the process of going in the other
direction. Of no programs at all. The state is loading everything on to the communes
(local government) while sharpening the anti union laws. And in fact much of the new
"employment" is based on "manpower" type companies and will last as long as the
present short upturn. By the way any takes on when the whole bubble will collapse?
One of the most interesting things to happen this year was the Social Democrats coming
up with a new state bureaucracy directed against the heart of trade unionism. That is
a law to create a new authority which will be given a lot of power to
intervene/mediate in all trade union/boss negoiations/contracts including the right
to stop strikes. They did this by pulling the blinkers over the eyes of everybody
saying that this new authority was to be used mainly as and instrument to give women
the same pay as their male counterparts. But in reality it is a broad and beefed up
authority to smash strike rights.
Another quite interesting thing is how the leadership of the Social Democratic Party
see things these days. Mona Sahlen who they used to promote this anti union bill puts
herself and the government above the bosses and the unions as the all powerful "state"
which intervenes on behalf of all in society rather then recognizing the historical
roots of the Social Democracy.
And it is true in that they now have left their base in the unions for the third way
of quite openly administrating little imperialist Sweden in the name of the state. And
their program seems to be of piecing together anything from the right, center and left
in order to rule.
.Mean while on the local level things are beginning to explode all over the place. Up
here in the north school strikes are becoming the norm as the cuts keep coming and it
is the Social Democratic/left party which is in power that is responsible for a lot of
this stuff.
Lots of talk about the possibility of a Social Democrartic rebellion on the local
level is gonna lead to a new party on the nation level in the next elections. Already
the "Kiruna Party" backed by the miners are talking openly about this stuff. Be quite
interesting to see if the CP will be able to keep its new one largeness in the face of
a trade union rebellion linked to the creation of a new party.
And that fascism is "no threat" is certainly true in one context. But they are growing
especially amongst the youth is very serious. In fact right here in my school we are
seeing kids who are into "white power" music and Nazi T shirts and nationalism linked
to the destruction of the welfare state..
Another interesting point is the whole common market/Euro debate where the Social
Democrats appear to be heading towards Europe. This if the Nazis were smart could be
the door to a mass party. Because the masses are deeply suspicious of the whole
project knowing full well that the price is the welfare state.
In fact I would not be surprised at all if we get a version of Russian development of
nationalism and the far right including fascism when the parties heading down this
road can't deliver anything else but more downsizing and more "reforms" which mean
that what's left of this welfare state goes down the drain. On the other hand new
leaderships in the unions. A classical left/right split in society!
Finally I disagree with Hugh that the unions broadly supported and anti fascist
manifestation after the killing and bombing of the syndicalists. In fact the trade
union bureaucracy did everything in its power to confuse people. First they went out
in the national newspapers saying the Nazi's need to be banned by the law only in the
very same day to back down when pressured by the party leadership.
The Social Democratic Party in Sweden has now leaped down the path of the third way
leaving its historical base behind them. Gonna be very interesting to see if a new
leadership develops in the unions which will want to seriously contest this turn.
Hopefully a deep split based on this will become viable in the future.
Warm regards
Bob Malecki
PS another interesting discussion will be what is gonna happen when the "integration"
of the former East block countries are brought into the common market and how this is
gonna be fiananced. The key to the common market we have now is the billions that are
given to the farmers which held this together. But Germany now wants to bring in the
east European countries at the exspense of western European farmers and perifial
states. And would rather see these countries prosper along its boreders to the east
rather then Ireland, Portugal and Spain for example. In fact this is a strategic vital
question for the survival of German imperialism against its rivals both East and west.
My guess is that the whole project is gonna explode in their faces and what comes out
depends on who is leading what where in the process.The possibility of a party growing
in all of this which has its roots in the masses is quite good. Just as splitting the
mass parties from the top is good with the correct approach.
Anyhow my guess is that anybody who is seriously thinking about changing the world
should be looking at the construction of mass parties in Germany, Russia, on this
continent...Despite the heavy present of english speaking people historically in the
past.
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