Pasok extreme cruelty towards the Greek people and its short sighted stupidity means Pasok should be throw out of Socialist International. That a membee of Pasok, at least the last time I checked, was president of Socialist International is a tradgedy. I would also like to see Mulcair nominate himself to lead it, the NDP is the up and coming player, while Europe gets its shit together this would boost our forgien affairs profile.
Pasok should be expelled from Socialist international
Tue, 2012-06-19 19:59
#1
Pasok should be expelled from Socialist international
Tue, 2012-06-19 20:06
#2
I would also like to see Mulcair nominate himself to lead it
Shouldn't a socialist lead the Socialist International?
Tue, 2012-06-19 20:29
#3
Compared to far right neoliberals in Ottawa of the last 30 years, the NDP and Mulcair would be considered in the ultraviolet range of the political spectrum.
I would also like to see Mulcair nominate himself to lead it, the NDP is the up and coming player, while Europe gets its shit together this would boost our forgien affairs profile.
Yes the NDP could give Canada some credibility on a range of international issues. For now the rest of the world sees Canada as a 'corrupt petro state' according to George Monbiot.
Tue, 2012-06-19 23:59
#4
Mulcair would never go anywhere near the SI in a million years. You have a very strange notion of who he is.
Wed, 2012-06-20 00:07
#5
I would also like to see Mulcair nominate himself to lead it
Shouldn't a socialist lead the Socialist International?
Well at least with his dual passports, he's an International.
Wed, 2012-06-20 00:34
#6
It seems to me that the standards for membership in the SI are not particularly high.
For example, if you want to talk about "extreme cruelty" and "short-sighted stupidity," I don't recall the UK Labour Party, for example, being expelled for participating in the ongoing clusterfuck that was latest round of imperialist adventures in Iraq.
It seems a tad pointless to claim that PASOK should be kicked out of the SI when so many other member parties are following a similar path. And besides, who better than Papandreou to represent the acquiescence to neoliberalism of social democratic parties around the world?
And besides, is the SI a relevant organization anyways? I'm willing to be corrected on this, but I can't think of much that was accompished as of late by the SI. Is it anything other than a club for social-democratic bigwigs from around the world? Does it recommend policy to member parties? Does it do anything to counter the gradual acquiecence of its member parties to neoliberalism? I'm genuinely curious.
Wed, 2012-06-20 00:45
#7
Furthermore, if Brian Topp's infamous article in the Globe and Mail is any indication, the NDP, far from being upset with PASOK's "extreme cruelty towards the Greek people and its short sighted stupidity", considers PASOK's austerity measures to be a "realistic alternative to conservative misrule"
I tell you, rereading this old piece sure is a hoot: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brian-topp/2011/07/progressive-parties-a...
Wed, 2012-06-20 00:49
#8
any organization calling itself 'Socialist' that would have the NDP as a member and Shimon Peres as a Vice President, is certainly good enough for PASOK..
Wed, 2012-06-20 08:42
#9
The time has probably come to disband the Socialist international.
Wed, 2012-06-20 09:18
#10
Agree. It's a joke.
PASOK's continued use of Socialist is consumer fraud.
Wed, 2012-06-20 09:22
#11
Furthermore, if Brian Topp's infamous article in the Globe and Mail is any indication, the NDP, far from being upset with PASOK's "extreme cruelty towards the Greek people and its short sighted stupidity", considers PASOK's austerity measures to be a "realistic alternative to conservative misrule"
I tell you, rereading this old piece sure is a hoot: http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brian-topp/2011/07/progressive-parties-a...
Not one of Topp's finest hours.
And the root causes of all of this madness needs to be addressed in the style Prime Minister Papandreou is using to address the crisis here in Greece, against overwhelming odds -- calmly, thoughtfully, and with determination.
Thu, 2012-06-21 17:43
#12
His corrected himself some what in his next column, I just think Brian just got confused by his pity for the miserable Greek Leader. For record I think the Pasok leader hated what he was doing, I just think the powers that be convinced him it had to happen, of course it isn't. That's why he was going to have a referundum and had to be removed by the powers that be. The new guys are far more vile because they have no guilt for destroying the Greek People.
Thu, 2012-06-21 18:41
#13
I agree with Topp and Papandreou - that piling on more debt to save Greece is not the answer. Bond rating agencies really do wield too much power over governments. The rich have become richer, and governments have become poorer as a result of the new liberal capitalism of the last 30-35 years. Topp is exactly right - piling on more debt in a debt crisis is not the answer.
Papandreou's social democrats and Iceland's government at least offered referenda to the people to decide on whether to bail out the banks. Papandreou's government only surivived a confidence vote by backing down on the proposed referendum. Greeks have chosen to remain in the EU, but at the same time they don't want neoliberal austerity. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.