Suchergebnisse

Abstract:
The irony at the heart of Europe's current crisis is that although the EU originated as part of a post-1945 effort to consolidate democracy in Western Europe, the Union's travails are now pushing the continent in the opposite direction instead. Stable democracy is only a product of the post 1945 period in Europe. This article discusses changes that occurred in Europe after the Second World War at both domestic and regional levels and argues that while the former played a critical role in stabilizing Europe, the latter eventually worked to undermine it.

The irony at the heart of Europe's current crisis is that although the EU originated as part of a post-1945 effort to consolidate democracy in Western Europe, the Union's travails are now pushing the continent in the opposite direction instead. Stable democracy is only a product of the post 1945 period in Europe. This article discusses changes that occurred in Europe after the Second World War at both domestic and regional levels and argues that while the former played a critical role in stabilizing Europe, the latter eventually worked to undermine it. Adapted from the source document.

Eric Hobsbawm is one of the great historians of the past century. His books and essays are beautifully written, full of stimulating insights, and able to capture the big patterns and tragic flow of events. Many of his works are justly considered classics, particularly his tetralogy on the "long" nineteenth and "short" twentieth centuries (The Age of Revolution, The Age of Capital, The Age of Empire, and The Age of Extremes). Hobsbawm is also one of the premier Marxist intellectuals of the past century—something that has been a source of disappointment and even anger to many. Hobsbawm's long-standing membership in the British Communist Party and his belated, tepid criticism of the Soviet Union have marred his reputation and called his judgment into question. Yet these two aspects of Hobsbawm's mind are harder to separate than non-Marxist fans of his histories would like, because it is Marxist methods and arguments that provide the armature upon which the clarity, consistency, and force of his writings are constructed.

The European Left stands today at a truly critical juncture. A shadow of its former and potential self, it has gone down in flames in recent elections largely because it has no coherent narrative of current problems or convincing plans for dealing with them. The center Right, on the other hand, has adopted enough of the old social democratic program to appear non-threatening to center and center-left voters; it also appears more competent and less divided than its leftist counterparts. Is it any wonder that it has emerged victorious in recent elections?

Considers the crisis of the European Left. Discussion opens with a look at the democratic Left's origins, identifying two key challenges & the factional clash between democratic socialism & social democracy within the Left. The evolution of social democracy is examined before assessing the European Left in the post-WWII period. Currently, the lack of a coherent narrative on contemporary problems or their solutions is seen as a main reason for the Left's decline & the dominance of the center Right. D. Edelman

The United States' mission in Afghanistan will not be accomplished until a central government exists there that can control the country's territory. History shows that such state building is possible but is not a job for the squeamish, the impatient, or the easily frustrated. Policymakers should look to Louis XIV and the development of France's ancien regime for guidance. Adapted from the source document.

The current financial and economic crisis has once again placed the dangers of capitalism at the forefront of our collective consciousness. The left, which until relatively recently had seemed adrift across much of the Western world, lacking in coherent and convincing responses to globalization and neoliberalism, appears once again poised for a comeback, as citizens yearn for stability and security in difficult times. That the left's fortunes should ebb and flow with capitalism's is nothing new. Indeed, capitalism is both the reason for and the bane of the modern left; the left's origins and fate have always been inextricably intertwined with capitalism's. There is much, therefore, that the left can learn from its past about how to approach the problems of the present.