Maggie's ghost: What is haunting Europe

by system failure

"A ghost is haunting Europe — the ghost of Communism", Marx wrote in the Communist Manifesto, in 1847. He couldn't probably predict that the ghost above Europe in 2013, would have been totally different.

Thatcher's dogmatic faith in free market, in minimizing state's presence, was a basic characteristic of her political perception. One could wonder, why the "Iron Lady" silenced in front of the facts during last decade, especially after the global economic crisis. Is it because of her age? Was she believed in the routine motto that "this is just a capitalism's cycle and will recover soon"? Or is it because she finally understood, rather late, that this was not an ideal model of the free market, but the prevail of a peculiar bank-debtocracy?

Margaret Thatcher, is a characteristic case of a politician, who's fanatic faith in a specific perception, wouldn't let her see the real picture, what was this perception truly represented, what had in store for the future. It is the perfect example, of how the supposed modern perception for the economy and personal freedom, can be combined with conservatism.

Thatcher had a deeper vision of a truly Great Britain with the glory of the past, and believed that this vision could become true, also through the economic power. Falklands' war, was just an indication of such a desire. In reality, Thatcher's biggest damage against Argentina, was not Falklands' war, but her significant contribution on the expansion of neoliberalism that led Argentina to bankruptcy. She rather couldn't imagine that Europe would face a similar situation one day.

And if someone can justify Maggie, probably because she couldn't predict the course of the facts so early, and because she was dependent on advisors who were serving specific interests, we cannot find an excuse today, for MPs who say that belong to patriotic Right-wing, because today they know quite clearly what is going on.

Nation-State deconstruction and the emergence of anarcho-capitalism

We are now in a transition phase, where Nation-States self-deconstructed. This means that they use their legislative and what is left from their democratic power, with an ultimate goal to self-abolish. It is a fact that, the more the democracy decreases, as well as human rights in various levels (labor rights, atomic freedoms, personal data etc.), the more we are passing in a vicious circle, a non-returning point, which downgrades democracy and institutions. Neoliberalism is a transition phase to what the economic elites are dreaming: anarcho-capitalism.

One recent example of anarcho-capitalism in Greece, is the information according to which, various "distress funds" rushing to buy the red household loans from the Greek banks, in very low prices. The state, in this case, seems that cannot do many things to intervene as regulator of the red loans. It seems that no one can block such funds from obtaining house loans and therefore, the corresponding houses in ridiculous prices.

But it is even more amazing the fact that, a specific perception is spreading widely, by the mouthpieces of neoliberalism, according to which, social state and social benefits, but also, state intervention in economy, even in banks' bailout - the same banks which the mouthpieces serve - is a good prove of the Soviet function, even of the European Union! Maggie would completely agree, as of course many people who rush to adopt such "inventions", and because of their communist-phobia, assist on this propaganda.

But the truth is that, this type of intervention, is targeting on creating the suitable conditions, which would benefit big capital - and finally lead to the self-deconstruction of Nation-States - in order to serve completely its interests, in fully deregulated conditions, something, which is quite far from a Soviet-type state characteristics.

Through this huge paradox, neoliberal dictatorship manages to accelerate its domination. What is the paradox? The fact that most of the people who contribute in this propaganda, belong to the patriotic or conservative Right-wing - as of course Maggie - and they would never like to see, in any way, their nation fall apart! Indeed, a huge cost against the nearly zero possibility of the return of the Soviet Communism!

Apolitical generations and their contribution to ideological "mashing"

I belong to a generation which could be characterized as fanatical apolitical. It has been shaped, in essence, by a freaky ideology which adopted fragmentary, sometimes distorted elements, from a philosophy which dominated in West, since Nietzsche time. The big achievement of this ideology, is that managed to persuade many generations that the apolitical person is the smartest, because escapes from politics, from the ideological cage, and release himself to act independently.

But the course of events in the passing decades, have shown that the reality is different. The magnification of this apolitical stance, especially during 90s and after, evolved today in a cultural totalitarianism that is spreading everywhere, very fast, through globalized technology, erasing every other alternative.

Inside this cultural totalitarianism, concepts have been distorted in such a degree that, today, in reality represent almost different things of what represented in the past. The concepts of "new" and "freedom" have been substantially annexed by neoliberalism. The result today, is exactly opposite of what these concepts supposed to represent in the past. The concept of "freedom" tend to mean the ability of economic activity in a global arena of fierce competition and nothing more. In order to prevail this model of primitive society simulation - the imposition, survival of the strongest - some human conquests of the past centuries dissolve, and this is propagated as the "new". The decline and the fight for survive regarded as progress.

As a consequence, apolitical generations contributed to the "blurring" of the Left, as well as of patriotic-conservative Right. The Left, was not able to find the suitable material inside the ongoing apolitical generations. A material, with which could rebuild and create a totally autonomous political language. A language, totally independent from capitalistic terms. Patriotic-conservative Right today, has almost coincided with the neoliberal doctrine, with some exceptions.

But, even the extreme nationalists today in Greece, who are supposedly fighting against Nation-State deconstruction, restricted exclusively in illegal immigrant - hunts, and appear to be totally powerless to prevent it. And not only that, but they appear to serve perfectly the systemic establishment since they disorientate people from the real threat, which is not illegal immigrants, but bankers and big capital. While repeatedly act with excessive willingness against illegal immigrants, they are just restricted in a specific rhetoric against bankers.

Therefore, Maggie's ghost is what haunts Europe today, but appears to be as confused as the living people today, from the blurring of ideological lines and the rise of a homogeneous ideological "mince", which comes from the progressive "mashing" of ideologies in the machine of post-modernity. Thus, Maggie's ghost seems to wander, not to enjoy its final victory, but to find the road which leads to the peace of the kingdom of dead.