Mediterranean Spring.History...we re here!
Mediterranean Spring: History…we are here!
As a wave of arab revolts and revolutions spread from northern Egypt to the Persian Gulf, many western analysts and heavyweight journalists promptly talked of a new 1989. Dusty and discredited theories on the purported end of history were regurgitated and the revolts were touted as yet another victory of liberal (or even neoliberal) democracy. It was once again time to say goodbye to History, now that the arab masses were so eagerly jumping into the arms of the West, queing for the Big Macs of US and european fast food democracy.
Even Barack Obama adopted this view, in a speech following America΄s heartbreaking goodbye to a few of the pro-western dictators it has steadfastly supported since the Cold War. This analysis remains wilfully blind to the uprisings΄ social characteristics. Gone from the narrative is the fact that the revolutions were not just calls for freedom and democracy but also forsocial justice and economic equality. The arab spring was a thunderous reaction to the neoliberal choices of the past three decades, choices that tore apart preexisting social contracts in almost every corner of the globe.
In this perspective, the spanish movement is nothing but a logical next step. Only, this time, the situation is much clearer. The protesters in downtown Madrid do not just question the corrupt two party system, they also question the essence of the global economic system. The fact, of course, that they do it spontaneously, without party guidance and without using the ossified language of the traditional left may win them more enemies than allies. They ll be attacked both from the right and from the left. The media will try to silence them and, when proven impossible, they ll try to distort their voice.
The governments or (lets not kid ourselves) the regimes of the northern Mediterranean will not, of course, call in the army, although in case of escalation they re certain to unleash the militarised police they ΄ve so methodically trained for the past decade. But they ΄ll certainly deploy the media panzers, calling for order- their own order. They ll ask us to pay back our loans, to accept IMF and ECB policy and to keep quiet. One step out of the circle and you re doomed. All you are is just another brick in the wall.
“The Spanish inquisition? Who d have expected that!” asked once upon a time the Monty Pythons. Nobody expected the Spanish revolution either, reply the protesters in Madrid and other Spanish cities. They re both here, the revolution and the counter-revolution. We re finally about to experience what Eric Hobsbawm called “interesting times”.
Even Barack Obama adopted this view, in a speech following America΄s heartbreaking goodbye to a few of the pro-western dictators it has steadfastly supported since the Cold War. This analysis remains wilfully blind to the uprisings΄ social characteristics. Gone from the narrative is the fact that the revolutions were not just calls for freedom and democracy but also forsocial justice and economic equality. The arab spring was a thunderous reaction to the neoliberal choices of the past three decades, choices that tore apart preexisting social contracts in almost every corner of the globe.
In this perspective, the spanish movement is nothing but a logical next step. Only, this time, the situation is much clearer. The protesters in downtown Madrid do not just question the corrupt two party system, they also question the essence of the global economic system. The fact, of course, that they do it spontaneously, without party guidance and without using the ossified language of the traditional left may win them more enemies than allies. They ll be attacked both from the right and from the left. The media will try to silence them and, when proven impossible, they ll try to distort their voice.
The governments or (lets not kid ourselves) the regimes of the northern Mediterranean will not, of course, call in the army, although in case of escalation they re certain to unleash the militarised police they ΄ve so methodically trained for the past decade. But they ΄ll certainly deploy the media panzers, calling for order- their own order. They ll ask us to pay back our loans, to accept IMF and ECB policy and to keep quiet. One step out of the circle and you re doomed. All you are is just another brick in the wall.
“The Spanish inquisition? Who d have expected that!” asked once upon a time the Monty Pythons. Nobody expected the Spanish revolution either, reply the protesters in Madrid and other Spanish cities. They re both here, the revolution and the counter-revolution. We re finally about to experience what Eric Hobsbawm called “interesting times”.