I totally get where you're coming from but to be pedantic, the problem with the EU isn't that it's unelected or supranational, but instead that it's a liberal bourgeois institution. As communists we shouldn't have any respect for liberal nation states or "democracy" which is usually how we see these anti-EU arguments get presented by right wing populists.
Unelected is a problem. Institutions need to be accountable to the people their decisions effect. It's why we're so adamant on Soviets. The economy needs to be controlled by the people who make it up.
I can agree with that. The EU isn't any more or less legitimate than liberal states. But it's still a uniquely massive obstacle for change in europe.
I can look at my small country of 5 mil people and think it's not that unrealistic that a movement to legitimately change things could be built during my lifetime. Then I think about how powerful and oppressive the EU is and change just seems impossible. The tiniest move leftwards is now guaranteed to put you in direct conflict with an incredibly rich and well-organized capitalist cartel because any economic policy that's not neoliberalism is functionally illegal. Don't get me wrong, EU's main function is to promote the interests of European capitalists at the expense of the rest of the world, but it has another important function of adding an extra layer of protection for capitalist against their own populace.
If stuff like this flight ban happens in less influental countries than France there's a good chance it just gets vetoe'd for interfering in the free market or whatever other bullshit excuse.
I mean, France had already decided on the ban, they just had to wait for the EU to give them "permission" to do it, I don't see how that delay helps fight climate change. Especially since they might not even give that permission to less powerful countries
Cool that the european commission "approved" this but maybe it shouldn't be up to an unelected, supranational org to decide things like this
:thonk:
I totally get where you're coming from but to be pedantic, the problem with the EU isn't that it's unelected or supranational, but instead that it's a liberal bourgeois institution. As communists we shouldn't have any respect for liberal nation states or "democracy" which is usually how we see these anti-EU arguments get presented by right wing populists.
Unelected is a problem. Institutions need to be accountable to the people their decisions effect. It's why we're so adamant on Soviets. The economy needs to be controlled by the people who make it up.
I can agree with that. The EU isn't any more or less legitimate than liberal states. But it's still a uniquely massive obstacle for change in europe.
I can look at my small country of 5 mil people and think it's not that unrealistic that a movement to legitimately change things could be built during my lifetime. Then I think about how powerful and oppressive the EU is and change just seems impossible. The tiniest move leftwards is now guaranteed to put you in direct conflict with an incredibly rich and well-organized capitalist cartel because any economic policy that's not neoliberalism is functionally illegal. Don't get me wrong, EU's main function is to promote the interests of European capitalists at the expense of the rest of the world, but it has another important function of adding an extra layer of protection for capitalist against their own populace.
If stuff like this flight ban happens in less influental countries than France there's a good chance it just gets vetoe'd for interfering in the free market or whatever other bullshit excuse.
My ecostalinism says "shut up"
I mean, France had already decided on the ban, they just had to wait for the EU to give them "permission" to do it, I don't see how that delay helps fight climate change. Especially since they might not even give that permission to less powerful countries
Aah sorry I got it wrong, thought they were whining about the EU forcing France to do something