2011-11-14

Authoritarianism in Europe aka rule by technocrats

Authoritarianism is back in Europe, it just has a kinder, gentler image. Democracy and Europe
In Greece, Lucas Papademos was sworn in as prime minister last week. He is not a member of Parliament, has never been elected to office and is a former Federal Reserve economist. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi resigned under pressure and is being replaced by Mario Monti, a former European commissioner and Goldman Sachs adviser. Like Papademos, Monti is an economist who has spent his career in the employment of the international banks and has never been elected to office. He has, however, been appointed to the rather ominous sounding position of senator-for-life. Fortunately, he has yet to make any statements concerning the reliability of the railway schedules.
The media are describing these new unelected governments of Greece and Italy as "technocratic." They are also openly non-democratic. Indeed, to the extent that they are espousing policies that are directly to the contrary of those supported by the vast majority of Greeks and Italians, they are downright anti-democratic.

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