Anti-establishment players and populists swept away the myth of globalization, followed by a new season of nationalism
Opinions
Where there hadn't to be limits, there are fences; where there had to be free trade, there is protectionism; and where there was supposed to be the global village, there are nation-States. Something went wrong. The model chosen, decided and in somehow imposed, has finished to don't work: instead of globalization there is nationalism. It can't be! How is that possible? That's exactly what millions of people in Europe and worldwide thought on June 23rd after Brexit, that's exactly what millions of people in Europe and worldwide thought immediately after having watched Donald Trump becoming the 45th president of the United States of America. Unbelievable, isn't it? Nobody was ready to believe Trump could do it, but he did. It can't be! How is that possible? The answer is simple: voters were called to choose between two opponents, and they made their choice. It is called democracy. Looking at what happened in the latest American elections, somebody - and even more than somebody - is considering democracy as an epic fail. Points of view, of course. It can be said that Democrats chose the wrong candidate, it can be said that Americans are out of mind, a lot of things can be said. Considerations, opinions, analysis, are all elements which have to take into account one thing: a model has collapsed.
It failed the idea that globalization without neither rules nor ethics could bring wealth and prosperity. On the contrary, wealth and prosperity have been transferred from a country to another, as well as people. Poorest countries saw their living conditions improving, while countries once with good economic and social standards saw the deterioration of the domestic tissue. In name of competitiveness social dumping was promoted, corporations were given carte blanche, the idea of a flexible labour market was translated in precarity. No more rights and less money. Finance did the rest. While millions Dollar cannot be created with strokes of a magic wand, they can be instantly burned on the stock markets. Unreal economy forgot the real world, where the survival instinct was the answer to all of that. Incredible choices produced unpredictable results. The rise of uncompromising and populist movements is nothing but the result of a system which has become no longer sustainable. Marine Le Pen, Beppe Grillo, Geert Wilders, they are all the expression of the general discontent. In time of uncertainty, economic crisis, weakness, they offered (well, they promised to do so) the alternative to the contemporary world. Asking for no Europe, no free trade agreements, no immigrants and no foreigners, isn't perhaps a clear call for putting an end to the globalisation? The one which was offered is a national recipe rather than global.
The middle class was target of policies which weakened them. It's the people from the Middle-earth who traditionally supported the so-called "establishment". Left-wing or right-wing parties have always been their landmark, landmark which is now over because both sides not only forgot about that part of population, but went on in promoting anti-working class measures. Survival instinct prevailed at last. In times when traditional figures are no trusted any longer, the new options - or the options that appears so - are welcomed. Donald Trump was seen as far away from the usual way of doing, exactly as all the so-called "normal men" were far from the population. No matter if Trump is a billion dollar man, another person in business with the business world: American presidents are always the expression of some lobbies. Trump is different, this is the only thing that really counts. He wants less free trade, he promised to stop the circulation of people, he prefers more isolationism. It is impossible to imagine the USA alone in the global world, but it is possible to have a superpower with less engagements in certain area.
What happened on the other side of the Atlantic, is just the US version of the earthquake which shook Europe: traditional parties have lost their appeal since they are not conceived as reliable. Europe is now waiting for Trump's decisions, but uncertainty was there before the presidential elections. British people clearly said to be fed up of the EU and ordinary stories, a large part of Italians doesn't want the single currency any more, a even larger part of French society is keen to vote for Front National. Brexit was the result of people who started following new leaders. UKIP's chief Nigel Farage became the alternative to the two internal historical options, the Tories and the Labour. In the UK as in the USA, citizens made their choice and the choice was against those who governed the globalization. The latter was mismanaged and at the eyes of the working class the responsibles are of course all those who couldn't avoid the deterioration.Capitalism is inequality by definition, but imposing a system without considering the social dimension means bringing to exclude the society, and when it happens soon or late the society raise its voice. Unfortunately, when it happens it is often too late.
Where there hadn't to be limits, there are fences; where there had to be free trade, there is protectionism; and where there was supposed to be the global village, there are nation-States. Something went wrong. The model chosen, decided and in somehow imposed, has finished to don't work: instead of globalization there is nationalism. It can't be! How is that possible? That's exactly what millions of people in Europe and worldwide thought on June 23rd after Brexit, that's exactly what millions of people in Europe and worldwide thought immediately after having watched Donald Trump becoming the 45th president of the United States of America. Unbelievable, isn't it? Nobody was ready to believe Trump could do it, but he did. It can't be! How is that possible? The answer is simple: voters were called to choose between two opponents, and they made their choice. It is called democracy. Looking at what happened in the latest American elections, somebody - and even more than somebody - is considering democracy as an epic fail. Points of view, of course. It can be said that Democrats chose the wrong candidate, it can be said that Americans are out of mind, a lot of things can be said. Considerations, opinions, analysis, are all elements which have to take into account one thing: a model has collapsed.
It failed the idea that globalization without neither rules nor ethics could bring wealth and prosperity. On the contrary, wealth and prosperity have been transferred from a country to another, as well as people. Poorest countries saw their living conditions improving, while countries once with good economic and social standards saw the deterioration of the domestic tissue. In name of competitiveness social dumping was promoted, corporations were given carte blanche, the idea of a flexible labour market was translated in precarity. No more rights and less money. Finance did the rest. While millions Dollar cannot be created with strokes of a magic wand, they can be instantly burned on the stock markets. Unreal economy forgot the real world, where the survival instinct was the answer to all of that. Incredible choices produced unpredictable results. The rise of uncompromising and populist movements is nothing but the result of a system which has become no longer sustainable. Marine Le Pen, Beppe Grillo, Geert Wilders, they are all the expression of the general discontent. In time of uncertainty, economic crisis, weakness, they offered (well, they promised to do so) the alternative to the contemporary world. Asking for no Europe, no free trade agreements, no immigrants and no foreigners, isn't perhaps a clear call for putting an end to the globalisation? The one which was offered is a national recipe rather than global.
The middle class was target of policies which weakened them. It's the people from the Middle-earth who traditionally supported the so-called "establishment". Left-wing or right-wing parties have always been their landmark, landmark which is now over because both sides not only forgot about that part of population, but went on in promoting anti-working class measures. Survival instinct prevailed at last. In times when traditional figures are no trusted any longer, the new options - or the options that appears so - are welcomed. Donald Trump was seen as far away from the usual way of doing, exactly as all the so-called "normal men" were far from the population. No matter if Trump is a billion dollar man, another person in business with the business world: American presidents are always the expression of some lobbies. Trump is different, this is the only thing that really counts. He wants less free trade, he promised to stop the circulation of people, he prefers more isolationism. It is impossible to imagine the USA alone in the global world, but it is possible to have a superpower with less engagements in certain area.
What happened on the other side of the Atlantic, is just the US version of the earthquake which shook Europe: traditional parties have lost their appeal since they are not conceived as reliable. Europe is now waiting for Trump's decisions, but uncertainty was there before the presidential elections. British people clearly said to be fed up of the EU and ordinary stories, a large part of Italians doesn't want the single currency any more, a even larger part of French society is keen to vote for Front National. Brexit was the result of people who started following new leaders. UKIP's chief Nigel Farage became the alternative to the two internal historical options, the Tories and the Labour. In the UK as in the USA, citizens made their choice and the choice was against those who governed the globalization. The latter was mismanaged and at the eyes of the working class the responsibles are of course all those who couldn't avoid the deterioration.Capitalism is inequality by definition, but imposing a system without considering the social dimension means bringing to exclude the society, and when it happens soon or late the society raise its voice. Unfortunately, when it happens it is often too late.
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