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IDEOLOGICAL PITFALLS IN A ONE TIER EUROPE. Can a one strata federal Europe be taken seriously ? The answer appears to be a disquieting “no”. The stark social and political ideological contrasts between the Southern and Northern members could be seen from the start. The comparative ethical values and even cultural behaviour patterns spoke of disaster, at least to those who looked beyond the ambitious - and some would say, foolhardy, power game. Europe has always been a bureaucrats dream based on visions of honeycombs of well financed structures and pampered personnel with platinum expense accounts. Everyone´s dream of jackpot and indirect leadership of their unachievable local one. The once avoidable mirage has come home to roost and a split level, cost effective, centralised system of government appears to hold the only sustainable answer. Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy as seen by the major contributors to the European economy, Germany, Britain and France, have little understanding of the nature of wealth creation coupled with un unbridled inclination to beg borrow or steal to cover the resultant holes of wanton expenditure and much publicised political corruption. Worse still, decades of socialist ideological war against entrepereneurial efforts, has forced tired and cornered employers to capitulate and releluctantly destroy thier life efforts. In Spain at least although probably the same in Greece, the dreaded Labour Courts heavy with claims by “get lucky” employees and wily lawyers avoid reconciliation and force the door of the courts open to force the employer to keep paying up until the process is over. The results - bankruptcy or closedown. In many cases, the employees claim thousands at pre court level refusing to budge whereas amounts really due could be no more than a few hundred which the employer would in any case be willing to pay. The trick is to stick to the claims even if the employers prove them to be lies. The objective is the monthly salaries throughout the course of judicial process which the lawyers and employees share. During that time, the employer faces legal costs, loss of labour effort and eventual payment of salaries and massive social security payments. Some employees with only five weeks in employment and short contracts end up with thousands of euros to invest in property they would have never been able to find a deposit for. Immigrants who manage to do the same, often buy their first home in their country by this method. The results can be starkly seen in Spain, Ireland Italy and Greece and whose present political incumbents have suddenly realised that its blind left wing with puerile visions of Marxist empires, has been financed mainly by the hapless, gagged and starved business class. Whereas Ireland appears to have put the destructive unions in place, Spain conjures up images of lynching mobs and anachronistic, well fed union leaders condemning employers for the crisis and crying for more public expenditure and increased idebtedment to solve the employment problem. None appear to understand basic economics of wealth creation or productivity – all comprise of monologues of the rich as class enemies and the Moguls of Europe determined to abuse Spain. All similer to the Greek debacle except that somehow one thinks that not one single union activist actually believes in consequences and relish confrontation for its own sake. None of them accept the idea that employment comes from private enterprise and it is now clearly seen that the small and medium employer has been targetted towards the extermination that is now clearly seen as a calculated and executed reality in these peripheral countries. Socialist denial of basic constitutional rights. These States have however, has not only consistently breached the terms of the constitution which guarantees every citizen the right to a job roof over their heads but defied Europe in its demands to spend more on family support. In fact, today, a disturbing number of people take to the streets to find food and shelter and delincuency based on needs grows to the point of anarchy. No amount of European financial support can ever fill the gaping economic holes that continuous and desperately raised market bond loans at ever increasing interest rates, are ignorantly creating. In fact, without, the necessary counterbalance of cost reductions none of these countries can ever face the reality of being bound to sustenance beyond its shores. But even a two tier system in the light of the inexplicable ambitions of the european bureaucrats fed on the merciless VAT, falls short of its financial implications. We might even be talking about a three plus tier system, to be able to accommodate the stark and contradictory ideological systems which fire the ambitions of different members of this cultural kaleidoscope. Warped political and social concepts it would seem are fed into the community from the very early days of junior upbringing at school and at home. Culture as an inviolable framework against change. I recently presented two papers on “culture conflict in global expansion” for the distinguished American academic organisation “BWW worldwide” whose publishing efforts are well celebrated internationally. I did not realize just what it was I got myself into but I soon found out with a soul searching marathon of ambiguous finds what it was in fact that I was trying to distill in the form of appreciable results. Culture like an onion skin appeared to be multilayered and the results of millions of years of beliefs and ceremonial expressions. It appeared to consolidate itself through collective behaviour patterns designed to intimidate outside forces rather than internal social ones although in time as the culture spread and outside forces became less relevant in strength, internal competitive and rewarding elements crept in to amuse and keep the people occupied. This however through generational adaptation and evolution was a political or religious ploy to keep the tiller in the hands of those whose interests had to be protected. Each cultural heritage is therefore a world of its own and as colourful and complicated as the nature of the peoples themselves. Dismantling something as skin tight as that would require more than human resources within any given civiliations,could possibly do justice to. In fact, even rechannelling, which is what most political and religous systems try to do, is of itself a risky venture with doubtful results. I forecast early in the year that appreciable attempts to do these things whether directly or indirectly, even by internal powers could very seriously bring lower levels of its intricate makeup to the foreground with disastrous results. I ventured to calculate that human sacrificial tendencies originally carried out by most if not all primitive cultures, could marry self immolation and or destruction of those who appeared to be engaged in the process. I further added that this explosive effect could detonate without warning and often before an incredulous society brought up on civilised behaviour. This was shortly before the Norwegian massacres and it did not take long for comments “ as dramatically illustrated in your expose” to come through the post. Perhaps therefore, the powers that be,take note and modify liberal policies likely to challenge national identity without cultural approval or referendum. Culture is not educational formation or even festive communal celerations. It is as closely related to the individuals immersed in that collective consciousness as a cell is to the collective body that gives its behaviour a resultant meaning. As such therefore, cultural identities are highly unlikely to even remotely mold to the requirements of collective supracultural forces. Those attempting to create a vast economic pool for reasons which weaken the bond, are barking up a very wrong tree, as they will find out, and which Norway, spine chillingly faced with horror. Europe is a case in point as far as the amalgamation of identities is concerned and for the Southern European countries, the Northern ones are almost classified as resented insiders with harsh and ungrateful asides in the national propaganda blatantly visible in the media. This disdain and cynicism forms part of the ultra nationalism reflected outwardly by Berlusconi with “Merkel can pay for it..” and the crude remarks in the powerful left wing sectors of the Latin societies who classify them as jealous, pretenders to power over the states they look down on. Hardly appreciative of the enormous sums spent on dragging them out of the political and social quagmires they were all in prior to their entry into Europe. A Spanish politician the crowds that they did not ask for money for motorways but were given them so that the Germans could sell them more cars and get it all back quickly. The attempts to belittle is chronic and a very small minority from families with generations of European travel (who are often shouted down in television debates) face criticism when defending the privilege of being part of Europe. The trajedy is that the creation of an overall, ultra sophisticated bureaucracy is a task that should have been relegated to people of a superior order of intelligence and appreciation. The one way system of economic integration is easily felt in any attempt to get through to European departments when faced with local and blatant injustice or corruption. “What has that got to do with us ?” was the curious remark made by a European executive who felt he had heard enough and had meetings to go to. Most Europeans of any worth have felt the coldness and insignificance of the polical and disastrous interpretation of reality by unelected people with whom they cannot identify. Worse still, their behaviour patterns so often seen on the television screens reflect a much lower order of public sensitivity than could be expected from people whose sole purpose in being there should be to work towards meaningful representation of the interests of their people. What comes through is a very fragile picture of school photographs and almost nervous slaps and kisses that could well be interpreted as tense and hypocritical gestures to the cameras. Europe has burnt its boats as far as reaching a platform from which a federal alliance could work and contribute with ease and genuine European sentiment that has so far not emerged in the Southern states. The comments made by the American President, among others, that the problems of Europe came from the Meditteranean countries, were probably not his own interpretation, but fed by very serious and professional advisors who saw it all too clearly. Nothing can really be that simple, of course, but the point has been made and to a great extent, fits the bill. Culturally, Southern Europe is diametrically opposed to and incapable of identifying with the ethos of a Northern variety of cutlures, loosely termed, Calvanistic, by the hugely different South. Cries of betrayal of the interests of the poor in favour of market exigencies are crudely reflected in media interviews by those who do not explain why there are so many poor their own countires. This camouflages a reality that ingenuous, too highly paid, European executives, full of patronizing smugness, are unwilling to decipher. Latin countries live in a world of climatic differences and social behaviour handed down scrupulously by each generation with attitudes that certainly have nothing to do with “Calvinistic” belt tightening and self sacrifice. Technically it is the complete opposite with self discipline being no more that something to do “Asiatic cults”. Paradoxically, these cultures are of Asiatic origins in the main, as seen in the ceremonial and ostentatious, self infliction of Messianic cults from the pagan days of ancient Phoenicia which are clung to assiduously in both communal and animal torture ceremonial so repulsive to the Northerners. However, the emphasis on festive days, work as a aggravation rather than a desire, medical certificates to the limit and ingrained anti employer sentiments (which have led to millions of job losses), points to a need to re-educate and redefine national aspirations within a proposed single identity. In short, pleading for support is a part of all the Southern cultures which deny themselves the sort of effort which could lead to self reliance. This concept of “making it oneself”, is alien to societies where selfish behaviour is encouraged in the household by overindulgent parents who subscribe to the philosphy of “heaven knows what could be in store for them” - an encouragement to take without an accompanying “giving” balance. It needs little understanding of the formative forces in societies to get some sort of idea of what their futures hold for them or calculate the lack of productive and innovative talent that will emerge. One can only generalise in most cases, but the overall behaviour patterns of any society can be viewed through cause and effect. Living within them confronts those looking on with any sincerity with all the relevant cultural patterns. Should they be any different however ? Is anyone entitled to change the oral traditions and attitudes ? The answer is No. Each culture has to develop its own identity in its own way however long it takes. It is for those those who seek their hands in mutual aspirations to do so with the consent of those they represent and spend only in that which moves with progress and committment. What the European bureucrats have done, is pour funds into empty coffers without providing the necessary safeguards and supervised time scales to ensure that objectives and channels were in place. The results are plainly visible with court cases full of “tip of the iceberg” deviation of funds, restrictive undemocratic economic practices bordering in racism, hidden agendas diametrically opposed to the European concepts of justice and opportunity for all etc etc. Only in this context, can decisions be made. Corruption becomes more prolific as we go down the Northern – Southern slide. So does, social violence and ethical appraisals. In some Southern states, the very mention of ethical standards provokes the dismissal of such concepts as meaningless and ingenuous. Unfortunately, in this case, Europe appears to have transmitted the disease to all and sundry with the traditionally Puritan countries like Britain now seeing its effect in its own governmental and bureaucratic environs. Fair play is another of those hitherto respect axioms which are totally incomprehensible down South and mouthed with a degree of embarrassmetn which is sad to see. Much is wrong in the State of Europe which only a three tier system will be able to channel with a greater degree of practical results, but once again within an intelligent code of conduct that enables all to reach the levels aspired to with sustained effort and sense of committment. All these factors should have been taken into account by an “enlightened” modern structure with all the resources at its fingertips and which obviously fell foul of the collective understanding of members whose sole interests rested and still do, in individual claims to easy money. The price has been paid. The time is now to strip Europe down to basics and replace with genuine talent and scholarship likely to perform with lack of preconception or political affiliation. Without any of that Europe is doomed in the hands of the growing generations waiting to get their hands on the wheel which has seen them deprived of very basics and cultural convictions which their own ancestors once enjoyed. Nations of a kind. Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal have very similar cultural links. The general characteristics of the individual nations are similar with respect to attitudes on wealth creation and social welfare ignoring in the main, the element of hard effort and will power on the part of the entrepreneur. All the countries are left wing inclined and some have a hard core of semi communist union systems that ensure that things like “markets” never get off the ground. Hidden deep within the social systems, long forgotten pacts paralyse labour growth and punitive taxation and bureaucratic obstacle courses ensure that entrepreneurial talent does not gain respectibility or influence. Much of the damage to the economic structure remains unseen as investors and politicians deflect attention from these pits, like the aggressive labour truibunals which deter private invesment in the labour market. State subsidized, rabble rousing union leaders continue to soothe these nations with empty words that attempt to deflect the blame for their inability (or incapacity) to create industry or even supply the nation with acceptable living standards. In fact they are heard to say loudly that the State should be the sole employer without really understanding that this means a massive, lazy bureaucracy hardly likely to produce anything other than increasing tax collection from the hapless and ever diminishing productive, unwary employers and their staff. It takes very little to analise and dismiss worker movements as ideological contradictions based on the very principal of power for its own sake. In the main, their languge, “rich” and “poor”, “collective”, “employer power”, “comrades”, “people power” etc. are vain ineffectual attempts to provide a protective identity which has, in all the nations of Europe, always been incapable of creating work or encouraging foreign investment for that matter. The extremely serious lack of employment opportunity in Spain is not only a case in point, but the sinister tip of an iceberg of active ideological destruction of the workplace and the “employers” who develop consequently, “employment aversion”. Only a concise and detailed analisis of this corrosive influence behind the scenes, with all their machinations and institutions can really reveal the extent of this tail which wags the national dog in a Europe which has only just found out that some of its parts live on loans.
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