If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Europeans are using democratic elections and demonstrations to send a message: Austerity is spreading unacceptable human misery.
Much of Europe is in recession and the downturn is in no small part a function of austerity measures that, like bloodletting, are making things worse, not better.
On the twentieth anniversary of the start of the Bosnian war we should feel anger and shame because 'the international order' is still ignoring those warning signs when they occur. We should also acknowledge the human consequences of the West's failure in Bosnia.
If this is your second or third time in Paris, and you are looking for a place to stay, then this is the blog post for you.
The election of Francois Hollande as president has not created the panic depicted in the foreign media, but rather an emphasis on keeping to the status quo, at least in the short term.
Despite a few fundamental differences, some of the lessons from Sunday's defeat of French president Nicolas Sarkozy can be transposed to the American context and worry Barack Obama.
As for the right, France has not heard the last of us. Today we have a single imperative: victory in the upcoming legislative elections. These are often called the third round.
While the individual contribution limit in France is more than twice as high as the U.S., there are no PACs or Super PACs, and French companies, unions and special interests are not allowed to make political contributions.
Europe and the global economy are at a crossroads. It would behoove us all to study the map to renewed prosperity carefully to ensure miscues do not send us down the wrong path.
In this election year, I've been on fear watch. Folks are fearful of everything from 2012 theories to GMOs to student loans taking over as the number one source of pain for college grads everywhere.
Democrats should consider Sarkozy's fate a cautionary tale -- and a call to action. If they rally around the cause of growth, jobs, and optimism, the nation will benefit and they'll rewarded at the polls.
However one cuts it, Messr. Hollande faces the same hard choices as does his defeated predecessor. Does he impose crushing new taxes on the wealthy or does he impose new taxes on everyone to help achieve revenue targets needed to help offset France's deficit?
Europe's election results sound an alarm for European integration and, consequently, the wellbeing of both the region and the global economy. Let us hope that the inevitable short-term volatility is a precursor to a more decisive effort to deal with the continent's festering problems.
The president will inherit a difficult Eurozone debt crisis that is far from resolved. The Greek election is there to remind us of those challenges. France would be too vulnerable to a contagion coming from Italy or Spain to afford irresponsible behaviors at European level.
Republican governors Rick Scott of Florida, John Kasich of Ohio and Scott Walker of Wisconsin all turned down available Federal funds. California's governor is happy to take the money to build a system linking Los Angeles and San Francisco but it's become tied up by routing and funding disputes.
There we go, it's done. The French wanted change. Nicolas Sarkozy has lost his bid for re-election. On Monday, we'll start evaluating the downfall of the outgoing president, who went from being a popular candidate in 2007 to a president quickly pushed aside by his fellow citizens.
