Politspective

People in my country say: better late than never.

So, even if its probably too late to change the fundamentally hostile, superfluous and wrong directed EU campaign which has been run, it is for sure not too late to address the errors and circumstances which in my opinion had lead to the acceptance and even proudly public recognition of the so called “Ausländerfeindlichkeit”, “anti-European” policies, homosexuality discrimination and Human Rights relativism amongst other.

First of all, the obvious Austrian mass media bias against the European Union, wealth taxes, succession duties and bank secrecy mixed with the anyway difficult economic and financial situation creates an explosive preparation which has lead to the scary rise of extremist parties. That’s obvious, you’d say, but it seems like not enough people are really addressing the clear abuse of power on the part of the “Boulevard-Zeitungen” for seeking especial benefits from the political system which so heavily depends on them, as well as their irresponsible sensationalism seeking to aggravate the situation so they became even more indispensable and their revenues even bigger.

And what about the freedom of the press? Well, to be honest I have never fully understood why we spend so much time and money enforcing anti-trust law and financially controlling big and small companies, aware of the hazard profit seeking brings with itself, while allowing the media world be run by just a few companies worldwide without any comprehensive control to ensure impartiality, responsibility, objectivity and fairness.

And once the media had created an sense of insecurity and chaos the vicious circle is complete, for the social equilibrium is broken and the disputes becomes so fierce that no other discussion is relevant and all relative criteria for a good policy are wiped out leaving only the black or white.

Austria is clearly in such a situation. It seems like it does not matter anymore in which way, based in which principles politics are made, the main thing is to be against the EU and for selective, discriminatory policies.

But what to do when this happen? When the structures are tumbling and social stability is giving up, it is for sure time to address the difficulties which had led to it. And it should be done by expressly referring to the difficulties, suggesting ways out and making clear that they are not easy solutions for difficult problems.

We have to stop telling the people that what they think is a problem is not. Even if many times the causes and consequences are exaggerated, the fears induced by misleading press comments and the solutions taken just out of necessity, the problems and fears are felt in reality and have to be solved.

I think that this approach, among a new conception of worker and activism, will turned the right-winged upheaval into a new era of self-awareness and democracy in Austria.