Portuguese General Election

[mileslunn]

What are the chances of the PSD + CDS-PP getting a majority.  Wouldn't that be the best coalition to make the necessary spending cuts to get the deficit under control.

[mileslunn]

Let's hope it continues; I find it utterly perverse that the Right should benefit from this.

  Why would that be perverse.  The right generally favours less government, which means smaller deficits.  If anything Greece, Portugal, and Ireland could benefit from a right wing government and I see this as someone who is close to the centre in my home country, Canada.  In the early 90s, the Liberals had enough sense to make big spending cuts despite not being a right wing party, but it seems in Europe, electing a right wing party is the only way to get the necessary spending cuts.  I doubt Labour Party in Britain would have made them.

[mileslunn]

I am not totally up on the nuances of European politics, but I know it is generally it is the right who is for spending cuts, less government, and privatization of inefficient state owned enterprises.  After all it was Margaret Thatcher who did those things in Britain, while the Tories are making cuts in Britain that Labour would never dare make.  I will admit I am more familiar with British politics than that of other European countries.

[mileslunn]

I am not totally up on the nuances of European politics, but I know it is generally it is the right who is for spending cuts, less government, and privatization of inefficient state owned enterprises.  After all it was Margaret Thatcher who did those things in Britain, while the Tories are making cuts in Britain that Labour would never dare make.  I will admit I am more familiar with British politics than that of other European countries.

An amusingly naive perspective.

In this case it is the left who are making the cuts (and taking the heat for it) while the right claims that the cuts are not necessary and that they will restore everyone's benefits. Of course, they wouldn't actually do so, which is why it is particularly perverse that the right is gaining from the left imposing austerity. You should, you know, learn something about a country's politics before commenting on them.

  I know in general it is rignt wing parties who are for cuts.  Yes the left also make cuts because they have no choice.  In the case of Britain it is the right, not the left making the cuts and likewise I think you would see more spending under the Socialist in France than UMP or SPD vs. CDU/CSU in Germany.   Besides why isn't the public in favour of the cuts anyways.  In the early 90s, we faced a similiar situation here in Canada and it was public pressure that forced the Liberals to make the big spending cuts they did.  In fact when they made the cuts they did, their popularity increased.

[mileslunn]

Because - as seemingly hard to believe as it is for you - not everyone's onboard with this wonderful neoliberal train, least of all the European left (well, the voters, in any case) and wants to further roll back their hard fought for achievements? As for the Canadian liberals cutting, it's not really comparable as they're a centrist party and thus don't have to worry too much about alienating a leftist support and their cuts were made in a completely different environment to today's, but it's pretty telling they've been reduced to third party status recently by a social democratic party.

I am not totally up on the nuances of European politics, but I know it is generally it is the right who is for spending cuts, less government, and privatization of inefficient state owned enterprises.  After all it was Margaret Thatcher who did those things in Britain, while the Tories are making cuts in Britain that Labour would never dare make.  I will admit I am more familiar with British politics than that of other European countries.

...and she got the worst opinion poll ratings - until Brown amidst the financial collapse - for her troubles, and a legacy where people will be joyous upon hearing of her death. I'm sure its news to you we weren't cheering her on for it?

Doesn't the combined right vote exceed 50% in a large number of European countries and 40% in pretty much every country which suggests to me many in Europe do support the idea of lower taxes and less government.  Yes the nosiest oppose it much like here in Canada.  We don't have a tea party movement like the US does and neither does Europe, although they do have a lot of racist/nationalist movements which are pretty vocal in some countries.  Never mind a large chunk of state owned enterprises have been privatized and yet the governments who do it are re-elected.  I believe airlines, telecommunications, electricity, airports, and ferry service are mostly private in Europe whereas here in Canada electricity is still largely public, although it varies from province to province.  Even water privatization and health care privatization is far more rampant in Europe than Canada and in the case of the former even more so than the US.  In fact railways and the postal service seem to be the only state owned enterprises that haven't been privatized and even that is changing.  Also most European countries have a lower corporate tax rate than the US.  Sure one can blame the EU for pushing the neoliberal agenda, but based on voting patterns it seems either most Europeans support it or are indifferent to it.

[mileslunn]

Wouldn't some party promise to re-nationalize previously privatized industries if the idea was so popular.  After all, all parties want to win.  The only reason I can think of for them not doing it is the EU is against state ownership and defying the EU cannot be done without leaving which outside Britain has little support and in Britain it is mostly the right who wants to leave the EU.

[mileslunn]

The left makes the necessary cuts when they are necessary for a country's survival. The neoliberal right makes cuts just for the sake of making cuts, in spite of common sense, because they are a bunch of stupid hacks blinded by their silly ideology. That is the difference, Miles.

  Actually the neo-liberal right believes big government slows economic growth and having a leaner more efficient government allows for more growth.  They believe in privatization since they believe most things are better run by the private sector.  In cases like electricity or postal service it may be debatable and thus why the right in some countries outside Europe are reluctant to touch those two, but for airlines and telecommunications, there is little evidence that state ownership is preferable.  Likewise under both left and right regimes, all European countries have some form of private involvement in health care and most have private schools and universities, otherwise the traditional left is for government monopolies, not government involvement, but with competition from the private sector.  And never mind, they must folllow EU rules so in electricity or postal service, monopolies are illegal under EU rules as are pretty much all public sector monopolies.

[mileslunn]

As for cutting deficits, I will agree in Canada the Liberals have done a better job than the Conservatives but the Liberals are not a left wing party to begin with.  They tend to go to wherever they think the votes are so in the 70s it was on the left and they racked up massive deficits, while in the 90s it was on the right and they balanced the budget.  As for Europe, my question is taxes use to be a lot higher and you use to have a lot of state owned enterprises, whereas today it seems most have at least been partially privatized if not outright.  I believe it was the right who did this.  Also while you need some taxes, if they are too high in a globalized world it drives away business.  Especially within the EU where there is free mobility of capital and labour.  Also most privatizations have been generally successful although I agree some have been failures and one could argue in Europe they have gotten a bit carried away.  After all on electricity they are well ahead of Canada, while on airports, highways, water, and postal service they are well ahead of Canada and the United States.  In fact it seems like almost anything is fair game for privatization in the EU under certain circumstances.  As for the right being better, I should note here in Canada, the NDP in both Ontario and BC were disasters for deficits and high taxes and it was the right who cleaned it up.  One could also argue federally the Liberals under Trudeau who were on the left were a disaster whereas Mulroney, Chretien, and Martin who were regardless of party labels were more to the right played a role in cleaning up.  Mulroney didn't solve the deficit, but most economist say without the GST and free trade it would have been very difficult to balance the budget.