It’s very good news that Sarkozy is gone. The French have done the right thing. The rest of the year will be perilous for the Greeks; and the best outcome for them would be to renounce the debt slavery and get out from under the Euro altogether. An economic reset under the drachma is inevitable; but there is the danger, as b suggests, of a possible coup d’etat, engineered from outside the country.

Posted by: Copeland | May 6 2012 19:07 utc | 3

the path is being laid clear for the hard right to take power everywhere. it will correspond with the so-called “arab springs” which is just a euphemism for ground clearing for the hard right in the arab world. looks whose taking power in egypt. europe, you’re next up. the u.s. may have to wait until 2016, but it’s coming. the plutocrats will throw their weight to the hard right when the time comes, and the hard right will purge the population of any threats to vested interests as we all ride this shit storm into the abyss.
the pendulum of authoritarianism swings in perpetuity, 350 degrees from one end to the other, both ends be equally authoritative. it spends most of its time at either of those ends and very little time anywhere in between. the short time in between is now disappearing and its back to full on oppression. secure yourselves. you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Posted by: wenis | May 6 2012 21:18 utc | 5

Debs is dead

it is possible to allow human freedoms to be given away by ticking the wrong box in a ballot, it is not possible to regain those freedoms by ticking another box the next time.

!
an Entropy Law applied to politics

Posted by: claudio | May 6 2012 22:20 utc | 7

I’m pleased with François Hollande’s victory. For many reasons. The first and foremost because it would be a way to stop this arrogant right, allegedly technique, with banking experience, namely that the public has been stolen with the complicity of the state with impunity. Probably the times are very cruel to our inability to analyze, but maybe soon someone shows that basically the most notable difference between Angela Merkel and Silvio Berlusconi is limited to sexual orientation, not ideology. Both believe in the same gods. One is shy and the other exhibitionist.

Posted by: auskalo | May 6 2012 23:17 utc | 9

The modern day Greek fascists would not have done so well if the Greek government had acted in the best interests of Greece rather than the best interests of “Europe,” (or more accurately European banksters.)
If the Greek government had just defaulted years ago and told their creditors to go to hell, I doubt the Greek extreme right would have done so well.

Posted by: Lysander | May 7 2012 3:38 utc | 11

After all, he did admit that he’d be looking forward to making lots of money if he were to lose the elections, so he must be happy to be getting his wish. Look at how rich Blair has suddenly gotten since he left politics. I hadn’t heard such a bitter concession as the one made by Sarkozy last night.

Posted by: www | May 7 2012 6:56 utc | 13

when there are real elections..this happens:
http://pennyforyourthoughts2.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/as-more-bombs-explode-syrian-election.html

Posted by: brian | May 7 2012 8:03 utc | 15

Thanks @annie @6 – This piece was double posted due to a Typepad problem. I deleted the double post but will copy the comments to the other version below.
—
“In Serbia the nationalist pro-Russian parties will gain and are likely to win over the pro-EU parties. That more pro-Russian way is in my opinion the better path for Serbia. The orthodox heritage of that country fits better with Russia than with the mostly catholic and protestant EU.”
are you sectarian b.? Greek orthodox is ok. (even though Istanbul used to be Byzanz), Russian orthodox un-European ??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Orthodox_Church
Looking at the map I cannot see any direct connection between Serbia and Russia. What it would mean is Serbians having difficulty trading with their Euro-Zone neighbours, they share a lot of history and language with …
Posted by: somebody | May 6, 2012 2:18:24 PM | 1
oh, and “Islam is part of Germany” to quote a former president, why no Russian orthodox?
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi-Auferstehungs-Kathedrale
Posted by: somebody | May 6, 2012 2:23:36 PM | 2
Somebody, the animosity between the Orthodox Christians and the Catholics is many centuries long. In particular, the animosity between the Serbs (Orthodox) and Croats (Catholic) runs deep. Read about it in history texts. It is something that many people in the US do not understand.
Posted by: Northern Night Owl | May 6, 2012 10:44:54 PM | 3
@somebody: The first one to call Islam part of Germany was Germany’s Minister of the Interior Schäuble.
Posted by: m_s | May 7, 2012 12:30:27 AM | 4

Posted by: b | May 7 2012 9:05 utc | 17

US MCM coverage of France will now change to become more negative; Hollande will be judged in the US MCM as to how well he adheres to the Austerity Regime set up by Banksters. Greece is being covered as “nearly ungovernable,” “political system in chaos,” and Greece stock exchange tanking. So far, no real coverage of other elections, much less discussion of Monday’s Syrian elections.
Meanwhile, in Russia, evening news from one of the Big Three covered protests against Putin as being examples of police (ie, Putin) violence against brave protesters. Of course, when there were large protests against Bush the Younger’s first inauguration, the US MCM simply ignored them; they didn’t become well known until Michael Moore found footage and included it in one of his movies. In NYC, reports of violence by NYPD against Occupy protesters are barely breaking into any MCM organs. When an Occupy guest on the local public radio station, WNYC, Brian Lehrer’s Show revealed that NYPD cops are systematically groping women protesters, even breaking bones (twisted wrist was the example with a name of the victim, numberous broken fingers), it was discussed by another Occupy guest, but then just dropped. In fairness to the host, I don’t hear every single segment….
And the new bill, CISPA, to limit privacy on the Internet has passed the House, filled with goodies to allow collusion between providers, both service and content. It isn’t collusion if it can in any manner or form be connected to “security.” My fear is this will probably make it more difficult for non-Powers That Be types and regular internet users to disseminate information and have access to important news.
Interestingly, CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act) seems to be getting much less coverage in both the MCM and the blogosphere.

The measure would encourage companies such as Facebook to freely share your info with law enforcement agencies if you seem like a “cyber threat” — thing is, what exactly makes one a “cyber threat” seems a little unclear.
President Barack Obama’s administration has promised to veto the bill. He says it doesn’t do enough to protect “the nation’s critical systems from cyber attacks and would erode consumer-privacy safeguards.” (My emphasis)

Somehow, I don’t trust Obama’s veto promise, plus it’s predicated on the bill not being strong enough. What does he have in mind? Bush’s TIA (Total Information Awareness)? I thought they were actually doing that, just not telling us. But I guess having the force of a law is a good thing when breaking the law.
Firedoglake has been covering CISPA and its many problems in posts by David Dayen and Kevin Gosztola in The Dissenter section of FDL.
Somewhere I read that online protests had little to do with stopping SOPA and PIPA, that it was actually the lobbying of the big players, such as Facebook and Google, which influenced Congress enough to kill them. Now that their concerns are addressed, along with being given freedom to share users’ information as much as they wish, they’re not making waves.

Posted by: jawbone | May 7 2012 12:38 utc | 19

Re Russia,I guarantee all protests are run through NGOs on the neolibcon Ziomic payroll,to counter American scenes(which are seldom seen in the MSM)of protest,which RT loves to show.
And which Roosevelt do you want back,the one who made SS and a safety net,or the one who angled US into WW2 and tried to stack the SC?
All those welfare recipients became constituents of the democratic party,and why would the democrats wish to end their fealty as a voting bloc?Sounds Machiavellian,and maybe why our dems helped send all our jobs overseas,to keep that bloc intact.
Nothing surprises me anymore in this neolibcon world of no honor.

Posted by: dahoit | May 7 2012 14:27 utc | 21

Check this site. This shows the results of the voting by French citizens living abroad. It is a real story when you review the locations. For instance, when you scroll down to Israel over 90% voted Sarkozy, in other parts of the world, the lines seem to be drawned by regions. In Lebanon, a lot of people voted Sarkozy, however in south Lebanon, they voted hollande. This voting pattern tells a very interesting story.
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/IMG/pdf/Tableau_de_recensement_-_2nd_Tour_cle8dd39a.pdf

Posted by: ana souri | May 7 2012 17:36 utc | 23

@ben #22

disengage from the austerity programs pushed by the big bankers/west

a bigger budget deficit isn’t in itself Keynesian; not, for example, if the money thus created will be used to refinance a failing financial system (like the Us and Europe did following the 2008 crisis);
Keynesian policies are based on precise pillars; for example: full employment through public spending (that is, financing public or private aimed projects); redistribution of wealth through progressive and a probably higher income tax (and through greater attention to workers’ and unions’ rights); regulation of the financial sector;
it seems nowadays nobody remembers that the income tax was practically introduced, in the Us, by Roosevelt
public spending that isn’t framed in this this kind of strategy isn’t Keynesian, isn’t progressive, and would probably be useless (from this point view, conservatives are right in insisting that austerity might be the lesser evil)
a different problem is that of the efficacy of such policies in a more globally open economy than that between 1930 and 1990; but the greater part of trading still is among western nations, so I think it should work also today

Posted by: claudio | May 7 2012 20:31 utc | 25

Sarkozy real goodbye , end credits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob08C_J6fMw

Posted by: rototo | May 7 2012 22:04 utc | 27

@Kristin 28 Of course msm sites such as the guardian are trumpeting the Greece election result as being unworkable.
Few in greece aside from looney toons ultra right nutcases, expected that New Democracy would be able to form a govt.
Apart from them (ND) and golden disaster or whatver they call themselves there just aren’t pols prepared to go for the “death to the unter-mensch” thing.
That may change of course, esp if the remaining scum of Greece’s scummy political elite cannot run their agendas among the humanist focused representatives, but that option is a long way off viability at the moment.
The big issue is whether Alexis Tsipras, the leader of SYRIZA, can keep the leftists onside after he lures across enough of the remaining PASOK corrupt degenerates, to form a majority and therefore a government.
Previous instances of these condundrums should inform us that the most neo-liberal elements of PASOK are gonna be the first cab off the rank offering their services. BUT those creeps, the so called pragmatists will have a shopping list of conditions given them by their masters in Brussels and the money lenders.
In the unlikely event that sufficient of the humanist parties find the shopping list bearable, these creeps have a history among greeks.
A history so corrupted and degenerate that they are loathed by many of the leftist reps – not to mention the voters who elected the humanists.
Few of the ‘pragmatists’ who scraped back in, could be considered viable allies for any pol with pretensions of being honest.
So the most likely outcome/next headline in the Guardian/NY Times/ Le Monde/ Süddeutsche Zeitung et al will be that Tsipras’ talk with the ‘sensible’ pols has failed.
If Tsipras is honest himself (something no one can really know yet), he will have to move fast.
He has only 3 days to do something which can take weeks here in NZ where we have a form of PR.
That is to negotiate with any remaining honest, ideologically motivated, pols from outside the left.
That will prolly exclude the asshole ersatz nazis plus a sizeable chunk of the remnants of PASOK & New Democracy.
Incidentally in this time when peeps are wont to spout the lie that Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Spain etc are in the shit cause they lived beyong their means, it is vital to retort with facts such as that the bulk of the debt being claimed is not public sector debt is is from private loans between banks/lenders and private individuals/enterprises, which at the time the loans were being made the lenders & govt economists, always assured concerned citizens that these loans were private and could never effect national liquidity.
Secondly the loans have ballooned because the money lenders had penalty clauses that punished insanely & unreasonably.
Doubling the vig by stealth – even retroactively, much worse than any illegal street loan shark could hope to get outta a ‘mark’.
Haiti, which was billed by French banks for each slave that was emancipated, is the model the money lenders have adopted for the rest of us.
The fault for this problem lies entirely with money lenders and crooked politicians.

Posted by: Debs is dead | May 8 2012 2:20 utc | 29

@ 25: “conservatives are right in insisting that austerity might be the lesser evil.”
Don’t know how austerity works where you live,but, here in the US, it’s code for less for workers, and bigger and better profits for the monied elites. Cutting your way to prosperity has never ever worked for any nation in history. The UK’s plunge into austerity is working so well.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/apr/21/experts-british-gdp-first-quarter

Posted by: ben | May 8 2012 4:03 utc | 31

@ben #31
I agree – consider my statement a reaction to the superficial citations of Keynes and Roosevelt by those who only seek a lower income tax for themselves; people who say that we must “pump money into the economy”, without qualifying means and ends

Posted by: claudio | May 8 2012 6:18 utc | 33

France, Muslims: 90%+ for Hollande (? – corr. to estimates but out of my hat)
Israel, 93% for Sarkozy. Voters in Ramallah: 83% for Hollande (high abstention in both.)
USA: All for Sarkozy, top: Miami, 80+%. Except in two spots. Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, NY.
Much of the Anglo scare-mongering about Hollande relates to the issues expressed in the votes above. He is a mainstream, standard, pol, and there is really nothing exceptional or startling about him – these are qualities that helped him get elected.
Hollande’s foreign policy should be a tad more palatable, in the sense of less: Atlanticist, pro-Israel, pro-EU as US lackey, interventionist. This is an electoral expectation he must fulfill, and afai can see, is determined to follow. We will see how far that goes…
Greece: 35 % abstained – high. The main result is that the ex in-power coalition (new democracy + socialists) will now hold according to *predictions* based on the rules, 149 (/300) of parliament seats, with all the rest distributed further left / right / fringe.
Seats, predicted, on the left: Syrizia, 52, Communists, 26, Democratic left, 19, total 97.
On the right: Greek Independent, 33, Golden Dawn, 21, total, 54.
A slam-bang protest vote.
Those in power will of course play these two sides against against each other.
It shows how ‘democracy’ channels voters into mainstream parties, while gloriously and shamelessly ignoring the issues ppl are really exercised about. That leaves space for ‘neo-nazis.’
The Greek MSM was (I have read and saw a little) very down-mouthed, alarmist, disappointed, scare-mongering, etc.
can’t say it often enough, the media control the narrative, breaking out of their grip is no. 1 priority.

Posted by: Noirette | May 8 2012 16:28 utc | 35

I had the same thought as dahoit at 34.
In Greece, it is obvious that the real ‘fascists’ (using that term very loosely), those who aim to quietly destroy, enslave and despoil a whole ppl, are not neo-nazis, but banksters, technocrats, powerful foreign interests, neo libs and free marketeers slavering for assets, and the Greek elite who support them, which includes the handmaiden, the media, and in the shadows, the Church and the Military.
Facing such a coalition, it is sort of comprehensible that a hyper xenophobic and nationalist party, Golden Dawn, would gather support. (German comptrollers are working to tax the Greeks more, right in Athens, I have read.)
What is peculiar is the clear reference(s) to Hitler’s nazism, in Greece!! to boot. I can only suppose that a Fuehrer figure is still admired, appeals, can be used as a model..Note the left does not refer to Stalin or Mao.
In F, Marine Le Pen has expunged references to that history, and when the cams are around, militants are forced to wear shirts that cover their tattoos. All overt references to Hitler, the Nazis, are banned, meticulously controlled. Marine makes up for that by being the only F pol candidate in this election to not control her image, a very clever move. Pictures of her show her smoking, on bad hair days, shopping, etc. Journos know they can take any pix they want. Which sends a message: I, we, are ordinary ppl, have nothing to hide, except, amongst ourselves, that one thing.
The old style fascism is a provocation, and one guaranteed to gather attention. Not surprising. It is an extreme form of nationalism, which all those in power will do anything to scotch, thus provoking reactions, counter-reactions, and so on.

Posted by: Noirette | May 9 2012 15:47 utc | 37