Collapse of Austerity Talks in Netherlands Fuels Crisis

[pampango]

28. Interesting that you consider the far-right candidate the most "anti-capitalist" candidate

"in her own twisted way".

You apparently consider the EU to be a "neoliberal, anti-sovereignty project". I'm sure Ms. Le Pen agrees with you (as do many other far-right politicians on the continent), but not liberals in France. The anti-EU (and anti-Schengen) movement is a right-wing phenomenon stoked by nationalists who play on the fears that many people have of "others".

Are you saying that in order to defeat the "foul, fascist, "national-conservative" radicalism" represented by the National Front, the French left should become more like them by adopting some of their policies? Kind of become a "National Front-lite"? My guess is that this notion has occurred to French liberals but they have apparently rejected it. I conclude from this that liberals there are too committed to an open society and the "neoliberal, anti-sovereignty project" (code for the EU, I assume) to sacrifice them on the altar of "adopting whatever policies will get us elected" politics.

"Marine Le Pen has a clear lead among workers, with 30% of their votes went to him. Follow Francois Hollande to 27%, 18% to Nicolas Sarkozy, Jean-Luc Melenchon to 12% and 8% Francois Bayrou."

I congratulate Ms. Le Pen for her success in scaring 30% of workers (thus "winning" the worker vote by 3%) with her anti-immigrant (particularly Muslims), anti-EU scare tactics. ("Our problems are caused by "others". If we just get rid of them, we will be fine.&quot

Our republicans have had similar success winning workers' votes with fear-based, "us vs them" campaigning. I wouldn't be surprised if tea party candidates didn't get more than 30% of the worker vote in 2010. That doesn't mean that Democrats should adopt more "tea party-lite" policies in order to keep them out of power.