Collapse of Austerity Talks in Netherlands Fuels Crisis

[David__77]

29. Europeans reject the neoliberal model.

Of course in Europe, as elsewhere, "liberal" stands for pro-finance capital, "free markets," and replacement of national power with supranational power. The Socialists are divided between liberals (in the classical sense, not the progressive/US sense), and actual social democrats that ultimately want socialist reforms to the socio-economic system, increased worker management, etc.

It's not the left that needs to "copy" right-wing populism; quite the contrary, it is the right-wing populists that adopt the trappings of the traditional left. It's that tradition to which the left should return, in my opinion. The tradition of socialism, progress, class, and cultural development. If a left formation were to do so, and reject the mess of third way, the lingering stench of the 60s New Left and postmodernism, the workers will support it and the National Front would be doomed.