Number of those displeased by growing social-economic problems is growing in the countries of the European Union, SIA reports citing New Times. The youth becomes organized, forwarding demands and holding mass rallies. Recently, Germany, UK, Spain and Greece encountered protests. Official reactions followed by acknowledging that the police acted violently. Amazingly, European Union accuses others of condoning police violence. What is the reason?
Antidemocratic response to the "Blockupy" protests
It is a fact that social, economic and cultural problems are growing in the Western societies. Financial crisis in Europe is one of its manifestations. There is no more resolute and confident rhetoric about the development, stability and progress. It is has been replaced by such terms as protest rallies, racism and others. Problems of the Eurozone, actions of the anti-globalists, religious intolerance and racism are mentioned more often than ever. Youth-organized actions are now troubling the West, and events demonstrate that Western democracy clearly "fails the test" of addressing the grievances.
Recently several countries of Europe were shaken by the wave of protests against the policy of the European Central Bank. "Blockupy" movement organized a mass rally, with reported 20-25 thousand people in attendance. Similar rallies took place in London, Madrid and Lisbon. Although agenda was diverse the main demands were of a social nature. Rallies in Frankfurt, Germany were staged to support the vulnerable parts of the society affected by the economic crisis.
According to statistics, the revenues of the medium income families are shrinking in several EU countries (Spain, Portugal, Greece and others). However, this process is also accompanied by the enrichment of the wealthiest citizens. This is the main concerns of the Europeans and they call upon their governments to curb the trend. Another demand is to halt the policies of the European Central Bank. Situation in some European countries has reached a critical level and thus, other member states are forced to sacrifice something. This the main point of resentment among the Europeans. This trend signals the difficulties with the overall integration processes in Europe.
World Labour Organization (WLO) released information which is notable on the backdrop of the ongoing processes. According to WLO, 17 out 24 EU member states face the threat of chaos. If in 2006 this index stood at 34%, in 2012 it was at 46% (see "Европа на грани беспорядков" (Europe on the verge of unrests),www.rupor.info, 5 June, 2013). Primary reason – economic and social crisis. To be precise, the gradually sharpening social-economic grievances stand at the core of the protest movement in the Western societies. How should a democratic society react to such a situation?
This aspect is thought-provoking. Instead of the application of democratic means, two undemocratic and inhuman common practices are employed in the event of domestic problems within the Western societies. First, police wrath is unleashed upon the protesters. Second, growth of dynamically developing countries is hindered as they immediately face accusations of using violent practices or other preposterous allegations.
"Civilized baton" of the European police
In recent years Europe has become a region with most commonly encountered police violence incidents. In Frankfurt, police bludgeoned and pepper-sprayed the protesters as their demands fell on deaf ears of the government. Apparently, no democratic measures await those who dare to think differently in the European Union. Police behavior on the streets of other European cities such as London, Lisbon or Madrid is not much different from Frankfurt. Notably, in the West, public officials deem unnecessary to discuss the views of the protesters. Their position is to silence the dissent with police batons! This process is underscored by the experts.
Antidemocratic programs adopted in a certain country force the youth organizations to take to the streets (see "РИСИ представляет: Кризис Запада. Америка атакует Европу" (Russia’s Institute for Strategic Studies presents: Crisis of the West. America attacks Europe, www.km.ru, 26 December 2011). Analysts believe this trend is not incidental. Italian theorist Danilo Zolo is skeptical about the West’s advance on the path of democracy. According to Zolo, it is more about the complication of the notion (see Данило Золо. Демократия и сложность: реалистический подход. Высшая школа экономики (Danilo Zolo. Democracy and complexity: realistic approach) 2010, page 320).
Italian scholar specifically points out that in the past years the West has failed to become more democratic. On the contrary, this notion has become more entangled. There is no doubt that in the West those positions are not formed by chance. Depletion of the means of democratic settlement of new social, economic, political, cultural and moral problems underlies those views. This is a serious issue because it implies an overall change of social-cultural environment. This aspect is yet to be recognized by the political parties in Europe and therefore, authorities resort to police batons.
It is not just that. Western politicians that so frequently use the terms "democracy" and "dialogue of opposing viewpoints" are eager to accuse others. They abuse the terminology and seize every opportunity to accuse others of behaving antidemocratically. One Azerbaijani proverb reads "You see the mote in someone’s eye but don’t see the beam in your own". But the problem’s thought-provoking aspect has to do with something else.
We are referring to harsh and double standards position with respect to dynamically developing Muslim countries. A minor incident in Turkey or Azerbaijan immediately makes the headlines in the Western media, adorned by such embellished terms as "human rights’, "freedom of speech" and "tolerance".
Various international organizations immediately produce statements. Once the issue of "Inadmissibility of insult through internet" is discussed in Azerbaijan they immediately outcry about "restrictions on the freedom of expression". Police behavior during the handling of the protests in Turkey is widely spoken upon, accompanied by fabrications and groundless allegations. Meanwhile, protesters in the middle of Europe are being humiliated and thrown into the police buses, bruised and battered. International organizations release no statements. Washington remains silent while Paris attempts to justify the actions and Berlin trumpets about upholding law and order. In the meantime, an almost simultaneous incident in any Muslim country is immediately deemed worthy of a critical statement.
Negative impact of the aforementioned processes upon the geopolitical, political and economic environment has to be acknowledged because assessment of an identical situation may differ. This method is detrimental to democracy and surely cannot be conducive to its dissemination. As a matter of fact, this is precisely what the Western countries are doing. Islamophobia has become a common practice there. Unprecedented crimes are "invented", and those processes inevitably lead to social-political explosion.
In the meantime, the West aims to obstruct the progress in rapidly developing countries. This is a negative approach that may drive the mankind to great problems, cause global chaos and undermine the prospects intercultural and interfaith dialogue. It is unlikely that any country would benefit from that. If so, why the Western countries are still guided by the policy of double standards?
Indeed this issue deserves attention. Apparently, they are unable to find a solution and therefore, do their utmost for others to share their plight. Harsh police conduct in Germany, UK, Spain and Greece demonstrates that Europe is at the dawn of conception of new radical political parties. Similar to totalitarian states, violence becomes a routine practice in Europe. If such a trend at the time engendered Hitler and Mussolini, who knows which radical politicians may emerge this time around. What is going to be the fate of the Western democracy then?