What Is Borderless?
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www.grenzeloos.org . Published in the Netherlands . January 2014 . Number 4 Editorial Netherlands Now is the time Big cuts, little resistance We have entered into the arts slashed. In the new – Willem Bos for mortgages or refurbishing on the shoulders of individuals. a period of global social, ‘Participatory Society’, it’s houses. The government also Old people will have to live economic and political everyone-for-him/herself. The Dutch government found four billion euro to buy at home longer and become unrest. From Greece, Brazil And yet the Dutch public, published its budget on the third 38 Joint Strike Fighter planes. more dependent on aid from and Tunisia to Egypt, Spain, while opposed to these cuts, Tuesday of September as is the Meanwhile, the gap between family or neighbors. Collective the US, and Turkey societies remains largely passive. tradition. This budget means a rich and poor continues to grow. mechanisms are replaced by are in turmoil and people are The announcement of the loss in purchasing power for the The budget deficit is expected market mechanisms, creating in revolt. In each of these new (blindingly Orwellian) majority of the population while to reach 3.3 per cent, higher new possibilities to make profit. countries (and so many ‘Participatory Society’ makes unemployment rises. After than the EU limit of 3 per cent. According to polls, if there more) policies of austerity, two things perfectly clear: several years of drastic cuts, To reach the 3 per cent goal, not were elections now, the ruling privatization and deregulation One, previous claims by the the government announced six six but nine billion in cuts would VVD would lose over half its have funnelled vast wealth to ruling parties that cuts were billion more in cuts. People with be needed. The Netherlands seats (from 42 to 18) and the the very top while stripping necessary to ‘save the welfare low incomes, those on benefits, were given permission for this PvdA almost three quarters of away essential social services state’ were lies – the agenda and the elderly will especially by EU budget czar Olli Rhen. its seats (38 to 10) out of a total and undermining economic from the start has been feel the results. In polls, support It’s an ironic development of 150. The coalition already security for the vast majority. ideological and the goal is to for the governing parties keeps considering the country always lacks a majority in the Senate After fifty years of dismantling destroy the welfare state. We declining yet resistance against insisted countries in South needed to approve bills. Most social welfare and checks on are not witnessing the end its austerity policies is limited. Europe had to stick to the letter of the opposition, the christian- corporate power, the fruits of the welfare state but its As in the democratic of neoliberal capitalism are assassination. And two, the rest of Europe, CDA, the liberal being harvested worldwide. strategy of cooperation and the economic D66 and in For the 99% it isn’t going well. collaboration with the ruling crisis of 2008 essence also Rising poverty and inequality, political parties and financial led to a deep the Greens, growing fear and desperation, elites – the polder model – and sustained supports the and expanding oligarchy have has failed us. A new strategy slump in the government combined with a massive of resistance and direct action Dutch economy. goals of global economic crisis to is needed. Dozens of reducing destroy the livelihoods of There are encouraging billions of euros spending and billions of people and torpedo signs. Cleaners, healthcare were used tearing down democratic institutions. workers and refugees to save the the welfare- Although the Netherlands have mounted impressive banks, adding state. But has not experienced the campaigns to protect their to the budget this so-called kind of economic and social (and all of our) interests and deficit. The ‘constructive disasters that have befallen garnered wide public support. financial crisis opposition’ is billions of others around the The Occupy movement turned into an also afraid to world, we need only look showed us that we are not economic crisis lose votes to around us – to the East, West, alone in our indignation. In and economic the Socialist South or North (take your September, a ‘Stop the Cuts’ growth turned Party on the pick) – to see where we are demonstration in Amsterdam into stagnation left, which headed. Billions have already drew 5000 people. And the or decline. ‘Prime-minister Rutte tries to sell austerity as ‘participation’ to Geertwould grow been cut from the national trade unions mobilised for Austerity Wilders and SP leader Emile Roemer - ‘Het Land Van Pannekoek’ from 15 to 24 budget in recent years. And a massive demonstration measures have led to of the EU budget regulations. seats according to polls, then here comes the King on November 30 in Utrecht decreased government and The people of Greece, Portugal and the right-wing, populist, (arriving literally in a golden against the new austerity consumer spending which has and Spain have to bleed but Islamophobic PVV of Geert carriage) to announce, even budget. only worsened the economic Dutch politicians demand Wilders on the right, which as the rich get ever-richer, These events are problem. This government, like special privileges. stands at 27 seats in the polls, that there simply isn’t enough heartening but they must be previous governments, is trying as against its current 15. money to pay for such just the beginning of a much to make the population pay for Despite the limited appeal ‘luxuries’ as social security larger, sustained movement this crisis – a crisis which they Participation society of the government plans, or elder-care anymore. The to turn the political and did not cause. resistance to them is limited – so welfare state is over, he tells economic tide. It is time for Benefits are to be cut and The government, consisting far. An anti-austerity protest in us. Billions more must be cut. workers, students, retirees wages frozen for public sector of the right-wing liberal VVD and September drew thousands and Vital social services will have and the rest of the 99% to workers, meaning their real the Labour Party (PvdA) aim to was supported by the SP and to be slashed. Wages and get organized, get into the income will decline at the replace the welfare-state with found sympathy among trade pensions slashed. Health care streets, and demand an end rate of inflation even as rent what they call ‘the participatory unionists. The trade-unions in subsidies slashed. Assistance to these policies of destruction becomes more expensive. But society’. This means public turn are planning a large rally for the poor, the elderly and and exploitation. the rich won’t have to pay resources like healthcare or for November 30 in Utrecht. students slashed. Support for If not now, when? taxes for over 100.000 euros homes for the elderly are This shows the potential for a gifts if those are used to pay decreased and the burden is put stronger fight-back. Arab spring in Egypt What is borderless? The struggle for democracy and social justice borderless is a radical paper written in English for non-Dutch speakers interested in Dutch progressive politics. It provides - Melanie Henry after decades of dictatorship. constitutional amendments news and commentary from an anti-capitalist perspective on When they won the election implemented by the Morsi Dutch politics and on events and social struggles in the Nether- Egyptian business leaders, in 2012, Mohammed Morsi government made late 2012 lands and around the world. whether Islamist or Christian, and the Muslim Brotherhood a turning point. At this crucial borderless is written and published by a collection of Dutch and supporters of civilian democracy (MB) took the test of power moment, the political forces non-Dutch activists living in Amsterdam. We consider ourselves or partisans of the Mubarak and failed. They attempted to which could have pressed the socialists, feminists and ecologists and we seek anti-capitalist regime, agree with the military secure their power and their revolutionary demands for solutions to the many economic and ecological crises facing on one point: maintenance of place in the international scene social justice – the Nasserist working people worldwide. We oppose capitalism, a political- the neoliberal order. To make as respectable members of the Popular Tendency, and the economic system that is based on exploitation and whose in- Egypt attractive to investors and global bourgeoisie. In classic leftist Popular Alliance – chose creasingly frequent crises are devastating communities around seduce its creditors, the ruling dictatorship-style, they tried instead to join the liberals and the globe. We oppose all attacks on the civil and human rights class opened huge portions of to control state institutions the remnants of the Mubarak of citizens, immigrants, workers, and minorities both inside and the market to competition and through imposition and regime in the National Salvation outside the Netherlands. We stand in solidarity with all people worked to ensure a cheap and violence, by censuring critics Front (against Islamism) engaged in the struggle against exploitation and oppression docile labour force. and smashing resistance. They supporting the coup d’état, is a supplement to our sister magazine, Grenzeloos, But by the mid-2000s, borderless quickly abandoned even the thus putting the revolutionary published by SAP, the Dutch section of the Fourth International. this situation had become pretence of representing the ambitions of the working class unbearable for much of the revolutionary movement. behind the ousting of Morsi. population, triggering a wave Deteriorating living conditions The June 30th movement of social unrest, culminating in the ensuing months led to and the military coup that Join us! in the January 25 revolution a street-protest movement followed polarised the political If you are interested in what we do, feel free to contact us that ousted Hosni Mubarak.