What Does Europe Want?: The Union and Its Discontents (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture)

Slavoj Žižek and Srecko Horvat combine their critical clout to emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. To general observers, the European Union's economic woes appear to be its greatest problem, but the real peril is an ongoing ideological-political crisis that threatens an era of instability and reactionary brutality. The fall of communism in 1989 seemed to end the leftist program of universal emancipation. Read more... Abstract: Slavoj Žižek and Srecko Horvat combine their critical clout to emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. To general observers, the European Union's economic woes appear to be its greatest problem, but the real peril is an ongoing ideological-political crisis that threatens an era of instability and reactionary brutality. The fall of communism in 1989 seemed to end the leftist program of universal emancipation Slavoj Žižek And Srećko Horvat Combine Their Critical Clout To Emphasize The Dangers Of Ignoring Europe's Growing Wealth Gap And The Parallel Rise In Right-wing Nationalism, Which Is Directly Tied To The Fallout From The Ongoing Financial Crisis And Its Prescription Of Imposed Austerity. To General Observers, The European Union's Economic Woes Appear To Be Its Greatest Problem, But The Real Peril Is An Ongoing Ideological-political Crisis That Threatens An Era Of Instability And Reactionary Brutality. The Fall Of Communism In 1989 Seemed To End The Leftist Program Of Universal Emancipation. However, Nearly A Quarter Of A Century Later, The European Union Has Failed To Produce Any Coherent Vision That Can Mobilize People To Action. Until Recently, The Only Ideology Receptive To European Workers Has Been The Nationalist Call To Defend Against Immigrant Integration. Today, Europe Is Focused On Regulating The Development Of Capitalism And Promoting A Reactionary Conception Of Its Cultural Heritage. Yet Staying These Courses, Žižek And Horvat Show, Only Strips Europe Of Its Power And Stifles Its Political Ingenuity. The Best Hope Is For Europe To Revive And Defend Its Legacy Of Universal Egalitarianism, Which Benefits All Parties By Preserving The Promise Of Equal Representation. Foreword : The Destruction Of Greece As A Model For All Of Europe : Is This The Future That Europe Deserves? / Alexis Tsipras -- Preface : What Does The U.s. Want, Or What To Do After Occupy? / S. Horvat -- Breaking Our Eggs Without The Omelette, From Cyprus To Greece / S. Žižek -- Danke Deutschland! / S. Horvat -- When The Blind Are Leading The Blind, Democracy Is The Victim / S. Žižek -- Why The Eu Needs Croatia More Than Croatia Needs The Eu / S. Horvat -- What Does Europe Want? / S. Žižek -- Are The Nazis Living On The Moon? / S. Horvat -- The Return Of The Christian-conservative Revolution / S. Žižek -- In The Land Of Blood And Money : Angelina Jolie And The Balkans / S. Horvat -- The Turkish March / S. Žižek -- War And Peace In Europe : 'bei Den Sorglosen' / S. Horvat -- Save Us From The Saviours : Europe And The Greeks / S. Žižek -- 'i'm Not Racist, But ... The Blacks Are Coming!' / S. Horvat -- Shoplifters Of The World Unite / S. Žižek -- Do Markets Have Feelings? / S. Horvat -- The Courage To Cancel The Debt / S. Žižek -- The Easiest Way To The Gulag Is To Joke About The Gulag / S. Horvat -- We Need A Margaret Thatcher Of The Left / S. Žižek -- Europe Will Be Either Democratic And Social Or It Will No Longer Exist (interview) / A. Tsipras -- 'the Role Of The European Left' (debate) / S. Žižek And A. Tsipras -- Afterword : Europe Is Dead, Long Live Europe! / S. Horvat. Slavoj Žižek, Srećko Horvat ; Foreword, Alexis Tsipras. Includes Bibliographical References. Slavoj Žižek and Srecko Horvat combine their critical clout to emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. To general observers, the European Union's economic woes appear to be its greatest problem, but the real peril is an ongoing ideological–political crisis that threatens an era of instability and reactionary brutality. The fall of communism in 1989 seemed to end the leftist program of universal emancipation. However, nearly a quarter of a century later, the European Union has failed to produce any coherent vision that can mobilize people to action. Until recently, the only ideology receptive to European workers has been the nationalist call to "defend" against immigrant integration. Today, Europe is focused on regulating the development of capitalism and promoting a reactionary conception of its cultural heritage. Yet staying these courses, Žižek and Horvat show, only strips Europe of its power and stifles its political ingenuity. The best hope is for Europe to revive and defend its legacy of universal egalitarianism, which benefits all parties by preserving the promise of equal representation. Slavoj Zizek and Srecko Horvat combine their critical clout to emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. To general observers, the European Union's economic woes appear to be its greatest problem, but the real peril is an ongoing ideological-political crisis that threatens an era of instability and reactionary brutality. The fall of communism in 1989 seemed to end the leftist program of universal emancipation. However, nearly a quarter of a century later, the European Union has failed to produce any coherent vision that can mobilize people to action. Until recently, the only ideology receptive to European workers has been the nationalist call to "defend" against immigrant integration. Today, Europe is focused on regulating the development of capitalism and promoting a reactionary conception of its cultural heritage. Yet staying these courses, Zizek and Horvat show, only strips Europe of its power and stifles its political ingenuity. The best hope is for Europe to revive and defend its legacy of universal egalitarianism, which benefits all parties by preserving the promise of equal representation Contents Foreword. The Destruction of Greece as a Model for All of Europe: Is this the Future that Europe Deserves? Preface. What Does the U.S. Want, or What to Do After Occupy? 1. Breaking Our Eggs without the Omelette, from Cyprus to Greece. 2. Danke Deutschland! 3. When the Blind Are Leading the Blind, Democracy Is the Victim 4. Why the EU Needs Croatia More than Croatia Needs the EU 5. What Does Europe Want? 6. Are the Nazis Living on the Moon? 7. The Return of the Christian-conservative Revolution 8. In the Land of Blood and Money: Angelina Jolie and the Balkans 9. The Turkish March 10. War and Peace in Europe: ‘Bei den Sorglosen’ 11. Save Us from the Saviours: Europe and the Greeks 12. ‘I’m Not Racist, but ... The Blacks are Coming!’ 13. Shoplifters of the World Unite 14. Do Markets Have Feelings? 15. The Courage to Cancel the Debt 16. The Easiest Way to the Gulag Is to Joke About the Gulag 17. We Need a Margaret Thatcher of the Left 18. Europe Will Be Either Democratic and Social or It Will No Longer Exist (interview) 19. ‘The Role of the European Left’ (debate) Afterword. Europe Is Dead, Long Live Europe! Notes In this book, Slavoj Žižek and Srecko Horvat emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. The best hope, they argue, is for Europe to revive its legacy of universal egalitarianism, preserving the promise of equal representation. Two critical heavyweights call on Europe to radically resist global injustice and become a more conscientious player in world politics. In this book, Slavoj Žižek and Srecko Horvat emphasize the dangers of ignoring Europe's growing wealth gap and the parallel rise in right-wing nationalism, which is directly tied to the fallout from the ongoing financial crisis and its prescription of imposed austerity. The best hope, they argue, is for Europe to revive its legacy of universal egalitarianism, preserving the promise of equal representation