Austria: Rote Fahne – Editorial
We hereby publish an unofficial translation of the editorial of issue no. 30 / July 2024 of the revolutionary-democratic newspaper Rote Fahne, Austria.
Editorial: cannons instead of butter …
Clemens Fürst, President of the German Economic Institute ifo, said in February this year: “Cannons and butter – that would be nice if that could be done. But that’s just the land of milk and honey. That doesn’t work. But cannons without butter.” While the rulers in Austria are currently almost completely refraining from addressing social issues, in Germany it is not long tormented with attempts to explain: For the war, one has to save, freeze and deteriorate … Likewise, one has to accept collateral damage from Tens of thousands of dead Palestinians, as a “side product” of the “struggle for all the best and right”, at least accept it benevolently and with understanding. Everything else should be presented as “non-thinkable” …
Poverty and unemployment: negating does not mean it is gone!
While both the number of people at risk of poverty and that of the unemployed are increasing, the parliamentary representatives of the rulers are in silence and diversion maneuvers through pre-election party disputes. The savings pencil has already been set in Austria, just not directly and open. Inflation has shortened both wages as well as unemployment money and various social aid, and there was no real “balance” anywhere. According to official statistics, 1.3 million people, around 15 percent of the population, are considered to be at risk of poverty. Numerous others are confronted with deterioration in the level of life. Unemployment is also increasing, compared to end of May of the previous year, it rose by almost 10 percent and in amounts to around 350,000 unemployed. However, what is “not so bad” must be considered the economic and political situation. In particular, unemployment rose in construction (plus 19 percent) and in the production (plus 17 percent), and corresponds to the crisis in which the Austrian industry is still located. At the same time, for example, the number of “handed workers” (i.e. the temporary worker) increased by 7.3 percent, which shows that those workers who are preferred who have less rights and no protection against dismissal. In Austria, too, the population is to be prepared that deteriorations are a necessity. The credo that you have to snap your belt closer in times of war and crisis is (not only) an integral part of the bourgeois media.
Palestine: Crocodile tears of the warmongers
According to official figures, around 35,000 people have been murdered in Gaza alone since October 7, 2023, and the number of unreported cases is probably a lot higher. The fact that Israel continues to “only” defend its “legitimate” security should not be outbid in view of the numbers of double morality of the so-called “West”. Despite everything, both the ruling in Austria and the EU, defend the basic legitimacy of the genocide in Gaza. The recent liberation of hostages also shows that the about eight months of war in the Gaza strip, is primarily about defending the interests of the Zionist Israeli state and its illegal appropriation of Palestinian land. The four liberated hostages were presented with medial cheers. At best, it was worth a marginal note that 274 Palestinians who were killed in this “liberation operation”. The population of Israel is also increasingly contradicting this genocide policy of the ruling in Israel. Hundreds of thousands are on the streets against the war government in Israel – tens of thousands of dead Palestinians shall bring “peace” and “security” is something a large part of the population does not believe in.
War and Peace: Inflationary terms?
30 years ago, in June 1994, the vote on the EU accession of Austria took place. The Austrian population was promised to join a “peace union” and the preservation of neutrality. Today, apparently none of the healing speeches at the time seems to be more careful. While the so-called “Peace Conference” in Switzerland has not taken any steps towards peace in Ukraine, oil continues to be poured into the fire: EU accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova have now officially started. In Austria, the rulers always strive to keep the neutrality up in words despite participation in the warmongering. The peace movement and all those parts of the population who want to defend neutrality must not join them, but have to struggle to force actual steps towards restoring neutrality. Otherwise we will find ourselves in a “neutral” warmongering State!
