The EU is Bad, Actually | Left-Wing Perspective

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Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
1:17 Title
1:36 Origins of the EU
3:24 Rebuilding European Imperialism
5:08 European Colonial Exploitation
8:35 Institutional Neoliberalism
11:20 The Anti-Democratic EU
14:20 Conclusion
15:24 Special Thanks

[Marxism_Today]

Welcome to all the newcomers from JT's channel!

[SecondThought]

Thanks for the collab! Always a pleasure ✊😁

[XwhittonX]

As a baby socialist over the past couple years and a brit that fell into the neoliberal thinking of we need to stay in the EU and we can fix it from the inside, this has helped broaden my view and consolidate how I'd feel about a referendum on the EU now. I'd say perhaps it's not too bad that we left the EU, but I still worry that we left for the wrong reasons lol. Either way great video, new sub here from second thought ☺

[FightLiberation]

The reactionary talking points regarding the EU during Brexit that the mainstream media made so popular has really poisened many of the minds around me. Thanks for this video, I'll be sure to share it around!

[Sergio-zcul]

Perhaps the defense of the EU from baby leftists is more common in those bigger imperialists nations. For those of us in other EU countries, the neoliberal aspect of it might be easier to spot. I was living in the UK when Brexit happened as a European immigrant. I remember how awkward it was to have conversations with well-meaning progressive brits. For them, defending the EU meant defending immigrants. For me, defending the EU meant defending the economic conditions that forced me to leave my country in the first place.

[maya_]

I'm still trying to understand how socialism and Marxism works, and i currently don't have a political opinion but i was totally surprised to hear that there are antidemocratic laws and we really can't to anything to change them.

good job paul

[maxentirunos]

Yeah, French socialist here.
Not only the EU is simply an neoliberalism dictature for the countries of the continent, but the population that try to do something against it, or get out of it, get bend by their own politicians.
It's an extreme lose-lose-lose situation here with the life condition degrading so fast we get US level in half the time it taken for it to get this bad. And the only reason it still hold for now are measure, SOCIAL measure, put there back in the 70 and 80s that give us breathing room constantly attacked by EU oligarchs.

[oscarg.]

I remember reading Imperalism by Lenin and being completely baffled when he pin-point predicted the formation of an EU-like organization for capitalists. Essential reading!

[Naheed_Ahmed]

Mashallah daddy Marxist Paul has uploaded

[seekingabsolution]

9:55 well, strictly speaking the French railway network is nationalized and the English one has also been taken into and out of government hands back when we were members so it's not completely illegal.

[abelabel]

Nice video and great analysis.

I have a few points of contention/questions:
1. It is clear that the current EU terms are bad. You claim that it cannot be reformed, and I understand the argument, but why not have an EU 2.0 (or broader) with better terms? Why is a total implosion the only alternative? What would be the risks of such implosion? Can we not use the "sympathy" these nations have for one another in favour of more unity?
2. How do we evaluate the effect of the EU stalling nationalistic movements? I know many far right movements are on the rise, but wouldn't it be worse without the EU?
3. How do we argue against an union of countries when our own ideals seek to render borders and nation-states inexistent or irrelevant? (I know that the borders of the EU are really problematic, of course).

[troubleman]

Its a shame that Brexit has made the EU seem "progressive". It's kind of an untouchable topic these days. Sinn Féin and other "left" parties used to be critical of the EU but wouldn't dare criticise it now.

[Hsalf]

When the Deprogram, Second Thought, and Marxist Paul all upload on the same day 😩

[nerd]

Well...there goes another EU supporter. You two are doing the work of legends. Thanks both Paul and JT.

[danger_design]

Always love to hear from fellow Irish socialists. Tiocfaidh ár la!

[curiousdoodler]

This video was very helpful! I recently moved to Ireland from US and noticed a lot of leftist organization being against US UK and EU. US and UK made sense, but all I really know about the EU was that it facilitates open boarders, which is a good thing in my mind. I'm still learning the local politics and this really helped me understand.

[dairreagh]

Some examples would be nice. On the institutionalised neoliberalism point, italy tried to nationalise energy in the 70s and lost the case in the ecj. Like, you're right, but this theory has impact and the video needed something to ground it

[markuspfeifer]

Around 12:30 there *is* an option c: organize popular resistance on the entirety of the continent. Sure, this is far harder than just leaving. But one shouldn’t treat leaving as a zero-cost option either. Actually, the cost might be tremendous, as the EU institutions have proven in the past that they can very aggressively protect their oligarchic interests.

[jim-esqk]

To quote Tony Benn "They are building an empire, I want no part of it"

[Claudius_Ptolemy]

As an Eastern-European, I can confirm that the part about Eastern european countries being semi-colonies of the west is an absolute fact