FW: The election in Austria on October, 3rd 1999

[Bessie Dendrinos]

Dearest Luisa, I was happy to hear from you and I thank you for your
concern. I also got a second message from you--the one below which is
addressed to Ruth. Was I intended to get it?
Love to you. Bessie
-----Original Message-----
From: luisa martin rojo <luisa.rojo at UAM.ES>
To: CRITICS-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL <CRITICS-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
Date: Παρασκευή, 8 Οκτωβρίου 1999 4:58 μμ
Subject: Re: FW: The election in Austria on October, 3rd 1999


>Dear Ruth:
>Spain is maybe a special case, surprising the high unemployment rate
>(higher than the official one given), in Parliament we haven't found, as
>you already know, this argument used against immigration!! (even thought it
>is used in everyday conversation in the streets, in very an inhibited way).
>However, we do have similar phenomenon in a right wing populist party, but
>is much smaller, and liked with business (building, black money and
>football), also very xenophobic and nationalist. And also racist. It's main
>characteristic however it's that it defends profit above any ethnical or
>social aims. It works mainly in a number of municipalities (Ceuta, Melilla
>and Marbella). They offer just that: to make money (black money) for the
>community (and for them, of course).
>On the other hand, the old fascist parties is almost disappear, but we have
>a strong Spanish nationalism against Catalan and Baque nationalism, and
>that could produce nationalist and fascist movement in the future..
>
>Let's hope that if this populist parties are given any power, people will
>soon give up supporting them, because they appear immediately as real
>disaster for the economy.
>
>Luisa
>
>
>
>John!
>>Thank you for your comments. Of course, there are similar symptoms around
>>the world. But, in this particular case, the European dimension and the
>>post World War II dimension are crucial aspects. This is why I do
emphasise
>>the Austrian peculiarities as well. I think that this kind of populism
>>which we are witnessing here and in France and elsewhere in Europe is
>>strongly connected with the European search for identity and also with
the
>>impact of globalisation and search for new economic concepts; i.e.
>>neo-liberalism. And the populist parties are reacting. But on the other
>>hand, other aspects are of great relevance as well: The long antisemitic
>>tradition in Austria and Austrias history of a big monarchy pre World War
>>I.  The constant dilemma of constructing an own identity vis a vis Germany
>>etc.
>>I would be very interested in your results. In our project on "Employment
>>policies in the EU" (see WWW. wittgenstein.univie.ac.at), we have been
>>discovering the big impact of globalisation rhetoric and the threat which
>>this means for many; specififcally issues like flexibility and
>>competitiveness; and the FPO has been extremly clever in using this and
>>constructing fears, although Austria is such a rich country. So, one can
>>ask for example, why Spain with such high unemployment does not have
>>similar racist and populist parties....
>>Best Ruth
>>PS The headline in the Kurier today states that Israels Foreign Minister
>>Levy is threatning to cut diplomatic relationships with Austria should the
>>FPO come into government. There, the specific role of Austrians in the
>>Second World War is relevant. Now, it is clear that the "Waldheim
>>phenomenon" could come again....
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From:   john flowerdew [SMTP:ENJOHNF at CITYU.EDU.HK]
>>Sent:   Thursday, October 07, 1999 6:31 AM
>>To:     CRITICS-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL
>>Subject:        Re: The election in Austria on October, 3rd 1999
>>
>>>>>>
>>
>><excerpt>Date: Thu, 07 Oct 1999 12:28:48 +0800
>>
>>To: "ruth.wodak at univie.ac.at" <<ruth.wodak at univie.ac.at>
>>
>>From: john flowerdew <<ENJOHNF at cityu.edu.hk>
>>
>>Subject: Re: The election in Austria on October, 3rd 1999
>>
>>In-Reply-To: <<01BF0F55.C11CF340.ruth.wodak at univie.ac.at>
>>
>>
>>Dear Ruth
>>
>>I read your message with interest. However, I do not think what you talk
>>about is only a European phenomenon. Here in Hong Kong, the local
>>government recently connived with the Central Government to overturn a
>>ruling by Hong Kong's (so-called) court of final appeal, which would have
>>allowed large numbers of people from the Mainland to live in Hong Kong.
>>The rhetoric promoted by the government was that these people (who are
>>ethnic Chinese, like the people of HOng Kong, who are also mostly
>>immigrants themselves or the children of immigrants) would put an
>>impossible strain on Hong Kong's social services and threaten Hong Kong's
>>standard of living and <underline>international
>>competitiveness</underline>.
>>
>>I am currently collecting the data to write this up from a discourse
>>perspective.
>>
>>Best wishes
>>
>>John Flowerdew
>>
>>
>>
>>At 05:19 PM 10/5/99 +0100, you wrote:
>>
>>>Dear Members of the Critics List!
>>
>>>Many people in Austria are under shock. This is an attempt , a first
>>one,
>>
>>>to try to understand and to describe what happened! The short version
>>of
>>
>>>this piece will be published as guest editorial in Discourse and
>>Society,
>>
>>>2000, first volume.
>>
>>>Comments very welcome!
>>
>>>Ruth Wodak
>>
>>>University of Vienna
>>
>>>
>>
>>>
>>
>>>
>>
>></excerpt>><<<<<<<<
>>
>Luisa Martνn Rojo
>Departamento de Lingόνstica
>Facultad de Filosofνa y Letras
>Universidad Autσnoma de Madrid
>tel: 34.91.3978707
>fax: 34.91.3974498
>correo-e: luisa.rojo at uam.es
>