The current food crisis is alarming
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Rating: 3.7/5 with 3 votes
Published Monday, April 28, 2008 at 14:33
by
raphi sternfeld 
in New Social Europe (418 views and 2 comments)
According to the media a number of Italian pensioners are forced to stealing since they cannot afford food anymore. The food crisis has finally reached Europe. This terrible situation needs to be dealt with. This could be the moment of European social democracy. The era of neo-liberalism finally seems to be over. The time is there to discuss social responsibility. (Western) Europe has been in a positive development since 1945, while governments have paid attention to social symmetry. Now we are experiencing a growing gap in society – we need to reduce this gap. Europe must become social. This can only be achieved if social democracy is strengthened. Let us be brave and take the fight with the conservatives. Europe’s citizens are on our side.
Original version in German is attached to this post.
Tags: elderly, food crisis, welfare
File:
Hungerkrise_DE.pdf
Comments
1. Raphi is right by Julian from Schaerbeek on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 13:59
You are right Raphi!! The truth is dawning - neo-liberal globalisation has major problems. While there are growing food shortages in countries like Haiti, Bangladesh and the Phillipines, people are speculating on food prices. It is obscene. Income inequality has grown enourmously including in Europe. I read in Financial Times today that German CEOs earn 44 times their employees average salary - when just a decade ago they earned 14 times their employees averge salary. How can anyone justify that?
2. The free market has consistently driven down food prices by davidvaughan on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 12:13
The facts speak for themselves. Food prices have fallen in real terms over recent years, thanks to competition between retailers, improved efficiency, and the opening up of trade between countries. The chief cause of the current food inflation is the increasing use of land for biofuel crops.
Your post calls for a more "social" Europe, presumably with the aim of driving down prices. But what, in practical terms, do you mean, and would your proposals pass any economic tests? Remember that state subsidies don't come from thin air - they represent money gathered from taxing people.
So it would be interesting to hear your proposals expressed as practical measures.
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