Austrians: “We’re Not Fooled”

Despite the best efforts of Austria’s media and political leaders, a recent poll shows that the Austrian people aren’t buying the bill of goods being sold to them by the European Union.

According to Die Presse, as translated by our Austrian correspondent ESW:

Survey: All power sits in Brussels

A majority of the population is convinced: National politicians have no influence.

53 percent of Austrians are convinced that policy is determined almost exclusively by Brussels. They see local politicians as largely deprived of any power. This is the result of a recent Market survey. Only 36 percent believe that national politicians are able to exercise great influence and that the EU is a pretext. The rest are undecided or refused to answer.

Indeed, the influence of local politicians has changed after (Austria’s) EU accession. They must find a common solution on many important decisions, especially in the economic sector, with representatives of all other member states. However, on central issues such as taxation, education or social policy the EU has little influence.

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In particular, people with higher education (with high school, university degree) still see a large concentration of power politics in their own country, according to the Market survey. Less educated people tend to see Brussels as overpowering.

Market survey

53% are of the opinion that:		Austrian politics is largely without power. The EU is predominantly in charge of policies.
36% are of the opinion that:		Austrian politics is not at all without power. The EU is a pretext for the politicians.

When ESW sent me her translation, she included the following in her cover note:

What I found interesting is the fact that there is a majority of Austrians who believe what we all know: Austrian politicians are powerless; the EU is in charge of everything. However, it wouldn’t be a proper MSM without “explaining” that all is well, that there is no EU influence on taxation, education and social policies.

Another interesting point is the number of higher educated people who are of the mainstream opinion, i.e. the official line, and that less educated believe what you and I believe. Does that mean the less educated know more? And how do they know more? Is it a gut feeling?

Multiculturalism and political correctness, like Marxism, are diseases of the intellectuals. That’s why well-educated people are more likely to succumb to them — they get infected during the extended process of their education. Some of us are resistant to the pathogens, but most are not.

The totalitarian hells of the 20th century were dreamed up and implemented by intellectuals, with ordinary people as their unwilling victims. The softer 21st century version — call it “Marxism Lite” — is being shoved down the throats of the populace in the same manner.

In the Marxists’ grand social experiment, average citizens are the lab rats. It’s no wonder that they object to the role.