Diana Johnstone versus Ian Williams on the French EU vote

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

In a petulant article distributed by AlterNet, Ian Williams accused the 
French of "cupidity" for voting "non" to the European Constitution, and 
described American left solidarity for this choice as "blinkered". The 
rejected Constitution, says Williams, "guarantees rights undreamt of by any 
liberal in the United States". This may be true, but such rights, and even 
more, are already guaranteed by French and other constitutions and charters 
which remain intact.

Williams asks rhetorically of the American left, "How can so-called 
liberals in a country that has 45 million uninsured citizens dismiss a 
document that ensures the right of access to preventive health care and the 
right to benefit from medical treatment?"

This is a truncated citation. The full sentence from Article II-95 reads: 
"Everyone has the right of access to preventive health care and the right 
to benefit from medical treatment ­ under the conditions established by 
national laws and practices ." [My emphasis.] All this really says is that 
"right of access" (a vague term) will continue to be governed by national 
laws, which at present provide largely reimbursed health care to French 
patients but not to those in Portugal. Article III-278 (7) reaffirms "the 
responsibilities of the Member States for the definition of their health 
policy and for the organisation and delivery of health services and medical 
care". Rejecting this provision does not deprive anyone of health coverage.

In France, salaried workers, farmers, the jobless, those with the lowest 
incomes voted heavily "non" while the higher the income, the greater the 
percentage of "oui". The "cupidity" of the French, deplored by Ian Williams 
must have been the "cupidity" of the French working class (80% no). This 
indeed contrasts with the generosity of the United States working class, 
which in large numbers votes against its own interests in favor of 
politicians who cut social services and provide huge tax cuts for the 
super-rich. Does Williams consider that in France, the wealthy classes are 
less guilty of "cupidity" since they overwhelmingly voted "yes"? Apparently 
so, and the workers who fear for their jobs, the unemployed on the edge of 
despair, the middle classes who see their costs rising and benefits 
shrinking, show a lack of civic responsibility by thinking of their own 
selfish interests, instead of trying to please all those beaming 
corporation executives, decision-making politicians and movie stars who had 
their hearts set on the Constitution Treaty.

full: http://www.counterpunch.org/

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