Ľuboš Blaha

Luboš Blaha (born 1979) is a Slovak Marxist philosopher and politician. Currently, he is a member of parliament for the left-wing SMER-SD party.[1]

Ľuboš Blaha

He is the Chairman of the Committee of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for European Affairs since 2012. He is also a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.[1] Between 2006 and 2012, he worked as an advisor to the former Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Pavol Paška (SMER-SD). In 2004–2006, Blaha worked for the Communist Party of Slovakia as the Head of its International Department.[2] Additionally, Blaha works as a political scientist at the Institute of Political Sciences at the Slovak Academy of Sciences,[3] and teaches at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius (UCM) in Trnava.[4]

Political activity

Blaha is a member of National Council of Slovak Republic since 2012. Blaha is a self-professed Marxist, but he rejects the former Stalinist regime. He endorses modern Western Marxism, radical democratic movements and culturally liberal positions.[5] He is one of the most liberal Members in the SMER-SD parliamentary group in relation to minorities' and human rights issues.[6] However, he argues that in the era of neoliberal globalization the Left must be more substantially focused on socio-economic (redistribution of wealth, cooperative ownership, economic democracy) rather than cultural issues. Nevertheless, he supports and often advocates the liberal Left, or the so called New Left.

Politically, he supports classic social democracy with its emphasis on economic issues (Old Left), but he also stands in solidarity with the more radical socialist regimes, including Chavez's Venezuela, Castro's Cuba and Morales's Bolivia. He is known to change his positions often, based on what secures him biggest favour from former Prime Minister, Robert Fico.[7] His biggest inspiration is the Scandinavian social model, especially the one in Sweden. He praises particularly the high progressive taxes and worker's project funds (lontagarfondner). In Slovakia, he promotes the cooperative business model such as the Spanish-Basque Mondragón Cooperative Corporation.[8]

He is a foreign policy realist.[9] His opinions are inspired by the school of international political realism (e.g. the ideas of Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer) and neo-Marxism (especially William Robinson, Immanuel Wallerstein and Antonio Negri). He is one of the biggest critics of U.S. foreign policy.[10] He openly criticized not only the war in Iraq, but also the war in Afghanistan.[11] He also criticized the Western involvement in Libya and Syria. He is a critic of the foreign policy of Israel in relation to Palestine.[12] He advocates for the rights of Armenians in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh and criticizes Turkish foreign policy. He endorses many of the ideas of Noam Chomsky and Slavoj Zizek.[13]

He is one of the greatest defenders of the Russian Federation in Slovakia since the Ukrainian crisis broke out. He is not an apologist for Vladimir Putin's regime, but he perceives the crisis in Ukraine as a geopolitical clash between the West and Russia, and he rejects the one-sided criticism of Russia and the growing Russophobia in Europe.[14] He openly criticized the Sanctions against russia and he describes Russia as a friendly nation that liberated Slovakia from fascism in 1945.[15]

Blaha is very critical towards the European Union, but rejects euroscepticism and nationalism. He considers the EU a neoliberal and elitist project, but he does not see a better alternative for Slovakia than the EU.[16] He supports the fight for a different, better, and more social Europe that will be more left-wing and democratic. In the past, he advocated the project of European basic income, he consistently promotes social economy and cooperatives, and strongly advocates for a "Social Union".

He is the most pronounced critic of the TTIP agreement in Slovakia.[17] He was the first Slovak Member of Parliament to visit the so-called "TTIP Reading Room". He describes the agreement as synonymous with neo-liberalism and the colonization of the European social model by American transnational corporations, and as the Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for European Affairs he actively supports its intense scrutiny.[18]

During the Greek crisis in 2015, he openly supported Syriza and defended the arguments of Alexis Tsipras and Yanis Varoufakis. After the breaking-up of Syriza and the agreement between Greece and its creditors, he further criticizes the EU for the "rape of Greece" and for the imposition of a "neo-liberal diktat". He remains a supporter of Syriza.[19]

Blaha opposed mandatory quota proposals during migration crisis.[20] His arguments are based on human rights (not forcing refugees to be settled in countries in which they do not want to live), on tactical thinking (Central European societies are not ready for shock solutions, they need time and sensitive approach), and on political realism (mandatory quotas in these societies would only favor fascists and the political far-right). He has criticized "bleeding-heart liberals" for their contempt of the people who are afraid of uncontrolled migration, calling them "racists" and "xenophobes". However, he strongly refuses and condemns islamophobia and advocates for the solidarity of Slovakia with the EU, be it material, financial or personal.[21]

He is the author of the Declaration of the NC SR, in which all Slovak parliamentary groups declared their opposition to the quotas and emphasized other forms of solidarity, systemic solutions and the fight against right-wing extremists taking advantage of the migration crisis.[22]

In the 2016 election campaign, he demonstrated his disenchantment with the EU and stressed the four issues which he sees as the main failures of Europe: Greece, Russia, TTIP and the migration crisis. There were other main themes of his election campaign in addition to the criticism of the European Union – resistance to capitalism and exploitation; resistance to Western imperialism and propaganda; fight for peace. Blaha espouses socialism, anti-capitalism, alter-globalism and moderate pacifism.[23] Thus, he is marked as "communist" and "Russian agent" by critics.[24]

In 2018, he became the head of delegation of the National Council of the Slovak Republic to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which elected him as its Vice-President.[25]

Criticism and controversies

Blaha is known for his aggressive, hateful and polarizing posts on social media and spreading disinformation online.[26][27][28] International Press Institute condemned his smear Facebook posts targeted against Slovak female journalists.[29][30] Slovak Academy of Sciences and Academy of the Police Force condemned his posts on social media which go against the ethical code of the institutions.[31][32][33][34] Security company ESET sued Blaha to protect it's reputation. Court ordered Blaha to erase false posts about ESET.[35][36][37] He called a special prosecutor a "young snot" (while falsely claiming the prosecutor was only 25 years old).[38][39]

Before 2020 parliament election, he spread a hoax accusing rival party of voting corruption.[40]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Blaha spread Chinese propaganda and speculated that the virus might be a U.S. biological weapon.[41][42]

As of July 2020, the Slovak police are investigating Blaha under the law that prohibits denying or approving of genocide or crimes against humanity. Blaha had posted on Facebook about "lies about murderous communists and innocent victims", claiming that the Communist regime had eliminated gangsters and helped ordinary people.[43]

Books
  • Blaha, Ľuboš. Social Justice and Identity. Bratislava: Veda, 2006. 164 p. ISBN 8022408913.
  • Blaha, Ľuboš. Back to Marx? (A Welfare State, Economic Democracy and Theories of Justice). Bratislava: Veda, 2009. 526 p. ISBN 9788022410779.
  • Blaha, Ľuboš.The Matrix of Capitalism – An Approaching Revolution? Bratislava: Veda, 2011. 176 p. ISBN 9788022412308.
  • Blaha, Ľuboš. The European Social Model – What's Next? Bratislava: Veda, 2014. 480 p. ISBN 9788022413961.

Papers
  • Slovakia and question of the welfare state. In: PEKNÍK, Miroslav et al. Pohľady na slovenskú politiku po roku 1989 : II. časť. Bratislava : Veda, 2016, s. 364-394. ISBN 978-80-224-1516-3.
  • Social rights, liberalism and globalization. In: Eseje o sociálnom občianstve. Nitra : Univerzita Konštantína Filozofa v Nitre, 2015, s. 65-76. ISBN 978-80-558-0898-7.
  • (Post) modern society and the structural causes of media manipulation: is there a way out?. In: Masmédiá a politika: Komunikácia či manipulácia? : zborník príspevkov z medzinárodnej konferencie. Bratislava : Ústav politických vied SAV: Fakulta masmédií Paneurópskej vysokej školy: Veda, 2014, s. 165-187. ISBN 978-80-224-1425-8.
  • The EU as a different galaxy? In: Queries - The European Progressive Magazine, 2014, č. 4, s. 81. ISSN 2032-9113.
  • In defence of liberalism or a few notes on the critical theory of recognition by Marek Hrubec. In: Studia Politica Slovaca: časopis pre politické vedy, najnovšie politické dejiny a medzinárodné vzťahy, 2012, roč. 5, č. 1, s. 108-122. ISSN 1337-8163.
  • Die slowakische SMER - Europas erfolgreichste Partei der Linken Mitte? [44]
  • Marx still alive!. In: DINUŠ, Peter. Spor o Marxa. Bratislava : Veda : Ústav politických vied SAV, 2011, s. 105-139. ISBN 978-80-224-1229-2.
  • Economic Democracy: hope for the future?. In: DINUŠ, Peter, HOHOŠ, Ladislav: Svet v bode obratu : systémové alternatívy kapitalizmu koncepcie, stratégie, utópie. Bratislava : VEDA, Ústav politických vied SAV, 2011, s. 70-103. ISBN 978-80-224-1227-8.
  • The Strategy of Development of Slovak Society. Bratislava : Ekonomický ústav SAV vo vydavateľstve VEDA, 2010. 695 s. ISBN 978-80-7144-179-3
  • Chomského kritika mediálnej manipulácie. In: Veda, médiá a politika : zborník príspevkov z konferencie "Globalizácia, veda, vzdelávanie, médiá, politika". Bratislava : VEDA, 2008, s. 147-166. ISBN 978-80-224-1001-4.
  • Social Justice: Problem and Perspectives. In: Revista de Stiinte Politice, 2005, nr. 6-7, pp. 9-23. ISSN 1584-224X.
  • Activity on World-Wide Level. In Resistance to Imperialist Aggressiveness, Fronts of Struggle and Alternatives: Information Bulletin, s. 113-119.
gollark: Well, no, the poles might not be affected much.
gollark: That is what I am asking, yes.
gollark: I need to check the Wikipedia page for spheres to determine some things.
gollark: <@224348995844177920> DECIDE, or you will not have.
gollark: I'm not some sort of snowologist. I would mostly be worried about, depending on which things stop rotating, the imminent hypervelocity winds everywhere and destruction of buildings.

References
  1. "www.nrsr.sk".
  2. »Wir lehnen Privatisierungen ab«, in: junge Welt, 17 June 2006.
  3. "www.upv.sav.sk".
  4. "www.fsvucm.sk".
  5. http://www.tyzden.sk/casopis/16186/som-marxista/
  6. http://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/273723/pomoze-smer-homosexualom-dedit-po-sebe-im-nestaci/
  7. "lubosblaha.blogspot.sk/".
  8. "www.webnoviny.sk".
  9. "www.parlamentnelisty.sk".
  10. "www.parlamentnilisty.cz".
  11. "www.sme.sk".
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSH5poR41k0
  13. "www.aktuality.sk".
  14. "www.aktuality.sk".
  15. "www.topky.sk".
  16. "www.aktuality.sk".
  17. "www.aktuality.sk".
  18. "www.aktualne.sk".
  19. "www.aktuality.sk".
  20. "www.parlamentnelisty.sk".
  21. "www.europskenoviny.sk".
  22. "www.nrsr.sk".
  23. "www.aktuality.sk".
  24. "www.sme.sk".
  25. "PACE website". www.assembly.coe.int. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  26. "Blaha chrlí nenávisť a pomáha šíriť konšpirácie. Na Facebooku poráža Rytmusa aj Sagana". www.aktuality.sk. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  27. Aktuality.sk. "Taktika Smeru: dáva tisíce eur na štvavé statusy Blahu aj na propagáciu umierneného Pellegriniho". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  28. Goda, Jakub (18 December 2018). "7 grafov o tom, ako rastie dezinformačná scéna". Denník E (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  29. a.s, Petit Press (10 December 2019). "UPDATED: IPI and SAV slam Smer MP Blaha for attacks on female journalists". spectator.sme.sk. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  30. "Medzinárodný tlačový inštitút odsúdil primitívne útoky Blahu na Moniku Tódovú a Zuzanu Kovačič Hanzelovú". Omediach.com (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  31. "SAV sa dištancuje od statusov poslanca Ľuboša Blahu". Pravda.sk (in Slovak). 10 December 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  32. "Vedenie SAV sa striktne dištancuje od statusov Blahu a vyzýva ho na odchod". Omediach.com (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  33. "Od statusov Ľuboša Blahu sa dištancuje aj Akadémia Policajného zboru". Omediach.com (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  34. a.s, Petit Press. "Predsedníctvo SAV sa dištancovalo od vyjadrení Blahu". domov.sme.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  35. a.s, Petit Press (12 February 2020). "Court ordered Smer MP Blaha to erase false posts about Eset". spectator.sme.sk. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  36. a.s, Petit Press (8 July 2019). "Security software company Eset sues Smer MP Blaha". spectator.sme.sk. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  37. "Súd nariadil Ľubošovi Blahovi zo Smeru zmazať jeho statusy na Facebooku o firme Eset". Denník N (in Slovak). 12 February 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  38. Šnídl, Vladimír (9 December 2019). "Blaha a dezinfoweby šíria klamstvá o prokurátorovi, ktorý dal obviniť Fica". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  39. Benčík, Ján (8 December 2019). "Utáraný „sopliak" Blaha o špeciálnom prokurátorovi". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  40. Šnídl, Vladimír (18 November 2019). "Kisku oslobodilo v Afrike komando, PS/Spolu ponúka 50 eur za hlas. Politici sa učia žiť s hoaxmi". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  41. DigiComNet (14 June 2020). "COVID-19 and China's changing propaganda tactics in Slovakia". Medium. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  42. Šnídl, Vladimír (17 March 2020). "Nie je to americká zbraň? Nie je. Blaha a kotlebovci len preberajú ruské a iránske fámy". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  43. "Fico dál šéfuje Směru. Po rozvratu na výsluní vytáhl kritika liberálů". iDNES.cz. 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  44. http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/id/ipa/10136.pdf
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