Friday, June 24, 2005

Greece Descends into Chaos

The international press has been running news stories today on the growing strikes in Greece. Some demands do seem quite sane, such as the suggestion that minimum monthly wages be doubled from the current below poverty level wage of 600 miserable EUROS per month. When I lived in Greece , I was shocked at how the population, particularly those under 30 years of age, did not take to the streets and urge a total revolution, considering the fact that in many parts of the country the under 30 unemployment rate is around fifty-percent, despite what is reported to the international press. Somehow, remittances from abroad or the possibility of work gigs in the EU's north keeps families afloat, I suppose. Maybe drug dealing and prostitution have also become a form of supplemental income for the some in the post-modern Greece.

The Xinhua News Agency tells us that close to half the households in Greece , cannot afford any emergency spending, meaning they have no savings, they live hand to mouth.

Social and economic barometers offer no hope for the country , we can expect things to go from worse to horrifically abysmal. Perhaps the conditions for a total Revolution are falling into place?

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

How exactly do you expect a revolution, when all the Greeks do is drink frappe, and master the intricacies of tauli.

PASOK is corrupt, and Nea Demokratia is inept. That's the way it's always been. And a xounta (group of useless idiots) can't save the country, only God can.

2:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Things can go on like this, from bad to worse for an indefinite period of time. A revolution does not happen in a vacuum, it needs a period of gestation, it needs an organized cadre of dedicated and committed fighters, it requires a strong core of organizational leadership.One can forget about the people revolting, to revolt one requires a leader or leadership.
It is only natural that in the past whenever there was a revolutionary whiff in the air the army was the main protagonist, the army possessed all the atributes, organization,leadership,infrastructure, resourceful assets and committed career soldiers dedicated to the protection and defence of the motherland. Today the military has been defanged and polluted with democratic indoctrination ( in other words antinational) and they themselves are questioning their role in today's greek society. The political parties are in a cancerous state , their bodies are inert , their structures ossified
and the brain power addled with democratic drool akin to a cocaine or crack addict. Where will the revolution spring up ? Who will initiate it ? Economically things will get worse leading to social entropy and then something might occur.

11:15 AM  
Blogger Hellenic Nationalist said...

The 1974-75 events were a leftist-counter coup. I mean more of the type like the Aprilist Revolution of 1967, however, as we know the true Revolutions in Greece are implemented by foward thinking men in the military. And from what I've heard, the Greek military is allegedly purged of Nationalist Revolutionaries.

3:35 PM  
Blogger Deucalionite said...

There can very well be a nationalist revolution in Greece. One should take into consideration the fact that many Greeks are very disgruntled over their own government, as well as the government in the European Union.

From the mass riots that are occurring in Greece, leaders are born and even strengthened in their purpose to help the Greek nation. I would not be surprised if the faulty Greek media were to not discuss about Greek internal affairs honestly, as well as discuss about those who would be more suitable to running the country.

One night, I remember watching the "Kalimera Ellada" program on ANT1 and learned that even the governors in the municipalities of Greece are not doing their jobs properly. There was a case where an electric wire was dangling from an electric pole near a children's playground. One of the kids, out of curiosity, touched the cable and died.

Indeed, some would state that the blame be given to the family that should have been more vigilant over the child. However, at the same time, the municipality should have ensured that anything near public areas are not harmful to the public. The older brother of the little child that died from electrocution was very upset and scolded the governor on the show. As the Greek lad was scolding, people were attempting to censor the young man and the rest of his family from expressing themselves.

Corruption, illegal immigrants, unemployment, and the weak Euro are all motivators for the Greek people to demand a more nationalistic goverment that is intelligent and capable of serving the Greek public and the Greek nation.

We as diaspora Greeks should not waste our time mocking our brethren in Greece (i.e. they cannot riot because they drink frappe for instance). Instead, we should be cognizant of the fact that our brothers and sisters in Greece are fed up with their country not running smoothly. Greece is the land of the Greeks and as diaspora Greeks we should be supportive to their cause for a government that cares about their needs and interests.

Greece, as well as the rest of Europe, is experiencing a revival in nationalism. It is only a matter of time until things change for the better in Greece and Europe. All we have to do is have patience.

Later adelphe.

2:54 PM  

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