In a true democracy no government, parliament or president, politicians or political parties have the legitimacy to make constitutional changes to alter the basic fabric of the nation without the overwhelming consent of the people.
Under an ungodly pressure imposed on Greece by the IMF EU-Troika lenders, the Tsipras government has refused their subservient conditions and decided to seek the consent of the people. This indicates that a revolution of the mind is underway to give people back the power they have lost due to bad governments of the past. Today, the Greek people have regained their constitutional right to decide what is best for them.
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, with the approval of the Greek parliament, announced that Greece would hold a referendum on 5 July to determine the fate of Greece.
Eurogroup had offered to release frozen funds held back if Greece accepts and implements their additional austerity demands under a new Mnimonio. Those conditions border on blackmail and the Tsipras government rejected them by recognising the importance of going to the people. Obviously the opposition was quick to condemn the introduction of direct democracy.
This was a victory for common sense and democracy. The Greek people would decide on ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ to either accept IMF EU-Troika’s new austerity measures or reject them.
The proposed new measures are aimed at destroying Greece as a nation but also destroying its defence capabilities. Mr Kamenos, the defence minster, was infuriated at Eurogroup’s demands to cut Greece’s defence budget by 300 million euros, leaving Greece vulnerable to Turkey’s military provocations. In parliament – and in near tears – he stated that if such cuts were made, “no plane would be able to fly in defence of the nation”.
It seems that the Eurogroup has a hidden agenda to oust the Tsipras government which threatens its cozy co-existence in fear that other nations may follow suit. Today, they treat Greece not as an equal EU partner but as a thorn in their shoe and want to crush it. Public statements by IMF EU-Troika masterminds certainly point in that direction.
The Eurogroup’s failed austerity program did not work for Greece and neither did it work for Cyprus, Spain, Ireland or Portugal. The hardship and unemployment those people are experiencing are quite obvious contrary to government spin. Ask the citizens of those countries and they will tell you how badly they have been affected by the troika’s failed policies. Reducing a nation to utter poverty is not the answer to economic growth but an act of criminality and should be treated as such.
The Greek government is well justified in not accepting the Eurogroup’s humiliating demands, which for certain would reduce the nation deeper into chaos. Meanwhile, in Cyprus, an obsessive Europhile government does not disapprove of the Eurogroup’s treatment of Greece, instead, it keeps making half-baked spin statements on the conviction that EU is a panacea and can never do wrong.
The Tsipras government’s decision to hold a referendum took everyone by surprise and has infuriated the opposition, which considers referenda anathema to their cliquey political relationship; a relationship that may now be in serious jeopardy.
With the Greek people’s rejection of the troika’s bailout conditions, Greece will most likely also drop the euro currency and bring back the drachma. Such a decision will certainly cause a tsunami not only across Europe and Cyprus, but would also cause serious ripples to the stability of the entire financial system worldwide. That is precisely what the IMF-Eurogroup are afraid of – an economic instability which would reduce profits and hardly care about people’s well being.
Unavoidably, whatever happens in Greece will also affect Cyprus, and it’s no wonder the Anastasiades government and his political party condemns Greece’s decision to reject the Eurogroup’s demands. In fact, the president – but especially his conservative financed minster – have both behaved appallingly towards Greece. On the sly, they have supported the Eurogroup’s dictatorial stand against Greece in the fear they may be next to face the wrath of the people – a scenario that cannot be discounted.
The next few days will prove critical for the national survival of Greece. It will determine if Greece is to remain a nation free from EU shackles or to allow the Eurogroup to govern the nation as it sees fit.
Serious choices indeed but in the end, only the Greek people can decide their fate and not inglorious politicians – unlike Cyprus, where people have so far failed to demand their rights.
The Greek government has decided to challenge the Eurogroup’s economic and social colonisation of the nation and is now fighting for its national survival, while in Cyprus, the Anastasiades government has chosen subservience to international bankers – what a difference!
The young Greek gods are back
My sincere congratulations to the Greek people and their fighting spirit and common sense for supporting democracy, dignity and national pride – values many choose to ignore in the name of profit. The election win of the people in Greece has nothing to do with political affiliations but doing the right thing. They have turned their backs on the IMF EU-Troika’s blackmailing tactics, media scaremongering and propaganda, resisted the European Central Bank for shutting their banks and resisted all EU threats by finance ministers and heads of state. That is what a true fighting spirit is all about; to do the right things against all odds.
They have shown that when right and justice is on your side all is possible as long as one fights for it and does not give in to an ungodly pressure. Bank slavery should never be tolerated and the Greek people have spoken in unison and shown the way forward. Now the EU unelected institution has to listen to the people and stop exploiting European citizens in support of international bankers.
Out of the ashes of despair and misery there is hope now for the EU future and for Greece because the government fought for the rights of the people and has chosen not to protect a corrupt banking system, unlike in Cyprus where the government and the people chose not to resist or fight for what is right, and in the process destroyed people’s lives and the country to save banks.
We hope that those young Greek gods sprinkle some of that hope here so we can also rise like a phoenix for a better future. Thank you Greece for making the Greek nation proud again…
Thought of the day
There is a plot to destroy Greece, but like a chameleon it has not revealed its true colours yet.
The dictatorial shenanigans by the European Commission, the IMF EU-Troika against Greece subscribe that they will not tolerate resistance. That’s precisely what the Tsipras government has done; it stood up to them. Therefore, the plot thickens and it has become imperative to destroy this new enemy before it destroys them.
On the island it was a different story: spineless politicians did not resist – so spineless they failed to stop a dogmatically obsessive Europhile government to rob people’s accounts to save private banks.
The EU now praises Cyprus for its “subservient good behaviour”. So obliging was the government that it commissioned the IMF to handle the banking transactions of its gas proceeds: a classic case of economic colonisation – control the flow of money and one controls the nation.
Greece today faces a brutal war; a war that uses currency instead of bullets – and deadlier than bullets they are indeed. The bail-in of robbing people’s bank accounts would become a new reality across the eurozone. Shamefully Cyprus opened the floodgates to this cleptocracy. Make no mistake; if those banking institutions destroy the principle of democracy, by Monday, debtaucracy would reign supreme and the Greek slavery would continue for years to come.
There are high stakes at play here and the IMF EU-Troika are doing their utmost to destroy the enemy because it represents a serious threat never encountered before – that’s a revolution of the mind with positive actions in a direct democracy. That’s anathema to the undemocratic EU institution.
The Greek people have decided their fate; that’s democracy in action.
Cypriots never had the chance to decide their fate; that’s elected dictatorship.
* Andreas C Chrysafis is an author of three books, a writer of the Vanishing Cyprus series, an activist for human rights and an artist.