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Greek Uprising disappearing from International news
international |
anti-capitalism |
news report
Thursday December 11, 2008 16:54 by Timothy Danaos
News of the workers and student's uprising against the Right Wing Greek government is rapidly disappearing off the news reports. Here is a declaration from the uprising. WE ARE AT WAR
by ETrangers 02:17pm, Thursday December 11 2008
(Modified 02:18pm, Thursday December 11 2008)
θεματικές: Κρατική καταστολή - Κοινωνικός έλεγχος
κείμενο της κατάληψης της Σχολής Θεάτρου, Θεσσαλονίκη, στα αγγλικά
DAYS OF DEMOCRACY 2008 EITHER WITH THE GUNS OF THE POLICE - OR WITH THE STRUGGLES OF SOCIETY No insurrection in history could ever be controlled, manipulated, or submitted to ideologies or political parties and mechanisms, it could never be merely political in content. Every riot, every insurrection has always been a social affair and has thus been deeply political in the broadest sense. After the murder in cold blood of 15-year-old Alexandros, a tumult of rage and discontent has come to the surface. A wave of excluded, disappointed, repressed, desperate people flooded the streets, of diverse cultural background, education, experience and class and were united in a spontaneous cry of a society that is being suppressed, deprived of its future, that is watching its dreams being crushed. This is a generation that has been systematically excluded from any means of expression, deprived of any possibility to decide for itself at school, at university or at work, through its growing alienation. This generation is choosing destruction as its own expression of rage and creativity. Rage is not just a feeling. It is a struggle for social justice. As long as there is no justice, there will be no social peace. We are out on the streets as part of this society but also as part of this social rage. We do not seek to be the leaders of this discontent, we are not experts in violence. We are out on the streets because we are on Alexandros' side. Any one of us could have been in his position. We know well, from our everyday experience in social and labour struggles, in the struggles of immigrants for dignity, in the struggles of the marginalized and the prisoners for a glimpse of freedom, that the State and the institutions of power have always confronted us with the finger on the trigger. We do not just feel hurt, outraged and revolted by the unjust death of a young person. We are also fully aware that, whether we are friends, parents or relatives, for each one of us and each of our beloved ones, there is a police bullet waiting for its fatal call. Guilty are the State and its uniformed murderers. It is they who are the true specialists and actual managers of violence. They started it. They are the ones who are responsible for this wave of violence and insurrection that broke out with the murder of Alexandros. There was never justice for the murders of Koumis, Kanellopoulou, Kaltezas, Temboneras, Boulatovic, and of so many more immigrants...Social rage grows with State violence, chemical warfare on the streets (teargas cartidges shot directly at demonstrators), rubber bullets, beatings and hooded plainclothes policemen arresting demonstrators. The explosive social situation these days could -and should- create the conditions and the consciences for a better future. But it could also create the conditions for accepting and legitimizing the use of firearms by the police. How else could we interpret the riot policeman in Athens waving a revolver against demonstrators during the demo on Sunday? How else could we interpret the numerous firings in the air by special-force policemen right after Alexandros' funeral? How else could we interpret knife-flogging fascists helping out the police during their attack against demonstrators in Patras on Tuesday evening? However hidden from the majority, all the above-mentioned incidents are true. NO MORE HYPOCRICY - THESE ARE NO "ISOLATED INCIDENTS", THIS IS THE REALITY OF STATE VIOLENCE COPS SHOOT TO KILL - WE ARE AT WAR Whoever pretends nothing is happening has already chosen which side they are on Thessaloniki, December 9 2008 Occupied School of Theatre
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Jump To Comment: 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Greek police cooperate with fascists to burn alive immigrants and anarchist comrades !!! After the violent attack demonstration, police aimed with guns the crowd threating of shooting at Patision avenue !!!! This was happened yesterday(7/7/09) at a 3.000 people Anarchist black block demonstration for solidarity to immigrants and against the brutal European policy that take place there at the eastern edge of E.E. ...
The only media that publicize the whole fact until now is greek indymedia site (and blogs) , the other television and radio media just don't refer the demonstration like never happened... Here in greece the next authority murder is just mater of time...
At time of the facts the crowd was yelling: "cops - fascists - TV all bastards working together" and "At the mines of Evros, at the bottom of Aegean sea (greek-turkish borders) the europian security is builded..."
Greece burns immigrants and anarchists!
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display_any/376517
Φωτό από την πορεία αλληλεγγύης στους μετανάστες (Αθήνα)
http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_...54883
infos found at
http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/30743
full show 20 mins
http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/themikecannonshow@hotmail.com/3247-1-rad_history_dec_15th.mp3
Embedded audio: http://www.radio4all.net:8080/files/themikecannonshow@hotmail.com/3247-1-rad_history_dec_15th.mp3
Protesters hung banners from the Acropolis in Athens today calling for demonstrations across Europe tomorrow on the twelfth day of protests since police shot dead a teenager.
"Resistance" read one of the two pink banners in Greek, German, Spanish, and English, which protesters unfurled from the stone wall of the ancient hilltop citadel in Athens.
"We chose this monument to democracy, this global monument, to proclaim our resistance to state violence and demand rights in education and work," one protester, who declined to give his name, said. "(We did it) to send a message globally and to all Europe."
#24, 15:18: General confederation of workers building occupied; Acropolis “solidarity” banner hanged; government calls TV occupation “attempt to overthrow democracy”
http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2008/12/17/24-1218-r...nged/
At 8 am today the building of GSEE (General Confederation of Workers in Greece) was occupied by insurgent workers, according to their own statement. An open workers assembly has been called for 6pm.
Huge banners were hanged in front of the Acropolis, calling for tomorrow’s mass demonstration…
already support from Berlin
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/calendari/displayevent/3...x.php
Greek solidarity action - irish support this Saturday;
“We don’t forget, we don’t forgive” - day of international action against state murders, 20.12.2008
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90228
Irish Times
Banners on Acropolis urge Europe-wide protests (Wednesday, December 17)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1217/....html
Greek youths take over TV, radio stations (December 16)
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1216/....html
Greek police teargas youths in Athens
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/1215/....html
Related youtube vid:
Greek Social Forum Protesting In Athens With A Giant Banner Calling For Resistance And Participation In Demonstrations Through Out the Country , on the Acropolis rock .
Greece: "Thursday 18/12 : Demonstrate in all of Europe"
“We don’t forget, we don’t forgive” - day of international action against state murders, 20.12.2008
Greece: "Thursday 18/12 : Demonstrate in all of Europe" (nicer pic)
Caption: Video Id: mR62_W4pkpI Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video
Godot
Right on - no-one sheds a tear. Those business's where built via the expropriation/theft of the workers surplus value. - Fucking cappies
Conor the conservative thinktank.
Sorry Conor the media is actually hugely bias, its been proven. Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model is accepted within the social sciences.
There were an estimated 2 -3,000 marching in Athens, 5-6000 in Patras and 1,500-2,000 in Thessaloniki. Police stations are under siege and street battles ensue without cease. It has been suggested by many political scientists that the Government will call a (sate of emergency) - the minister for the interior Pavlopoulos has filed his (resignation).
This is ''not'' some minor trifle - yet look at the amount of coverage it receives, instead we hear about the evils of pork. I was making the point that the severity of the situation surely merits a higher level of coverage. If you had cared to read my comment before reacting you may have noticed that I never called this a '' revolution ''. What we are seeing is mass revolt, I personally wouldn't classify it as revolution on the premis that it consists of various unaffiliated factions.
"mass movement without any major media support, and subject to a great deal of active press hostility, suffers a serious disability, and struggles against grave odds." - Noam Chomsky
Jim the shill
What you call ''Anarchism'' is of course our ideal end, we do consider it necissary to have a rough blueprint of a society that facilitates mans innate nature if we are to move towards anything meaningful. This wont occur overnight, society is and has gradually challenged the prevalent institutions of authority and by degrees democratized society. Every act of revolt and resistance lays foundations for future change no matter how small they may seem upon enactment - its a progressive continuum. BTW - The Argentinian workers collectives are still fully functional - and more successful in terms of production than under the capitalist mode of organization. The only collectives that failed were those that where retaken by the state/capitalist forces.
The institution of slavery and the Feudal mode of organization once shared the same position you attribute to modern capitalism - that is, they where thought natural inescapable conditions of humanity. Not one historical mode of organization has existed without being sustained by cultural hegonomy - the notion of normality, the premis that change of societies base is impossible. It takes radical thinkers to persuade people otherwise, a degree of heresy.
I also detect in your comment the notion that Greece in incapable of revolution on the basis of its level of economic development. Increased availability in material goods has not resulted in a decrease in class antagonism. If it is ‘’as I believe’’ (and history testifies) relative inequality in the distribution of socially created (wealth and power) that causes class antagonisms then an absolute rise in conditions is inconsequential.
Social revolt is just as prevalent today as in past centuries despite the huge rise in productive capacity and resource availability, suggesting that human satisfaction cannot be measured on an economic scale (as certain propagandists would have us believe).
There goes the commodity availability justification out the window econ boy. ; )
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Godot
Right on - no-one sheds a tear. Those business's where built via the expropriation/theft of the workers surplus value. - Fucking cappies
Conor the conservative thinktank.
Sorry Conor the media is actually hugely bias, its been proven. Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model is accepted within the social sciences.
There were an estimated 2 -3,000 marching in Athens, 5-6000 in Patras and 1,500-2,000 in Thessaloniki. Police stations are under siege and street battles ensue without cease. It has been suggested by many political scientists that the Government will call a (sate of emergency) - the minister for the interior Pavlopoulos has filed his (resignation).
This is ''not'' some minor trifle - yet look at the amount of coverage it receives, instead we hear about the evils of pork. I was making the point that the severity of the situation surely merits a higher level of coverage. If you had cared to read my comment before reacting you may have noticed that I never called this a '' revolution ''. What we are seeing is mass revolt, I personally wouldn't classify it as revolution on the premis that it consists of various unaffiliated factions.
"mass movement without any major media support, and subject to a great deal of active press hostility, suffers a serious disability, and struggles against grave odds." - Noam Chomsky
Jim the shill
What you call ''Anarchism'' is of course our ideal end, we do consider it necissary to have a rough blueprint of a society that facilitates mans innate nature if we are to move towards anything meaningful. This wont occur overnight, society is and has gradually challenged the prevalent institutions of authority and by degrees democratized society. Every act of revolt and resistance lays foundations for future change no matter how small they may seem upon enactment - its a progressive continuum. BTW - The Argentinian workers collectives are still fully functional - and more successful in terms of production than under the capitalist mode of organization. The only collectives that failed were those that where retaken by the state/capitalist forces.
The institution of slavery and the Feudal mode of organization once shared the same position you attribute to modern capitalism - that is, they where thought natural inescapable conditions of humanity. Not one historical mode of organization has existed without being sustained by cultural hegonomy - the notion of normality, the premis that change of societies base is impossible. It takes radical thinkers to persuade people otherwise, a degree of heresy.
I also detect in your comment the notion that Greece in incapable of revolution on the basis of its level of economic development. Increased availability in material goods has not resulted in a decrease in class antagonism. If it is ‘’as I believe’’ (and history testifies) relative inequality in the distribution of socially created (wealth and power) that causes class antagonisms then an absolute rise in conditions is inconsequential.
Social revolt is just as prevalent today as in past centuries despite the huge rise in productive capacity and resource availability, suggesting that human satisfaction cannot be measured on an economic scale (as certain propagandists would have us believe).
There goes the commodity availability justification out the window econ boy. ; )
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Greece patiently waited its turn to join the EEC back when over half the current members of the EU were Warsaw Pact states. The same arguments which had been made to object to Spanish and Portuguese accession and just before the idea of including Ireland with the UK admission held for Greece.
It was shit poor.
Ireland of course turned around from its first EEC days to boast the celtic Tiger and be second only to Iceland in all those lists of achievement and happiness. Joy it seems is not speaking the same language as the person who cleans your toilet. Spain similarly turned itself around to become the 9th largest economy in the world and a the envy of post-catholic liberals wherever a feather boa be hung. Portugal just sort of got on with things in its discreet little way and to be fair did improve living conditions, infrastructure, educational standards, access to electricity, and Starbucks per capita ratios . But Greece did fuck all.
In the last two decades it has achieved little more infrastructure than one unpopular bridge and a one long motorway which according to a recent issue of "TIME" magazine is the third most popular entryway for illegal migration, drug trafficking and baby smuggling into Europe. Greece broke its bollox to be included in the Euro issue and whined away about Turkey being a member, decided it had put its terrorist days behind it without ever really investigating the roles of both MI6 and CIA in its post war history (c/f "ending Greek Terror & sword of Damacles" : http://www.indymedia.ie/article/75012 ) or to be fair the role of Mi9 not Mi6 - but then again investigate that can of worms and you'd be changing the history of the INLA .
But all people get is 700 euros a month if they're the well qualified and with kids and conventional and settling down types with decent CV's.
They don't even allow 500euro notes in the state coz they're too big.
Greece attracts our attention because the anger and rage came with an anarchist flag after a fascist policeman's bullet. But in the last years other states with as little to get out of the EU as Greece had had regular riots, disturbances and so on so forth but of the neo-nazi variety. There was precious little mention of Hungary's troubles in the last year on any indymedia node. Coz those are neo-nazi gigs.
my point is this - Greece might have dreamt up Europa, riding her bull and proud of her father Zeus and his headaches - but she has got fuck all out of 20 years of EU membership. the other states of the EU have got less and will get less.
Nobody sheds a tear when a bank gets smashed, but all it does is allow people to let off some steam. Greeks are rightly pissed off with their social and economic conditions but whats the alternative on offer? In terms of organised anarchist activity, there's little beyond molotovs and some deadly looking photos. The various left-wing sects are busy laying into each other in battles for electoral seats.
The assemblies in the Polytechnic are encouraging but nothing will change in the long term. Some vaguely left-wing party will be the main beneficiary and eventually things will return to normal - shit jobs, shit bosses, shit education system, dodgy police force.
Jim's statements are just that, statements, 90% of his comment is simply (cynical) statements based on potential future events and that's it. There's not much to back them up other than cynicism and opinion, there was no argument just an emphasis on the continuation of the status quo. I'm sure even most of those he's attacking in his oh so novel and reactionary way (not like we've never seen this on indymedia before) would disagree with the possibility of a general election in Greece. No one is claiming this is the onset of world revolution or that any revolution takes place over night without much build up, struggle and movement towards it taking place over a long period before that but this doesn't seem to matter much when cynicism is the contemporary ideology of capitalism.
Also, who are these Libertarians that you and your friends have approached and then decided not to join? Very interesting.
"Pessimism of the spirit, optimism of the will" - Gramsci
Libertarian Socialist....
I can hardly conceive what your saying. This is no more, than propaganda from both sides. Jim here, is hardly on the sidelines holding hands with Walmart and Coca-Cola. If you believe what you are saying you have a distorted view of reality. I am shocked and appalled by what happened in Greece. Just as shocked as I am when anyone gets shot anywhere in the world. But, it is not a revolution. I am an anti-capitalist, but the majority of people can not yet understand what we represent. The world is not suddenly going to change and Jim is right, there will be a vote and a change of Government but please, dont insult my intelligence. Statements like yours, is the reason me and my friends decided not to join the Libertarians.
I know you have ideas to represent but, put forward a realistic argument. Everyone around me agrees Jim's statement is more realistic than yours. Please change the attitude,
Conor
Lets all hope there is an election soon (Greece). The Economist reckons the economic situation is because there is no private education. Backward statement or what?
Jim -
I would warn people not to pay heed to those who intend on watering down the significance of this revolt - certain sections of the media and the likes of ''Jim'' are engaging in a classical ''containment tactic''. Interest groups/business will pressure the media into enacting (self-censorship) with regards the Greek situation in the hope that it does not spread any further - blocking/distorting/downplaying information in order to give the illusion that what we are witnessing is minor skirmish.
Many Latin American revolutions - US genocides - where hidden from the global public via US control of the media. All the while shills like Jim sit on the sideline and acting as whipping boys for the corpoarte elite - ''don't worry this is only kids throwing stones'' LOL.
All to often we don't hear about the revolution until its over ''surprise surprise'' - I wouldn't jump to conclusions but keep that in mind and remain aware of the mainstream medias inherent bias.
"Anyone who thinks that the current dip in capitalism/world banking etc will start a revolution is dreaming."
Firstly regarding the "dip in capitalism/world banking" as its put. It is not a dip but the start of the end! As stated earlier, the sytems of capitalism that WAS built on the seemingly limitless resource of cheap oil is over, we are in peak oil time, many have acknowledged this, are frightened by tomorrows reality and are building accordingly, see phenomenal rise of transition town movement on that. Also listen to the professor of chemistry at the university of Florence, Ugo Bardi outline how well capitalism was at exploiting cheap resources but how its over now, first of 4 vids below. He spoke at the recent APSO conference here in Barcelona (unfortunately vid is in Spanish, ill hunt around later and hopefully find the equivalent in English), and is joined by Ignasi Cubiña, biologist and founder of EIG (eco intelligent growth), they are speaking during the peak oil about the causes and solutions to the crisis we are living in.
Also get ready for COP 15, the upcoming UN talks on climate change in Copenhagen in November of next year. 10 years on from N30 (November 30, 1999 in Seattle the day the "politcal landscape was changed forever", according to Fritjof Capra) we will see the climate camp movement have its say... keep your eyes open!!
related infos on that
From OIL AGE financial crisis, to sustainable communities + COP 15
http://itsafunnyoldworld.wordpress.com/2008/10/30/oilage/
Transition Culture: radio shows about transition towns and more
http://itsafunnyoldworld.wordpress.com/2008/10/16/trans...tion/
N30: The day the political landscape changed forever
http://itsafunnyoldworld.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/n30/
Regarding Revolution
This very fully loaded word/ idea, means many things for many people. It has been, can be, is a change in governance by (much of latin america relativly recently) or without (gandhi) violence, an absolute change in the way we make and use things (cradle to cradle) or a spiritual shift in consciousness and or shift in perception of seeing the physical reality we exist in (Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Feinman, Hawking, the Buddha...)
For many, definately more so here in Barcelona than Ireland of 2 years ago (Not sure how that fares now but we talked about it last night...) its clear: the old system was flawed is presently dying, we are in critical time of change. The transition will not be easy, as Greece and beyond is currently showing. But we have to imagine a different way of living, being, doing things. Yes it is the ecologists, the anarchists, the independistas, the communists, the socialists, the okupas, the students etc who are imagining....BUT it is not only them. Its also business, science, artistic, education communities that are thinking about how and where change can, should or might happen. All this demands DREAMING. (something that even the "activist" circles lacked it seemed for so long)
We dont dream enough, or, we didnt dream enough, but thankfully thats changing...
Anything is possible when it makes sense. Without dreaming and believing that the "business as usual" model will keep going as normal, is possibly unaware of the SIMPLE FACT that it is UN-sustainable. Wher I work we have a quote of Einstein on our wall:
Id couple that with this one:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”
I also live in Greece and I can express what I've seen these past few days.
There was immense and massive anger at the shooting of Alexis Grigoropoulos; people were shocked at the brutal reactions of the police at the Sunday protest. And there is still so much anger.
But, but, but. Many, many people -- including some who have been active in the left-wing scene for years -- are shocked at the amount of vandalism, looting and senseless destruction that have accompanied the protests since Monday evening.
On Monday evening, gangs of arsonists and looters used the protests to destroy central Athens -- and even smashed up small shops in Exarchia, something that had never been done before. I saw gangs of youths plunder a small Turkish owned alternative clothing shop. A major achievement for world revolution!
Book shops were also vandalised and torched in these protests, which also tells us a lot about the types involved in them.
I walked by the Polytechnic and Law School on Thursday night and the protesters I saw were a sorry sight: children as young as ten or eleven, some teenagers and a few adult freaks. There is nothing political about them. This mob are abusing the university asylum laws (which mean police cannot enter university campuses) to smash up whatever is left in these buildings.
I can't speak for other parts of the country, but the central Athens protests have descended into hooliganism, plain and simple.
First of all, excuse me for my english. I am a greek citizen who lives in Greece and Ι follow up all the latest news regarding the riots in my country. I believe that the murder of a young boy is undisputably a major event, especially when a cop is responsible. I wish I could express my sentiments in your language but I believe that the current situation here is very critical. Don't believe every word that you hear on the news. For the last 6 days, there are mass demonstrations, the majority of the protests is school boys and students. I don't know if this is a revolution, what I know is that a lot of people feel that those demonstrations is a way to express their dissatisfaction for the financial situation and the social crisis that exists in Greece.
Eh, you cant think of anything!!!...... not Portugal in 74, or Poland in 82, or the whole of eastern europe in 90... if you want a perfect revolution you may have to wait around a while.. meanwhile all those who havent let their cynicism for life get the better of them will celebrate whats happening in Greece.. up the people!! The greek cops have killed 70 mostly young people over the last few years. If Shelley was in greece he might say
" rise like lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number
Shake your chains to earth like dew
which in sleep had fallen on you
Ye are many they are few
In western Europe, in the last SIXTY years, there's been ONE event in ONE country that could concievably have come close to a revolution (France 68), but then the vast majority of the working class in the country decided they didnt want it when they gave De Gaulle a HUGE majority in the ensuing election. Since then there's been NOTHING along the lines of what revolutionaries of left/anarchist stripes pray for. Even before that, it was slim pickings.
The only modern anti capitalist revolution (or near revolution) that springs to my mind - in a modern economy/westernised society (extremely homogenous indigenous communities of eternally oppressed subsistence farmers in the mountains of Chiapas is NOT a model that white rich educated Western societies can claim to relate to, for historical reasons alone) - is the collapse of the economy in Argentina in late 2001. There, for a brief period, people organised their communities with neighbourhood assemblies - one facet of a post revolutionary society that anarchists dream that our entire society could somehow be based around. What happened there? Once the crisis was averted, things went back to normal, and people got bored of having to go to long, tedious, fractious meetings about getting the bins collected. Neighbourhood assemblies evaporated. No revolution.
Anyone who thinks that the current dip in capitalism/world banking etc will start a revolution is dreaming.
Greece will pass into the timeline of urban riots like Paris 05, Brixton, Broadwater Farm, Toxteth, etc - but there wont be any social revolution stemming from it.
Ignore the cynics, they will soon be irrelivant! The pendulum of history is swinging back to the side of revolution. This insurrection will be the dress rehearsal for the European revolution of the next decade.
Radical left wing micro groups communicating over the internet and organising protests and riots is hardly the begining of a world revolution. The ring leaders and rioters will be arrested, charged with minor offenses and given a slap on the wrist. Most of the rioters are simply hotheads and once the controversy dies down about the death of this teenager in Greece and the trial of the policemen run their course, the whole furore will evaporate like yesterday's rainwater.
There is no indications whatsoever the current economic woes are going to translate into a huge swing toward the radical left by the mainstream of European society.
Most likely there will simply be an election in Greece, with the conservatives defeated and socialists voted into government.
The radicals will claim victory of course but they represent no-one except a few thousand angry students who will soon be graduated and working soul destroying 9 to 5 jobs in a year anyway or a few thousand unemployed never do wells who will be on welfare or in jail cells for the rest of their miserable lives.
In Spain today, after the solidarity actions 2 nights ago in Madrid and Barcelona which led to police station being attacked, bank smashing and confrontation with police..., in todays paper LA RAZON: an interview with president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering has stated "No country is safe". They lead with front page title: Fear that anti system violence is extening to Europe, and include a 4 page internal spread on whats going on and what might happen soon..
My own view is this is really the first large ANGRY reaction to the financial crisis, which is just the primary crack in the flawed capitalist system, which was based on the abundance of cheap oil which, now that we are in peak oil situation, is over... IE. its only going to get worse, unless we change our ways quickly, ie: learn how to live sustainably...
more on that on previous post; What is the real cause of the capitalist crisis? : http://www.indymedia.ie/article/90030
Anyway, back to whats happening in Greece, and possibly, elsewhere...
REUTERS: Spain protests over Greek death turn violent
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4BA2I32...81211
LA RAZON
(all in spanish use translator from http://translate.google.com )
Europa teme un estallido a la griega
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/europa-teme-un-estallido-...ega-2
«Ningún país está a salvo»
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/ningun-pais-esta-a-salvo
Los radicales se organizan en la Red
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/los-radicales-se-organiza...a-red
Izquierda violenta y antisistema
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/izquierda-violenta-y-anti...stema
Barcelona, «capital antisistema»
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/barcelona-capital-antisistema
Los antiglobalización llevan las protestas de Grecia a Madrid, Barcelona, Copenhague y París
http://www.larazon.es/noticia/los-antiglobalizacion-lle...paris
Normal politics are continuing in Greece.
The majority of Greeks are dissatisfied with the handling of the Greek economy in the context of a global recession and this was reflected in the general strike the other.
It seems likely that current government will soon bend to the inevitable and a general election will be called and that a general election will be called and the issue of whether the current conservative government will remain or a new socialist government will continue in government will decided by a democratic vote.
The rioters, thugs and anarchists have zero support and their violent opportunistic antics have no relevance.
As we all know the Greek solidarity thing is spreading & even fine rightwing newspapers are now thinking to put this unrest in a context we can all understand & relate to. Thus the BBC reported that Greeks especially young Greeks have this sort of thing in their either their memes (very right on) or genes (bit dodgey). Even the Irish Times took time out from pondering the poisonous pigs of post celtic tiger Eire which have united both DUP & SF in saying no! to cross border swine-fliching or herd-snogging to explain to its readers that things are grim in Greece for the Greeks.
So we've seen the catylst move from an anarchist flag on the consulate in Berlin to the student tag (in a the state which of the pre-EU expansion of 15 states spends the least on secondary education & not surprisingly doesn't have many students) to the harsh reality of why this aint going to stop.
Allow me to introduce you to the magic figure of 700quid that's the best monthly salary a trendy well-educated young lad or lass can expect to earn if they find a job in an economy where one fifth are unemployed. 700€ is about one billionth of the bail-out first given to Wall Street when it started out on the financial crises thing. These Greeks have well started out.
As for the mild incovenience - I met up with Dunkie before he went to a local solidarity gig and I had to work, we drank pints of porter which probably accounted for a week's rent in Stavrosland or the donation you're expected to make to the local bearded Byzantine church if you want your offspring to get a job - and then later in the night I went looking for a hole in the wall. Oh well - they'd all been smashed up by the enthusiastic anti-capitalists and my newspaper tells me today only one girl (a Greek) had been arrested for that. She must be either very powerful with the elbow grease or very very angry. Smashing up ATM's in international cities isn't really the way to go to express solidarity. The secret is to communicate the magic number. Coz put it this way - on 700euros a month you don't really go to the ATM that often.
the link to the Greek blog which is umbrella serving this activist group of the kind of tired and exhausted precarious workers who might wear masks if they were younger and not scared to lose their jobs - but definitely want a regime change. & if we examine the reasons why Greece is so fucked - we must go beyond simply the usual stuff of inherent fascism, corruption & so on - to realise it is a case in point of the failures of anglo-saxon globalisation.
Not many jobs going to that alphabet is what it comes down to. Maybe they should write in English.
on the piggie's back with 700 quid
Uprising in Greece: Protests, Riots, Strikes Enter 6th Day Following Fatal Police Shooting of Teen
Protests, riots and clashes with police have overtaken Greece for the sixth straight day since the fatal police shooting of a teenage boy in Athens Saturday night. One day after Wednesday’s massive general strike over pension reform and privatization shut down the country, more than a hundred schools and at least fifteen university campuses remain occupied by student demonstrators. A major rally is expected Friday, and as solidarity protests spread to neighboring Turkey, as well as Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Denmark and the Netherlands, dozens of arrests have been made across the continent. We speak to a student activist and writer from Athens...