Ρωγμή στο καθεστώς
Ρωγμή στο καθεστώς της έκτακτης ανάγκης και διπλό αίτημα κοινωνικής δικαιοσύνης και δημόσιας αξιοπρέπειας (Red Notebook: http://bit.ly/lbmnGS)
Nikos Sevastakis
Red Notebook
(...)
Regardless of political sophistication or immediate consequences, we ought to acknowledge the positive aspects of the movement taking shape in the Greek squares. Chief amongst those is, in my opinion, the fact that those gathering at Syntagma and elsewhere are repositioning the democratic debate squarely in the social field. Issues such as poverty, material violence, scandalous inequalities in incomes and opportunities, unemployment are weighing heavily in the protests. Parallel to these demands, two sensitive issues further define the movement A demand for unmediated social participation and a demand for a new ethics in politics.
No need to recall well-known facts about possible end results of such sensitivities in times of collective defeat and socioeconomic troubles. But we probably shouldn΄t judge the indignados based on impressions or overviews of the different tribes occupying the country΄s squares. Let s leave crude impressionism to the media and the ravaged "lifestyle" publications. The criterion, ever since Puerta del Sol, is the call for real democracy as a two-pronged cry for social justice and social and political dignity.
The purists may consider this general framework too easy, almost apolitical. Those ready to identify themselves with the movement think the captivating appeal of words such as unmediated, direct democracy,grass-roots etc. is enough to restart revolution. Both approaches fail to grasp the sense of the moment, which is nothing saint and pure, but a contradiction in itself.
The question now is whether this crack in the emergency status will do something to this notorious balance of power we always hope to tilt and never do. The question will not be answered soon nor clearly. The vagueness of these past days is complicating matters and, in this respect, reminds us of the spring weather, where one can expect anything but safe predictions.
Full text in Greek http://bit.ly/lbmnGS
Red Notebook
(...)
Regardless of political sophistication or immediate consequences, we ought to acknowledge the positive aspects of the movement taking shape in the Greek squares. Chief amongst those is, in my opinion, the fact that those gathering at Syntagma and elsewhere are repositioning the democratic debate squarely in the social field. Issues such as poverty, material violence, scandalous inequalities in incomes and opportunities, unemployment are weighing heavily in the protests. Parallel to these demands, two sensitive issues further define the movement A demand for unmediated social participation and a demand for a new ethics in politics.
No need to recall well-known facts about possible end results of such sensitivities in times of collective defeat and socioeconomic troubles. But we probably shouldn΄t judge the indignados based on impressions or overviews of the different tribes occupying the country΄s squares. Let s leave crude impressionism to the media and the ravaged "lifestyle" publications. The criterion, ever since Puerta del Sol, is the call for real democracy as a two-pronged cry for social justice and social and political dignity.
The purists may consider this general framework too easy, almost apolitical. Those ready to identify themselves with the movement think the captivating appeal of words such as unmediated, direct democracy,grass-roots etc. is enough to restart revolution. Both approaches fail to grasp the sense of the moment, which is nothing saint and pure, but a contradiction in itself.
The question now is whether this crack in the emergency status will do something to this notorious balance of power we always hope to tilt and never do. The question will not be answered soon nor clearly. The vagueness of these past days is complicating matters and, in this respect, reminds us of the spring weather, where one can expect anything but safe predictions.
Full text in Greek http://bit.ly/lbmnGS