by Fanis Kousouris
A few days ago, our Left (or “Left”) Government, went against the clearly stated will of the people that elected them 5 months ago, and directly against those that supported them a few days ago, at a referendum that neared 62% rejection of the neoliberal-christianodemocrat ultimatum for a new memorandum. Not only disappointing them in the process but also cutting it really close with the 1st article of the Greek Constitution.
Elected with the mantra “one law to end all memoranda”, using FDR's quotes, informing the people that they “only have to fear, fear itself”, and with his recent references in the European Parliament to Sophocles' Antegone and how the ultimate law is the right of the peoples – Tsipras has risen to Che-guevarian levels of public acceptance, only to quickly fall terribly short. The only condition that the Greek people -or the economy for that matter- cannot bear, the continuation of the austerity, is laid upon them once again by a Left Government.
The 3rd Memorandum-to-be, is not nearly as bad as the Greek media are portraying, yet it fundamentally lacks any sense of change, political decisiveness or initiative on behalf of Syriza (this proposal recycles and modifies bits and pieces of previous unacceptable ones), or an effort to switch austerity for some kind of stimulus that will reverse the downward spiral of the Greek economy. And this, contrary to the freshly expressed will of the people or for what it worths any financial sense of how the economy works (if one listens to nobelists), or even what are the tolerance limits of the people you are ruling.
Limits, that when push comes to shove, they will switch light-heartedly to the next anti-austerity movement, with a patriotic narrative. Indiependent Greeks Party being all tainted by the new memorandum, will leave Greeks with the scaring prospect of the Golden Dawn.(currently under trial for criminal organization charges)
Greece unfortunately, is becoming the nightmarish precedent, that the conservative european parties will parade as a frightening bedtime story to Portugal, Spain and Italy in case they think to be naughty little countries.
Syriza is not only NOT going to bring hope, but is going to become the symbol of the end of hope, since it cruelly showed Greeks that there's none to be found; even in left parties. Is it nearly as bad as the Right coalition? Or the new parties that emerge from the ashes of the old system that brought Greece to its knees? Not by a longshot. But in the case of Syriza, Greeks laid their last hope. No one expect a mediocre administrator of governance, a market driven puppet-party, a lighter version of an Extreme Centre. Greeks expected Hope and Dignity. Instead they're getting fiscal structural measures, pension reforms, and a long list of more taxes. Taxes that in the real economy, no one is going to pay, either because they're poverty streaken or due to governance insubordinance or a combo of the two.
A few hours ago, after the motion of Alexis Tsipras in the Greek Parliament, Greek MPs voted to ratify the Greek proposal to the European Institutions thus shooting the lethal injection in the last shreds of hope and dignity that Greeks had left. Syriza is giving up everything; a strategy of complete retreat that somewhat explains why Varoufakis decided to distance himself not only from the last days of negotiations by resigning, but also by not attending the ratification parliamentary process in person – giving no excuse whatsoever, staying at his summer house. Even worse, there's no guarantee that Syriza lavishing the European Institutions with promises of reforms and taxes for all, is going to be accepted. The Greek Left gave everything for nothing, and the answer might still be negative from the ESM.
A friend wrote, that the European Solidarity at this point, is reminiscent of people in one of the last Amy Winehouse concerts, where she collapsed on stage, and the crowd was shouting “get up and sing or our money back”.
Worst of all is that in the twillight of democracy, with the Left convinced of the No Alternative scenario, there's no visible way out. And the only quote that comes to mind is neither one of a great american leader of the past, nor one from an ancient Greek tragedy, but of a gory tale of ambition gone wrong, when Macbeth cries: “Will all the water in the ocean wash this blood from my hands?”