Double default dilemma

Greeks are currently under extreme pressure. For the past months we have been bombarded with (mostly biased) information from the TV networks, both in Greece and abroad, but also by our "politicians", in an attempt to make us accept the fact that Greece is destined to become what looks, at first, to be a German run protectorate, but is more likely to be a country of servants to the European and World oligarchs...

Some Greeks said that this would happen, years ago...

On a political level we don't appear to have much choice. Our politicians are not interested in listening or heeding to what the people want. Last weekend hundreds of thousands hit the streets once more in protest to the austerity measures being voted in. TV networks consistently hide the number of people on the street by showing only footage of looted or burning buildings. The only real news is on the internet and to be found amongst friends. The rest is frankly bullshit.

So what are we supposed to do if they don't listen? The "conservative" voices (and I don't mean right wing, but conservative in a general way) say, wait for the elections. And here is one part of the dilemma. Because finally after years of it being only the extreme left wing who said it was so, the general public is realising that elections offer no solution.

The total of our existing parliament, even the left wing, communists, etc, is part of the game that has been played out in this country over the last 25 years or so. There is not a single politician who is not to some extent corrupt. Some of us who have read the second memorandum in its entirety, do accept that many of the measures included in it are correct, But how can we accept it to be implemented by the same bunch of corrupt politicians that brought us here in the first place. It would be like trusting an arsonist to put out the fire he started...

Greeks don't trust their politicians and they don'trust their political system anymore. Unfortunately they also don't have the "political" conscience that our ancient forefathers tried so hard to instill into everyone. Most Greeks are victims of messianism, waiting for some "leader"to save them...

They don't realise that it is the lack of control by the people on "authority" that leads to it's being abused at our expense.

And unfortunately, as the greek saying goes, "the fish stinks from the head down".

Just like our politicians are all corrupt so are a lot of the heads of the various public services etc.

Somehow we Greeks have to find a way to change the way that we are governed. A total reset is required...

The other dilemma we have been confronted with is the one thrown at us by our politicians and the so called "markets". Default and go back to the drachma or whatever or labour under a series of heavy austerity measures until 2020 (or more) in the hope that the economy may return to the level of 2009!!. In that year it was found out that the deficit was 120% which started us on this road to destruction. Even our PM couldn't find the balls to blatantly lie to us last Sunday, and say we would return to this number! Instead he said 120% or thereabouts (This morning the IMF announced it looks more like 129%!)

We are told that if we default it will be essentially the end of the world as we know it. But it already is!! There are a few voices who say this is not so, and I would chance it to say that a lot of Greeks agree. In any case, the feeling is better to go through hard times out of our own choice, and get through them by helping each other out as much as we can, than to accept to become a country of slaves to the German dream...

The problem is that nearly everyone feels currently as if they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Amongst the people on the street there is a widespread idea that in order to change, we have to change ourselves first. There are plenty of little inspirational slogans like "be the change you want to happen" etc. But our political system does not allow change. Elections are a dead end...

Will there be a revolution? I really wonder. I fear that there is still a large part of the population that are either too afraid to "free their minds" or have given up to such an extent that they can't be bothered to even think about it... For now they are not hungry, so it's ok... But I am afraid that as things get worse, there will be a stronger reaction. and unfortunately fear and hunger are not good advisors...

Greeks are a proud people. They (we) will never take this lying down. And in doing so I hope they will inspire people around the world to do so too.

The markets have ruled for too long...