slenderbeak: Greece - Primal Fear

slenderbeak: Greece - Primal Fear: IN case you have been hibernating or in some remote part of the world where there is no internet or newspapers you will have heard that the...

Greece - Primal Fear

IN case you have been hibernating or in some remote part of the world where there is no internet or newspapers you will have heard that there is a very important referendum in Greece on Sunday.
Talking to people here over the last few days it emerges that the Samaras, New Democracy camp claim they have 70% of the Yes vote in Sunday's referendum. The Syriza Left predict a 54% No vote and around 40% Yes. The people I have spoken to are a cross section of plumbers, electricians, bus drivers, retired seaman, shopkeepers, fire engine driver, housewife, holiday apartment owners, students.

When Tsipras spoke to the country recently he said something that stayed in my head. His words were to the effect that the only thing Greeks have to fear is fear itself. This will be tested on Sunday. I sense there are plenty of Greeks who will vote Yes out of fear of the unknown. They may not really believe in their Yes vote but they will cross their ballot paper that way because they believe there is some safety being within Europe. Fear of the unknown, fear of what is foreign is called xenophobia, a Greek word of course. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

The No vote encompasses a myriad of voices who disagree on many issues but they understand that a No vote will send a clear message to the creditors, bankers, eurogroup but also to their supporters in other southern European countries such as Spain that they will not stand idle to be humiliated and dictated to by the Eurogroup bullies. Even the German parliament has Hellenophiles who urge an end to the punishment of the Greek people because they had the audacity to elect a Left wing government and say no to further austerity.

Whatever you think of the Syriza government now is not the time to cut them down in their prime. What a short chance, what impatience it is to suggest their time is up. For what? To elect another Party of grey suited men (with ties) who will do the bidding of any eurogroup as long as they are 'allowed' to 'stay' in Europe. As if Greece was going to be uprooted and replanted in some other part of the world.

Having said this I admit to a fear. It is the fear that the vote will be Yes and it will open the way for more hardship, more suicides, less available medicines and quite likely a return of Samaras. That's what he is planning. That's why he is courting favour with the likes of Junker.

Fear is primal. We must scream it away.