By Reginald Johnson
It’s a
crime what’s happening to Greece.
A country
is slowly being destroyed while the rest of the world --- principally the
richest countries like the United States
--- do nothing. In fact, it’s those prosperous nations --- dominated by
corporate elites and their political puppets--- that are the problem.
Greece
has been under a brutal austerity regime for the past five years. It’s bled the
country dry. The austerity has been ordered by the International Monetary Fund
and European Union leaders in return for financial aid packages to keep the
Greek government afloat, as the nation still tries to recover from the
disastrous economic downturn of 2008-09.
That crash was
not caused by Greece;
it was in fact caused by the reckless investment practices of banks in the U.S.
and the countries of western Europe, such as England,
France and Germany.
For years, the
Greeks have had to endure all the ill effects of austerity: wage cuts, pension
reductions, cuts in services, and an economy made worse by the lack of
government spending. Unemployment is widespread, and so is despair. Suicides
are on the rise.
A new left-wing
government in Greece
this year has tried to work out more favorable terms for Greece’s
financial aid. But after months of negotiations, European officials are not
budging, and still demanding austerity by the Greek people in return for aid.
They’re also not offering any real proposals for debt relief.
Finally, it
appears, many Greeks and certainly the Syriza government now leading the
country, are saying “Enough.” They’re tired of suffering and tired of the harsh
demands by creditors.
Syriza leaders
have set up a referendum on Sunday, in which the Greek people will be asked to
vote “yes” or :”no” on whether to accept the EU’s latest austerity-aid package.
If the people vote
no, it could mean the end of any bailouts for Greece,
and it could also mean the nation will be forced out of the Eurozone. A yes
vote means more aid, but more austerity for years to come.
Some top economists
like Joseph Stiglitz, a nobel laureate, are saying the Greeks should vote no.
If they leave the Eurozone, he suggests, it will be difficult, but the country may
be able to start over, free of the dictates from the European Union. The nation might be able to rebound, sort of
like Argentina
did some years ago after it defaulted on debt obligations.
As Stiglitz wrote
in The Guardian recently, “Greeks might gain the opportunity to shape a future
that, though perhaps not as prosperous as the past, is far more hopeful than
the unconscionable torture of the present.”
But polls are
showing a real split among the Greeks on which way to vote. While everyone
wants an end to austerity, many people in Greece are worried they will lose everything if the nation rebuffs the IMF/creditor
demands, and then is pushed out of the Eurozone. Pensioners, for instance,
worry that if the nation leaves the Eurozone and outside aid stops, Greek banks
might collapse entirely, and they will be wiped out.
Others though, want
to tell European leaders that Greece
is not a slave, and they’ve had enough of taking orders. Greek Prime Minister
Alex Tsipras told a huge rally in Athens
Friday that Greece
will not accept “ultimatums” anymore.
No matter what
happens in the election, Greece
is going to keep suffering, at least in the short-term.
My wife and I know
a Greek couple, George and Eva Hatzikostas who operate a restaurant on Bridgeport’s
north Main Street, called
“Eva’s Deli --- All Things Greek.”
Both Eva and George
are very sad over the turn of events in Greece.
They still have family there.
I asked Eva about
which way the referendum would go. She said she didn’t know for sure. But she
believed many people would vote “yes,” because they’re terrified about the future if Greece no longer has a lifeline to the Eurozone.
“Either way, Greece
is bleeding,” said Eva, as tears came to her eyes. “It makes me cry to say
that.”
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