Is there any reason at all why Greece should still be kept on life support? The country is already in a deep coma. We are already officially in default and unofficially we are facing a dangerous scarcity of medicines, a total collapse of Medical services not to mention that the rest of the state apparatus, perhaps policing above all, no longer functions, not least because of lack of funds to buy fuel for patrol cars.
So go ahead. Pull out the tubes. At least have the decency to put us out of our misery.
But apart from the Economics and Finance aspects of all this vicious torture we are being subjected to as a people, there is one far more significant reason why The Frau should do the honours now and pull out the tubes.
Greece was the cradle of Democracy, Philosophy, Human progress. In fact what used to be known as European values all derived from Ancient Greece. European elites were raised and their values shaped by the Classics. During World War II, when Patrick Leigh Fermor and members of the Cretan resistance kidnapped the German General Heinrich Kreipe in that spectacular coup, the two officers found themselves quoting to each other from ancient Greek texts.
Today, our civilization, the one based on Classical Greece has disappeared. It is no more. All that exists is greed, which has to be satisfied at the expense of the weakest, and arrant cruelty. Cruelty in the way this pound of flesh is to be exacted from the hapless victims.
Here in Greece we are in the final stages of the run up to the general elections. The blackmail, the terrorization, the threats the Greek people have been subjected to so that they vote the “right” way is unprecedented. From the Director of the IMF to various Eurocratic nonentities, to member of other governments. They all seem to relish threatening this weak underdog on life support, with unimaginable grief should it not bow its head to the slow annihilation they want rather than a swift merciful beheading.
And not only are these threats of unimaginable cruelty, they are also unimaginably uncouth. What used to be known as diplomacy (another Greek word) has disappeared completely. All that is left now is Bismarck’s “blood and iron” brute force approach.
Relishing the opportunity to kick someone in the ribs when they are already down on the floor, Maria Fekter, the Austrian Minister of Finances today threw the following threat at the Greek electorate: If you so much as dare to vote in a government against the so called memorandum (that is the destructive recessionary inducing terms of the so called “bailout”) then all funds will be cut off forthwith!
The mere fact of the Greeks electing someone the dear lady does not like. Quite regardless of what policy or what agreements may be worked out. If you dare exercise your democratic right to vote out those who have ruined you, we will cut you off! And that’s that!
This morning a 75 year old Civil Engineer blew his brains out with his shot gun just 500 yards down the road where I live. The cruel hardship had driven him beyond endurance. Yes, Maria Fekter. I agree. Pull out the tubes. Who wants to live in a Europe of your making? Who wants to live in a Europe which has lost all sense of identity, of culture, of civilization where all that matters is Might is Right and devil take the hindmost!
The whole basis of European civilization was to ensure that it was not Might that was Right, but that humanity had to be respected and cared for with things like, God forbid! Welfare states, Democratic Representation, Freedom of Choice, Freedom of Speech and so much more. The ideal used to be a compassionate society based on freedom. At least these are the lies we used to tell the Communist block. Till they did us the disservice to collapse when all that began being conveniently forgotten.
So yes. You are all right. In your crazy, cruel, hysterical frenzy to try and deprive the Greeks of every right and above all that of their freedom to chose, your threats of throwing us back into the stone age should we fail to obey you, should be carried out. Instantly.
Europe is no longer. Greece, Hellas, no longer has any reason to exist either.