In 1974 the Colonels’ junta in Greece collapsed. After seven years of dictatorship by the military, Greece returned to Democracy under the leadership of the respected conservative politician Constantine Karamanlis. The situation was fragile, even dangerous in that the junta had collapsed through its ill fated adventure in Cyprus which had ended with the invasion of the island by the Turkish army.
Owing to these developments, Karamanlis had withdrawn Greece from the military branch of NATO since the Turkish army was supposedly an ally in NATO. Greece was in a precarious position.
It was for this reason that he realized Greece would have to strengthen it position in the world, and first and foremost safeguard its democracy so as not to be prey to any new military coups and all that these entailed. The answer was his bid to enter the European Community as it then was. The reasons pushing him for this bid were not, or not primarily, economic ones. He knew Greece was not really ready for such a step, but he claimed he would throw the country into the deep end and we would, of necessity learn to swim.
But it remains true that the reason of paramount importance for Greece’s entrance into the EEC was to ensure the stability of the political system so that Democracy would no longer be threatened. And that, we must stress was successfully achieved.
Until the Merkozy directorate appeared on the scene like the wicked witch of the north.
The New Order imposed on Europe by The Frau and le petit Nicholas has done its best (and succeeded to quite an extent) to abolish democracy in the EU, and rule by fiat. Not only was Greece forbidden from holding a referendum unless the electorate was asked the question The Frau wanted and not what the Greek government wanted, and if it were to be held at all it would be when she wanted and not when the Greek government had proposed.
So that was that. No referendum. The Greek electorate was not allowed to express its opinion on policies destroying its economy. Next, Italy. Here it was Herman Rompuy (an unelected appointee) who decreed that Italy could not hold elections but would have to have a government of technocrats in order to implement the policies that have already failed elsewhere and plunge the country into recession. The Italians were not allowed to decide on any of this.
The ‘new’ government imposed on Greece after Papandreou’s demise as Prime Minister was again the result of the New Order’s fear of any democratic expression. After the collapse of Papandreou’s government the only democratic solution was to hold elections. But No! No, said the Frau. What if elections (like the referendum) resulted in something she didn’t like? So the failed Papandreou government remained in charge with a small face lift and a new technocrat Prime Minister who is powerless.
As if this were not enough, the leaders of the major parties were obliged to sign pledges that they would adhere to the new rules to be decided for the next loan, no matter what the Greek electorate might have to say in the (distant?) future, therefore binding Greece willy nilly to what the Frau has decided for us. That is even greater recession that will probably lead to the opposite of what it is supposed to avert.
It comes as no surprise to anyone, that this ‘government’ is floundering. Something like 50 Ministers all bickering and jockeying for position with no mandate from anyone…
But again, we are being told that No! You can’t have elections! You have to stick with these guys, otherwise…!
Otherwise? What? You’ll go bankrupt! But with this kind of abysmal governance and the policy imposed by The Frau, we’ll go bankrupt anyway!
And it is not only that we are between a rock and a hard place, it is that we have been denied our democratic rights. We can’t complain we can’t even decide how we want our country to be run or anything. For our own good of course. They know better what has to be done to us than we do.
So what’s the difference? The colonels’ junta said the same. It was for our own good. They knew best. Greece was sick and had to be put into a plaster caste and gagged so as to get well. So what’s so different now in The Frau’s New Order? The means, perhaps. We don’t have our tanks trundling down the main streets of Athens crushing cars under them. We have economic measures devised by Those Who Know Best destroying the Greek economy and crushing everything under them.
This New Order imposed from Germany does have a slightly sickly air of d?j? vue. But since all it is achieving is throwing the EU into greater recession and stifling democracy wherever and however it can, surely it no longer has any legitimacy left, and is only acting like our well known mafia.
Either you cough up for protection or else we bust the joint! But maybe we’ll bust the joint anyway, just to teach you pesky little inferior southerners the lesson you deserve!