Amrit Wilson writes in the Guardian:
“In every country (Greece, Spain and Portugal) where a strong or united left party has rejected the neoliberal project of reforms and austerity, they have won. This is the real message of the European elections, which the media refuses to acknowledge.”
And in Greece this party (SYRIZA) topped the poll. It has been a very long time since one has been able to feel proud at being Greek. True, the neo nazis scored well (9.3%) but not nearly as well as had been predicted (double figures at least). Furthermore the sheer paroxysm of anti SYRIZA propaganda from all channels was akin to a blitzkrieg.
Otherwise sensible people had succumbed to a fear, a terror, of “Oh my God what will happen when SYRIZA gets in?” as if we have been living in a beautifully functioning, fair and equitable society. As if our property had not already been confiscated to a great extent through extortionist taxation, as if our bank deposits had not already dwindled through an inability to pay taxes, rising utility costs from a halved income (at best), as if over half the working population were not already unemployed. As if our economy had not already collapsed. As if people were not already dying in thousands from suicide, slashed healthcare and cuts in ant mosquito spreying which has lead to a return of malaria, and much else.
The propaganda was effective. The modern Greek establishment would have made Goebbels proud. Twist everything around and keep repeating the lie. Which is exactly what ALL the mainstream TV and radio channels did and keep doing.
As Peter Spiegel tweeted, no one was allowed to present Tsipras as anything other than a raving lunatic. (Not exact quote) A monster who would devastated the country.
For all that SYRIZA came first. Now the establishment is being particularly Goebbelian… NO, they say SYRIZA did NOT win, NO! We did very well! (That from Venizelos, leader of PASOK which from 44% of the vote in 2009, fell to 12% in 2012 and now scored 8%, prompting said Venizelos to hail it as a great victory!)
However, whatever they do, whatever they say, however they chose to continue this despicable deceit, the winds of change have begun to blow and Wilson is correct, it is not all blowing to the xenophobic right!