Sir, – The working people of Greece have delivered a clear message to the European Union, to the IMF and to the Greek oligarchs that they have had enough of “austerity,” enough of being bullied, enough of being dictated to by these forces. They desire to be treated as citizens with dignity, with honour; they desire to live free from fear of what tomorrow will bring, without fear of what will happen to them if they become ill or whether their pensions will be there tomorrow.
Fear is the weapon that the Irish establishment, the European Union, the IMF and global bankers and finance houses have created and orchestrated, in a climate of fear dutifully promoted by their mass media against any possible alternative. They wish us to believe there is no way forward for the peoples of Europe other than the one imposed on them in the interests of saving the capitalist system itself.
Already the chorus has begun from the EU and other international powers and institutions that the Greek people must be “reasonable”, must modify their aspirations, must be “realistic” about what is possible. We must reject such fetters upon the people’s hopes. Only working people can decide what is reasonable and where the boundaries of our desires are. The victory of Syriza, in the eyes of the Greek people, is a victory for the popular desire for a different path and a better way forward, for real substantive change.
Time will tell whether the trust they have placed in Syriza was ill-judged. It may well turn out to be just another wave of social democracy that will crash on the rock of real, existing monopoly capitalism, leaving a trail of disillusionment and broken promises.
Syriza has raised expectations in Greece; it has raised hopes throughout the European Union. Here in Ireland some are attempting to clamber onto the Syriza bandwagon; but for those forces and individuals who desire more radical change the task now is to build the forces for real change, to hold those who claim to speak and act for the people to their promises.– Yours, etc,
PAUL DORAN,
Clondalkin,
Dublin 22.
Sir, – By cheerleading the demands of Syriza for debt forgiveness, Irish media commentators are supporting Greek hypocrisy.
After receiving billions in a bailout, the Greek attitude now is to give the two fingers to every one of the citizens of other EU countries who paid for the results of the recklessness and irresponsibility of those in charge in Greece when that country was bankrupted.
The consequences of the bankrupting of this country sees the Irish version of Syriza’s hypocritical attitude in operation in violence on our streets.
Like their support for the Syriza party at present in Greece, Irish media support for the policy of “let someone else pay” in this country is preaching the “mé féin” gospel of everyone else paying for demands no matter how reckless and hypocritical. That has to be unacceptable. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.