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To be free Greece must stand on its Hellenic feet

By Evaggelos Vallianatos - posted Friday, 7 August 2015


About 200 years ago, Lord Byron dreamt that Greece might still be free. His dream remains unfulfilled. Greece won its political independence in 1828, but it is still struggling to be free. The third "bailout" of Greece is a proof of that.

The despised powers of occupation, known as Troika, include the European Union, the European Central Bank and America's International Monetary Fund. The conditions they imposed on Greece on July 2015 reveal two truths.

First, the "leftist" or "socialist" or "communist" Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, is another irresponsible leader who, like his "right wing" predecessors, promised one thing – freedom from the Troika's austerity -- but delivered the exact opposite – more severe austerity. Second, the lenders of Greece are killing Greek freedom. Should Troika policies continue for a few more years, Greece could end up being made into a country fleeced to death by unscrupulous moneylenders.

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President Obama and the IMF have been saying the Greek debt is unsustainable. I would say the debt is worse than unsustainable. It destroys life and civilization. It's war against Greece.

The "bailout" money goes straight to the banks, not Greece.

These banks are so strong they are destroying the very idea of a European Union. The Troika is doing the bankers' bidding with vengeance. Led by Germany, the Troika forced unprecedented and illegal humiliations on Greece. Troika agents are now in charge of selling to the highest bidder all state property in Greece. No legislation can be enacted by the Greek parliament without the approval of the Troika.

These colonial humiliations rarely take place outside of being defeated in war. The victorious allies demanded so much from the defeated Germany in WWI that the result was Hitler, Nazi Germany, and WWII.

Do the lenders and their EU and American cronies want to foster hatred among the Greeks against them?

The Greeks, of course, still have the option of embracing Russia as their temporary "savior." Medieval Greece gave Russia an alphabet and Christianity, acts of civilization that made Russia a permanent admirer of Greece. Should angry Greeks bring Russia in the Aegean Sea, American strategic plans for Mediterranean security may be useless.

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Whatever happens, Greece is not returning to debt peonage. The shock and awe of austerity have outlived their cruelty. Despite the widespread propaganda of economic recovery through homelessness, misery, and starvation, people recognize the hostile intent of austerity. Greeks know that the lenders, not different than invading enemies, want to steal their wealth and, even more than that, lenders and their government supporters are scheming the taking away of Greece from the Greeks.

Greeks already suffers enormously. They are now a living tragedy. They see foreigners armed with the verbiage of legality tie them down, taking away their dignity and humanity for money their past rulers borrowed and probably misspent. They see these fellow Europeans plunder whatever is beautiful and valuable in the country. This causes pity and fear and revives the historical memories of similar plunders by crusaders, Turks, and Germans.

Aristotle recognized that the catharsis or purging of these emotions might be beneficial because it allows for larger truths to emerge.

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About the Author

Evaggelos Vallianatos is the author of several books, including Poison Spring (Bloomsbury Press, 2014).

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