Syriza wins big

15 Comments

1. 

   Marie2 on January 25, 2015 at 4:13 pm

   Alexis Tsipras – a far left politician with charisma.  Haven’t seen one like that in a long time.

2. 

   Oui on January 25, 2015 at 5:09 pm

   I’m not hopeful the European project will survive the tough years starting with the banking crisis in 2008 until now. I had become weary by the faultlines in the unity of the EU because the politicians were mainly concerned to expand the territory. Bad policy decisions and an aggressive foreign policy of some members [plus NATO]  in Libya and Syria pressured the cohesion. Greece had been the bad apple from the beginning because of fraudulent input with the financial advice from a US Wall Street giant, Goldman Sachs. I voted for kicking Greece out of the Eurozone years ago after the Olympics and spending big bucks. Greece is corrupt and the capitalists don’t pay their share of taxes, very similar to the culture in Italy. Greece was a big spender for military toys, to the benefit of the US (42%) and Germany (23%).

   The failed states of Libya and Syria caused a surge of refugees, not only in the region (rightly so) as a burden for neighboring states for permitting terrorist to  cross their border as the sectarian/civil war got completely out of control. Thanking Erdogan, Maliki and King Abdullah of Jordan. The stream of refugees has reached European territory to the (dis)pleasure of the anti-EU and anti-immigration populist parties. Onward to a next great war within Europe or perhaps in the Ukraine. Well done politicians, you scum!

   Cameron has promised a vote to exit the European Union to seal the fate of the EU project that kept major wars out since 1945. The project was doomed long ago, the EU is in a death struggle.

   The Euro lost 20% of its value to the dollar in the last nine months. The ECB voted for controversial measures by a split vote of its members in a desperate attempt to give a boost to a failing economy and unemployment rate near 12%. This is once again a support policy for the banks. Switzerland had cut it’s support for the Euro loose just a fortnight ago.

   • 

     Don Durito on January 25, 2015 at 7:59 pm

     No doubt Pasok and New Democracy were and are corrupt as hell and caused this mess. Now it is left to whoever can run the country to clean it up. I would not be surprised if Greece does end up leaving EU. Will see what happens. Interesting times, for sure.

   • 

     Quentin on January 26, 2015 at 9:32 am

     ‘The failed states of Libya and Syria = the relatively successful states until France, Britain, Turkey, USA, etc. went way out of their way to destroy them. Where can I find a credible analysis of why the west betrayed Ghadaffi? Assad has obviously learned from Ghadaffi’s vain gullibility.

     • 

       Oui on January 26, 2015 at 12:59 pm

       UN mandate with support of Russia to protect civilians in the town of Misrata, under attack by Gaddafi forces.

       UK and France dismiss Italy’s call for pause in Nato bombing of Libya | The Guardian | June 22, 2011 |

       Frattini told Italian MPs: “With regard to Nato, it is fair to ask for increasingly detailed information on results as well as precise guidelines on the dramatic errors involving civilians.” Nato said it took the “utmost” care in targeting while Anders Fogh Rasmussen, its Danish secretary-general, insisted attacks would go on. “Nato will continue this mission because if we stop, countless more civilians could lose their lives,” Rasmussen said.  

       Fidel Castro’s Reflections: NATO, war, lies and business | March 2011 |

       Gaddafi kept his disarmament promises. Within five months Libya handed over the five units of Scud-C missiles with a range of 800 km and hundreds of Scud-B which have a range exceeding the 300 kilometers of defensive short-range missiles.

       As of October, 2002, a marathon of visits to Tripoli began: Berlusconi, in October 2002; José María Aznar, in September 2003; Berlusconi again in February, August and October of 2004; Blair, in March of 2004; the German Schröeder, in October of that year; Jacques Chirac, November 2004. Everybody happy. Money talks.

        By turning over its WMD capability Libya is helping us win the war on terrorism. To this end, and together with the United Kingdom and other like-minded states, the United States is forging new proliferation strategies and taking the preemptive measures needed to shut down the clandestine networks that supply these groups with weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them.

       Clearly the world will be a safer place once Libya’s commitments have been fulfilled and other nations will realize, as did Col. Gadhafi, that these weapons bring little in the way of security or international prestige. The challenge now is to ensure that he makes good on his promises and that we can respond accordingly, so that other natures can see the benefits of change.

       President Bush declared on December 19, 2003:

       ”Leaders who abandon the pursuit of chemical, biological and nuclear
       weapons and the means to deliver them will find an open path to
       better relations with the United States and other free nations.”

       Gaddafi toured Europe triumphantly. He was received in Brussels in April of 2004 by Romano Prodi, president of the European Commission; in August of that year the Libyan leader invited Bush to visit his country; Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Texaco and Conoco Philips established renewed oil extraction operations through joint ventures.

       In May of 2006, the United States announced the removal of Libya from its list of nations harboring terrorists and established full diplomatic relations.

       In 2006 and 2007, France and the U.S. signed accords for cooperation in nuclear development for peaceful ends; in May, 2007, Blair returned to visit Gaddafi in Sirte. British Petroleum signed a contract it described as “enormously important,” for the exploration of gas fields.

        « click for more info
       Tony Blair Denies £400m Arms Deal with Gaddafi in Exchange for Lockerbie Bomber's Release

       In December of 2007, Gaddafi made two trips to France to sign military and civilian equipment contracts for 10 billion euros, and to Spain where he met with President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Contracts worth millions were signed with important NATO countries.

       ○ US Congress: Justice Undone, the Release of Lockerbie bomber | Dec. 2010 |  [pdf]
       ○ Never Again? Obama’s Big, Risky Plan for Preventing Global Atrocities | PSD-10 | Aug. 2011 |

3. 

   Marie2 on January 26, 2015 at 4:09 am

   Interview with Yanis Varoufakis, tipped to be Greece’s new finance minister at The Real News.  For years Varoufakis has been one of the few economists that I’ve appreciated.  This change is exciting enough to me that I wish I could move there and personally watch how this all develops.

4. 

   Oui on January 26, 2015 at 9:20 am

   Greece move left would Give Europe Chance to Rediscover Social Responsibility
   By Marianna Fotaki (IPS) | politics.co.uk | Jan. 25, 2015 |

   The European Union should not be afraid of the leftist opposition party Syriza winning the Greek election, but see it as a chance to rediscover its founding principle – the social dimension that created it and without which it cannot survive.

   Greece’s entire economy accounts for three per cent of the euro zone’s output but its national debt totals €360 billion or 175 per cent of the country’s GDP and poses a continuous threat to its survival.

   While the crippling debt cannot realistically be paid back in full, the troika of the EU, European Central Bank, and the [International Monetary Fund or] IMF insist that the drastic cuts in public spending must continue.

   But if Syriza is successful – as the polls suggest – it promises to renegotiate the terms of the bailout and ask for substantial debt forgiveness, which could change the terms of the debate about the future of the European project.

   It would also mean the important, but as yet, unaddressed question of who should bear the costs and risks of the monetary union within and between the euro zone countries is likely to become the centrepiece of such negotiations.

   The immense social cost of the austerity policies demanded by the troika has put in question the political and social objectives of an `ever closer union’ proclaimed in the EU founding documents.

   Formally established through the Treaty of Rome in 1957, the European Economic Community (EEC) between France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries tied closely the economies of erstwhile foes, rendering the possibility of another disastrous war unaffordable. Yet the ultimate goal of integration was to bring about `the constant improvements of the living and working conditions of their peoples’.

   …
   However, the logic of a collective punishment of the most vulnerable groups of the population must be rejected. The old poor and the rapidly growing new poor comprise significant sections of Greek society: 20% of children live in poverty, while Greece’s unemployment rate has topped 20% for four consecutive years  now and reached almost 27% in 2013. With youth unemployment above 50%, many well-educated people have left the country. There is no access to free health care and the weak social safety net from before the crisis has all but disappeared. The dramatic welfare retrenchment combined with unemployment has led to austerity-induced suicides and people searching for food in garbage cans in cities.  

5. 

   Quentin on January 26, 2015 at 9:27 am

   Tsipras has been sworn in and the euro seems to have been flat all day. Maybe the money people know something we don’t and the fix is already in. Well the would, wouldn’t they?

   • 

     Oui on January 26, 2015 at 11:44 am

     The election result was no surprise, polls had indicated a big win for Syriza . Already a new government coalition has been formed [the Dutch take between 3 to 9 mo.] and the new PM Tsipras has been sworn in. Guardian headline: Eurozone Crisis Live!

     ○ Euro/US Dollar Forex Rate

6. 

   Quentin on January 26, 2015 at 10:21 am

   S & P is already threatening Greece with a downgrade if it doesn’t behave. Go Team USA!

7. 

   Don Durito on January 26, 2015 at 2:45 pm

   Here’s Greece’s Simple Message to Outsiders

   

8. 

   Oui on January 26, 2015 at 4:34 pm

   President of Russia @KremlinRussia_E

   Congratulations to Alexis Tsipras, head
   of Greece’s Coalition of the Radical Left,
   on winning parliamentary election
   http://bit.ly/1xXq0ud  

   What about Germany’s Angela Merkel?

   ○ Tsipras Victory Draws French Invitation, German Warnings

   • 

     Don Durito on January 26, 2015 at 6:17 pm

     France and Germany seem to be playing “good cop/bad cop”.

     • 

       Marie2 on January 26, 2015 at 6:35 pm

       Or maybe Hollande suddenly recalled that he’d long espoused socialistic economic positions and Merkel has long been far to his right.  

9. 

   Oui on January 28, 2015 at 5:10 pm

   Greece might block fresh EU sanctions against Russia | NewEurope|

   A first clash with Athens happened on Tuesday, when  the new Greek government rejected the Council’s statement on Ukraine. Athens accused the Council as well as EEAS and Federica Mogherini of proceeding with the document without Greece’s consent, just minutes after the new Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras took office in Athens.

   “The Statement of Heads of State and Government of the EU published today was circulated without the proper procedures being followed in order to obtain the consent of Member States and specifically Greece’s consent”, announced the new Greek Prime Minister’s Office, Dimitris Tzanakopoulos.

   “Within this context we clarify that it does not have our country’s consent. Our displeasure for this was expressed during a telephone conversation of the Prime Minister with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini as well at the proper level, by the Permanet Representation of Greece to the EU”, he added.

   “We don’t agree with the spirit of sanctions against Russia, which has negative results not only for agriculture, as far as our own country’s economy is concerned, but also in general”, said on Wednesday 28 January the new Greek deputy Foreign Minister, Nikos Hountis.

   Will Greece act as Russia’s Trojan Horse? | NRC Dutch |