Greece on Survivor mode - support your caste.

With the advent of the television reality show Survivor people in Greece have lost interest in politics and found a new distraction. A distraction from what though? Why would anyone prefer watching two teams compete for food in what is probably the most inhumane reality show ever? The answers to these questions and more probably lie in the Greek media culture and its imposed caste system on our culture. Thus the two teams competing on the show are the "famous" vs. the "fighters" (note: titles mention famous players by their first and last names while the not so famous fighters are mentioned by first name only).

In what is a seemingly unrelated event almost a month before Survivor went on the air a spectacular accident caught on camera. Certainly a shocking crash and one that is in regular motion. According to early reports here in Greece the culprit was a tire blow out that sent the Porsche reeling off the highway and into the public toilets. Also there was an attempt to blame the ill design of the toilets, bad highway maintenance, road conditions, anything but the driver. The press would have stuck to their story too if it wasn't for public outrage on the internet. People seemed to think that speed and the driver's negligence had something to do with the accident and were very vocal and abusive towards the press. So after airing the 5 or so seconds of impact consecutively 100 times or more, the idea that excessive speed may have been the culprit surfaced in the news. Reporters were very careful not to lay blame on the driver but did mention that after 100 feet of skidding the car entered the pull off at a speed in excess of 180 km/hour (estimators put it at 280km/h). At this point, a couple hours after the accident happened, they also mentioned the name and identity of the driver. The unlucky man was the young son of the owner of Jumbo, the largest toy store chain in Greece. Media was trying to protect and stay loyal to their biggest advertising customer.

Jumbo's advertising campaign for summer may include this spot complete with a sexy "accident". Yes a little slip of the pillow and maybe some flesh will be exposed. You may think this is a tacky and tasteless ad for a company to run but these are mere details in the face of profits. Going back to the first accident you will notice in the video that there is a car parked at the toilet stalls that is obliterated during the accident. A man exits the toilets to see his vehicle in flames. His family (wife and three year old child) perished at impact. Seems that everything is ok now and we may see an ad with the lighter side of "accident". This is just one more symptom of the apathy that is growing amongst some circles in our little country. It is also what happens when you allow the press to play the role of a moral guide and advisor. Like mixing Brahmins with Pariahs all consideration for the truth and morality is lost in an attempt to guide and manhandle public opinion.

Listening to the news on private television one gets the impression that Greece has slipped into third world status. Looking at the numbers on ELSTAT, the official Greek statistic service, things are bleak but have leveled off and are now improving. Unemployment is still hovering above 20% and poverty is also at the same high level. Child poverty for the month of March, according to the news, is touching 45%. Greece is very much a country in crisis. The new year has brought in more taxes and most households are now bankrupt, the country has been bankrupt since 2010. Officially we are in bailout mode but the reality is we are in Survivor mode. Eight long years of this fake economic crisis have left us penniless (centless) and senseless. Antonyms for famous include: common, contemptible, inferior, ineffective, regular, obscure, normal, insignificant, weak, stupid, unimportant, unimpressive, usual, unremarkable, little, powerless, and bad. The famous are members of the tv culture whereas the fighters, their antithesis, are picked from amongst all of us, the supposed antonym of famous. I think the show will end up proving the opposite; it is the common man or woman that shines like a diamond. It is the "upper" caste that is the true Pariah. Calling yourself "famous" doesn't make you better.


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Imagine Obama.

Imagine if Obama had been as aggressive on delivering his promises as Trump is. Imagine him passing executive orders one after the other to challenge the rotten, ineffective and unfair system that had evolved. Certainly no man can live up to all his promises but to fail and fall this short of the mark is rare indeed.
 

Just take a look at lobby groups. Obama was the first president to be elected without relying on them for funding. Does anyone even remember that now that Trump is the second to be self and crowd funded. No five dollar button here, anyone can express their support to Trump at anytime in large amounts and without the trouble of hiring a lobbyist. Imagine if Obama had rid Capitol Hill of all these special interest groups who enjoy such close ranks with power. Imagine him giving glowing speeches about Republicans who wrap themselves in the flag while burning down their own country. "Fake patriotism" he'd call it and then would tear through their ugly party history.

Imagine a decree or executive order suspending the operating licence of any hospital that turns away patients that are in labor or bleeding to death. Wow, that would be better than "obamacare", with a name like that nobody else will support it. Canada is so close by; he should have used that example. He needed to give direction on medicare as humanitarian and totally necessary.

Imagine an executive order suspending entire police stations while investigating trigger happy cops who shoot unarmed minors, or break their backs, or kill them with their bare hands. For any number of violent cop crimes that are now investigated under the watchful eyes of the local chief of police. Cooperation it is called.

Imagine the Arab Spring having been seen as the opportunity to democratize and bring the Arab world up to date. A chance for Muslims to truly blossom and develop worldwide. Instead it has been seen as an opportunity to rape and divide further the Arab world. There is no denying that the ongoing wars in all the former Soviet aligned Arab nations is anything less than the neoliberal achievement of Clinton and Merkel. Just follow the money and weapons trail to the Saudis and back. Almost forgot, follow the cheap ISIS crude trail to German interests as well.

The democrats are going to pick really loud politicians to lead the "fight" against Trump but I mostly suspect that it is a wall of smoke. Backroom deals, old boys and golden boys clubs, business as usual, that is the order of the day. How else will Democrats, politicians that is, preserve the butter on their bread? Don't despair though; we may still see a woman in the White House.

An Indian in Greece.

Greek is a funny language at times. Certainly it is rich, ancient, colourful, accurate to the human condition. I should think it will become the official language of the EU now that BREXIT is slothly taking shape. I digress, it is the use of the word Indian in the Greek language I want to discuss. Ινδιάνος, indianos, is used for native American Indians as opposed to Ινδός, Hindi or East Indian, for the people of India. Greek is like that. You can spend a lifetime tryng to figure out what something means in English and in Greek it is crystal clear. Probably the reason most medical and scientific words have Greek roots. So it is very clear to a Greek what an Ινδιάνος, native American Indian, is. As with other words in a language this one too has taken on an extra meaning, to describe those things that remind us Greeks of American Imdians.

The Honda 250 Enduro from the 70's, especialy the red ones, and later on all 650 enduros of any manufacturer where considered "Indian" bikes. To any owner of an Indian motorcycle this may sound odd but I will explain some of the reasons. One is the logo Honda used that resembled the wing of a bird, possibly an eagle, something reminiscent of native headdress. The sense of freedom and the ability to go anywhere as well as its resemblance to a horse all these things earned these bikes the honorary title of "Indian". A Honda screaming up Patission avenue doing a wheely while the driver shifts through all the gears, what could be more Indian than that?

Certainly a motorcycle revving and standing on its rear tire only is reminiscent of an Indian charging on his stallion. Indianos many time refers to the underdog, to the man taking on a task against impossible odds, to the brave and rightous.

 Tomorow, December 6th, is St. Nicolaos day, patron saint of the navy and protector of all sailors. It is also the day that the US law enforcement units at Standing Rock are to remove all protesters. I believe that the Sioux have every right to defend their lands, their water, their burial grounds and their future. An uneven fight, a huge corporation backed by the entire dirty political and financial elite taken on by a handful of natives and misfits, can't get more "Indianos" than that. Pray with me that there will be a peaceful resolution at Standing Rock, that the people will bring the nescessary change, that St. Nicolaos will intervene for the sake of Natives and their water. Let us stand with Standing Rock.

Now I am not sure how Obama's official visit to Athens could be called Indian. Maybe it is that one hour long speech he gave at the Niarchos foundation. It is so refreshing to hear a US President talk about the need for inclusive democracy and so on. Certainly a man that has taken on a tough job and up against impossible odds. His visit to Greece a message to the world about the values of Democracy and solidarity with refugees. Many references where made by the President to the brave people of Lesvos and other Greek islands who jumped into the waters of the Aegean in order to help refugees trying to cross over from Turkey. To my neighbour, a sweet little old lady on her way to water her fields, and to many other Greeks I talked to his visit signifies something else. Behind the glowing words a new arms deal and an impending war in the Aegean. I hope the elders are wrong.
Let us also sign a petition to put an end to another dirty deal. The EU Turkey refugee exchange scam. For every Syrian Greece deports to Turkey a Syrian will enter Europe directly from Turkey. The agreement puts power in the wrong hands. The hands of Erdogan. Please copy the link to learn more and sign if you like.
https://www.change.org/p/european-union-save-shabbir-and-stopthedeal-between-the-eu-and-turkey?recruiter=376568872&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Trumpence, a definition.

Having been overpowered and beaten by nothing or by something of little or no value.

     America has lost to a candidate that plans to make her great again through isolationism, rascism, xenophobia, protectionism and elitism. Values that are nowhere to be found in the constitution or in the conscience of Americans. They are values that appeal to those that have been cheated out of their position in society, that have had their future stolen from them as the middle class shrinks. They are also values that appeal to those that remain a part of the shrinking middle class but feel threatened as their values are not mentioned anywhere. Values that go against the very grain of the American constitution that was laid down in respect of the basic human rights of the individual. Prolifers, bigots, closet gays, misogynists, overachieving immigrants, the NRA, misanthropes and religious zealots alike all embrace the rhetoric of hate and even hate itself. Values adopted by a portion of the elite that sees a clear opportunity to rule with fear, the old fashioned way. No need for an evil empire or terrorism now, fear of your neighbour is much more convenient for the system.

     Trumpence overcame the much more experienced and "liberal" Clinton. Hillary managed to alienate her grass roots support by usurping the Democratic Party nomination from Bernie Sanders with the extensive use of superdelegates in a manner that encroaches on election fraud. Certainly undermined the spirit of the primaries and to make things worse assumed she would be the next president. Many times she would use the expression "when I take office", or "under my presidency". She dismissed Trump as inappropriate and thought the election was in the bag. There is a high price for arrogance and the Democrats are paying it. Stepping all over basic protocol and running a smear campaign of their own with all the media and Hollywood to back them. Also a legacy of  mistakes (Benghazi), interventions (Syria, Libya), scandals (Podesta emails), lies (intolerance of Wikileaks) and a general war mongering killhappy personna does not earn one the progressive vote. It did earn her the "crooked Hillary" title that Trumpence gave her although Killary might have been even more apropriate.

     The big loser of this election however is overseas. It is frau Merkel that not only lost a close friend and ally but has had all her plans of domination foiled. No longer can Germany continue its austerity experiment in the rest of Europe while relying on its trade with the USA to take up the slack. Her plans for the middle East and the Ukraine have been dashed along with the development of further escalation in the Baltic states. No chance of an open conflict with Russia now as Trump and Putin will probably sit at the table and hammer out a new world order. One that may well not include the imminent wars that Merkel and Clinton were so intent upon. If Trump can manage to de-escalate tensions on the global chessboard, if he can end ISIS with Russian help while excluding Turkey from the conflict in Syria, stop NATO drones from flying over Russian airspace in the Baltics, recognize the need for the Russian anexation of Crimea, control or limit Ukraine's involvement in NATO, and generally limit US intervention then he will be a better diplomat than a businessman. He will have also offered a greater service to humanity than any damage his eristic language may have brought at home. In fact I believe his eristic language may well bring many problems that continue to persist back into public view and discussion. Not a bad thing if the American people finally start some navel gazing and self critiscism instead of always telling the rest of the world how they are so much better, blessed and #1.
     The EU is doing damage control over this election result. They are not very good at it. The "end of history" is no more and the "brave new world" of bankers and lawyers is lost. I am at the least amused and at times pleased to see the suits in Brussels issuing statements about "democratic values" and so on. It is funny when little miss May (PM) from Britain while congratulating Trump makes a statement about US-British relations how they, (EU technocrats), in a panic point out that there is no special status there. Jealous, fearful, their comfort zone in the midst of a hurricane, the ground under their feet at 8+ richter the European bureacratic class is once more exposed as the bunch of self serving clowns they realy are. Merkel and the European gang of anti-democratic henchmen offer personal freedoms and individual rights in trade for their elitist control of everything. Watching the German satellite channel today I heard the biggest joke of all time, the notion that Germany will have to take the place of the USA as world guarantor of stability and freedom. Boy those Germans.
     Here in Greece, as in other countries, the extreme right considers Trump to be their champion. Both Golden Dawm and the New Right hurried to congratulate him as did Le Pen in France and the fascists of Hungary and Austria. I am not sure if they can be called fascists yet but they are certainly bigots, xenophobes and fascist wannabees. Trump's response to the show of support from this political spectrum around the world will be an indicator of his intent. Will he be a great leader or will he stick with that which has defined him, bully tactics and mistreatment of the weak. His record so far, as would most peoples, falls short of the mark. May the wisdom of his years overcome his rashness and egocentric behaviour as Donald finaly finds a cause greater than himself he can selflessly serve, albeit his posthumous fame, which may fulfill his need to serve both his ego and humanity at large. At least he is not hindered by political ties, "experience" or party politics and obligations. I await to see a presidency at least as great as Obama' in the knowledge that as Obama failed Trump may fail as well and see none of his great plans materialize.
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My heart is Berning.

The symbols plus(+) and minus(-), the two poles of a battery, the anode, and the cathode, there is no circuit without these. Light and shadow, how could there be photography without this contrast, how would even our very vision work? Try turning down the contrast on your TV or monitor to zero and see (or not see) what happens. The very nature of life itself, the yin and the yang, is founded on the duality of the sexes, male and female. So how can it be that American politics got so watered down by vested interests, hidden agendas, lobby groups and the top 1% that it is nearly impossible to seperate the GOP from the DNC? Acronyms do not mean much if their content can't be distinguished. That is why today, at five am local time, I was so happy to see a standing ovation for Bernie Sanders and an exhilerated, emotional audience. His speech was honest and straightforward, his expressions simple and communicative. "I think it is fair to say that nobody is more disappointed by this outcome than I" his comment on Hillary's candidacy. Support with terms, how will he enforce them I do not know. In every case it is Bernie that is setting the progressive agenda in America, not Hillary. It is Bernie who is the light to Trump's darkness. It is Sanders that seeks to contain Wall street and the top echelons of society. He is the one who talks about politics in simple terms. His speech focuses on greed, hate, compassion, generosity, the human condition. How can he endorse a war monger I don't know. I think it is time to take the risk and become the third party, the other pole, the only opposition to the rising power of the oligarchy. Can Sanders do it? Unfortunately it seems not!

Err do gun - Ergo done

Erdogan solidifies his power. Who would attempt to overthrow the government on a Friday night in a city of two continents and two bridges? It is summer and people need to get home and then along comes a military imposed curfew. Like a twilight zone episode tanks blocking traffic and helicopters flying overhead. Typically enacted in the wee hours of a Sunday or Wednesday morning before people leave their residence this must be the most ill planned coup in history. It is difficult to impose a curfew when everyone is trying to get home. Then, like a twilight zone episode, whilst the TV is playing announcements from the coup leaders messages start appearing on peoples phones urging them to disobey and resist, to take to the streets and stop this coup de tat. Cell phones still up and running? Some shots are fired and a few people, including some soldiers, are killed. Arrests follow, the beating of coup leaders, one is missing an ear, and on camera confessions. Nothing coerced here. Certainly the most amateur, ill-planned, coup attempt in modern history. Nothing even comes close. Followed up by the most meticulous well-planned response ever! 6500 arrests in the first 48 hours and 65000 detentions before week's end, including everyone from judges to teachers, the press and intellectuals. Amazing, a world record for sure. Martial law, the concentration of all executive powers to the president, a three month state of emergency and an ongoing discussion in parliament of the return of the death penalty. Turkey has withdrawn from the European Human Rights Commission, all this and not even a week has passed. With German engineering precision Erdogan has become the most powerful leader of Turkey since Kemal, or Suleiman, depending on your perspective. So bravo then Erdogan on a job well done, the leaders of the west and east will be envious of your endeavours!

The EU Bremains the same...

Someone has rung the division bell and its sound ripples across the continent. We are in for a pickle with the leaders we have in the world today. So out of touch with reality, divorced from the people and absolutely unaware of everyday problems. The elite have been padding their butts and protecting their comforts for years now. Will the results of this plebiscite shake them up abit? Not! Just look at the response of the "stuffed men" of Europe to the results of the referendum. Tusk, Junker, and the merry men calling for a "quick divorce" and the enactment of article 30 "as soon as possible". Emotional responses from leaders of the EU. Now that the vote is in they meet without UK representation even though the results have not been voted on or ratified in any parliament of the UK.

As for the “hollow men” there is not much to be said of the politicians of Britain. For years the top position in Europe have been occupied by everyone but the British. Let us be fair though, remember the Bremain campaign? Neither do I. Good people who wanted to argue in favor of the European project, of unity, of a better future for all, simply abandoned by a self serving system. Immature and childish leaders on both sides deciding the fate of the world. What is becoming abundantly clear is that in Europe only the Germans ever had a plan.

Funny how every time I sit down to write this blog I draw a blank. The moment I get up ideas storm my brain. So many things are wrapped up in this one plebiscite. Again I draw a blank as though it was a vote held prematurely, as though 2017 should have been the date. Why the rush tough? What forces in Europe have pushed the British to abandon? Seems everywhere in Europe today right wing extremists want to deconstruct Europe. Is there a profit to be made in her dismantlement? Why is Europe being run by bureaucrats? What is the role of the European Parliament? Does it pass legislation of any kind? Can it change the structure of the EU? Brexit brings questions. Like a Pandora's box once opened and out come self doubt, lack of identity, fracturization...The evils of a failing Union. Our European elite have again raised their ugly head in multiple proclamation of a quick and easy divorce.

Brexit Light

Why do the Illumionated ones (Illuminati) try so hard to dim the light of civilization? It is because they glow better in the dark of course! If they were truly illuminated they would not feel the need for secrecy that so riddles their brotherhood. But what does that have to do with Brexit? Probably not much but at the same time everything. In the past few years it has become obvious on the mainland that the European Union is not united and that the European Parliament is not part of descision making or policy setting or legislating. It is mostly ornamental and bureaucrats along with secretive organizations like the Eurogroup have all the power. I can't blame the British for wanting to leave. I can't tell you what it feels like to have been threatened with a forced Grexit for so long just to see the Brits open the door and walk out. Feels kinda like Grexit takes revenge, that's what. Serves them right. Unfortunately the whole continent is about to spiral out of control along with the UK. Fortunately for them they may have a parachute to save their pink British derriere. Europe along with its mostly fascist or at best anti-democratic nomenclatura is in for a hard landing. That is what happens when somebody opens the door midflight. Sudden decompression and then a crash. This is going to prove to be the toughest pickle to get out of yet. I wonder if Gerxit will folow? Ah, to live in interesting times...

Mom - Queen backs Brexit

For the benefit of my mother I am writing a blog on the results of the crisis and 7 long years of austerity on the Greek people. We were a prosperous bunch even in 2008 and 2009. Our banking system as well as our pension system were on solid grounds and had not invested in the toxic products of the day that sent other economies spiraling into a crash. Regardless of the events that took place then and have been well hidden and obscured we would have recovered fully if not for a stubborn policy of austerity that has been set in stone here in Europe. The way that the monetary union runs its checks and balances on its nation memebers guarantees that a shrinking economy will shrink even more. The less money that pours into a nation the less money it is entitled to in transfer payments. Imagine Newfounland with its fisheries closed back in the nineties having an austerity program forced upon her and then as a result of her shrinking GDP having her transfer payments cut. After the referendum and its resounding no response Prime Minister Tsipras went back to the negotiating table in Brussels with a new resolve. Our German partners also strenthened their resolve against the only left wing government in the European Union and called a meeting of all 22 members in an attempt to exclude Greece from Europe altogether. Tsipras buckled under the threats of a forced bankruptcy that would include confiscation of all bank accounts and underwritten properties. Oland did not miss the opportunity to make a speech in favour of Greece stating that their could be no Europe without Greece. However no commitment beyond that very eloquent speech. Silly man.
   France is on fire these days and only the flooding momentarily stopped the riots, strikes and upheavels. Having the Eurocup hosted in France was probably the reason Oland and the ruling class decided to tinker with labour legislation now. The rules of the game are changing everywhere in the EU and France too has to tow the line. French trade unions and the public in general have a different and more defiant idea. The country has come to a full stop and only the riot police are not on strike. I wish there was an explanation for the riot police. I can find none. Maybe they feel that they share power with the elite. Maybe it is the bonus danger pay. Whatever the case they always seem to have endless energy to beat people with their batons and spray them with their tear gas like some kind of pest control professional.
In the meantime the Brits have found the most brilliant answer to all their European Union problems. Just leave. Brexit it is called and it is gaining momentum fast. I have a feeling it will reach the 60 percent mark, just like the Greek referendum did. After that European Union will be no more. People will have to get used to big changes. After so much tinkering with democracy I think that is the order of the day.

Putin Athens visit.

It is a strange thing to say the least. Putin visits Athens and the Greek people welcome him. Nothing unusual here. What is unusual is our leftwing Prime Minister along with his cabinet taking Putin on a royal tour of all things Greek Orthodox. At the same time the leader of the opposition is just as eager to meet with him in an after midnight press conference. The second day of Putins visit focuses on Mt. Athos (Άγιον Όρος) the holiest pilgrimmage in Greece. The President of Greece joins him. So the big deal is that Greeks are finaly united in something. That something is reestablishing our position as the bridge between east and west. This is a position shared by the left and right wing politicians alike. The extremists too. Putin has managed to persuade both the religious and the communist Greeks alike.
     This visit is not the highlight of the week for me though. In another suprise move Tsipras introduces legislation to allow MPs to aquire shares in offshore companies. The law says they must be in countries that have tax agreements with Greece and so on. This would lift the ban imposed on Members of Parliament and harmonize Greek law with the rest of the EU. The opposition and the press had a heyday with it. They pointed out the moral ramifications and the unfairness and demanded the new law be withdrawn. In a suprise move Tsipras rescinds the law introducing new legislation that extends the ban to all MPs and their families. The new law was voted today and as expected the opposition walked out. The ultimate trolling. Poor politicians will now have to sell their wives offshore shares and report the income.
 

Tsipras and Putin in Athens

At the Byzantine museum

Athens LGBT community protests in front of Parliament

Russian Orthodox monastery at Mt. Athos.

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Elections USA - Trump vs. Hillary

I have been watching the US presidential primaries. What a race! Could be Trump vs Hillary, and they're off. Big questions are troubling Americans today as the debate begins and the possible presidential candidates crystallize. How do we define ourselves as the leading superpower in the world? What direction do we take in the future, what do we do about global warming? How does the rest of the world see us, are we still the benevolent US that fed the world after WW2 and upheld the rights of the weak? Are we ready for our first female president? Where is it safe to pee? What is fracking? These are some of the profound nation shaping question that are prevailing as the presidential race nears.
Wall street and the power elite is rubbing its hands accross America today. After years of terror the plan for plutocracy is nearing completion. Two candidates both from the same sphere of influence. The battle will be epic, the gloves are going to come off. No racist or sexist slur will go too far. No mud slinging unbiased accusation will be too heavy. No holds barred in the most emotional Presidential race ever! That is what is coming to our screens this fall. A massive navel gazing national extravaganza where common intelligence and independent thinking will be the first victims. No room for a cool head when Clinton and Trump take the gloves off. Blood will boil and tempers will flair as even respected seasoned reporters will begin to take sides. America will be changed forever and will have lost its innocence. Or so it thinks.
The ultimate scam is not about who gets to govern the most powerful nation on earth. It seems so on the surface but the two puppets having it out in the ring know what they are fighting for. It is not a brilliant page they want to write in history. It is not a moment in infamy they are after,. It is not a civilization of enlightment based on equality and human rights they want to establish. These things they have already inherited from America's forefathers. What their ultimate aim is, the reason for the relentless aggression and endless conflicts of the last twenty six years, is sinister at least. They want to saddle the USA with an unserviceable debt and found the largest debtocracy in history.
Americans are an arrogant people when it comes to their country. They love to chant "we're number one" and send the "dream team" to play basketball in the Olympics. Their government has been "intervening" in more and more places around the globe. It has been creating new wars in every consecutive administration since Jimmy Carter and it does not matter if the President is Republican or Democrat. Weapons become more expensive every year and more get used. The good ol' USA borrows vast sums of money to pay for the hundreds of thousands of bombs it drops on its "enemies". Each bomb costs as much as a college tuition, an open heart operation, a bridges' maintenance, a public building. Americans need to wake up quick! The reckless spending and aggression of its leaders is costly. It will not only wipe out the American dream but American liberties as well. It is time for a change.
Their cannot be a change in the world if there is not a change in the hearts of men. Henry Miller said that years ago and he was spot on. Compassion is the key to changing America as far as I can see. Are Americans ready to care for their fellow man? To love and embrace each other? To truly care and create a holistic, inclusive society? Deeply Christian ideals that many will reject in favor of hate mongering and stale rhetoric. I believe that Bernie Sanders may be the answer but it may already be too late. By the time a peoples' candidate becomes President the only thing left to govern may be debt and it will be his duty to dismantle and sell off the American Dream piece by piece. Then we will all feel the Bern!

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EU on the freedom to violence

Just a few thoughts, no more than a short note really but longer than a tweet. Here in Greece the right wing opposition New Denmocracy party is demanding the intervention of police to clear out Idomeni of refugees and immigrants. Seems they (ND) are getting their directives straight from the right wing dominated EU. They  (EU) would like some news images of Storm Trooper attired riot police beating regugees with their billy bats while they scramble to collect their tents and protect their children and babies. FYROM police are very good at this kind of thing. The Greek government has taken a more passive aproach trying to convince refugees to leave Idomeni for one of the many organized camps around the country. Refugees and said camps remain unguarded and unhindered in their movements throughout Greece. This ires our European counterparts to no end as they try their best to deconstruct the Schegen treaty. At the same time the borders between Belgium and her neighbours shut down in violation of said treaty as a response to the terrorist attacks yesterday. Attacks perpetrated by European born muslims. Natives with Belgian passports that did not need to travel the Aegean in a homemade rubber dhingy. So if you are the victim of war trying to escape with your family Europe wants to send the message that coming here is a risk. It is a risk to cross the borders, to get trapped in Greece, to get seperated from your family, to lose your children. 10000 unescorted minors, recorded in Greece by police at refugee centers, are missing in Europe. If however you want to be part of a hard right organization and partake in violent acts there is little to stop you. If you are a native European muslim you can blow things up or if you are a native European christian you can beat refugees up. The new European morality is violence and Greece resists. Who is with us...leave a comment if you like.

NATO operating in the Aegean?

Times are changing, and rapidly. Try and bear with me as I give a short run down of the problems facing Greece and the EU as they are multilevel and intertwined like a Gordian knot. The summary goes like this:
1. Germany has an open border policy.
2. Turkey has an open border policy.
3. FYROM has shut her borders and refugees are trapped in Greece.
4. Austria spearheads group of Balkan states refusing to open borders even for transit refugees.
5. Germany is energy dependant on Russia for natural gas.
6. Germany wants access to middle east natural gas from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
7. Syria had refused to alow a pipeline to cross her territory to expediate point 6.
8. Austria is close ally to Germany.
9. Turkey is close ally to Germany.
10. Merkel sees threat to both Schengen zone and Euro zone from unilater Austrian actions.
Now taking into account point 1 and 2 consider point 10 to be realistic. Taking into account points 8 and 9 in combination with 5,6,7 suddenly point 10 is weakened. Countries become allies when they have common interests, I am not talking about hobbies and music, of economic, millitary and other such nature. Germany played hardball in the Ukraine supporting all kinds of pro-Nazi groups in order to tip the balance away from Russia. Failed miserably there. Germany went on to try and tip the balance by supporting ISIS in the middle east through Turkey. That episode ended with the shooting down of a Russian warplane that spent a few seconds in Turkish airspace. Turkey has been violating Greek airspace for years. Waterspace too. Now NATO warships are in the Aegean in an apparent attempt to stem the flow of refugees. The plan was that these warships would save refugees from their dinghies and then return them to TURKISH shores. Turkey has refused. The president of Turkey, Tagip Erdogan, went on a trip to west Africa to promote Turkish Airways service from Ghana and other countries with added daily flights to Istanbul at 50 euros a ticket and NO VISA REQUIRED. Turkey has an open border policy for anyone who wants to climb into a dhingy and attempt to cross the Aegean into Greece. Mekel claims to have an open border policy for any refugee that land on EU soil but NOT BY AIRPLANE. NATO has an anti-Russian mandate historicaly and is now operating in the Aegean. Russia of course has been sailing her warships down to Syria from the Black Sea through the Aegean. I think the conspiracy theory here has been proven. The only question that remains is what will the US public vote. If they vote either Clinton or Trump they will be voting for a Kissinger fan that will certainly increase the level of tension here.

Photo is from Idomeni at the Greek-FYROM border. 

Greek Referendum = Direct Democracy

The mood in Greece is calm and collected even after a week of closed banks and fiscal uncertainty. The sirens of the western world still beckon us to turn our backs on Ithaca but we sail on to the proverbial shore.

Inspite of a camapaign of terror and threats to the Greek people that many times violated ethics and even the law the Greek people answered with a resounding NO to austerity. The massive 62% majority of the plebiscite cannot and must not be ignored. Please assist me in petitioning the president of the Eurogroup to respect direct democracy. Just click on the linjk below:

Mr. Jeroen René Victor Anton Dijsselbloem president of the Eurogroup: Respect the outcome of the Greek referendum!

				Mr. Jeroen René Victor Anton Dijsselbloem president of t... 62% of the people of the Hellenic Republic answered with a resounding NO to the continuation of austerity. It would be a grave and unprecedented mistake to ignore t...
				Προβολή στη διεύθυνση secur...	Προεπισκόπηση από Yahoo

 

Commentary conflict-Τρολλ - Trolling on the net

     Imagine scrolling down to the bottom of a story on a popular website to see the readers comments and then realize that they are all written by neo-Nazis. Ever read the comments section at the end of a news story on Yahoo or MSN? It is a habit of many people to read the comments and to even voice an opinion of their own. Here in Greece there is a regular war of opinions in the comments section with all kinds of arguments over things like the debt or foreign policy. In the days leading up to the elections there was a regular war going on in the comments section. Every kind of fascist had wriggled out of the woodwork to leave their little poop in the comments section. After every story dealing with gallop polls or the rise of the radical left party SYRIZA there would be comments with all kinds of foul language. I too wrote comments answering to these fascists telling them that democracy will not be intimidated. I was not alone. Soon we got to learn each other by name. Avatar name that is. There was Greek23, a fascist, Π, a leftist and many others.
     In December then Prime Minister Samaras announced his Presidential candidate and set the 22nd as the election date. Seems our imminent exit from the oppressive memorandums was not to be, instead the so called e-mail Hardouvelis (finance minister at the time) was to be the future. Said e-mail described a horrific future of more pension cuts and wage rollbacks along with massive layoffs and the end to the first residency protection. The first residency, as described in the Katselis law, is to be protected from foreclosure by the banks as it is an indisputable human right, the right to shelter, regardless of ability to pay ones' mortgage. Imagine a law like that protecting over 300,000 homeowners and their families was introduced by a right wing Prime Minister! Samaras really had no choice, he would either protect the right to shelter or face a civil war. So under threat by the Troika to bring in more austerity measures or be led to a default Samaras chose his other option calling for the indirect presidential election five months prematurely. His candidate, a technocrat banker by the name of Dimos had no real chance of being elected. In spite of that there was a last ditch effort to bribe MPs so that he could win in the third parliamentary vote. The failure to install a new president leads to a new general election within about a month which brings us to the January 25th election of this year.
     So in December and as all this was starting to crystallize Yahoo pulled the plug on its comments section in Greece. I lost my ability to comment on Greek Yahoo although I can still comment on other Yahoo sites with my old avatar. The explanation given by Yahoo Greece was a long winded one at first about improving user services then followed by a more honest one that the comments section was supposed to be a place where people could constructively interact. Not a place for commentary warfare. I will not go into too many details other than to say that conversations did get quite nasty at times with threats and foul language way out of control. The fascist commentators usually worked in teams at the time and would not argue their point instead making threats to other commentators well being. Comments like "We will come and we will be many" a sort of storm-trooper SS kind of threat, may have been answered by a left winger saying "I will be armed and waiting". Then there were threats to family members and the like. I can't blame Yahoo for pulling the plug.
    So sometime in early December we lost our ability to write on all the old sites and then Disqus popped up on Yahoo. It is a forum to write comments that many new news sites were using. Iefimerida was one of them and we started writing there. Sometimes editorial writers would actually answer commentators trying to argue once more the point of their stories. Seems the commentators were often better informed than the journalists of said site. All the way up to the elections of January 25th Iefimerida kept the comments section open. The feud between left wingers and right wingers carried on. I should be more clear because it is not so much left vs right as pro-Greek vs pro-German that was at issue. It may seem strange to you dear reader that a Greek national would take the side of German interests but here I must remind you of a theme that has been part of this blog for the last four or five years. It is a fact that a minority of Greeks have benefited from the entrenched German interests and corruption in Greece. German law actually allows corrupt practices by German companies outside her borders! Iefimerida, as well as the River party are both financed by the Bobola group of companies. Bobolas has been making a killing. while not paying his taxes, throughout the Samaras years. His brother was jailed by the present SYRIZA government for tax evasion and opted to pay a 1.8 million euro fine to avoid felony charges. How things change.
     Iefimerida cancelled its comments section shortly after the election and continues without giving its readers a voice. Many other sites have comments sections that they heavily edit and censor. During the days leading up to the elections I would often leave comments to stories late at night or on the weekend to find that they had been answered to during working hours. After every comment there is the ability for another commentator to leave an answer to the comment. There is also the ability to give a vote of approval or disapproval,a like or dislike. So I would often challenge these commentators pointing out how obviously they were on the payroll and so on. We gave them a name. The name is Troll.

 

 Many commenters leave links to their blogs or to other sites or to statistics to prove their points. Their is also a new kind of animal here in Greece that lives on the net and lurks in the comments section. It is known as the troll..Now I do not know if this is a familiar occurrence back in Canada but here in Greece it is. Trolls enter sites just to leave comments with misleading information or to harass other commenters. We also say something is the action of a troll, a trollia, when official news sights publish false stories. So if you want to live in interesting times then Greece is the place to visit.
     Here are three links to some of the better blogs linked in comments section. They are from a news site called Pandora's Box. Please enjoy.
p.s. a good knowledge of Greek will be helpful.

                             http://nea-metra.blogspot.gr/2015/03/blog-post_15.html
 https://projectantisystem.wordpress.com
http://my-pillow-book.blogspot.gr/2015/04/champagne.html

Tsipras Russian visit - April 9th Fools Day

A new date has been given by the media for a Greek default, it is April the 8th. It is Easter here in Greece and the same day, Ash Wednesday, our Prime Minister will be visiting Russia. He was invited officially to visit on the 9th, I am not sure what they are celebrating but I do not think it is the Tbilisi massacre, Mr. Tsipras asked to begin his visit a day earlier. . So the 9th is given as the crunch day and supposedly we will be celebrating Easter Sunday with lamb on the spit paid in drachmas.

In this bluffing game that has been played since the Greek bailout of 2010 much has happened. Greece has restructured her debt of 90 billion plus interest and charges to a mere 330 billion total down from 570 billion in 2009. How does 90 become 570 you may ask dear reader. Well Greece was borrowing in drachma issuing eight and ten year bonds with an interest of five to eight percent. In 2002 the drachma locked at 340 drachmas to the euro and 400 drachmas to the dollar. Bonds bought in drachmas with dollars had to be paid back with interest at the locked exchange rate. In the meantime the dollar lost value against the euro and if you do the math, plus interest, you will see what needed to be paid back in euros. An extra 12 to 20 percent plus interest. Greek bonds sold like hotcakes. Greek debt after the bailout also sells well and in the last five years Germany has managed to make an 80 billion profit bailing out Greece. This according to German media and at a time when German bonds are stagnant or deflationary.

After a full week of trying to intimidate Greece into a bargain deal Merkel decides to invite her counterpart for an official visit but as you can see the plan goes awry. It was March 23rd and we had a lot of softening up of Greek positions by Schäuble the German finance minister. Unfortunately for him nobody in Greece was paying him any attention.

Instead of German threats of a Graccident the news was swamped with reports that Giakoumakis' body had been found in a swamp. For a full month volunteers and police had been searching for the missing young student of the Greek Dairy School. Yes there is such a thing and it is in the north of Greece outside of Iannena. Giakoumakis had been a victim of bullying and apparently had taken his own life. Greek society was so deeply shocked that the news dealt almost entirely with this story. German threats of an ensuing Greek default were barely noticeable. Tsipras asked for a meeting of European leaders and was granted it on Friday, along with Dijsselbloem Eurogroup president,  giving  a political solution to the financial crisis. So far it has been Germany that has had to double back and soften up. We wait for the results of our next bankruptcy appointment.

Tit for Tat on a Tightrope!

Walking the span between the towers pre 9-11

What a week in politics! I have lost track of where it all started. The German complaints about the Greek Finance minister and their request that he is replaced, mostly due to his popularity and public support. Then there was that insulting interview mr. Schuable gave wherein he called his Greek counterpart naive. The entire Greek media system spent the week attacking its own government, I can't blame them as the government is passing legislation that will require private t.v. stations to pay a broadcasting license fee. In the midst of all this turmoil our new Minister of Justice agrees to sign the supreme court decision on Distomo making it an act of law. In laymen terms that means that after nearly two decades of waiting for the court decision to be implied, no previews minister would sign it, survivors of the Nazi massacre at Distomo can finally expect compensation. This will mean, as a first phase, the confiscation of German non diplomatic property in Greece, namely the Goethe institute building in downtown Athens. Then the Greek parliament reinstated the committee on war reparations that the Germans had begun paying in the fifties. When Germany asked Greece, for humanitarian reasons, to give her some time to get on her feet before making payment, Greece accepted making her the only country in Europe to not have been paid said reparations. What a mouthful. Then there is the matter of the war loan that Nazi Germany forced on Greece taking all her gold and anything else promising to pay her back. Then there is a chest of over 400000 Nazi documents of the occupation of Greece that were acquired from the US in 2006. Amongst these documents are Nazi accounts, detailed lists in fact, of the plundering of ancient sights and artifacts, of illegal Nazi excavations both of minerals and of ancient artifacts, and of the general looting of an entire nation. These are to be part of new claims against Germany under international law that clearly states how crimes against humanity do not simply erase after the passage of time but must be reinstated. Justice is to be served even by the next generation. Germans want to forget and move on but Greece wont let them. Can't let them. We need closure and recognition of the hideous Nazi war crimes against Greece. We still live in the aftermath and there are still those amongst our population that would willingly support another Nazi occupation today.

This lovely German couple visiting Greece decided to pay their share of the German occupational loan that amounts to 958 euros.

The end of the Euro...Eurequiem eh!

Greece battles for an end to austerity but falls on the deaf ears of the power elite led by Germany. Tomorrows' Eurogroup is a last ditch effort for the two sides to reach an agreement and to persuade the remaining members to get on board. Anything can happen and all is in the air. There is even the possibility that the currency that attempted to challenge the dollar could come to an end.

Greek Finance minister Varoufakis, shown in the foreground above has done something more than simply stand up to German pressures. He has spearheaded a popular movement that is slowly growing across Europe to put an end to austerity. Only the numbers presented by technocrats have been winning and even those have been doctored to look good. For the most part austerity has not managed to lower deficits but has instead shrunk economies and caused deficits to blossom. There is a nouveau povre class spreading across Europe. Germany herself has reached 15.6 percent population as statisticaly poor (posessing less than 1/3 of the national average income)

 

For years a rather corrupt elite has enjoyed major perks. Dijsselbloem stormed out of a joint press conference with Varoufakis in Athens back when there still was a Troika. The translator while translating Varoufakis opening statements had wrongfully used the words rotten foundation instead of  "shaky foundation" that the Troika stood on according to Varoufakis. There have been so many cover ups of scandals in Europe that to say something like the Troika is rotten, or corrupt, may well be accurate. Regardless mr. Dijsselbloom chose to be insulted.

So we all wait anxiously for the results of tomorows Eurogroup with Germany pressing and Greece refusing to go back to austerity. More austerity here makes no sense. We are already standing at numbers similar to the great depression. Enough of the bullshit. We end austerity now and get on with our lives. People over markets. 25% unemployment (official) not counting the long term unemployed and a cool 2.5 million below the line of poverty (1/4 of the population). Tick tock the euro countdown starts...

 

European Ultimatum (EU) vs The Alexis the Great plan...

We had grown accustomed in our little corner of Europe to the threats of our bigger partners every six months or so. The Troika would visit and the news would be full of stories of what Merkel or Soimble or someone else said about Greece. They would play this kind of good cop bad cop game with us similar to a hot then cold shower. Something of a torture that has now been stepped up to twice a week in an attempt to sway public opinion in little Greece. The newly elected government of Alexis Tsipras and his coalition partner Panos Kammenos do enjoy an overwhelming 75-80 percent support in the polls for the way they are handling negotiations. Today, Monday the 16th of February, was yet another meeting of the Eurogroup to discuss solely the Greek crisis and bail-out plan. Our newly elected leaders have a clear mandate not to continue the existing austerity plans, not to renew the memorandum. At the meeting in Brussels a joint statement was presented to mr. Yanis Baroufakis, the Greek finance minister, that he was willing to sign. It stated how all parties would continue to work to achieve a mutualy beneficial solution with respect to existing agreements and responsibilities and so on. Then this joint statement was retracted in favour of another that stated that Greece must sign the continuation of existing agreements (the memorandum) by Friday and there would be no other options. Needless to say mr. Baroufakis did not sign this. An ultimatum from conservative governments in Europe to lil ol Greece. Why does the beast make these sudden ill planned moves? Because it is fataly wounded and thrashing about. A Grexit would mean the end of the Euro, and German economic domination, within the year.
I will try to make this crystal clear. Already Europe has been dabbing in foreign affairs and until recently without the participation of Greece. Our former foreign minister, Venizelos, would not even bother to travel to Brussels for meetings having simply given his consent to whatever the majority decided. Our new government was four days old, not even sworn in yet, when the EU decided to make new sanctions against Russia over the situation in the Ukraine. Greece objected and vetoed any new sanctions until the next planned foreign ministers meeting in September. In terms of foreign affairs Germany is not a big player. She has a small standing army and no nukes. Greece has a huge standing army, 5000 modern tanks, 3000 German leopard and 2000 RussianT-150 and hundreds of  block 3 or 4 F-16s and eurofighters and mirage 2000. A powerful navy, if you don't take into account the listing German built subs. Both American and Swedish AWACS and Patriot and Russian S-100 anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries along with some Greek weaponry like the Artemis anti-aircraft guns. The huge list of Greek military equipment makes Athens a much bigger player than Berlin. Berlin as a matter of fact has enjoyed US protection for so long that she does not have the kind of intelligence capability required to be a major player. The proof is in the German inspired ceasefire achieved in a 17 hours long deliberations marathon between leaders of  all sides in Minsk last week. It is not a lasting ceasefire as only Germany got what she wanted.
So this whole thing with ultimatums does not seem to be working for Merkel and her merry men. They keep showing up dressed respectably in their suits and ties while practicing dirty tactics. The whole thing is bound to blow up in their face. The original structure of the Euro currency needs to be rethought as it is without flexibility and favours the industrialized north. The free trade agreeement does not make up for lost income in pension funds from the importing nations to the exporting nations. Trade imbalances grow and the system favours the nation that can export the most. Manufactured products hide many forms of tax revenue before they go to market that benefit solely the producing nation. Now that there are no tariffs in place importing nations have no way to balance this inequality. Today Merkel and her gang of henchmen demanded that we appoint a new minister of finance in Greece as they refuse to speak to mr. Baroufakis. It is only part of that hot cold strategy... interference in a smaller countries internal affairs.
So after this Friday there is nothing. Oblivion! no Eurogroup, no European Commission, no more bailout plans, no more European Central Bank buying Greek bonds. The lines are clearly drawn by both sides and there is no possible solution without one side backing down. Saturday the Alexis the Great plan kicks into effect.  http://ellinomangia.blogspot.gr/2011/10/alexander-great-plan-unmasked.html

Irish finance minister shows up at Mondays' Eurogroup with a blackened eye. He later quipped "I thought we were going to gang up on Baroufakis..."

Dajselbloom tries sneaking past Baroufakis who has made his mark...

Notice the distinctive handshake styles, firm vs limp

SYRIZA-TRYLIZA tic tac toe

Prime minister Tsipras and his finance minister Varoufakis must have set a new world record for meetings with counterparts of a newly elected government. Sworn in a week ago Friday they began meetings the very next day. They had a meeting with a Prime Minister or a minister of Finance of another EU nation or a top representative of the EU every single day. Cyprus, Italy, France where all visited for meetings with their respective Prime ministers by our own PM mr Tsipras. Varoufakis has visited the finance ministers of France and Germany. I have left things out like the European Comission, the president of the European Parliament and so on. Too much to write about on a single blog. Our government has kept its promise and refused to kneel to external pressures. The culmination of this game of nerves was the announcement by the European Central Bank that it will no longer be accepting or buying Greek bonds cutting off Greece from a 10 billion euro supply. The answer came spontaneously that very same day and into the night...

Power to the people seems to be the strategy of the newly elected government in Athens. After one of the most bizarre weeks in politics ever, full of historic firsts, people took to the streets to show their support. Unlike demonstrations in the past this one did not have a political focus but instead was born of the social media on the internet. People of every age, families with their children, seniors, many representatives of a wide range of organizations, marched infront of the Greek parliament, vouli, filling Syntagma square and the surrounding streets. There was for once no violence or tear gas or police presence. Just the people urging their newly elected government to continue demanding their rights and to not back down to external pressures. There can be no accurate estimate of the number of people as it was unlike other demonstrations a fluid one with people leaving and new arrivals taking their place. Considering that the press did not mention any estimates though, and taking into account the anti-SYRIZA and pro memorandum stance of the big networks, it is most likely in the hundreds of thousands.

I realy wish I could go into more detail but I fear everyone will lose interest. We await the Eurogroup meeting on Wednesday where Athens will be pressured to sign an extension to the existing memorandum and accept the final 8 billion or so payment. Both our Prime Minister and our Finance Minister have stated in no uncertain terms that there will be no renewal of the memorandum nor will Greece be asking for this money! Expect that there will be demonstrations of support in every city of Greece. Greeks do not respond well to threats or blackmail. Funny just how tight the timeline is. Tuesday we will have our first vote of confidence in Parliament and Wednesday is the Eurogroup deadline for our line of credit at the European Central Bank. Putin has already legislated and offered a ten billion euro line of credit to Greece. Above is a photo of the swearing in of Parliament last Saturday. Sunday was the first session and the vote for the speaker of the House. Ζοε Konstandopoulopu was elected with a record 235  votes. Mr. Tsipras made an impassioned speech showing Greece and the world that we have returned.

Oh and Greece is also re-openning the war reparations issue as they have never been payed. Along with the occupational loan that Nazi Germany forced on Greece, that had been paid in gold, along with interest, guess what the sum is... 310000000000 euros (310 billion). When paid it will mean that those relatives and those still surviving who lost their homes and loved ones to the occupational forces will finaly see the settlements they were awarded in the past. More on this in a seperate blog though as you may be asking "why were they never paid money that they were awarded in a settlement?"