Is Mr Tsipras and the SYRIZA/left patry the solution to Greece's problems?

The recent Euro-elections results in Greece where clear enough, for anyone to see the raw truth. The majority winner is the now well known left party that benefited from the crisis, SYRIZA, which is led by it's young and handsome chairman Mr Alexis Tsipras. However, as we shall see, this does not by any chance lead to the conclusion that some kind of fantastic political change took place in the recent euro-elections. Nor do the raw numbers show that SYRIZA is a truly effective overall winner, when put under even the lightest of scrutinies. Additionally, if one goes on to have a deeper look at the current actual composition of this political party, then there will be no choice but to pose the important question: Is the SYRIZA party and Mr Tsipras really the solution to Greece's problems? And if not, then what can SYRIZA do for Greece anyway? 

SYRIZA, or "Radical Left Coalition" as it's acronym means in Greek, is a party that before the crisis, was comprised of various left and leftist political groups and parties. Some of it's members stem from the traditional communist party, others from more radical groups and some from more conservative but still self-defined as left parties or groups. During it's relatively short lifespan, SYRIZA was always been hovering around the 4.5%  mark (2007 & 2009 elections) because it is a well understood fact, that it's radical views were not the kind of thing the Greek population's majority would approve of under any normal circumstances. The Greek population, just like any other western world country's citizens, would rather ascribe to the well known two party system, choose between the served red or blue poisons and repeat the process every 4-5 years.

But, all of this changed, when the crisis hit Greece around 2010. In the 2012 double general elections and after two years of devastating austerity, there was an unprecedented  change in the country's political map. The center-left Socialist party (PASOK) was decimated and we had new players in the new political situation. One of these was SYRIZA, which came out shining, with a remarkable increase of it's power to 26,89% of the total. The other significant power that rose out of complete obscurity, was the fascist party called "Golden Dawn" which got a 6,92% of the total. It was obvious, that a large number of Greek citizens, having lived the first two years of the crisis, and the accompanying austerity, decided to become more radical, and either moved to the left or instead moved, tragically so, to the far right.

This is where it all becomes interesting. In order for SYRIZA to gain so much in these elections, it had to, shall we say, "water down" it's original ideological composition. One may agree or disagree with the left,socialist, communist or otherwise "progressive" views, but at least SYRIZA appeared to be loyal to those ideas. And to some voters, such positions seemed to be the antidote to the tragic circumstances they found themselves in. In any case, SYRIZA accepted within it self, and continues to do so even today, high standing members or other political parties, of which the most popular, is the formerly big PASOK socialist party, which in it's heyday was getting 45% in the elections. Today, SYRIZA has absorbed about 60% to 70% of the political personnel of PASOK, as well as personnel from other parties.

SYRIZA started to use people as it's representatives, who until yesterday were obsessively supporting the EU/IMF instructed austerity measures and the politics that increased Greece's debt so tremendously. And if this was not enough, SYRIZA, led by it's chairman Mr Tsipras attended several meetings, including those facilitated by it's former "capitalist enemies", such as the Brookings Institute and the IMF headquarters. Were these preparations of an inexperienced leader for the rise to power, innocent "socializing" events, or simply necessary compromising? I don't care. The fact remains: The original SYRIZA, the one that was idealistic and had some principles it respected, after the 2012 election results was now gone forever and dead.

Every opposing voice that came from within traditional SYRIZA's radical voices, such as the opinions of Mr Lafazanis, who has been promoting the idea of exiting the Euro, were silenced or put to the side. All efforts in the emerging political mechanism of SYRIZA, were focused on gaining enough power to be able to govern the Nation in the next elections. The people within SYRIZA that rose to power, such as Mr Dragasakis, Mr Stathakis, Mr Milios and others, seemed to all fit in one single mindset: The solution was to be found within the Euro and the EU and the odious debt would have to be repaid, one way or another. After the elections of 2012, even though SYRIZA had the opportunity to create it's own coalition government, it did not manage to accomplish it. Thus the plan of total devastation continued, this time by the only possible coalition government, which consisted mainly of the New Democracy and PASOK parties which had already separately done the lenders biddings in the previous period.

For the next two years, Greece went through the acceptance of yet more memorandums and additional loan agreements which of course, increased the total debt even more. More austerity measures ensued, more unconstitutional taxes and measures were enforced, hundreds of new unconstitutional laws were passed by the parliament using shady and undemocratic ways, unemployment rates skyrocketed, and the vanishing of even the most basic human rights, left Greece crippled and far worse than ever before. Thousands of minor, medium and large demonstrations took place, which as usual by now, were suppressed by the police, using every means it could muster, regardless of the physical pain it would cause. Health and education was destroyed almost completely, unpaid taxes reached unprecedented levels which amount to many tens of billions. Pension funds where "haircutted", insurance payments are left unpaid by the majority. Taxes are put on private homeowners, on cars, families with many children, the elderly and even the homeless.

What did SYRIZA do, while all of this maniacal and psychopathic destruction took place? To anyone with common sense, NOTHING. That is, nothing of any significance or value to the people. Because what SYRIZA did, was to take on the role of the opposition as if this was a normal period for our Nation, just like any other. Talk and more talk, and nothing but more talk about how much they disagreed and opposed any of the government's choices. Faced for example, by the unconstitutional and unexpected closing down of the public TV channels, SYRIZA resorted yet again to the expected verbal political critique which, albeit tough in some cases, achieved nothing.

And so, under the verbally only, critical watch of SYRIZA, the EU/IMF and memorandum friendly coalition government transformed steadily into a fascist state, which oppresses their own people in favor of big business and banking. And while this transformation occurred in the governing coalition, SYRIZA underwent it's own. SYRIZA changed from a radical leftist group, which was supposed to at least strongly oppose big capital, bankers and their friends, to a new kind of conservative party of Greece. SYRIZA became a political oxymoron. Labeled "radical", "left" and "progressive", in essence it became as conservative as were their traditional enemies. High standing members of the party were found to have placed bets in various markets, in many cases expecting to win from Greece's ongoing economic down-spiral. Naturally, through the services of this same appointed "nomenclature", the party's position of debt repudiation, or at least, hard negotiation due to it's odious unethical, illegal and genocidal nature, became gradually an official acceptance of the debt status and even was expressed as promises that this debt will be repaid in full. It's latest expressed position on the Debt, is that only about 5% of the total, is odious...

But, take for example, Mr Tsipras own statement in March 2014, at a public party gathering in Komotini, Northern Greece:

"We will not ignore the debt. Because we are not deadbeats like our friends the Germans, who since 70 years ago still have not paid their own debts to Greece"

Or read this statement of Mr Dragasakis, a high standing member of SYRIZA, well known "communist" and chairman of the Greek parliament, who, in front of Members of the German Bundestag (parliament), promised:

"If the Greek people choose SYRIZA as government, I would like you to assure the German people, that you will have in Greece a reliable political power, which will support and exit from the crisis and austerity, within the Eurozone."

One may not see much to be impressed by these kinds of statements, except when they realize, that this party succeeded in 2012, based on a completely different rhetoric. A rhetoric, that was profoundly Eurosceptic, progressive, anti-capitalist and clearly radical. And one must really ask themselves, what exactly is meant, by "reliable", when a political party of one country, makes promises to the MPs of another. "Reliable" for who? Because any logical person, would agree that it is not possible in todays bankers/Germany ridden EU, to be reliable for both the people of Greece and the government of Germany or the Banks/IMF...

Another question anyone must make at this point, is a critical one: How exactly does SYRIZA propose that those debts will be paid? Well, the answer is one that nobody knows yet, because it was never expressed fully and clearly by anyone there at SYRIZA. Thus one can only assume two things: Either SYRIZA has some kind of "secret ace" in their pocket, or they will be forced to follow the same recipe as the previous governments did.

But the only "ace" that can possibly be a solution, is already well known an has been expressed by many economists and other experts: The repudiation of the debt, and the correcting of the Nations economy through a new, national and debt free currency, issued by a state owned - and not privately owned- central bank. But this is something, that inexplicably, is not on the so called progressive and "people loving radical left" agenda of SYRIZA.

And all of this, brings us to the 26th of May 2014, the day after the Greek euro-elections. One would expect that the devastation that the current government brought, would make the expected win of SYRIZA as simple as childsplay. One would expect, that since SYRIZA and Mr Tsipras has all the proof, all the best arguments, all the best cards and every single advantage, that they would have convinced a massive part of the populations.  But no, sorry to disappoint. It was not to be. SYRIZA, did not seem to convince. Not at all. The 2012 26.89% result, became a 26,60% in 2014! Imagine that, a loss of 0.29%, when SYRIZA could potentially have destroyed the governing coalition using any combination of hundreds of reasons and tricks of the trade, and they would not even have to lie...

Now it must be clear. SYRIZA's apparent win, was really a tragic and massive failure. Not only did they not manage to increase the party's percentage but they managed to even loose some. SYRIZA did not manage to convince anyone new since 2012, that it has, or is the solution. It has reached an absolute top ceiling, which in essence, makes it impossible for it to ever become a self-reliant government. If it is to ever govern after any general elections, it would have to do it, by coalition government. That is, unless it changes it's rhetoric and does real things to oppose the genocide taking place in Greece and finally starts revealing the true nature of the crisis, something which frankly seems hihly improbable if the same people remain at it's steering wheel.

So what can SYRIZA offer Greece's citizens today, realistically? Today, using the same talk and nothing but talk, nothing. Not unless it is willing to go truly "radical" and really "progressive". Not unless it is willing to forget it's flirting with neo-con EU/IMF friendly positions and is willing to stop promising exactly what our real rulers in Germany and the EU/IMF want.

But what about tomorrow? There must be some real "progressives" left in SYRIZA, aren't there? Maybe, I don't know. If there are, and if it manages to create a coalition government at some point, maybe, just maybe these few that are left, can only offer a "light softening" on the effects of the economic missiles that are being fired against the Greek people by the EU/IMF and friends. It cannot offer anything more, because as a whole, SYRIZA refuses to even fathom the idea or possibility of regaining true sovereignty first through repudiating the usurious and genocidal debts, secondly though an exit from the Euro and the totalitarian EU, and finally the creating of a new national currency in order to restore the massive deflation that has destroyed every possibility of a positive outcome within the Euro. That, as a matter of fact, applies not just to SYRIZA, but every hopeful savior of Greece, because no one can possibly rebuild, while the demolition squad is cooperated with and is allowed free and total reign...

In the meantime, while SYRIZA forsakes what appeared to be it's own values and allows the current government to continue it's demolition job,  it seems Greek citizens, would have to simply go back to sleep, while the obliteration continues...

...Unless the Greek citizens, realize that the struggle today, is one for National Sovereignty and the Liberation from the totalitarian European Union.
...Unless Greek citizens realize once and for all, that it's not a matter of left against right or conservative vs progressive -call it what you will- divide and conquer game.

Stavros Katsoulis - Reporting from Greece