As Athens, the “birthplace of democracy”, has been reduced to ash, broken glass and plenty of confusion, many people have been wondering what the hell is going on. Now that the dust is starting to settle...pun intended...it's worth examining what sparked the chaos in Athens. Was it:a) the death of a 15 year old boy
b) the deteriorating economic situation
c) the lack of sustainable employment for the “700€ generation”
d) an attempt by an organized group to destabilize the government
e) all of the above
As any self-respecting test-taker knows, e) all of the above, is pretty much always the correct answer. The situation in Greece is incredibly complex, and cannot be explained away, much to the media’s dismay, by A, B, C, or D. The bottom line is that the shooting of 15-year old Alexis Grigoropoulos was the spark that lit the flame. The shooting united various groups of people, and became a launching point for protesting every ill of Greek society.
First and foremost, an important distinction needs to be made between the protesting groups of the past month. Peaceful demonstrators, made up of mostly students and young professionals known as the “700€ generation” marched in the streets demanding everything from justice for the death of young Alexis, to an increase in jobs in the public sector. This group has a whole host of wide-ranging complaints and demands, which are far too complex to address in anything short of a lengthy essay, so I’ll spare you. It is the second group, mainly made up of anarchists, who are responsible for the destruction and chaos in Athens. Quite frankly, I don’t even think they really know what they want… other than excuses to destroy property, wear Che Guevara t-shirts, and spout outdated cliché one-liners from left-wing literature that they probably haven’t even read.
With an impotent police force, universities that breed rage and frustration instead of knowledge, and a decrepit healthcare system, Greece is flirting with institutional failure. Anger about poverty and a stagnant political system are intersecting with a long tradition of extreme-left political activism and disdain for authority - in a very dangerous way.
The resurgence of “Epanastatikos Agonas” (or “Revolutionary Struggle”) in recent years has not occurred in a vacuum. Two violent attacks on police units in the past few weeks have been traced back to Revolutionary Struggle - the group responsible for the 2007 U.S. Embassy attack. Revolutionary Struggle surfaced in 2003 after the dissolution of the group “November 17th” but, unlike “November 17th”, Revolutionary Struggle is thought to be more diverse, both ideologically and ethnically, and better armed. What is needed now, more than ever, is a show of force from the Greek authorities. Although, if history is any indicator, any hint of law and order is probably a long-shot. Nikos Konstandaras, the managing editor of Kathimerini (one of Greece’s most respected newspapers) summed up the madness and impending danger quite succinctly:
[Alexis’ death] will be used to bind together every disparate protest and
complaint into a platform of righteous rage against all the ills of our society.
It will quickly become a flag of convenience for anyone who has a grudge against
the state, the government, the economic system, foreign powers, capitalism, and
so on. If Greece has already appeared difficult to govern, it will now be
out of control.
(Photo by Nikolas Giakoumidis)
2 comments:
Just a thought… Although I in no way support anarchists or the use of violence as a means to accomplish ones goal, how does someone disregard the many events that have occurred throughout history, where disorder, anarchy, and unfortunately death and destruction have been the catalysts for some of the greatest changes this world has seen. There are many sides that can be taken as to the pluses and minuses, but the results do tell a story of massive change over the shortest periods of time.
Where I know you can defend through example, many other cases where actions like these have not resulted in desired change… I would be curious what you would tell a person who has reached a point of such distress, and where near term change is a must, when they turn to history to look for answers. Destruction by which a means to create is human nature in my opinion.
Touchee! All good points... I absolutely agree. Some of the greatest changes in history have been made by fearless people fighting injustice. Sometimes revolution is the only way forward... Revolutions like the French and American revolutions, as well as those in ex-Soviet states, or groups fighting against apartheid in South Africa were noble causes which had a goal that mobilized entire populations. Destruction can definitely lead to creation and renewal... when you actually want to create something.
Unfortunately, unlike the riots in France in 2005, the riots in Greece had no clear or identifiable purpose. The two groups participating in the protests are very different:
- Protesters are simply voicing grievances that people in many countries have in this day and age (low income, education, health care)... understandable, and a critical part of any healthy democracy
- Rioters are not protesting anything. They are the same group of thugs that go from soccer game to soccer game burning stadiums and throwing bricks onto the field... What they want is "anarchy"... and that is not creation...
While there are UNDENIABLY many many changes that need to made in Greece- particularly to the stagnant and nauseatingly corrupt bureaucracy (and judicial system!), the problem is more "mentality" oriented than systemic. The SYSTEM exists. Laws exist. Regulations exist. What is missing is respect for the system, laws and regulations that are already in place... and sadly, those who should be setting an example are often the first to break the rules.
I believe much of the protesting in Greece comes back to the corruption of the leadership- and rightfully so. I'm sure there are exceptions, but Greek bureacrats have a well-earned reputation for being unproductive, rude, stagnant and self-righteous... If THIS is what people want to see change, then I agree.
Anyway, I digress...
Bottom line: Change is good. Progress is good. Revolutions throughout history have taught us that.
I'm not quite sure how to answer your question "what would you tell a person who has reached a point of such distress...". It's a great question, and I wish I could answer it. What I can say though (and again, a lesson of history) is that revolutionary change requires revolutionary and innovative thinking. These riots are the adult equivalent of a 2 year old throwing a temper tantrum because mommy won't listen to them. When demands are made in a mature and intelligent way (re: Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, Nelson Mandela, etc...) they can mobilize a population and change society. But when you don't even have demands and simply destroy your fellow-citizens hard-earned property because you're pissed off... I'm sorry, but those people don't deserve to be listened to.
(sigh)...
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