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Monday, December 8, 2008
Greece burns in hope
Watching the news (example) and all seems eclipsed by the events in Greece: after three days, riots persist with full force. And are not anymore limited to the largest cities.
I can't but express my admiration for the Greek people and the antiauthoritarian faction within it, surely one of the strongest and best organized in all Europe. It brings me memories of the riots of 1991, that happened when I was visiting Thessalonikí (though the action was then all in Athens), but what really encourages me of all this is to see that after 17 years the capability of Greek antiauthritarians to challenge the system has not diminished at all. While it's probably not probably the moment yet, I must say that this is the substance of which revolutions are made and that I am really glad that somewhere in Europe there seems still to be such a strong class conscience and people power to resist Liberalism.
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Expansion: what do Spanish-language antiauthoritarian media think?
Based on the following news and opinion media: Eutsi, Nodo50, Kaosenlared...
Maybe the most interesting stuff is on why these riots: obviously the trigger was the murder of a student by the police (not the first one certainly) but, as they mention at Nodo50, this is not something that 100 anarchists can set up, it implies widespread anger and frustration among huge sectors of the population. There's a major general strike called for next Wesdnesday and the speculation is that the riots won't settle before that day in the best case; the strike itself is an outburst of massive discontent, specially on light of new Liberal measures imposed by Brussels, like allowing private universities or privatizing certain airlines. Also another element appears to be the rise of the far right, whose combat squads recently killed a Pakistani bringing anarchists to clash with them in the streets of Athens. One of the triggers was precisely solidarity with 15 immigrants who are on advanced hunger strike demanding civil rights.
And certainly one of the most direct triggers was the policial challenge, who took up the Athenian neighbourhood of Eskarja, context in which the cold blood murder of a young anarchist happened.
There's also an interesting meditation by Kilnamen in Nodo50, where s/he compares the somewhat pitiful situation of Iberian anarchism, almost unable to react to a similar cold blood murder some months ago, and the admirable health of Greek antiauthoritarians or even the recent Italian uprising in a similar context. The author calls for a more direct approach of confrontation on daily basis and less factionalism to feed up again the Iberian libertarian movement and the much needed hope of revolution.
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4 comments:
Despicable post.
I knew you would not like it. What I did not know is if you'd read it at all.
Well, each of us stands where we do. I am a radical leftist antiauthoritarian and love the smell of barricades and burning police stations. Can't help it: it brings me memories of my youth but specially it lightens hope in my heart.
In the last decades we have seen a very sad lost of perspective in the West. Stunned by the FX Islamic Fundamentalists blowing up themselves in an orgy of blood and the demolition of "real socialism" in Eastern Europe and China, we have been mesmerized by the Thatcherian/Pinochetian discourse of "free market" madness. But the bubble has burst and, while it's really soon IMO to make a real change, we will soon realize that the only way ahead is to reconsider communism (from an antiauthoritarian and ecological perspective, of course) as maybe the only realistic option.
It's not about a bunch of ideas, it's about the very survival of the Human species and about the dignity of its members. I admire the Greek people for being able to challenge the system so radically and strongly: that's something that appears to have been lost in the rest of Europe.
Again Greece illustrates the continent: it did not only produce the European Neolithic, and the much admired presocratic and cynic philosophers, or the inspiring poetry of Sappho... but is also able to show us today that direct grassroots action is possible and can make a difference. Christianity has not totally killed the Greek spirit.
I love Greece in days like today, really.
I suppose these young Greeks are ashamed of Alexander. Probably they consider him some authoritarian Slav. I think Alexander's spirit was formally buried in the spirit of 1940.
I don't think they care much about Alexander or the supposed conflict with Slavs or whatever. The Balcans are criss-crossed of rival nationalisms, true but some good thing about the left is that it tends to be internationalist: human first, ethnic second.
Not sure, but, would I be Greek (and in a sense all Europeans are), I'd be more interested in people like Crates or Diogenes. There are many important Greek historical characters to choose what type of Greek you want to be. Guess it's the same in all nations: there's not just one archetype but an array of them to choose from.
Anyhow, the Greek anarchists I met back then in the early 90s were more admirers of Spanish CNT of the 1930s or the Italian anarchists of later times maybe. You don't just need to seek within your own ethnic borders either.
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