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On Jul 10, 2015, at 8:53 PM, Hans G Ehrbar via Marxism <marxism@lists.csbs.utah.edu> wrote: > This is just one skirmish, more is to follow, and both the Greek voters > and Syriza are learning a lot from this. Alas, I think Hans’ apologia for the wholesale capitulation of the Tsipras leadership - the culmination of a five month negotiation with the troika which was more fiasco thsn “skirmish" - will be echoed by a majority of Syriza supporters and parliamentarians, including some hitherto identified with the party left. They will loyally and dutifully close ranks behind the party and its leadership and current direction, consoling themselves, like Hans, that the retreat from the party program is really, somehow, an advance. A substantial minority, however, will draw a more honest balance sheet of the government’s record to date and recognize that it does represent an advance over the preceding New Democracy administration on the key issues. Neither has secured significant debt relief; both have acquiesced to demands for labour market “reforms” designed to weaken the unions; both accept rigid fiscal “targets” to constrain government spending and job creation; both accept major increases in consumption taxes; both accept further cuts to pension benefits, etc. It is undeniably the case that the balance of forces has been overwhelmingly weighted against Syriza and tiny, embattled Greece. But the Syriza leadership full well understood this when it vied for governmental power, and its disillusioned and embittered supporters may be forgiven for asking: “If the objective circumstances simply don’t allow a left wing party to effect any meaningful change and, in fact, lead to further economic deterioration and erosion of living standards, what is the point of electing it in the first place”? _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
