I think you still underestimate the outcome of the negotiations after the referendum. The outcome did not allow a choice between "no austerity" or "democracy" - the choice was between survival or destruction.
"... the outcome means that a helpless European Council is effectively declaring itself politically bankrupt: the de facto relegation of a member state to the status of a protectorate openly contradicts the democratic principles of the European Union. Finally, the outcome is disgraceful because forcing the Greek government to agree to an economically questionable, predominantly symbolic privatisation fund cannot be understood as anything other than an act of punishment against a left-wing government. It’s hard to see how more damage could be done. [...] I fear that the German government, including its social democratic faction, have gambled away in one night all the political capital that a better Germany had accumulated in half a century - and by “better” I mean a Germany characterised by greater political sensitivity and a post-national mentality." (Habermas) As far as the petition you've mentioned is concerned - I stand to it: "Europe is at a crossroads. The institutions of the Troika are not only trying to destroy Greece; they are trying to destroy us all. Now is the time to raise our voices against this blackmail by the European elites. Next Sunday the Greek people will be able to vote to reject the blackmail that is austerity and vote for dignity – with hope for another Europe. This historic moment requires everyone in Europe to speak up and take a stand. We all say NO to austerity, pension cuts, and VAT increases; We all say NO to poverty and privileges; We all say NO to blackmailing and to the dismantling of social rights; We all say NO to fear and the destruction of democracy. We all say YES to dignity, sovereignty, democracy, and solidarity with the citizens of Greece. This is not a conflict between Greece and Europe. It is about two antagonist visions of Europe: our Europe of solidarity and democracy, created from below and without closed borders; and their vision, which denies social justice, dismantles democracy, opposes the protection of the weakest and the taxation of the wealthy." Marv Gandall <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Jul 18, 2015, at 10:35 AM, Hinrich Kuhls <[email protected]> wrote: > > > It’s easy to be ideologically pure…No austerity or further austerity - these > > were not the alternatives to decide > > recently, neither by the Syriza central committee, nor by the Greek > > parliament, > > and not by other national parliaments in Europe. > > You were as “ideologically pure” and I and many others were only a few weeks > ago. I signed the petition you were circulating under the subject line: No to > austerity! Yes to democracy! > > https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/private/pen-l/2015-June/039736.html > > And now you and Proyect, have the colossal gall to denounce those who have not > followed you across the aisle as ideological purists and wild-eyed proponents > of a new revolutionary international. > > Here’s hoping you’ve not embarked, without fully realizing it, on that > well-trodden path of many former leftists before you. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
