Let us start with some basics:
– In 1775, a very important intellectual in the history of the Anglo-Saxon cultural world declared: "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". The man: Dr. Samuel Johnson; a Briton.
– In any given population about one third (33 %) of the individuals in it are "assholes" (a.k.a. Conservatives, Christian-Democrats, Republicans, New-Democrats, Gaullists, etc.).
The "Patriots"
Immediately after the announcement of the results of the June 17 Parliamentary elections in Greece, the fervently patriotic people of the Rightist "New Democracy" party which placed first, with 29,68% of the votes, appeared on our TV screens with jaws clenched with determination, their foreheads raised with pride, and their eyes gazing contentedly towards the infinity. About the same time the Greek Nazis, in Pireus, the port of Athens, were beating up the people of SYRIZA, a leftist party. It is not known why the Nazis beat up the people of SYRIZA. Perhaps, they did not like the fact that SYRIZA won 26.89% of the votes, that is 2.79% less than the winning percentage and close to the statistical error. Also, the Rightists secured 129 seats in the new Parliament while the Leftists of SYRIZA, with almost the same percentage of votes, secured only … 71 seats!
[Interesting Note: The English word "patriotism" ("patriot", etc) derives from the Greek word "patris" (fatherland or, to be more precise, "Vaterland"). So, in classical Greece the word "patriot" was used for the barbarians who had only a common Vaterland, but for the Greeks themselves the word used was "polites" (citizens) as they had a common "polis" (city). (Hence the terms: "politics", "politician", etc). I was lucky, since the age of seven, to be indoctrinated with the motto: "Pas me Hellene, barbaros" (Whoever is not a Greek, is a barbarian"). A motto adopted by that Great admirer of the Greeks, who considered himself as a "continuation" of the Greeks, Adolph Hitler. Of course, the brave Greek Nazis, who, yesterday, made it into the Greek Parliament with 6.92 % of the votes, were raised with the same motto as I was. I am sure that W. Bush and John Ashcroft, of the famous "Patriot Act", as cultured and educated gentlemen, are aware of these very interesting details. End of Note.]
Now, the day after the June 17 elections, these same victorious Rightists appeared on the TV screens polite, affable, and a bit timid (a strange situation, as the Rightists, all over the world, are vulgar and aggressive). They know that out there, there are more people like the destitute young man who recently took his ill mother in his arms and jumped to his and her death from an upper floor. They know that out there, there are people like the 50-year-old pharmacist who, only 72 hours before the opening of the voting stations, was executed in broad daylight in the middle of the street by "unknown" persons. They know that today, June 18, Greek Nazis, members of a fraternal party to their own party (according to a famous member of the victorious Rightists), stabbed a man, a migrant, at an Athens subway station … just for fun.
How did the Greek Rightist "patriots" manage to secure such a "great" victory in the polls? They were not the ones that did it. The world's economic elites did it for them. The US, the Anglo, the Saxon, the Asian, and the Slavic economic elites (the "ASAS" from now on) pulled the strings for them. The ASAS, of course, have the "instruments" to do the dirty work for them: a small army of international "nonentities", Merkel, Barozo, Lagard, Cameron, Monti, Schaeuble, etc. Also, at a lower level, they have Rightist "patriots" from the local population who do the field work.
There is a variant of the human species who are born, let us say, as Greeks but who at a certain point in their life they become "imitation" Americans, or Germans, or French, etc. That point in their life is when they get a university degree from the above countries. They become the witting or unwitting (to use the CIA technical terms) instruments of the ASAS. During previous ages they were called "janissaries" (by the Ottomans). So, for example, a member of the Greek chapter of janissaries, an MIT graduate, urged Merkel to do her utmost so that the commies (SYRIZA) should not win the June 17 Greek elections. And the ASAS "instruments" (especially the Garman ones) did their utmost. The threat to the Greek population was blatant: "You vote for the Rightists or you shall be crushed". The "Financial Times" of Germany took part in this unprecedented attack by publishing a text in … Greek! Of what I know, a world first!
So the Greek "patriotic" janissaries" won the elections for the benefit of their foreign "mentors". Of course, Samuel Johnson's term is more apt than the "janissaries" one.
The "strange" 33 %
The 33% of "conservatives" of any given population, as mentioned above, are a political "constant". They are the basis for the historically occasional ASAS who rule the word. In Greece, for example, after a 7-year long brutal dictatorship (1967-1974) in a 1975 referendum to abolish the monarchy 32% (repeat, 32%) voted for the King! Two days ago, in the Greek elections the Rightists got 30% (29.68% to be exact). They are the same people who voted for the King in 1975, or their offspring. This is not the place to examine who are these 33%, or whether they are born or "manufactured". Suffice it to say that this 33% is not only the political effluent of the human race but is, also, the foundation on which the corporate elites have built the empire that destroys the planet. Fortunately, they are all too obvious in any population. For example, in the US the (constantly decisive) conservative 33% are not only all too obvious but they are, also, very … religious.
[Note: In the June 18, 2012, issue of the International Herald Tribune (The Global Edition Of the New York Times) in the front page there is a huge (8.5 by 6 inches) photo of a Greek who, supposedly, is a conservative New Democracy "supporter", that reacts in agony "to the first exit poll results". As a Greek, born in Athens, and having lived in Athens for more than eight decades, I can testify that the man in the photo is not a typical "New Democracy" supporter, that is a typical upper-middle class Greek. I am sure the Greek (Alkis Konstandinidis) who took the photo will agree with me and not with the person who composed the text beneath the photo. Also, "New Democracy" is characterized as a "center-right" party, a historical absurdity. So once more, the New York Times, the paper of record, "did its thing". End of note.]
So Obama and his (European) minions prevailed once more. The US nuclear base at Souda Bay, in Crete, is safe. The "commies" are not in the Greek government. Thus, Obama, now, can go back to his toys; the drones. Yet, the "emperor" and his courtiers are scared. What happened in Greece with SYRIZA is deeper than what the mainstream press is "allowed" to present. However, the "emperor" knows that.
SYRIZA consciously approached the ordinary Greeks. It established neighborhood assemblies that deal with the problems from the bottom up. It will try to protect and help the weak in the Greek society. On the other hand, the middle-class Greeks, who are feeling the IMF attack on their skin, understand, by now, that they do not have the "luxury" to be indifferent.
Equally important and "scary" for the world elites is that SYRIZA could be an example and an inspiration for the ordinary people of Europe and possibly elsewhere.
Will they try to arrest or suffocate this movement of hope? It is certain. Do they have the means, besides violence? Will they try to apply a Keynesian Marshall Plan to avert the spread of the SYRIZA "virus"? It is possible.
The "Martyrdom"
From the day after the elections, for the majority of ordinary Greeks, a new "martyrdom" has started. For two or three years ahead, they will have to suffer the "presence" of politicians who it was almost certain that they would disappear from the horizon. Now, this "presence" will be a torment.
Even worse, will be the torment from the "presence" of the majority of Greek journalists, especially those of the privately-owned TV channels.
If the Right-wingers start tinkering with the state-owned TV channels, etc., then we are in for a very bad situation.
The Oath
Here is an excerpt from a message I sent a few days ago to Robin Hahnel, of Participatory Economics, etc.:
Twelve hours left for the opening of the election stations (mostly school buildings), in Greece.
I have on my desk a photo of the swearing-in of the Greek Parliamentarians after the last election, of May 6, 2012.
Here is what I see:
The seats of the chamber are arranged in a semi-circle. At the center of the circle there is a space (of about 12 by 6 feet) where there are crowded sixteen (repeat: sixteen) black-clad Christian Orthodox Priests, with long beards, etc., facing the Parliament seats who are "offering" the standing Parliamentarians the … sacred oath. At the right edge of the semi-circle (as one faces the seats), ALL the Right-wingers of "New Democracy" (110 persons, 50 of them as a "bonus"!!!), standing at attention, have their right arm raised in an almost a Nazi salute, however with an important difference: three fingers, the thumb, the forefinger, and the middle finger are united to symbolize the … Holy Trinity! [And why not. Even, Isaac Newton spent much of his life trying to figure out the "mathematics" of the Holy Trinity].
The seats adjacent to the Rightists were filled with the "socialists" of PASOK. Again, ALL the "socialists" (42 persons) have their arms raised (a bit less enthusiastically) to take the oath.
The next section was occupied by SYRIZA. Of 50 persons only a scattering of six to eight persons take the oath. An "unpleasant" surprise: among those taking the oath are Manolis Glezos, the man who tore the Nazi flag from the Acropolis in 1941 and Sofia Sakorafa, the former world champion in the women's javelin.
Finally, the extreme left section was occupied by the (Stalinist) Communists, the KKE; 26 persons. Only a single raised hand. That of the lady, known to most of the world, the one in a white shirt on whom the valiant Greek Nazi was exercising his ability in the martial arts, in the video shown a few days ago. A Nazi hitting a Christian and a lady at that? On the space back of the Communists there were the moderates of the "Democratic Left", 32 persons, again with a scattering of 6 or seven raised hands.
The Nazis, at the space back of the Right-wingers, are not shown in the photo.
Now, a few days after the elections of tomorrow, around June 28, there is going to be one more theatrical performance of the swearing-in of the new Parliament.
A couple of days ago, one of the Nazi braves boasted publicly on the Greek TV that he and his fellow-Nazis will beat up "in the Parliament" any Parliamentarian who does not agree with the Nazis.
My estimate is, that if the Nazis manage to have the 3% needed to enter into the parliament, there is a significant possibility of the Nazis attacking those that do not raise their hands. The consequences? Who knows…
One cannot ignore the fact that yesterday, once more, on the Greek TV channels there were the Greek Nazis hollering: "Burn, burn, the bordello! The [Greek] Parliament!"
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