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Why Tsipras Winning The Greek Election Is A Victory For Ordinary People Everywhere

by Paul Knott
27 January 2015 6 Comments

Alexis Tsipras is a 40 year old family man and civil engineer who frequently rides a motorbike to work. He is also the former Young Communist and new Greek Prime Minister who may hold the future of the European economy in his hands

In just over three years, Tsipras and his close colleagues have constructed the left-wing Syriza party from a collection of miniscule fringe groups and turned it into the overwhelming winner of the Greek general elections. This astonishing achievement is a triumph for the charismatic leadership of Tsipras and might just come to be seen as the point in European history when someone, at last, said “stop” to the suicidal economic policies of recent years.

The path to success for Tsipras was opened up by the corrupt governance of Greece by its established elites and the catastrophe that has been inflicted upon its people by the austerity programme of the EU, IMF and major powers. Rather than solve Greece’s problems, these policies have led to its economy shrinking by 25%, its debt ratio ballooning, 25% unemployment (60% amongst young people), drastic pension and wage cuts and decent working people scavenging in dustbins for food.

Not surprisingly, these circumstances left many voters looking for an alternative that will do the job of a democratic political party by promoting their interests, rather than kow-towing to the dictatorship of global financiers. Mercifully, of the several new options that have emerged during the crisis, most of them plumped for Syriza, rather than the ridiculous but vicious neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn” shower, which still polled a scary 6% and seeks to rebuild the Greek economy by beating up Pakistani shopkeepers.

The media and political puppets of global finance have portrayed Tsipras as a dangerous radical who will bring down the Euro, creating a domino effect that will plunge the world into economic chaos. In fact, despite his adherence to left-wing ideals, Tsipras has shown himself to be open to dialogue with his international and European counterparts. His proposals for dealing with the crisis place him in the mainstream of respected global figures advocating economic growth as the solution, as opposed to the destructive madness of austerity. Tsipras’s claim that the austerity medicine is killing the patient is echoed by political leaders such as US President Obama and distinctly non-leftist, heavyweight economic commentators such as Paul Krugman, Nouriel Roubini and Niall Ferguson. Indeed, the split between believers in pro-growth policies and the pro-austerity faction is now the real political divide in a world grappling with the economic crisis, rather than the old categories of left and right.

Tsipras’s real crime in the eyes of bankers has been to re-direct blame for the crisis back onto them, where it belongs. Thus far, the financiers have been incredibly successful in diverting attention onto government debt and the Euro, as a way to avert crisis resolution measures that they would find unpalatable. The government policies that led to excessive sovereign debt and the shaky construction of the Euro may have been unwise and left many countries in a weak position to deal with the recession. But their ongoing struggles are merely effects of the crisis. The unequivocal cause of it was the greed-fuelled malpractice of banks and financiers. Hardly any of the so-called “Greek bailout” involves transferring European taxpayers’ money to the Greek government or people. It is, in fact, yet another bailout of international banks, rewarding them for their stupidity and avarice.

Tsipras is the leader of a small political party in a small country. But Greece is at the epicentre of the economic crisis and the election result there this weekend matters out of all normal proportion. By standing up for the average citizen against the malign influence of international finance, his election could be the tipping point in reversing the Kamikaze policy of austerity that has turned the global economic crisis into a catastrophe for many ordinary people.

Tsipras’ win is important for that symbolic reason alone. Achieving more will be intensely difficult because the Syriza government now faces a daunting array of problems in saving Greece, playing its part in salvaging the Euro and, by extension, the European economy. As the new Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis says “Don’t congratulate us (on winning the election). We face the task from Hell”.

No doubt there will be disappointments along the way but people everywhere should hope they succeed.

Anarchy In Athens: The Shocking Story Of Greece’s Financial Implosion

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Soupastar 3:15 pm, 2-Feb-2015

Paul, You don't know what you are talking about here. Austerity is bad. No question about it. But Greece is virtually bankrupt so the Troika (ECB, EU and IMF) are trying to walk a fine line that will keep Greece from defaulting on its colossal debt mountain. Such a default would have much worse implications for the world economy than some austerity 'tough-love'. I hope you appreciate some of the consequences of a country defaulting on its debt. Some of the money supporting Greece has been provided by the UK Govt. If the UK does not get that money back, that is less money available to the Govt to spend in the UK. Not to mention impact on many financial institutions. Allow me to comment on some of your more absurd points: "The path to success for Tsipras was opened up by the corrupt governance of Greece by its established elites..." Yes, Greek Govts overspent for years as part of blatant electioneering. Tsipras promises a return to those good old days. The Greek people have decided to go for the easy option over the pain of austerity. But there's no easy option. There's still going to be a lot of pain, somewhere. The less pain felt by the Greeks will be replaced by more pain for the rest of us. "...these circumstances left many voters looking for an alternative that will do the job of a democratic political party by promoting their interests, rather than kow-towing to the dictatorship of global financiers." Kow-towing to global financiers? You are suggesting that it is perfectly acceptable to borrow a load of money and for the borrower to set the terms for how much will be re-paid, if any. Try going to your mortgage-lender to tell them you only intend to repay half the mortgage. See where that gets you. Is that acceptable? "His proposals for dealing with the crisis place him in the mainstream of respected global figures" In the mainstream? Respected global figure? You are definitely over-reaching with this one. "Tsipras’s real crime in the eyes of bankers has been to re-direct blame for the crisis back onto them, where it belongs." The blame is nothing to do with the last 15 years of Greek Govts then? Govts that spent more and more and borrowed more and more in order to fund it. I can see where your politics are: You are looking to have a pop at the Bankers. But it's the Greeks that got themselves into this mess. "The unequivocal cause of it was the greed-fuelled malpractice of banks and financiers." Please explain this unsubstantiated claim. "It is, in fact, yet another bailout of international banks, rewarding them for their stupidity and avarice." It is the European Central Bank, the EU and the IMF that have provided the funds to allow Greece to keep its head above water. However, Greek govt bonds are held by international banks and pension firms and insurance firms. it's how they spread their assets. Are you happy to put all those institutions at risk of financial ruin - and the knock on impact on the Western economies - just because you're a man of the people and you don't think austerity is fair? Your economic naivity and the subject matter of your other articles for Sabotage Timnes show that you clearly have no expertise in this area, whatsoever. May I ask what are your credentials on this issue? Are you an economist? Have you studied the problems endemic to the Euro-Zone? Or are you just a regular 'man-of-the-people' applying a bit of leftist common-sense to a situation that you really don't know much about?

Harry 10:52 am, 3-Feb-2015

It's interesting that people - actual human beings - are expected to starve and die rather than upset banks. After quantitative easing - literally just printing more money - was deemed OK to bail out incompetent crooks while tax payers pick up the bill I'm sure there is no reason the UK government couldn't do it again if Greece's actions have the knock-on effect you claim they will. Bottom line, strip away all the complex economics and one thing is clear: we can carry on as we are, watching people starve to death as long as financial institutions and practices are safe or we can call time on this fucking insanity and start putting people first. And if anyone tells me we can't afford to do that then it's clear we can't afford such a system.

Soupastar 4:03 pm, 3-Feb-2015

Firstly, no one is dying. You're being melodramatic. Let's keep to the facts. And it's about more than upsetting the banks: There is a whole chain of cause and effect here that you are completely ignoring. If Greece avoid their financial obligations then that is a green flag to Spain, Italy and Portugal - all much bigger economies than Greece - to do the same thing. The knock on effects of a chain of Govt defaults could be catastrophic - to govts; to businesses, to people. Businesses across Europe will fail and people will lose their jobs. These are the facts. Another fact concerns quantitative easing: QE was introduced in the UK to keep the economy going: To ensure that there was enough liquidity in the system for people to go about their day-to-day business. QE was not about bailing out the banks. 'Bailing out the banks' was the process that bailed out the banks, not QE. QE is not the universal remedy that you believe it to be: It is a process that can have unknown, unintended consequences. You state: "...strip away all the complex economics and one thing is clear: we can carry on as we are, watching people starve to death as long as financial institutions and practices are safe or we can call time on this fucking insanity". Yeah, complex economics is a bugger isn't it? It just makes everything more complicated than it needs to be! Let's tell the ECB, the EU, and the IMF that some bloke on the internet, called Harry, has got it all worked out! Yours are the suggestions of a daydreamer - or a 10 year old.

Harry 5:32 pm, 3-Feb-2015

I stopped reading after your unutterably stupid, ignorant and ill-informed first sentence http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/04/this-is-the-reality-of-austerity-greek-children-are-starving/275105/

Harry 5:35 pm, 3-Feb-2015

And for all your patronizing pomposity, you *still* miss the crucial point - ALL systems of economics are man-made. We can choose, at any point, to stick with a system that kills millions and enriches the few or we can decide enough is enough and find a better way to organise our humanity.

Soupastar 5:47 pm, 3-Feb-2015

Harry, we both know that you read every last word! My comment was about 'dying', Harry. Dying. Your reference article talks about 'starving'. There is a difference. I have not read anything about Greeks dropping dead of starvation. You are exaggerating. Yes, all systems of economics are man-made. We started developing the systems we use now about 10,000 years ago when mankind first started replacing hunter-gatherer lifestyles with settled, farming lifestyles thereby freeing up resources that could be put to uses other than the provision of food. If you don't like the systems we have developed you should have put your hand up sooner.

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