An old friend from the political world, who occasionally gets in touch with – especially in times of major uncertainty – “struck again” on Sunday.
He called us on the phone and as he is accustomed, before we even managed to respond to his greeting, he began talking incessantly.
“Listen up my dear, these new guys will not prosper. They thought that governance was a communication and propaganda game. Some of them – not all – are only just beginning to realize that the country has major responsibilities, which the country has problems so big that no kind of populism, left of right, however inspired it may be, may overcome them.
Unfortunately they wasted five months and they have not yet understood the terms and operating rules of the Eurozone. They delude themselves that they will have it their way and persist, wasting time, money and energy.
They will soon experience it, when the deadlines expire and nobody will speak to them. In the meantime the economy is drying up, businesses are dying out and the people’s tax-paying abilities are being exhausted.
If their plan was anything special I would have urged you to be patient. Their plan however is so focused on taxes, that it will anger the people so much more than Samaras. Mark my words, their main arguments, that they others had surrendered while they were hard at negotiating, will quickly evaporate and invoking them will only cause anger and indignation”.
He then took a deep breath and carried on: “Listen up, my friend, in the swamp – because Greece is a sickening swamp these days – you do not go with a raft…You will be eaten up by the snakes and lizards, plagued by the mosquitoes. To survive in a swamp you must first build a stable foundation and then raise a safe structure, capable of protecting you until the dirty water goes away. These guys here thought that they could survive with a badly-built raft, simply because they raised a pirate flag. Take note, when it become clear that the new guys are failing, the people will turn to normal, stable parties and reliable divs, who are disciplined and with a plan, who will not be afraid to tell it how it really is, nor will they care about the political cost, rather they will do say and do what is needed. It will not be long before this day. Greece needs a real and organized change, based on truth and reason. The bourgeois world can already sense the mistake and will react. This state of immersion and inaction does not suit us. Know this, it must change and it will change…”
That is all he told us before saying goodnight, leaving no room to react…
Antonis Karakousis