Despair

by Capricorner

The country is half out of the Eurozone. If it slips out, to the delight of some of the other Eurozone countries, it will be the end of its present advantageous position (painful today but pleasant tomorrow) and the beginning of a National nightmare. If the Greeks can come to a National consensus and display orderly behavior the nightmare can be avoided and life can continue, however unpleasant, currently, but certain to improve in the near, yes, the near future.

No country, ever, has had such a horrendous debt and creditors willing to forego a great part of the country’s dues to them and, in addition, partners willing to assist with a gigantic amount, another historical first, to scale down the debt without hurting too much.

Do the Greeks appreciate their luck? Their politicians and the media carry on as if the world owes it to them and Greece’s partners are loosing their patience and hope that they soon get rid of the problem that is Greece, because the problem is the Greek politicians and their bad influence on the people. The Greek politicians, who are squarely responsible for the problem, are certainly not the people who can solve it. Never the less they are the only ones who represent Greece and give the impression that the Greeks are like them, unreliable.

The two big parties created the debt and the Papandreou government was given good terms to take the necessary austerity measures, but it did nothing, so a second austerity package was agreed with the lenders, but that too was not implemented and so the lenders are now mistrustful of both the Greek politicos and the Greek state mechanism, which has demonstrated its ineptitude. The facts are clear. Greece is a Eurozone country with a third world country state mechanism. The politicos who governed Greece the last thirty eight years did all they could to benefit themselves and very little for the country. Even now their actions are geared to their benefit, not to that of the country. With no state mechanism to handle the problem and indeed the help which the Eurozone partners are extending the situation is desperate.

What the country needs NOW is a new generation of politicians who can communicate with their Eurozone counterparts on equal terms. This means they will gain their respect and with it their full backing. The present miserable political bunch has lost the respect and good will of the Eurozone politicians who view it as inadequate and unbefitting a Eurozone country, in fact dangerous for Greece and by extension the Eurozone. Hence the terms they are demanding in exchange for the help and their derogatory, humiliating attitude for Greece. Who can blame them? After all, the Greek politicians were given the votes of the Greeks, which means they represent the people of Greece. Their bad quality reflects the quality of the Greeks who voted for them, or their naïveté (accepting promises from professional liars). The Eurozone partners do not know what to assume.

If the Greeks are so unsophisticated in their thinking that such clowns can convince them to entrust them with their fortunes then Greece is a Eurozone “mistake” which the Eurozone members seem determined to correct, despite the cost.

Speaking of “cost” the Greeks have overestimated this cost. By now the Euro members, articulated as they are, have prepared for a possible departure of Greece from the Eurozone. The International Markets have prepared their plans for a Greek exit from the Euro, for which they estimate a more than fifty per cent possibility.

The cards are stacked against Greece. Only an enlightened leadership can lead the country out of its misery and on to the road of success, yes success. Greece has the potential to grow, but the present shamefully incompetent government is out of tune with reality. The Prime Minister, a capable technocrat does not have the support he needs and here is the twist. The Greeks see elections “now” as the solution to the problem, but their Euro partners do not. They know that the ND party will win but be forced to a coalition government with one or more of the present unreliable bunch, possibly a partner from the left with views widely opposite to those of ND and then what? In the light of this and in the light of the recently appearing change in the political spectrum, with both PASOK and ND having lost a number of their Parliamentarians, who will now align with who? To form what? The uncertainty gives rise to gloomy thoughts.

The Eurozone partners are fed up. The people of Greece are desperate. No hope of change.

If there are people in Greece who can “run with the ball” who are they? How can the country discover them? The present political groups fill up the political space, no room for others. Only unpredictable events can change the scenery and make room for others to appear, gain the confidence of the people and oust the present political herd. Even then there is the danger that the new bunch would be like the present one. Have the Greeks changed? Are they now hard to convince? Will they refrain from repeating their mistakes of the past? This is what worries the Euro partners, which explains why they would much prefer to see a Government of a few technocrats, under the present Prime Minister, like the one in Italy which is doing what it should,. Who can blame them?

Truly the country’s fate is in the hands of Mr. Papadimos. Will he display the courage to come out and tell the Greeks why this is no time to go to elections and why he must reshuffle his Government to get rid of the dead wood and bring in a few technocrats who know what to do, with no regard to “political cost”? And will the political parties agree to this? Of course the politicos are divided on this issue as well.

No wonder despair is in the air, everywhere, as there is no sign of change in the political spectrum. No sign of a new breed of politicians. Despair because there is not a glimmer of hope, unless unpredictable events bring in radical changes, for better? For worse?