Crisis of Capitalism in Greece: UNSC should impose noflyzone over Greece

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

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Even as the horrid NATO terror wars and serious climatic change threaten the humanity, mass poverty in Europe is growing alarmingly at one pole of society, while at the other the state sponsored financial-corporate elite is adding to its vast wealth. 

The ruling regime in Greece has created a mess by imposing capitalist austerity measures on the people who vote them to rule the nation with a mandate. The government has unleashed a series of austerity measures one after another perhaps to test the patience of the voters.  The popular anger against the government in Greece is widespread and has only intensified following the latest round of austerity measures which would wipe out all of the remaining social benefits of Greek poor and workers at a stroke. .

Capitalism harms common good. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission, known in Greece as “troika", and their "memorandum” are directly responsible for the precipitation of  an already explosive situation in Greece.  The troika experts are completely indifferent to the suffering of the Greek people and intent on pursuing a class-war policy across Europe. The arrogance and contempt of the troika representatives for the Greek population is openly criticized by the people.

Recently, the Greek government announced further cuts in pensions and wages and the dismissal of 30,000 civil servants. In addition, new increases in consumption taxes are being imposed. The social cuts as prescribed by IMF have only led to a deeper recession than forecast. Tax revenues have fallen, the Greek burden of debt has grown and the government has failed to meet deficit-reduction targets set by the troika. The representatives of the IMF, EU and ECB have responded by demanding further austerity measures as a precondition for releasing an €8 billion tranche of bailout funds without which Greece will go bankrupt by mid-October.

Literally every section of Greek society is angered by the austerity measures and is on strike and the struggles are taking place all over Greece. Some 159 schools across the country have been occupied by students protesting against cuts in the education system. In the city of Patras alone 30 schools have joined the protest. Among the demonstrators were workers, employees, teachers and even former employees who have lost their jobs and have had their pensions reduced by 40 percent, while energy and food prices have soared as much as 100 percent. The troika made this “fiscal consolidation” a prerequisite for the disbursement of emergency loans needed to avert a default by Greece.

With an exceeding unemployment rate of over 30 per cent, Greece already also has the lowest income levels in the euro zone (51 percent of the average). Some 80 percent of workers earn less than €1,500 per month and 61 percent less than €1,000.

 As of today, 82 percent of Greeks have lost confidence in the government and 83 percent distrust the parliament. Sixty-seven percent no longer trust the European Union. The huge gulf between the working population on the one hand and the government on the other was clearly evident at a demonstration in Syntagma Square in Athens on 25th Sept.

Angry crowds have repeatedly besieged the homes of politicians - both ruling social democratic PASOK and opposition the conservative opposition New Democracy (ND), something that reminds of Anna Hazare's supporters have done in New Delhi protesting against rampant corruption in India. Aggrieved people also chanted “thieves, thieves” and “Give the money back!” thousands of homeless people, young couples with children and pensioners demonstrated peacefully against the austerity measures of the government. So, the opinion scenario reflects that PASOK would today win just 15.5 percent of the vote in a new election.

 Despite the peaceful nature of the protest on 25th Sept Sunday, police used tear gas and truncheons to disperse the demonstrators. Even children were attacked and one woman was admitted to hospital with serious injuries. People liken the attitude of Greek regime to the brutal military dictatorship of the colonels who ruled Greece from 1967 to 1974.

In the name of debt crisis, state money is being shifted by corrupt politicians to  rich individuals of  “high net worth”.  The combined wealth, in consequence of state deficits,  of the nearly 11 million “high net worth” individuals increased by 17 percent in 2009 and 9.7 percent in 2010, reaching a total of $42.7 trillion.  There is a general agreement among  US-European governments that hundreds of billions more in public funds must be allocated to cover the banks’ losses from a sovereign debt default by Greece.  Earlier bailouts three years ago enabled major banks and corporations to dramatically increase their profits even as unemployment reached depression levels in the US and most of Europe. 

Now speculations are  rife for a so-called “big bang” and “shock and awe” plan to deal with the European debt crisis.  To offset the new handouts to the banks, even more brutal austerity measures will be imposed in Greece and other highly indebted European countries that have already been thrown into slump and mass social misery. 

 Crisis in Greece reflects a real crisis of western as well as global capitalism that funds NATO terrorism and other forms of state terrorism, crippling the lives of common people. Unfortunately for humanity, the Greek ruling elites, preparing a shift to authoritarian forms of rule now openly, have already made clear to all that they are prepared to enforce their austerity program despite the opposition of workers. European leader now behave like third world autocrats especially in Africa and if their “memorandum” is withdrawn forthwith the situation would worsen further leading to the ignominious exit of the present dispensation.

 Greece targets the poor, leaving out rich and upper wealthy sections of the society. This is indeed a pathetic situation of so-called civilized Europe, attempting to export democracy to oil rich Mideast in exchange for oil.  In order to  overcome the  recession  NATO is eager to invade more of energy rich  Muslim nations. But the future that US led capitalism, thriving on exploitation and parasitic existence or  criminal manners,  holds out to the world’s people will represent  anti-humanity: depression, dictatorship and war.

Post Soviet new Russia distributed the  state  assets to  party functionaries,  their relatives, other favorite individuals to become top capitalists generating crony capitalism.  Today these former communists are wielding power as top oligarchs and arms merchants.  Pushed by USA and Russia, China,  in accordance with the  convergence trends,  is also trying to  follow  the Kremlin route  to capitalists formations  in a slow  manner. Communist and socialists elsewhere do not behave any better - they are selfish people fighting for their own welfare, wanting to be crony capitalists.

 Humanity  seems to be trapped  by UNSC-NATO terror  syndicates. Notwithstanding  the strenuous efforts by  world capitalist giants to squeeze the people  and promote rich, it appears it may not be so easy now and hereafter for capitalism to survive at the cost of majority of people and also dictate terms to them!

However, USA controls world  economy and global militaries and intelligences while people every where are exceedingly disorganized and split into different  party agents indirectly promoting capitalism and individual “high net worth”.  CIA has engineered uprisings to loot the oil of Libya and other Arab nations, selling  them arms and liquor.

World expects a noflyzone imposed over Greece UNSC-NATO to protect the  innocent people  struggling for  economic freedom from the capitalist regime. The joint UNSC-NATO terror syndicates were  quick to do it in sovereign Libya for its oil. Greece may not have oil or gas, but it has got minerals and other natural wealth and bank bonds.

It is high time UNSC quickly imposed noflyzone over Greece to protect and free the people and force the regime to roll back all austerity measures imposed on people thus far.