Greece workers go on mass strike - birthright?

[punisa]

I believe all of you have seen the massive strikes and clashes with police that are taking place in Greece as we speak.
Browsing the media for some footage, I found this article:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/02/24/greece.protests.analysis/index.html

There is a word I haven't heard before - birthright.
Familiar with it? sorry, English is not my first language.
Cnn defined it as: "to continue to enjoy benefits that in today's globalized world are disappearing fast."

I think worker protest should and must go beyond this. Working class in Europe is still rather silent, but closely observes everything that is going on.
I'm not sure there is place for optimism, but some *successful* radical examples could really spark something greater - continent wide.

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZEPWgtKqIQ

photo gallery:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240004575084853361540506.html?m od=rss_Today%27s_Most_Popular#articleTabs%3Dslides how

more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8533738.stm
http://english.aljazeera.net/business/2010/02/2010224134535200387.html

[Axle]

This definitely has the potential to spread. Greece is literally a hotbed of class conciousness and radical action and Europe is so intertwined that it's really only a matter of time.

[RadioRaheem84]

Whats the situation like Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland?

[La Comédie Noire]

Hopefully France gets into the mix. France and Greece have a high level of class consciousness, maybe it's something in the water?

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

- birthright.
Familiar with it? sorry, English is not my first language.


Bassicly as the name implies it means that something someone is entitled to due to the circumstances of birth , for example in the UK it is a birthright to receive NHS treatment if they are born to UK citizens , or it is the right of lord whatever to be a lord because his parents are lords. Reactionary crap.

[RadioRaheem84]

All of the Southern European countries have a high level of conscious.

[La Comédie Noire]

All of the Southern European countries have a high level of conscious.

I love how the conservative media tries to spin mass strikes in Europe as "selfish".

[Delenda Carthago]

more pictures...

http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalGaleriHaber&Date=24.02.2010&ArticleID=982194&PAGE=1

enjoy!:p

[Delenda Carthago]

shit.now i saw the video.:D


edit:and the other link...

silly me...

[bcbm]

Whats the situation like Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland?

there were demonstrations (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE61M2LZ20100223) by unions in spain today.

[Red Commissar]

I love how the conservative media tries to spin mass strikes in Europe as "selfish".

This is generally the case with anything related to unions or the labor movement. It's a method of discrediting them in an attempt to keep other workers docile.

Though I must say Punisa, relative to their counterparts in the USA, the working class in Europe are much more active and vocal.

[Delenda Carthago]

ok.these ones,you didnt see!:)

http://athens.indymedia.org/front.php3?lang=el&article_id=1136024

[OCMO]

In Portugal there are scheduled some strikes, but the media is really efficient in divert the anger. They launched a scandal that envolves the Prime-Minister and it seems like the people already forgot about the economic crisis. Even the leftists are distracted by this. And the floods in Madeira didn't help either.

Political issues will be spoken again when the President has the power to dissolve the government, from April until the presidential campaign starts.

[cyu]

From John Defterios, CNN


In the past decade citizens have been lulled into believing that a price won't have to be extracted for Europe turning a blind eye to the misdeeds. As they take to the streets in protest, they are finding out that the lenient times are drawing to an end.


Christ, I never had high hopes for CNN, but I certainly wasn't expecting such apologetics-for-authoritarianism crap. Who is being "lenient" to whom?

In the past, capitalists have been lulled into believing that a price won't have to be extracted for turning a blind eye to their misdeeds. As Greeks take to the streets against them, capitalists are finding out that the lenient times are drawing to an end.

[APathToTake]

Can anyone give me a quick rundown of how the Greek economy got to this point?

[punisa]

Bassicly as the name implies it means that something someone is entitled to due to the circumstances of birth , for example in the UK it is a birthright to receive NHS treatment if they are born to UK citizens , or it is the right of lord whatever to be a lord because his parents are lords. Reactionary crap.

Thank you for explanation :)

[punisa]

Can anyone give me a quick rundown of how the Greek economy got to this point?

It gets rather complicated actually, but I think this video gives some nice explanations. (please comment on the content, would love to hear what you comrades think)

The Greek Riots: Some Basic Facts (Part One):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKriq2pf-7A

The Greek Riots: Some Basic Facts (Part two):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO_F174tFpc

[RadioRaheem84]

From John Defterios, CNN


Christ, I never had high hopes for CNN, but I certainly wasn't expecting such apologetics-for-authoritarianism crap. Who is being "lenient" to whom?

In the past, capitalists have been lulled into believing that a price won't have to be extracted for turning a blind eye to their misdeeds. As Greeks take to the streets against them, capitalists are finding out that the lenient times are drawing to an end.


I've noticed that the media has a presumed idea that capitalism is here to stay and thus we have to put up with all of the downturns as if it's a necessity for survival.

The police are just beating back the protests until "order" can be restored. Order usually meaning when they can fix the problem and go back to usual business.

[Delenda Carthago]

the documentary on the greek riots is not very good.it leaves the peoples resistance on the outside,basic false if you want to analyse December uprise.


Doesnt say about the post Junta workers movement,doesnt say nothing about the role of Greek Communist Party(the largest and most traditional CP in the western world),doesnt say about the students movement in 91 which led to wild riots in Athens and to a general strike,doesnt say about the 500 anarchists arrest in 95 which led to a destruction of anarchist space until the students movement in 06,doesnt say about the students movement in 06-07,doesnt say about the prisoners solidarity movement when 10.000 prisoners did a full time hunger strike-only one month before December riots.
Doesnt say about the brutal murder from riot police of Kanelopoulou and Koumis,doesnt say about the assasination from a cop of 15 year old rioter Mike Kaltezas in 86.Doesnt say of the brutal murder of Temponeras,a teacher from Patras that was killed by far right goons during a school squat.

And of course doesnt say shit about the anti nazi resistance by communists of EAM-ELAS,or the civil war after the nazi occupation ended,which came after a period of far right white terrorism.

All these things are part of our culture.Greece's history is fully painted with the blood of people's resistance.

[punisa]

the documentary on the greek riots is not very good.it leaves the peoples resistance on the outside,basic false if you want to analyse December uprise.


Doesnt say about the post Junta workers movement,doesnt say nothing about the role of Greek Communist Party(the largest and most traditional CP in the western world),doesnt say about the students movement in 91 which led to wild riots in Athens and to a general strike,doesnt say about the 500 anarchists arrest in 95 which led to a destruction of anarchist space until the students movement in 06,doesnt say about the students movement in 06-07,doesnt say about the prisoners solidarity movement when 10.000 prisoners did a full time hunger strike-only one month before December riots.
Doesnt say about the brutal murder from riot police of Kanelopoulou and Koumis,doesnt say about the assasination from a cop of 15 year old rioter Mike Kaltezas in 86.Doesnt say of the brutal murder of Temponeras,a teacher from Patras that was killed by far right goons during a school squat.

And of course doesnt say shit about the anti nazi resistance by communists of EAM-ELAS,or the civil war after the nazi occupation ended,which came after a period of far right white terrorism.

All these things are part of our culture.Greece's history is fully painted with the blood of people's resistance.

Thanks for reviewing those video clips.
You provided very interesting information.
I know a lot, bus mostly about the BC era :lol:

Also, since we started discussing some historical circumstances, what role did Tito and KPJ play in WWII aftermath in Greece?
If I may C/P some stuff from Wiki, maybe you can give me some clues.
(sorry for going slightly off-topic)

According to Wiki:
"Tito's influence may have played some role in ELAS's resistance to disarmament. Tito was outwardly loyal to Stalin but had come to power through his own forces and believed that the Communist Greeks should do the same."
Q: According to you, would this have been a good or bad move? Were the red army forces present in Greece at the time or after WWII?

"In June of that year, the Soviet Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union) and its satellites broke off relations with President Tito (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tito) of Yugoslavia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia), who had been the KKE's strongest supporter since 1944. The KKE had thus to choose between its loyalty to Stalin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalin), and its relations with its closest and most important ally. Inevitably, after some internal conflict, the great majority, led by Zachariadis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaos_Zachariadis), chose Stalin."
Q: Why did exactly they "chose Stalin" ? I believe this is a sort of follow-up question to the firts one.

"The split with Tito also sparked a witch-hunt for "Titoites" inside the Greek Communist Party, leading to a demoralization and disorganisation within the ranks of the DSE and decline in support for the KKE in urban areas."
Q: My knowledge on this topic is rather slim, but did Yugoslavia had any undrground agents in Greece even after they Greece chose to align with USSR?
Dunno where, I believe a friend of mine told me that they had some sort of secret service which was operative in Greece for a couple of more years. I personaly wouldn't trust that information without a reliable source.