Greece Paralyzed By General Strike

[KurtFF8]

(December 1st, otherwise this headline doesn't seem like news anymore)

Source (http://radiohc.cu/ing/news/world/4101-greece-paralyzed-by-general-strike.html)



Athens, December 1 (RHC)-- Workers in Greece are holding their first general strike in protest at austerity plans since technocrat Lucas Papademos took over as prime minister. Athens and other cities across Greece were virtually paralyzed Thursday as public services shut down along with rail and ferry services.

According to reports from Athens, garbage collectors, teachers, doctors, journalists and bank employees were among those walking off the job today. Trade unionists representing about half of Greece's workforce gathered for marches in the main cities.
Greece has seen about a dozen general strikes in the past two years. Workers are protesting spending cuts and tax rises that are being introduced as a condition of the country's 110 billion-Euro international bailout last year, negotiated to prevent Greece going bankrupt.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Papademos secured the latest 8 billion Euro loan of the bailout package. The unelected former banker, who took office last month at the head of a broad coalition government, has said his priority is to activate a second bailout worth 130 billion Euros.


It's certainly great that Greece has seen such widespread strike activity recently. Hopefully that is being channeled into a radical political process where talk of actually taking power is spreading. As someone who isn't to knowledgeable about the situation there in this respect it would be nice to hear some perspectives on that possibility.

[The Douche]

Its hard for me to wrap my head around this situation, Greece is now run by an unelected (and unaccountable) government.

To see the way people talk about creeping authoritarianism and shit like that, and the only response people have is a one day general strike...

[The Dark Side of the Moon]

yes:thumbup1:

kke anytime soon?

[Kornilios Sunshine]

Nah, Greece was not actually paralyzed by the strike as it was not a huge one. However it does not stop to be a form of action against the shitty cappies and our new goverment based on the capitalist EU. I do not think KKE would become a goverment by elections. KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.

[Kamos]

Nah, Greece was not actually paralyzed by the strike as it was not a huge one. However it does not stop to be a form of action against the shitty cappies and our new goverment based on the capitalist EU. I do not think KKE would become a goverment by elections. KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.

...When it is convenient.

[IndependentCitizen]

Nah, Greece was not actually paralyzed by the strike as it was not a huge one. However it does not stop to be a form of action against the shitty cappies and our new goverment based on the capitalist EU. I do not think KKE would become a goverment by elections. KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.

You say KKE wanting a revolution as though it's a bad thing...

[Patagonia]

Nah, Greece was not actually paralyzed by the strike as it was not a huge one. However it does not stop to be a form of action against the shitty cappies and our new goverment based on the capitalist EU. I do not think KKE would become a goverment by elections. KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.


I do not think KKE would become a goverment by elections.
KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.
KKE wants the Greek workers to rise up and revolute.
KKE
REVOLUTEhttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5_8xAw0L4M/TqZot-nHkYI/AAAAAAAAALU/HPXNX78UgcY/s320/estalinistas.jpg

http://www.athensnews.gr/sites/athensnews/files/anarcocommie.jpg

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/image/48973.jpg

Cool story Hansel.

[The Douche]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y5_8xAw0L4M/TqZot-nHkYI/AAAAAAAAALU/HPXNX78UgcY/s320/estalinistas.jpg

http://www.athensnews.gr/sites/athensnews/files/anarcocommie.jpg

http://linksunten.indymedia.org/image/48973.jpg

Cool story Hansel.

But dude, do you really want anarcho-fascist, hooded, police infiltrators to overthrow the government?

[Kornilios Sunshine]

I am not even going to debate through this subject again because it is absolutely pointless.

[Kornilios Sunshine]

You say KKE wanting a revolution as though it's a bad thing...
Do I?Don't think so I am sorry if it sounded like this.

[Искра]

Cut the crap with the KKE thing. Let's talk about general strike. I would like to recieve more infromations about this one... KKE is history.

[KurtFF8]

I was hoping that if that event got brought up again that something constructive would actually come form it (e.g. someone actually attempting to account for what happened without emotionally charged insults at the tendency they don't align themselves with).

Perhaps I should have known better than to hope for such a thing.

[Os Cangaceiros]

Its hard for me to wrap my head around this situation, Greece is now run by an unelected (and unaccountable) government.

To see the way people talk about creeping authoritarianism and shit like that, and the only response people have is a one day general strike...

Yes, it is somewhat surreal. The article says that Greece has had a dozen general strikes over the past two years...to me a general strike every two months is political theater and not much more than that. What has the opposition in Greece accomplished, exactly? Every austerity measure has gone through, Greece's social services have collapsed, the fabric of Greek society is basically embroiled in a cold civil war, and what has been the KKE's answer to this (I only bring up the KKE because they've been portrayed on this forum as the best answer to these attacks on people)? All of this has culminated in an unelected government who's fanatical zeal to yoke the Greek people with misery and satisfy their masters in continental Europe is greater than ever, but the opposition is biding it's time, for what is anyone's guess.

[Art Vandelay]

I was hoping that if that event got brought up again that something constructive would actually come form it (e.g. someone actually attempting to account for what happened without emotionally charged insults at the tendency they don't align themselves with).

Perhaps I should have known better than to hope for such a thing.

Sorry dude but there is no logical reason, from a leftist perspective, why the KKE would have done what they did. It has nothing to do with tendency insults. Had it been anarchists blocking parliament I would call them back stabbing traitors as well.

As far as the general strike goes it is definitely something to be excited about and Greece is at the top of my list for revolution watch, but I do not think they are there yet. Sadly for the Greece workers I think that more austerity measures are going to have to be put through, meaning harder times, before they realize that these people do not give a fuck about them. This is simply the perspective of an outsider though, hopefully we have some non KKE Greek posters who can shed some light.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

The KKE are not the heroic (though-even-then-still-deeply-problematic) KKE of the civil war. Everything I've seen leads me to believe they are cop-loving shits, who are more interested in attacking rowdier elements of the Greek struggle than they are in attacking the state or capital.

[KurtFF8]

Sorry dude but there is no logical reason, from a leftist perspective, why the KKE would have done what they did. It has nothing to do with tendency insults. Had it been anarchists blocking parliament I would call them back stabbing traitors as well.

http://www.revleft.com/vb/customavatars/avatar13879_1.gif

This is exactly what I was talking about. You haven't said anything here other than "they are back stabbing traitors!" As a matter of fact, you barley even referred to the event itself here!

I get it, anarchists and people opposed to the KKE consider them traitors, that's nothing new. What I haven't really seen is them really deal with accusations that the KKE was attacked first, or any sort of real account of what happened other than "obviously the KKE just did bad things!"

Okay, the political positions on what happened seem (kind of) clear. But I have yet to see any real analysis of the events of that day, let alone even a simple description.



As far as the general strike goes it is definitely something to be excited about and Greece is at the top of my list for revolution watch, but I do not think they are there yet. Sadly for the Greece workers I think that more austerity measures are going to have to be put through, meaning harder times, before they realize that these people do not give a fuck about them. This is simply the perspective of an outsider though, hopefully we have some non KKE Greek posters who can shed some light.Does membership in the KKE make a Greek poster's insight into their country invalid?

[Ocean Seal]

Its hard for me to wrap my head around this situation, Greece is now run by an unelected (and unaccountable) government.

To see the way people talk about creeping authoritarianism and shit like that, and the only response people have is a one day general strike...
A one-day general strike is a lot. And the Greek's are having a lot of them. I can't wrap my head around how they are able to land so many general strikes. Imagine if in the United States we could land 1-2 general strikes every year.

[chegitz guevara]

One Day General Strikes are a lot in the USA, where such things are illegal and haven't happened since the 1940s (even considering the recent Oakland protests). In a country on the brink, it's just letting steam out of the pressure cooker.

[FSL]

One Day General Strikes are a lot in the USA, where such things are illegal and haven't happened since the 1940s (even considering the recent Oakland protests). In a country on the brink, it's just letting steam out of the pressure cooker.

On the brink financially and on the brink when it comes to political management of the country are two different things.