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Monday 29 June 2015

Thermopylae


I will admit to being surprised.

I had always called that this union would fall, perhaps violently, perhaps in a velvet revolution, either way the euro would fall and this construct of those machine men, those ideologues, those golems and unmen who think but do not dream and can only paint in grey, would fall to pieces.

With the crises in Ukraine I had despaired, for it seemed, (and it still seems) that Europe's end would come from a foolish war with a resurgent Russia at the behest of these europhilic non-men and their Americanist overlords.

Yet for all of that and for all of the crises and talks and debates, it would be believed the Greeks, that irascible people of Hellas, would cave like so many others have before the paper tiger of Brussels. That they would accept the bailout on the terms of accepting more debt they could not pay in return for reward of bearing the slave collar and the wicked kiss of the lash.

I will admit, I am today, humbled and ashamed, because for the longest time I have thought ill of the Greek people. Low was my opinion and regard for them, lower still when they elected a popularist, leftist politician to rule themselves, for all his talks of anti-austerity, I thought nothing more of him than I ought of any politician, and thus did I sneer and thumb my nose.

I now stand astonished.

For the Greek people have proven, more than their riots and fury ever could, that they have mettle in them still. The past two days have been a whirlwind: the collapsed talks, the surprise referendum for the will of the people, that bane of the Eurocrats, the refusal of last minute concessions by international creditors as too little too late, the closing of the banks, the tumbling down of the markets. For all this may cost me, personally, in thousands of euros (I have savings in the Republic from when I worked there), I can only salute them and watch in envy as the Greek did what no other European did; they stood and defied the world. They in this shining moment, were a nation, a flawed nation, a nation with divisions, but still a nation of colour and character, a nation of red blood, that somewhere down there, for all my cynical judgements, there is a spark of principle. There is the beating heart of man still in the Greek

I only pray they do not sell it now at this, the eleventh hour, despite whatever may come. My God, its really happening.

6 comments:

  1. Bravo Tsipras is all I can say. I read so many blogs and listened to so many youtube videos warning of the coming "bank holidays" that I nearly began to think of the idea as a fairytale...but today it happened. Brave Greece, hold to your will, be steadfast in your resolve and see this through. A week without access to their ATMs and capital controls may scare the public into voting for the bailout but lets hope they are braver than us meek irish.

    P.S. Do try and transfer your money out of bank in the republic. God bless regardless.

    Josey

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  2. I like your blog.

    But "brave" Greece? Come on. They have made no attempt to live within their means or pay back their debts. The new Govt bluffed and got called on it. They now look ridiculous and are an embarrassment to Greece. Bring back the Greek Monarchy to restore some national pride.

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    1. I meant brave as in actually standing up against the monstrosity the EU has become. Its exactly their perfidity and squandering that made me look down on them for so long before this event took place. Its still a brave thing to do no matter how self entitled the Greeks have become as a people.

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  3. Off topic - if there were ever to be a restoration here in Ireland, who would be your choice? Presumably not a faction of the foreign crown that still claims part of our land? Or do you support a dual-monarchy concept? What about one of the O'Donnells of Spain?

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  4. It looks like you spoke too soon.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33945263

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    1. So I have sadly enough. Oh well, time to wait till December when we'll see the same song and dance play over again because there is no way out of this whirlpool.

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