International Viewpoint - online socialist magazine

The Euro, the Greek Crisis, and the Left

Andreas Kloke — 2012-09-26T15:31:55Z

As this is written, in early September, the Greek government is expected to soon announce its new “austerity program”â€”aligned with the troika, of courseâ€”which will initiate another round to plunge working and young people, pensioners, migrants into yet deeper despair. [1] However, it is quite possible “that the Greeks could spare themselves the trouble of the economy package. Governments in Europe are preparing long before, expecting that and the next report of the creditors, the troika (EU Commission, ECB and IMF), will detect new holes in the budget. In that case, the real emergency, the breakup of the monetary union, will be on the agenda.” [2] Along the same line, a report in the conservative German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine, was given a revealing title: “The secret plans for the euro crash - Banks and corporations are preparing for the possibility the euro could fall apart. They hoard cash, change contracts, and rehearse how to introduce the new drachma.” (August 25).

- Perspectives in Greece / Greece, Greek discussion

A contribution to the debate on Greece

Andreas Kloke — 2012-07-02T14:26:54Z

As part of the ongoing discussion we publish together two articles by Andreas Kloke, a member of the central leadership of OKDE-Spartacos, Greek section of the Fourth International. The first was written on June 11th “What is our discussion Greece about?” and the other, shorter one is an assessment of the election results after June 17 “New memorandum government for Greece”, written on June 21st.

- Perspectives in Greece / Greece, Greek discussion

Ruled by the memoranda - dependent or imperialist country?

Andreas Kloke — 2012-03-10T06:43:32Z

The devastating attacks of the Troika, i.e. of banking capital from the EU and the United States, but also of the (until recently) “Greek troika”â€”the black front of PASOK, the right-wing New Democracy party and the far-right LAOSâ€”along with Greek big business continues with undiminished fury. This is an attack on the living conditions of the vast majority of the Greek population: the workers, pensioners, young people; also on the rights of the working class, on the concept of democracy itself and on any prospect for an economic recovery, even for the survival of the society, an assault on all who live and work (or try to do so) in Greece.

- IV446 - March 2012 / Greece, Debt

Greece: New government and the accelerated march to capitalist barbarism

Andreas Kloke — 2011-11-21T11:38:08Z

The farce, and the arguments of the "political elite" of Greece along with the "power play" â€” mainly of the two large system-supporting parties PASOK ("Socialist Movement") and the right-wing "New Democracy" (ND) â€” to support a government coalition with the participation of the far-right LAOS, finally led to the formation of an "interim government" in November. Elections are scheduled for February. The reformist parties KPG (KKE) and SYN/SYRIZA demand immediate elections.

- IV442 - November 2011 / Greece

The Greek general strike of 19 and 20 October

Andreas Kloke, Pantelis Afthinos — 2011-11-02T21:12:03Z

The 48-hour political strike of 19 and 20 October was another highlight of the class struggle, clearly expressing the intention of the workers and the middle classes to overthrow the government. On Wednesday, October 19, about 400-500,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Athens and a total of around one million in Greece as a whole. The demonstrations were the largest since the fall of the junta in 1974 and unambiguously demonstrate the enormity of social discontent, along with the determination of the working masses to fight against and overturn the barbaric capitalist policies of the government, the bankers, and the luminaries of the Troika. The general strike had been prepared in the best manner by strikes in various industries and by the occupations of ministries, town halls and other public buildings.

- IV442 - November 2011 / Greece

Imperialist intervention in Libya and the Left

Andreas Kloke — 2011-07-24T13:49:59Z

The Arab revolution continued with the fall of the third hated dictator, Saleh in Yemen, after months of bloody repression. In Bahrain and Syria, the regimes continue their efforts to stifle the popular resistance in blood. In Tunisia and Egypt, the ruling elites attempt to impose a “normalization” of their state and the exploitative system. The rebellion against the Gaddafi regime, which was until recently completely pro-Western, took a particularly tragic turn. The revolt itself was justified from the beginning and backed by the same layers â€” the laboring classes and youth â€” as in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab countries. Therefore the international labor movement and especially the internationalist left had to side with the insurgents despite the heterogeneity of the political forces involved and the relative weakness of the independent labor movement in Libya. The rebels managed to control Benghazi and the eastern part of the country, while Gaddafi prevailed in Tripoli and in western Libya. His troops proved clearly superior to the rebels in March, even threatening to invade Benghazi itself. Only the military intervention of the U.S., France, and Great Britain stopped the advance of the regime's forces and prevented the military defeat of the insurgents.

- Problems of the Arab and Middle East regions / Libya, Arab Revolutions, Libya NFZ

Growing polarization to the left and to the extreme right

Andreas Kloke — 2007-10-20T11:52:58Z

The September 16 election held in Greece was marked by the catastrophic forest fires at the end of August which destroyed large parts of the western Peloponnese, Euboea and other parts of the country. Sixty-seven people and 70,000 animals burnt to death, and some villages were destroyed.

- IV393 - October 2007 / Greece

The Apotheosis of Bureaucratic Degeneration

Andreas Kloke — 2001-03-10T00:00:00Z

The 16th party congress of the KKE (CPG - Communist Party of Greece), still by far the biggest left political force of the country, took place on Dec 14-17, 2000. The CPG, taking advantage of the outrage about the bombings of Yugoslavia by NATO, got 8.7% of the vote in the Euro-elections in 1999 and 5.5% in the national elections in 2000, roughly maintaining its position.

- IV329 - March 2001 / Greece