[Peace-discuss] Fw: [socialistdiscussion] Greece: a Sisyphean task

[David Johnson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: BOB ARCHER 
To: socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 3:18 PM
Subject: RE: [socialistdiscussion] Greece: a Sisyphean task


  

>From the "Coalition of Resistance" here in the UK,





Appeal for solidarity with the people of Greece

The people of Greece face an unprecedented economic and political crisis. They are being driven to poverty and mass unemployment by the demands of the so-called Troika - the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund which has imposed Lucas Papademos, formerly of Goldman Sachs, as Prime Minister.
Hospitals in Greece are running out of basic medicines, nearly half of all young people are unemployed, workers in some sectors have not been paid for months, and many are forced to resort to soup kitchens or scavenge from rubbish dumps.

Now the Troika demands a cut of 23% to the minimum wage, the sacking of tens of thousands of public sector workers and the decimation of pensions which have already lost nearly 50% of their value. International capital is asset stripping an entire country and ripping apart its social fabric.

Greece is at the cutting edge of the austerity measures that are being introduced across Europe. All the evidence shows that while these measures may protect the interests of the rich, they just make matters worse for the majority of the population. What happens in Greece today we will see in Portugal tomorrow and in Ireland the day after. In Britain, the Coalition government is pursuing similar measures which will see workers lose up to 20% of their earnings, work longer for a smaller pension, and dismantle the NHS along with other public services.
Mikis Theodorakis, famous Greek composer of Zorba's Dance, and Manolis Glezos, veteran resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation, have issued a statement calling for a European Front to defend the people of Greece and all those facing austerity.
The Coalition of Resistance, at its National Council meeting in Birmingham on the 11th February 2012 unanimously decided to support this call and agreed to work with trades unions, campaigns and parties across Europe to establish a European Solidarity Campaign to defend the people of Greece.  The campaign aims to organise solidarity and raise practical support for the people of Greece; they cannot be made to pay for a crisis for which they are not responsible. 


We are writing to you to ask you to endorse this campaign and to publicise it to others.



Andrew Burgin - Secretary, Coalition of Resistance

Tony Benn - President, Coalition of Resistance






















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From: socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com [mailto:socialistdiscussion at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Mellor
Sent: 13 February 2012 18:21
To: "444"
Subject: [socialistdiscussion] Greece: a Sisyphean task



  

The Greek coalition party leaders carried through their capitulation to the Troika's demand (see my post, Greek capitulation, 8 February 2012) by passing the terms of the new fiscal austerity package in the Greek parliament.,  The legislation was passed by 199 votes in favour to 74 against, with the party leaders expelling about 20 MPs from each of the two major parties who refused to vote for the deal, while  ignoring the massive street demonstrations outside parliament.  The Troika is now demanding that the party leaders commit themselves to implementing the measures whatever the result of the upcoming parliamentary election that the conservative New Democracy is demanding for early April. Continued



"science will win" in a battle with religion "because it works." Stephen Hawking








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