Greece on brink of default after downgrade

Greece on brink of default after downgrade*

Published: 14 June 2011 | Updated: 15 June 2011

Greece has become the lowest-rated country in the world, according to Standard & Poor's, which downgraded the country yesterday (13 June) and warned that any attempt to restructure its debt would be considered a default. The burning issue will be discussed at an emergency meeting of EU finance ministers on 14 June.

Background

In the beginning of 2010, it was discovered that Greece had been working with Goldman Sachs and other banks to hide the amount of money it had been borrowing since 2001.

The Greek government’s total debt was more than €215 billion, while its annual budget deficit was 13.6%.

On 2 May 2010, a loan agreement was reached between Greece, the other eurozone countries, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since then, a total of €110 billion of loans have been made available to Greece.

But barely a year later, the EU, the IMF and the European Central Bank are working on a second funding deal. Some European countries such as Germany oppose giving more money to Greece without the assistance of private creditors.

Greece, which has been shut out of international markets since a 2009 default, now has a lower credit rating than countries such as Pakistan and Ecuador. The cost of insuring Greek debt is now almost twice as high as the price of insuring Pakistani bonds.

It cut Greece's long-term sovereign credit rating to CCC, four steps away from default, from B. The short-term rating was affirmed at C and all ratings were removed from credit watch.

The move takes S&P's rating of Greece one notch below Moody's Caa1, while Fitch ranks Greece at B-plus. This makes Greece the lowest country in S&P's rankings.

S&P's move was the latest blow to Greece's socialist government, which is scrambling to push an unpopular austerity package through parliament to ensure continued funding under a year-old bailout plan.

Restructuring draws near

S&P said European policymakers looked increasingly likely to impose a restructuring of Greece's debt - either via a bond swap or by extending bond maturities - as a means of making private holders of Greek bonds share the burden (see 'Background').

"In our view, any such transactions would likely be on terms less favourable than the debt being refinanced, which we, in turn, would view as a de facto default according to Standard & Poor's published criteria," the agency said.

Berlin is pushing hard for commercial banks to contribute to the cost of any new Greek bailout package, but is struggling to convince the European Central Bank and ratings agencies that this can be done without triggering a credit default.

In such a case, S&P said, Greece's credit rating would be lowered to "selective default," or SD, while the ratings on the country's debt instruments would be cut to D.

EU finance ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Monday (14 June) to assess the situation.

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jaeger said on Monday that the private sector must offer a "substantial" contribution to any new financing for Greece, throwing further weight behind Germany's calls for a rollover of Athens' debt.

S&P said the outlook on the long-term rating remained negative, a sign that another downgrade is likely in the next 12 to 18 months.

S&P said it will probably downgrade the ratings of four Greek banks as well - the National Bank of Greece, EFG Eurobank Ergasias, Alpha Bank and Piraeus Bank. All of them are currently rated B.

Greek says will to stay in euro

Greece said the move by Standard & Poor's overlooked its commitment to carry on with tough fiscal efforts to repair public finances and remain a member of the 17-member euro currency club.

"The decision also overlooks the government's moves to avoid any problems relating to Greece's contractual obligations, as well as the will of all Greeks to plan our future inside the euro zone," the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

Several international banks have come out publicly in favour of rolling over their holdings of Greek debt, including France's Crédit Agricole, which owns Greek bank Emporiki.

Germany's banking association said on Saturday it backed the idea of private creditors participating in the rescue.

The banks' participation would be part of a second bailout for Greece worth around €120 billion aimed at giving Athens more time to tackle its €340-billion debt load, under the assumption that it will not be able to borrow on international markets this year or next.

Concerns that a second rescue may trigger a credit event drove the cost of insuring Greek government debt against default to a record high of 1,600 basis points on Monday.

Five-year credit default swaps (CDS) on Greek government debt rose 58 bps on the day to 1,600 bps, according to data monitor Markit, meaning it cost 1.6 million euros to protect 10 million euros of exposure to Greek bonds.

By comparison, Pakistan's five-year CDS were trading around 880 bps.

The euro pared gains against the dollar and the US stock market briefly turned negative after the downgrade. Brent crude oil also fell after the move increased investors' nervousness over the economy and oil demand.

There are differences between the leaders of European Union states and the European Central Bank, which remains opposed to private sector involvement in any Greek debt restructuring, saying it may set off a chain reaction in financial markets that would undermine the credit-worthiness of other stressed euro zone sovereigns.

EU leaders will discuss a new deal at a 23-24 June summit.

Ben May, an economist at London-based Capital Economics, said he did not see the S&P downgrade as having a material impact on the timing of a new funding package.

"We believe some form of a second bailout package will be in place to avoid a disorderly default," he said.

After failing to meet fiscal targets under the first bailout deal the government, which is trailing the conservative opposition in opinion polls, has decided to raise taxes and slash spending more than planned this year to avoid default.

The prospect of more austerity and rising unemployment has fueled 20 days of protests in central Athens with a big general strike planned for Wednesday, challenging the government as its new package is headed for parliament for a vote.

EurActiv with Reuters

Positions

Dutch Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager said on Monday the private sector must offer a "substantial" contribution to any new financing for Greece, throwing further weight behind Germany's calls for a rollover of Greece's debt.

"For me it is inseparable that I will only consider an additional aid programme for Greece provided [...] the private sector makes a substantial contribution," De Jager wrote in a letter to the Dutch parliament on Monday.

He added this could take the form of an extension of the maturity of Greek debt by private sector investors who already have exposure to it. Other conditions included Greece making "rigorous" progress on structural reforms to cut its budget deficit, International Monetary Fund involvement and privatisation of state assets.

"I will do everything possible together with like-minded member states to ensure that strict conditions are imposed on a possible additional aid programme," De Jager wrote.

"The Netherlands considers enforcement of the conditions to be important and will otherwise not agree to an additional [aid] programme."

The Permanent Representation of Greece to the EU today (14 June) issued the following statement:

"Standard & Poor's decision to cut the credit rating of Greece today makes reference to rumours and statements by representatives of the European Commission and European Central Bank. However, the decision ignores the intense consultations taking place currently between the same institutions and the IMF aimed at designing a viable solution that will cover the financing needs of Greece in the coming years.

"The decision by Standard and Poor's also neglects the determined efforts of the Greek government to avoid at any costs any possible violation of Greece's contractual obligations, and the strong desire of the Greek people to plan for their future within the euro zone.

"The Greek government has shown its willingness and capacity in the recent past to meet important fiscal targets and last week submitted to parliament a Medium-Term Fiscal Strategy to be passed by the end of June that outlines detailed, specific fiscal commitments that will ensure the sustainability of Greek sovereign debt.

"In any case, the government remains determined to implement the difficult policies required for Greece to exit the crisis," the message from the Greek authorities ends.

The United States should "actively and forcefully" oppose any IMF bailout loans to rescue debt-heavy Greece, two Republican senators urged President Barack Obama on Monday, AFP reported.

In a letter to Obama, Senators John Cornyn and David Vitter said such aid would violate a provision of US law that calls for opposing International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans to countries unlikely to repay them.

"These provisions became federal law for a reason. We sought to prevent US taxpayers' money from again being used by the IMF to bail out foreign nations that have made irresponsible spending decisions," said the senators.

Greece's debt as a percentage of GDP was 127% in 2009 and 142% in 2010, according to the IMF, and credit default monitor CMA DataVision said that the costs of ensuring against default on Greece's government debt "skyrocketed to record highs this week," the lawmakers said.

"As a result, we believe that it is highly unlikely that Greece will ever be able to repay any loans provided to it by the IMF," the senators said.

* Url:http://www.euractiv.com/en/euro-finance/greece-brink-default-downgrade-news-505585

David Harvey: Greece should call Europe's bluff and default.

David Harvey: Greece should call Europe's bluff and default.

Regarding the crisis in Greece and its relation to the persistent European Crisis

Greek government and banks are eating their own vomit and regurgitating it and spewing it all over the Greek people.

Greek government and banks are eating their own vomit

and regurgitating it and spewing it all over the Greek people.

Thursday, 30 June 2011

Appeal of the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE)

Appeal of the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE)

Communist Organization of Greece (KOE)

May 30, 2011

Let’s rise up and make them go!
Everyone out! Flood the squares!

The moment is critical for the course of the country. The sea of people that covered yesterday evening the Constitution square in Athens, as well as the similarly unprecedented meetings in dozens of cities all over Greece, mark the entry into a new phase. The movement that was born on 25 May, out of parties and trade unions, is a most important development. The people spontaneously flood the scene and make the first steps towards a big social, democratic and national uprising.

Such an uprising is a necessary precondition in order to let our people succeed in achieving a real change; in order to let a popular transition take place, which will bring the hope and the smile in our society; in order to prevent those policies and those politicians who governed during decades and brought the destruction from ever returning.

The government, the IMF-EU-ECB troika, the pro-Agreement parties, the corrupt and bankrupt political system, the pro-establishment Media persons, must now listen to the voice of the popular indignation: Enough is enough! It’s time that they go!

During a whole year, the establishment’s politicians, the bankers and the foreign creditors have been intriguing, mocking at and terrorizing the working people, pushing them to the cliff of poverty and unemployment, condemning the youth to insecurity and depression. Do they still think that they can continue undisturbed with their destructive policies?

One year ago, the Parliament voted in favor of the Agreement with the IMF-EU-ECB troika, violating the Constitution. Today the sacrifices demanded by the people are unbearable, and they keep asking for more. They bring the masses to the limits of survival, and they aggravate the bankruptcy.

Since one year ago, the government, the troika, their political system and their Media have imposed the transformation of Greece to a “third-world country”. The Agreement transformed Greece into a rubbish dump, filled with unemployment, poverty and social deadlock. Within a few months, we lived a huge regression.

The government of Papandreou/PASOK sacrifices the soil and the blood of Greece. This government is politically, morally, nationally and legally liable and guilty. The destruction that keeps taking place is unprecedented. In the past, plundering and social barbarity of similar level took place only during wars and during the Nazi Occupation. The “prime minister” Papandreou is consciously perpetrating crimes; he must not remain in power anymore!

The movement of 25 May broke out and demands real democracy. This is a rightful and timely demand, because in our country, as all over Europe, it is the “markets” and the banks that are in power, and not the peoples. At the same time, the troika tramples down the dignity and the Constitution of our country, trying to impose in the most arrogant way a forced consensus of the political parties.

The Greek people produced in the squares a stirring statement to the “government”, the troika and their lackeys: Not only we do not give consent to you, but we do not recognize you, we do not consider you legitimate, we tell you to leave.

Yesterday’s declaration of the popular assembly of the Constitution square, that “We shall not leave until you leave”, has transformed the squares of the whole country into bastions of democracy, hope, participation and solidarity. This struggle must not end until it sends to the history’s dustbin the political system of bankruptcy and corruption!

These critical moments, the Communist Organization of Greece addresses an appeal to the whole membership and to the friends of KOE: Comrades! Offer your best in this unique popular outbreak! Work hard in order to make it even more massive and resolute! Play your role so that new hundreds of thousands and even millions of people flood the squares and the streets of the country! Fight in order to drive out those culpable and to achieve a better future!

The Communist Organization of Greece also addresses an appeal to the whole Left: The best service that the whole Left may offer today is to get, at last, out of the frame of this political system, and to not be afraid to contribute to its overthrow! Moreover, the Left must respect the independent popular movement, and to not try anxiously to impose this or the other particular analysis on the people. Until today, the independent, resolute and democratic nature of this great movement secures its mass character, and makes it a genuine expression of the popular will.

We live important moments! Feeling the strength of the dozens and hundreds of thousands of people who occupy each and every day the squares of the country, let’s give way to all our forces for a big change!

Throw away the government, the troika and the Agreement!
Overthrow the political system of bankruptcy and corruption!
Real Democracy, NOW!

Athens, 30 May 2011
Communist Organization of Greece

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Global Independence-KCNA

Rodong Sinmun Calls for Global Independence

Pyongyang, January 13 (KCNA) -- It is the common task of humankind to achieve global independence. Only when anti-imperialist independent countries and nations struggle, aware of being responsible for the cause of global independence, can they display strong will power and practical ability and boost solidarity and unity among them.

Rodong Sinmun Thursday says this in a signed article.

It goes on:

The progressive countries aspiring after independence, socialism and justice are the main force in the struggle to achieve global independence.

All the anti-imperialist independent forces should unite as one in order to prevail over imperialism.

What is important for achieving their unity is for all the progressive forces, including the socialist movement, the non-aligned movement and the world peace movement to unite close under the banner of global independence. The communist and workers′ parties advocating socialism and other revolutionary parties should firmly maintain their anti-imperialist stand and firmly unite on the basis of comradely relations of mutual respect and cooperation.

The Workers′ Party of Korea and the DPRK government have worked hard for global independence, regarding it as their noble task and international obligation to struggle for the cause.

The world socialist movement was saved from its temporary crisis and has since made dynamic progress under the banner of the Pyongyang declaration. The NAM has creditably performed its mission and role, augmenting its position as a strong independent force against imperialism in the present era. These would be unthinkable without positive activities and efforts of the WPK and the DPRK government.

They will as ever carry on the staunch struggle to achieve global independence, concludes the article.

Protests against the profiteering Multinationals, Bureaucrat Capitalists and Feudalists

Protests against the profiteering Multinationals,

Bureaucrat Capitalists and Feudalists

Around the world, people started to think about the ups and downs, especially when it comes to the economic status of the society. They even ask why certain individuals, groups, tried to gain contacts with the Government in order to continue their dark legacies against the people.

The continuous sweatshop labor, less salaries for workers, semifeudal mode of production, of treating certain courses as cheap labor requirements unveils the continuous presence of oppressive actions laid against the people; guised as domestic growth that in fact, neglects the basic needs of the society such as domestic industrialization, modernization of agriculture and a genuinely progressive fiscal and social policy. The presence of oppressive forces really negates the tendency of achieving real social progress as we all notice much.

However, there are certain groups and individuals wanting to negate this fact. Some would tell that anything made by the order is justified, that free trade is a part of the policy, that Capitalism is inevitable part of Democracy. But speaking of Democracy, whose Democracy is the world keeping? The Borigeoisie or the laboring people?

Nowadays we encounter series of strikes around the world.

In the Philippines, students coming from both state and private educational institutions rose in strike against the increase in Tuition Fees and Budget Cuts in State-funded Education. The Farmers kept on fighting for genuine agrarian reform and benefits, same as the workers and the Semi-Proletariat for salaries, job security and adequate employment.

In Britain, as well as in other cities in Europe, students rose up in revolt against budget cuts upon approval in the Parliament in London, like the Philippines, sporadic protests happened in every city that, resulted in brawls against the Policemen, worse-resulting to throwing of Oil Bombs and destroying windows, actions not been taken in teh Philippines during the strikes against anti-people policies and actions.

Korea also got the share of rage as workers strike in a country famous for its modern technology-the rotten social order defending Korea replied them with fascistic actions that, they even accuse the protesters, from labor rights to peaceful amity with its Northern neighbor, a violation of their "National Security Law". How come labor rights and peaceful settlements became terroristic acts?

These actions happened around the world, all made by the rotten social order, and dictated by a greater being like the Imperialists, gave an impression that the crisis is growing rapidly. The increase in Tuition Fees, budget cuts, fascistic activities against the people, anything repressive in general creates a justification that to rebel is to be justified.

During the near-bankrupt experience, people are asking why the government, or rather say the order manning its reins bail out banksters, multi-millionaires for muti-billions, then chase unemployed people for relative pennies, close down old peoples' homes, shut hospital wards, shut local libraries etc. It reminds of Regan who insist on profiteering than welfare while financing desperate terroristic actions that in fact, fringes against the will of the people.

Every National Democrat, Anti-Fascist, Revolutionary must take part in, or organise, demos against the banksters, big businesses, or rather say IMPERIALISTS, BUREAUCRAT CAPITALISTS, and FEUDALISTS and those who first loyalty is profit and not our nation and our people. Intensifying the protests, rage till we grab the state, economic, cultural power from theirs in the name of the struggle.

As one quote from another writeup said:

Power from Profit - They're buying your souls!

Power from Profit: puts you on the dole.

WE’VE GOT THE RAGE! General Strike in Greece last December 15 2010

WE’VE GOT THE RAGE ! General Strike in Greece

Nationwide report from the General Strike in Greece, December 15th 2010

No doubt remains, not even for the most naive, that the State – in close cooperation with all its supporters and mechanisms – has decided to wage a full-scale war against society. They are afraid of the natural social rage, that expressed so far but also the rage to come. The repressive role of the state, as expressed through the murderous mechanism of the Greek Police – and not only them – has now began to spread its tentacles,in an attempt to spread and repress any generalised outbreak in the future. Fascists, undercover cops, peace-loving citizens, obedient householders and other social dregs have been recruited to act like a natural extension of this murderous formation.

It is a fact that it should concern us all, something that was happening before, but is now fully-fledged, in the most indiscriminate, naked and shameless way. It happens right before our very own eyes!

Athens: In a city full of police officers of all kinds in every corner, sample of the transparent effort to terrorize people and to present the city as an inaccessible place, controlled by them. Nevertheless…

Since the early morning of December 15th, huge numbers of people started to flock to the pre-gathering points in the center of Athens. Every part of Patission street, from Areos’ Field to Omonia Square, was full of people, while the sidewalks were becoming increasingly crowded too. It may not be of great value to talk about exact numbers, but some rough estimates talk of about 200.000 people, a number that can only compare to the seminal May 5th General Strike. Before the demonstration started, there where at least three cases in which undercover cops were expelled from the demonstration after the dynamic intervention of comrades. In one case, they attempted to arrest four comrades who were heading to the gathering point with spears and banners, but the forceful intervention of 50-60 people stopped them from doing so.

The demo started in a passionate manner, with slogans vibrating the center of the city. A sample of the size of the demo is that when the first blocks were close to Syntagma square, the latest were still in Patission Ave. During the march, and before this arrived at Syntagma, slogans were written, paints were thrown at governmental buildings, while it became clear that the spirit and the choice of the demonstrators wasn’t to attack during the march, but to give their battle outside the Parliament, with lots of people properly prepared (masks, malox and various self-protection materials), a fact strongly reflecting the confrontational mood of a fairly large part of the demo.

The clashes began when the main part of the demo arrived at Syntagma square. Large numbers of the demonstrators attacked the patrons of the local ruling class and capital. For a long period of time, explosions could be heard throughout the area around Syntagma square. There were attacks with molotov cocktails, stones, dynamite, fire extinguishers etc. against several squads around Syntagma, while in many cases there were melee collisions with the MAT forces (riot police) and the thugs of the DIAS motorcycle police force. The MAT forces responded with tear gas and flash-bang grenades, in this way achieving to cut the demo in various parts and locations – yet in so doing, they spread the conflicts that were now extended in various areas of the city center.

A large part of the demo was directed to Propylaea, attacking the MAT forces, banks and luxury cars, while riot police and undercover cops violated the university asylum, making arrests. At the same time, a large number of protesters that had been cut from the demo because of the cops’ attacks, were attacking the riot squads up to Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, where in one of them the protesters managed to repel the cops and set on fire a police paddy-wagon. At various parts of the center, people successfully faced the brutal raids of the police while at Alexandra avenue sub-humans of DIAS motorcycle police force were beaten by angry demonstrators that burned both their bikes.

cute politician face

Meanwhile, demonstrators attacked the former minister of the conservative New Democracy government Hatzidakis, who escaped thanks to the intervention of his henchmen that accompany him at all times (photo).

All these were taking place while several blocks of the demo had not yet reached Syntagma square. The attacks of the MAT forces were indiscriminate and violent, beating badly unsuspected passers-by and everyone they felt like. At various parts of the center there were vans from which undercover cops were pouring out, hooded and dressed in black.

A spontaneous march by the primary unions and AK (the Antiauthoritarian Movement), moved toward the main building of GSEE (General Confederation of Greek Workers) in order to occupy it. There were melee clashes with the police, however the police’s superiority in numbers managed to deter them. Some cops didn’t hesitate to pull their guns..

Clashes continued around the Polytechnic School for several hours, while scores of people remained inside it, not able to leave since they were trapped there by riot police (MAT) forces.

Behind the University of Economics and around the Polytechnic school in Athens there were scattered clashes with cops in the street and barricades, as well down other streets of Exarchia, with people playing cat and mouse with the police after the end of the main demo. There were reports that the neighborhood of Exarcia has been completely militarized and that the police were stopping people there, arresting them, and harrasing whoever they found on the street. One caller to the 98 anarchist radio station reported witnessing the police stop two people walking down the street in Exarchia, and beat them badly before arresting them. Ten people have been arrested in Victoria square, with reports of other sporadic arrests around the center of Athens throughout the day.

Fresh attacks by MAT caused multiple injuries to demonstrators. Rumors circulated concerning an attempt to violate the university asylum, something that did not eventually happen.

There are 15 people detained so far, of which 8 have been arrested and charged.

In provincial cities there was some powerful atmosphere too, with most people expressing their anger against the corrupt syndicalists and state partner unions. In some cities there were clashes between cops and protesters, while in most there were scores of cops and especially undercovers. P.A.M.E (the syndicalist union of Greek Communist Party) organized separate demos in each city, separating itself from the people’s wrath.

Thessaloniki: Massive demonstration by more than 10,000 workers, unemployed, students, grassroot unions, leftists, anarchists and angry people in general! A large part of demonstrators marched from the gathering point of Kamara toward the Labor Center where there was gathering point and speech by the corrupted unions of GSEE (General Confederation of Greek Workers) and others. Anarchists shouted slogans against these unions,water was thrown to the speakers-representatives, mics and speakers were disconnected, and demonstrators called for a “wild strike”. Along the route of this “intervention demo” texts were distributed to store workers that were not on strike – their bosses had threatened some with dismissal should they strike.

During the powerful demonstration that started at around 11a.m. ATMs, banks, large chain stores, post offices, Mc Donalds restaurants and bank CCTV cameras were smashed while goods from a supermarket and a patisserie were expropriated. When the demonstration arrived at the former ministry of Macedonia-Thrace (and still the region’s main administrative building), cops came out and attacked the demo using tear gas and flash bang grenades with no provocation from the side of the protesters. The demo continued in several pieces while riot cops and undercovers detained around 20 people from the demo’s body but also from building entrances, using an unmarked van. Two or three of those detained were injured were in need of hospital treatment and so the cops turned their detentions into arrests in order to justify the injuries… their usual tactic.

Patras: More than 4,000 people marched through the streets of Patras in massive student, grassroot union, leftist and anarchist blocks. There were attacks with stones and molotov cocktails against the local Courthouse, several banks and a police van. A march of a similar size was also organized by P.A.M.E. (the syndicalist union of Greek Communist Party).

Heraklion (Crete): Massive demonstration in the morning with around 2000 people; various grassroot unions, unemployed, immigrants, leftists, anarchists etc. Some leftists blocked the speeches of the Labor Center’s president and other corrupt labour representatives. During the demo ATMs, bank CCTV cameras and windows were smashed, slogans against the corrupted unions were shouted and written on walls while cops and undercovers followed the demo, without any clashes. In the afternoon an anarchist march was also held in the city’s neighborhoods.

Chania (Crete): Around 1,500 people marched in the city. Blocks of workers, unemployed, students, anarchists and leftist groups but also a block of immigrants that had managed to go on strike participated in the demo. During the demo, slogans were written on the walls, leaflets were thrown and some superstores were sabotaged by throwing “smelly capsules” inside. Demonstrators verbally attacked the local puppet-syndicalists, just like in other cities.

Volos: Very massive demo of about 2,500 people. Before the march begun, speeches of local parties representatives and corrupted syndicalist were blocked. Symbolic attacks against banks and the Prefecture building.

Xanthi: One of the most massive demonstrations the city has seen. 1,500 people marched downtown, slogans were written on walls and paint was thrown at banks.

Ioannina: Powerful demo of about 2000 people with awesome pulse and numerous slogans in the city center. Agricultural tractors also joined in the demonstration.

Similar demonstrations / marches by hundreds of people were held in many other cities of Greece such as Kavala, Veria, Aigio, Zakynthos, Larissa, Corfu, Lesvos, Naxos, Rethymnon, Serres, and Sparta.

FREEDOM TO ALL HOSTAGES

http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/2010/12/16/weve-got-the-rage-report-from-the-general-strike-in-greece-december-15th-2010/#more-1618

contrainfo

Homepage: http://contrainfo.espiv.net/

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2010/12/470830.html

GREEK GENERAL STRIKE – for workers’ rights against privatisation

GREEK GENERAL STRIKE – for workers’ rights against privatisation

A massive strike wave is taking place against the Greek right-wing government this week as workers are staging national strikes, including a general strike this Wednesday 14 December.

All the trade unions in the public enterprises and industries staged a very successful 5-hour stoppage and rally yesterday and are organising for the 48-hour national strike on Wednesday and Thursday

Rallies are to be held in all Greek cities and towns.

The strikes have been called by the GSEE (Greek TUC) and ADEDY (Greek public section workers federation) against a government Bill which takes away hard-won workers’ rights and allows for mass sackings and privatisations in the state owned enterprises (electricity, communications, hospitals, public transport, water, oil refineries, ports and others).

The Bill scraps free-collective bargaining, imposes ‘flexible’ working hours and cuts wages and pensions.

It is a government strategic attack into the heart of the Greek working class.

The government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis intends to destroy workers’ rights and the trade unions in the most solidly organised section of the Greek working class.

The Greek Electricity Board is the top enterprise in Greece and one of the top in the whole of the Balkans with over 100,000 workers in power stations, coal mines, offices and other plants.

Wednesday’s 24-hour general strike is expected to be one of the biggest in the post II World War period.

In April 2001 some half a million workers took over the centre of the capital Athens in protest against a Bill slashing their pensions.

The class struggle in the university

The class struggle in the university*

By Raskonikov Radek

The university in capitalist society is a battleground for the class struggle. The struggle has become more intense due to the dramatic rises in the cost of a college education. The structures of capitalist societies are imposed on university faculty and students in a manner similar to that of the factory. The web of the influence of corporate and government (e.g. CIA and military) money is as intense as it is pervasive.

Michael Parenti in his book Against empire writes that in “colleges and universities can be found faculty and administrators…who argue with all seriousness that a university is an independent community of neutral scholars, a place apart from the immediate interests of this world, a temple of knowledge. In reality, many universities have direct investments in corporate America in the form of substantial stock portfolios. By purchase and persuasion, our institutions of higher learning are wedded to institutions of higher earning. In this respect, universities differ little from such other social institutions as the media, the arts, the church, schools, and various professions, all of which falsely claim independence from a dominant class perspective.”

Although the university produces no tangible commodities, it serves the interests of capitalism nonetheless. The university serves to train students in capitalist ideology as well as imparting some useful skills which the students use after graduation to promote themselves and fight for better wages. From the point of view of capitalism, the function of the university is to produce students who, once graduated, are highly trained workers that can influence the production process towards more efficiency and higher production rates. From the point of view of the students and faculty, the function of the university is to increase their wages. Herein we find the class struggle.

However, in the process of training, there are some twists in the road which are unexpected from the capitalist’s point of view. Some students in the process of training acquire important skills in organization as well as critical thinking. This can lead to unwanted (from the capitalist’s point of view) increases in the level of consciousness of the student.

Some students, infected with these intellectual skills and cognizant of their class membership, go on to organize and influence other students and workers by educating them in the nature of the class struggle. Such students use their university acquired skills to fight for a better world. This is, indeed, chilling to the capitalist.

The class struggle is recapitulated within the university at many levels. The drive to constantly increase profit inherent in the capitalist system is no stranger to the university. In recent years, tuition hikes have reached astronomical levels. The result is that only the wealthiest students, i.e. sons and daughters of capitalists, can comfortably afford to attend the university. The rest must mortgage their working lives to banks by taking out students loans that will leave them penniless while they serve their labor up to the corporations.

The corporations hire “the best and the brightest” to deliver sledgehammer blows to the wages of university trained and student loan burdened “professional” workers. It is no wonder that students and workers are so angry. We have seen their anger blossom recently in California over high tuition and in the last few days with violence erupting in London.

Why is all of this happening now? In the past, the socialist countries, led by the USSR, championed universal education. Capitalist countries fought against this, but eventually had to capitulate and provide some minimal structures to provide education to people of all classes who qualified for university education. Now the “evil empire” has been vanquished and capitalist countries have no such motivation to improve the lot of working people. They have chosen to get back to the business of the class struggle, which is to thwart the desires of working people to better themselves and their children. The hammer the capitalists are using is tuition hikes. The anvil is the students.

The class struggle is also carried out with a vengeance in the day to day operations of the university. There is a micro-class system which operates in the university itself. It is apparent at multiple levels. This microcosm of capitalist relations mirrors the relationship between the classes in general capitalist society.

Let’s start with the top of the heap. The university administrators are paid thugs whose job is to keep students and faculty in line and to appeal to the corporations and government for funding. They accomplish their mission by employing repression against the students, faculty and staff, much like the bosses in a factory. Faculty who do not toe the capitalist line are severely punished. This is documented and explicated in Michael Parenti’s book Against empire. He shows how faculty who deviate from the corporate line are marginalized and alienated from their work. Anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist faculty are typically passed up for tenure or not hired in the first place. Such faculty are punished in many ways to include exclusion from grant funding, less desirable teaching assignments and many other brutal assaults on their academic integrity.

The next level of class differentiation is between faculty and students. The faculty, fighting their own struggle against the university, typically embrace the illusion that they are superior to the students because of their position in the university, i.e. higher pay, greater privileges, and rank. Many students buy into this model and view themselves as inferior because of the factors mentioned above. Many students adopt a position of submission as a survival mechanism but this only serves to quash their creativity. They “go along to get along” and the system rewards mediocrity while punishing creativity.

There is another class of workers at any university. These include support staff, both administrative and custodial/maintenance. These workers are frequently ignored and forgotten but are what keeps the university running and comfortable for the faculty, administration and students. These workers have been subject to the pressures for wage suppression and often suffer the most at the hands of the hired guns in university administration and Boards of Regents. Some workers at the Texas Southern University, for example, have not had a substantial wage increase in 5+ years.

In reality, the faculty, administration and students objectively belong to the same class in that they do not own the university. The wages of faculty, students and administrators are comparable when contrasted with the profits garnished by the wealthy elite. If a student makes $5000 a year, a faculty member makes $40,000 a year and an administrator makes $250,000 a year these wages are closer than those wealthy elite who make $1,000,000,000 a year off of investments for which they do not expend a single hour of labor in a year (or many years).

The professors, just like other workers, are forced to perform the same job until their retirement or death. They might have a great, new, creative idea or desire to teach something else and find that the university administration does not allow it. After 20 years of giving the same old grades and reading the same boring papers, they become dull and bitter, and no longer approach their subject with the same passion. The university, because of its class structure, necessarily fights against those who oppose the class structure. Capital will crush anything it sees as dangerous and develop ideological restraints to opposition. Professors become submissive in order to survive in the repressive environment.

For students also, being submissive is the very essence of being-a-good-student in capitalist society. Subjectively one might be a hard worker and passionately engage a subject, but objectively only those who are submissive are good students in the eyes of Capital. In the classroom, especially in graduate school, the student learns how to put on a mask and please other people, namely the professor. If they do not learn this skill, they may not pass the course. Being very submissive in the classroom, never thinking for oneself and entirely submitting to the popular opinion prevailing in the classroom will get almost every student an A. Yet in getting a good grade, the student has been forced to give up their freedom and is thus in a relation of domination. In the capitalist university, the student is given their freedom of speech on condition that they do not utilize this freedom. The moment the student chooses to speak freely and openly, to express their creative potential and share their own ideas, they will be crushed by Capital and fail the course.

The university is an appendage of the State, for it reproduces the ruling class ideology in all its different forms. It enforces the entire prevailing class-based ideology and sustains its dominance. It is precisely the social relations created by a bourgeois dictatorship that are reproduced within the university. The reproduction of ideology already begins in grade-school, but does not exercise its full power until one begins studying at the university.

There is only one solution to the horrendous state of college education: a revolutionary process that abolishes the bourgeois dictatorship and establishes a new society based on common ownership of the means of production. Since there is currently no revolutionary situation, students must form unions and collectively fight against the university dictatorship. They must demand to be treated like human beings, not sheep who are not allowed to speak. They must fight against the injustices of a system which seeks to quash academic freedom. Furthermore, students must fight for universal education, so that both they themselves and their future comrades can go to college. However, the struggle must not be centered only around the university, but in the larger struggle against capitalism.

The struggle against the university is a struggle against the capitalist system and against the bourgeois dictatorship. To fight against the university means to join the struggle to build a larger movement that can end the oppression created by capitalism once and for all. Communist parties across the world must never abandon the revolutionary vision, for to do so is to directly attack working people and working class students. To abandon the revolutionary vision and instead fight only for reforms means sustaining the bourgeois dictatorship and the ideological relations which it creates. Abandoning revolution means sustaining classrooms where students are treated like sheep, and where only the submissive get good grades. To abandon the revolutionary vision means to sustain the system that allows only the few to get an education, while the rest are left to fend for themselves! We mustn’t abandon the revolutionary vision, for as long as capitalism prevails, no matter what reform is instituted, it will never end the oppression and violence within capitalist society. Students should unite and fight for every reform possible that is in the interest of working people, but also consider the long term strategy of abolishing the bourgeois State. Students should work together and fight for lower tuition, for more academic freedom, and demand to be treated like human beings. At the same time, however, they should consider the strategy of creating a system that will end the very need to struggle against the university dictatorship. Students are bound up in the class struggle, and therefore belong to a larger movement of working people fighting to bring about a classless society, and abolishing the class structure of society for good. Students must therefore go beyond reforms and fight for the revolution!

Students of the world, UNITE!

* Url:http://houstoncommunistparty.com/the-class-struggle-in-the-university/

Pray than Protest? Why not Pray and Protest?

Pray than Protest?

Why not Pray and Protest?

"Going to the streets and rallying are not the solutions. For me, writing and praying are the best solutions. I know God will answer me."

These are the words a former Faculty Regent of the Mindanao State University in regards to the recent protests against Budget Cuts in the Philippines. This kind of sentiment said by the former regent seemingly speaks much of urging people, especially its alumni, students, faculty to remain passive about the crisis brought forth by the present Aquino administration in dealing the education problem.

As we all know that Budget secretary Abad spoke of "allocating budget instead on Basic Social Services (Doleouts rather), aside from Defense and Debt Servicing," and we also notice that the biggest chunks the budget allocated nowadays is in the last two instead of Education and real access to Social Services such as Health and other needs. Others may possibly allocated the National Budget to the pork barrels of some officials, like Arroyo, who got a bigger pork barrel worth P2 billion while others will be increased by more than P13.9 billion for a total of P24.8 billion. Isn't it obvious that a small chunk be allocated to a National obligation such as educating the people in all levels?

Indeed, that according to the former regent that:

"The main reason for this is to encourage the management of different SUCs to generate income out of their resources; examples are lands, infrastructures and employees."

In short, the Budget Cuts urged the School administrators, such as in MSU-Illigan to commercialize the institution. How wonder why MSU, once an institution praised for its free education "similar to socialist states" be end up like those of institutions notoriously for imposing increased tuition fees and other schemes that for sure, affects the working-class studentry? Also indeed that, according to the same person, told to us that:

"It is a also a sad fact that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has the difficulty in implementing this budget cut plan for many reasons (political or non political)."

DBM said "difficult" in implementing, yet they really wanted to allocate the bigger chunks to Defence and Debt Servicing. Isn't it obvious that DBM is planning to allocate the bigger chunks of the budget to the latter two instead of funding Education in all levels? Indeed, there are political and non-political factors on that problem, from the Military to Arroyo's, from IMF-WB to the Congressmen hungry for pork barrels. I understand a bit what the former regent spoke of, but he still agreed on the Commercializing a State University like MSU, of having a Budget Cut, and a series of Income Generating Projects, that include Tuition and Other Fee Increases!

And as I read and trying to understand the letter, it clearly shows that he tried enough to justify and a need for an alternative- reforming management styles, letting MSU or even the entire state-funded Tertiary Education in general not to depend on the DBM, create schemes and investigate about certain problems can be beneficial but not to "depend" on DBM? Remember most state-funded Educational Institutions are supported by subsidies, that is, coming from taxpayers who think that all taxes be allocated to something beneficial like on schools, roads, bridges, other infrastructure and daily needs. But nowadays, the present administration of Benigno Aquino III continued the legacy of less emphasis on Education while the bigger chunks being allocated to buying of bullets, guns, supporting fascistic "counterinsurgency" operations, and debt servicing. The government even spoke to the people that all State-funded Educational Institutions must be self sufficient and letting it away if possible to focus much on programs that, are not really programs at all.

After all, the administration treated it not as an obligation but a mere sentiment to give a sum of its budget to Education in all levels. The intensification of protests against Budget cuts and Tuition hikes became a major result of their attempts in undertaking a laissez faire on State Colleges and Universities in the name of Commercialization, Deregulation, and perhaps, Privatization of institutions to "save enough money" for what? Paying debts and funding ill-fated campaigns?

I tried enough to understand what the writer stated in his letter, and despite venting off all the problems yet justifying the need for Budget cuts and letting MSU away except accepting Government sponsored scholarships instead of greater State subsidies. It even reminds of my professor telling that the Government, in obliging to support Education, sponsors scholarships-but in the Constitution, it is the Government's obligation to support Education at all levels, of giving State subsidies and improving every institutions as part of ensuring the well being of the youth and of the people in general, making taxpayers think that their taxes allocated to beneficial and not destructive ones.

And lastly, according to the letter, again urging us to suggest, but still the only suggestion every student coming from low-paid backgrounds in a dire need for quality, free education is still fighting for a greater State subsidy, to stop campus repression, and greater Government focus on Education as a primary obligation-as again, the budget coming from people's taxes must be allocated to something contributive rather than destructive like those of financing the mercenary-minded Military and other similar means. After all, it is the people who dictates where will the taxes go, not the DBM or whatsoever-for it is their Money.

"Most of all let us pray that our leaders will be enlightened. Let us be open to suggestions and constructive comments. Let us not be totally dependent on the DBM. Let me quote the famous saying of one of the great men, Winston Churchill, “Kites rise against the wind.” I hope this will inspire us all."

Speaking of Churchill's statement, I may say that it is the people, not the order and the technocrat dictates, as what Aquino said to us that the people are his bossesm so why not hear the heed of the people for a greater State subsidy and to stop yearly Tuition hikes as most Educational instituitons had much, more budget accumulated yet wanting to accumulate more? Isn't it obvious for a technocrat, an Educator Capitalist that profit over welfare generates much criticism despite justifying it? People still rather resist the flow as Churchill stated, opposing the Government's proposals for Budget cuts and acceptance of Tuition hikes all over the Philippines.

And speaking of his last words, praying, writing over protest is not defiance but of acceptance to the order, but if Praying, writing as a part of social protest can possibly be a part of social defiance against the Order's attempts in letting away their obligation to Educator Capitalists who justified a need for a Budget Cut and a Tuition Hike, especially in a third world country that needs much and sufficient Government support in its obligations, especially in educating its people at all levels. So why not Pray and Protest? After all, it is the will of the people that makes "to Protest is to be justified" especially in response to the antipeople actions laid by the order, since there will be always means to break the barrier.

here's the site containing the letter made by the former Faculty regent: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/289779/abad-seeks-understanding-budget-cut-sucs

Clashes at Protests against Police Brutality in Greece last December 6, 2010

Clashes at Protests against Police Brutality in Greece last December 6, 2010

Thousands marched today in Athens to mark the anniversary of the murder of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a 15-year-old kid, murdered by a police officer in 2008.

42 people were arrested and many were injured from cops. Athens, Greece. 6/12/2010

There were two different protests scheduled for today as well as a commemoration gathering at the spot Alexandros Grigoropoulos died.

The morning protest was organized by high-school students, about 3,000 participated and some clashes occurred at Syntagma square were children threw stones, sticks, oranges and bottles at police. The police had a defensive stance against them and clashes didn't escalate. (I have no photos from this protest)

The afternoon protest was organized by political parties and youths, some unions and university students. About 6000 participated including a large number of hooded protesters who had come with intention to clash with the police. Minor clashes started early when the hooded protesters started throwing rocks and objects to riot police and the later responded with tear gas. This was going on and on until the protest reached Syntagma square were some protesters had prepared some molotov cocktails for the police. After this point, when the head of the protest was at Propylaia, you could see riot police chasing groups of people here and there and it was very hard to breath from the excessive use of tear gas.

After the protest had ended, riot police were targeting and attacking small groups of protesters, most of them had nothing to do with riots or clashes, many protesters were injured and some needed to be hospitalized.

At 20:00 around 100 protesters were on Athens Polytechnic in which the police had blocked access so no other could go there.

At the spot were Alexis Grigoropoulos died there were around 250 people. The presence of riot police there triggered new minor clashes and the use of tear gas made the air difficult to breathe.

A small number of them, about 30, were clashing with the nearby riot policemen who threw tear gas and stun grenades every now and then until 21:30 when they threw so much tear gas that people had to leave the place. Police had literally surrounded the place, there was three different riot police groups visible from the spot Alexis died.

At about 21:30 police threw so much tear gas that only a few stayed in the spot Alexis died. The clashes stopped completely later at night.

During the protest one protester was attacked in suspicion that he was an undercover and a passenger was seriously injured in the head from object that hooded protesters threw to the police. Also a cameraman was attacked at Exarcheia and his camera was stolen.

Police brutality against photographers marked this protest too. A photographer was attacked by riot police because he was shooting photos and they broke his finger. Also a group of photographers were harassed by riot police.

Greek police clash with students at British solidarity demo last December 3

Greek police clash with students at British solidarity demo last December 3

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek police fired teargas on Thursday in clashes with protesting university students and at least three demonstrators were injured, Reuters witnesses said.

Over 1,000 students tried to break through a police cordon to march to the British embassy in Athens, in solidarity with British students who oppose plans to increase tuition fees, and against austerity and education reforms in Greece.

Protesters carried a banner reading, in English: "Solidarity to the struggle of British students." The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in Britain plans to almost triple tuition fees to up to 9,000 pounds a year.

Three protesters were detained during the clashes and were later released, a police official said.

More protest rallies are planned on December 6 to mark the anniversary of the police killing of a teen-ager, which triggered the country's worst riot in decades in 2008, and on December 15 during a nationwide anti-austerity strike.

Over 2,000 students protested today in Athens against education reforms and in solidarity to British students. Clashes occurred when the police blocked the protesters' way to the British embassy. Athens, Greece.

Police used extensively tear gas and excessive violence. Several protesters were injured and five were arrested. One protester was hospitalised.

After the arrests protest headed to the Police Headquarters to demand the immediate release of the students. Before the protest reached the Police Headquarters the detained were released.

Interview of a member of the Communist Organization of Greece to the Ukrainian Left Press

Interview of a member of the Communist Organization of Greece
to the Ukrainian Left Press*

23 December 2008

- Tell our readers about yourself. Do you participate in the revolt?

Nikos: All the members and sympathizers of the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE) are actively participating in the revolt all over Greece, and I am not an exception.

- The revolt in Greece goes on for more than two weeks. We know that the violence of police, that killed a 15 years old antifascist, affected people. But media says nothing about social situation that pushed people to the streets. Could you say why thousands go to the street?

Nikos: The cold-blood murder of Alexis Grigoropoulos triggered a social protest that rapidly took the characteristics of a revolt. The youth, and especially the secondary education students, are in the frontline of this wave of protests that overwhelmed the whole country: from the capital Athens and other big cities, as Thessaloniki, Patra, etc., until the smallest towns of the countryside. Indeed, dozens of thousands get to the streets every day. The murder of Alexis spilled over the social discontent that accumulates since long time, and increased further during the last months. The current episode of the capitalist crisis was the coronation of a long period of attacks against the social and democratic rights of the broad popular masses. Since 20 years, the youth and the working people of Greece witness a continuous degradation of their living standards. The unemployment, the low salaries and pensions, the rapid increase of the basic goods’ prices, the lack of future for the youth … all this situation, together with the continuous financial scandals that implicate the two main bourgeois parties as well as many businessmen and the Church, fed the social discontent, increased the political crisis and became the base of this revolt.

- What the people on the street demands?

Nikos: The first and most important demand is that all those responsible for the murder of Alexis must pay for their crime: from the policeman who assassinated him in cold blood, to the government who has unleashed a huge attack against the youth and the people. All this is embodied in the main slogan of the demonstrators: “Down with this government of murderers!”. Here I must say that there are dozens of police murders during the last years, and their perpetrators always remain unpunished – this increases the justified anger of the youth. After the first days, when the revolt became more conscious and political, a series of other concrete demands were added, concerning the defence of the democratic rights, the abolition of all the legislation against the social security rights of the workers and the unemployed, against the privatization of the public services, of the education and of the health system, for the increase of salaries and pensions, etc.

- Media shows only "men with masks", who "provoke disorder". Who is on the streets of Athens now? What role are the anarchists from the "black block" playing, and who is the real force of the revolt?

Nikos: The mainstream Media would be funny, if they were not dangerous. They have a very selective way of viewing and reproducing the reality. They show indeed only the “masked rioters”. They “cannot” see the combative demonstrations of dozens of thousands of youth and people all over Greece. They “cannot” see those thousands of students, who protest outside the police stations in each and every city, without any masks, just full of hate against this murderous system. They “cannot” see the dozens of thousands of working people who demonstrated during the General Strike. There are many groups in the streets of Greece: Socially, the main force is the youth. Politically, the main force is the Radical Left. The various trends of anarchists are of course participating actively; but they themselves admit that they were “surprised by the intensity and the duration of the revolt”.

- Police violence caused the revolt. Did masses on the street attack police or defend themselves from police violence?

Nikos: As I said before, in many cases the youth (and not the “masked rioters”) besiege the police stations – and often they defend themselves and throw stones, bottles, paint bags, eggs, etc. to the Special Forces. The barbarity of the police, the cynicism of the government and the continuous impunity of all the police criminals intensifies the anger of the people. The demonstrators want to make clear that this time they will not allow the murderer, who assassinated in cold blood a young boy that was not at all implicated in any incident, go unpunished. Also there were many cases where teachers, parents and bystanders liberated arrested young boys and girls from the hands of the police.

- How the big parties could use the revolt? Can the social-democrats from PASOK become the next government? What is their attitude towards the protesting masses? What is their difference from the right-wing party, which is now in the government? Will people become calm, if PASOK will enter government?

Nikos: There are two big bourgeois parties: the government right-wing party, “Nea Dimokratia”, and the social-democratic PASOK – in reality this is also a neoliberal party. PASOK is using the “ripe fruit” method: it is not asking the resignation of the government, and waits for the elections in order to exploit the government’s party degeneration. Many of its leading cadres have publicly turned against the movement and the Radical Left, accusing them for “complicity with the rioters” and asking the government to “impose the law”. The political crisis may lead to the formation of a “big bourgeois coalition” including both bourgeois parties, or to the electoral victory of PASOK. However, even in this second case, it is clear that if the present government will be chased by the people, PASOK will not be able to apply easily its anti-people program – they will be much more afraid of the people than they were before the revolt. The people have changed because of the revolt, nothing will be the same anymore.

- KKE is biggest left party in Greece. But we know it is not supporting the revolt. They say that revolt is in favour of the rightists. What can you tell about their policy? Do people support the position of KKE?

Nikos: This supposedly left party has now revealed fully its real face. KKE is very “revolutionary” in words – especially in periods of relative social calm. But when the situation becomes critical, this party always follows the camp of “law and order”. During the 2005 revolt in the French suburbs, they were accusing the French Left for not supporting the revolt! Then, it was “safe” to pretend that they are very revolutionary. However now, that the revolt takes place in Greece, they say it’s not a revolt but a “provocation organized by foreign powers”, and that “in a real revolt, the masses will not smash even one glass”! They have accused KOE and SYRIZA for “covering the rioters and conspirators”, and they received the congratulations of the government (and even of the extreme right-wing party LAOS) for their “responsible stand”. Now thousands of communists have lost their last illusions about the supposedly “revolutionary” character of KKE and turn their back to its leadership.

- The Radical Left Coalition SYRIZA plays an important role in revolt. Tell our readers more about this Coalition and about the tactics of SYRIZA in the struggle of last week. KKE says that SYRIZA is a destructive force that plays a dangerous game with "man in masks", is it true?

Nikos: The Radical Left Coalition is composed by several forces – the bigger one is the left reformist party “Synaspismos” and the second bigger is our Organization, KOE. We can say that SYRIZA, despite its weaknesses, was the only parliamentary party in Greece that stood by the side of the revolt, and that in many cases its forces, mainly KOE, played a protagonist role in the organization and the development of the ongoing struggle. The accusations of KKE against SYRIZA are identical with those that the government and the bourgeois Media are promoting against us. They are pure and conscious slandering.

- Tell us about the Communist Organization of Greece. Are you a part of SYRIZA? We know that your organization supports Maoism; is Chairman Mao popular amongst youth? Which tendency inside the Left movement is stronger now - Maoism, Trotskyism, pro-soviet communism, anarchism?

Nikos: Our Organization was officially formed in January 2003, after a long period of preparation. Actually it is the fastest developing left force, with organized presence in 40 cities all over Greece. Our origins are in the Communist and Marxist-Leninist Movement of Greece. We joined SYRIZA in June 2007 and, as its communist current, we played a decisive role in the growth of its influence, especially among the communists and the radical youth. In the past, Maoism was rather discredited in Greece, because there were several small groups claiming to be Maoist and rivalling each other about which one is the “real vanguard party” and which is “really Maoist” – they were spending more energy in such petty-quarrels than in organizing and leading the people, and they were copying mechanically what they thought to be Maoist without taking into account the national conditions… Thanks to KOE, a growing number of people start to approach the authentic work of Mao and of other revolutionaries, like Che; and, consequently, the Communist strategy and tactics. This includes the youth, while a few years ago the KKE and the anarchists were those having a crashing influence. The anarchists are still influencing (albeit not in a permanent way) a large portion of the youth. But we must not forget what Lenin said: “Anarchism is the price paid by the workers’ movement because of its opportunism”! And there was a lot of it in the official Greek Left!

- What mass struggle did achieved now? What is the perspective of revolt? Can revolt lead to revolution?

Nikos: The biggest achievement is that now it is proved beyond any doubt what we were always saying: The people and the youth are not passive, and it is possible to mobilize them and to wage mass radical struggles. Most “revolutionary” forces, from KKE to the anarchists, have a very bad idea about the potential of the people and of the youth: they believe that the huge majority are “rotten individualist petty-bourgeois”, and in reality they have no confidence to the masses, they do not believe that anything can change. On the contrary, KOE always believed that the only way is the hard way: to go to the people, to become one with the people, to listen to the people and to give them again faith that only the organized mass struggle can bring a real change. In September, we adopted the general orientation of KOE for the next two years: there, we were saying that we must prepare ourselves for the revolts that will break out because of the generalized crisis. That’s why the actual revolt did not catch us sleeping and surprised, as it happened with the KKE or the anarchists. We were working for it, we were getting prepared for it, and we took part in it from the first moment. We will see if the revolt will achieve to further marginalize the bourgeois parties; nothing is granted. A revolt is not a revolution, and the spontaneous character is prevailing in it. The sure thing is that the systemic forces have lost their influence over the youth – a whole generation has been baptised in the struggle, despite its confusion. A lot will depend now on the conscious work of the radical left forces, and especially of us, communists. The revolt has limits, including time limits – it cannot continue for ever. But it creates favourable conditions for the next revolts that will come because of the generalized crisis and because of the work of the communists, and it prepares them to be even deeper and more radical.

* Url:http://www.international.koel.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:interview-to-the-ukrainian-left-press-23122008&catid=13:rebellion-december-2008