Forum Post: Greece - Papadermos: the first of the Banktators
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 10, 2011, 11:59 a.m. EST by looselyhuman
(3117)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
The imposition of unelected technocrats in Italy and Greece is just the sharp edge of a general slide away from democratic values in Europe. That fact that this is coinciding with an economic crisis highlights the incompatibility of neo-liberal capitalism and democracy itself. In this contradiction lies both the cause and solution to the crisis.
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The original and classic crisis response has been austerity, but it is becoming quite clear that this is not only morally wrong but, furthermore, impractical. Firstly, at the root of any recession lies a slump in aggregate demand; taking money out of people’s’ pockets is only going to worsen this. Secondly, offering the people “no alternative” than to austerity, as well as imposing this upon Eurozone countries such as Greece and Italy when they do not comply is far from democratic and goes against a cornerstone of what it is to be European. Italy and Greece are quite literally seeing technocrats, imposed upon them by the bonds markets, replacing politicians; All hail Papademos, the first of the “Banktators”!
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Today we are all Greeks!
.... and not the Last: ladies and gentlemen, Mario Monti!
The full article, as well as many other interesting and original posts (sic), can be found here:
http://yabastamedia.wordpress.com/
Big up OccupyWallst! If you can change things there, we can make change anywhere!
I think Papademos will be the last of them as well. Pretty dumb of greece to put a bankster in power.
Hope you're right. But italy's next.
The devil went down to Athens and found a soul to steal...
Ha, Athens, Georgia meet Athens, Greece. :)
Is Monti in Italy the second? He of the Trilateral Commission?
Funny, I was going to post a thread about Papademos and Monti myself, musing about where all this would lead us.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/world/europe/shaken-italy-is-poised-to-name-new-government.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
He definitely is. Good catch.
"He is also European Chairman of the Trilateral Commission, a neoliberal think tank founded in 1973 by David Rockefeller and member of the Bilderberg Group."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Monti
If Greeks defaulted, they will be able to keep their future. If they insisted to stay in EU, they will mortgage their future to service a forever debt and will be slaves.
Why don't they realize this? They've bought the line that 'it's the debt' rather than realize that financiers have kicked their feet out from under them.
This is the slow-motion "civilized" version of Pinochet in Chile. Neoliberal "free market" capitalism trumps democracy, every time.
The aim is to reduce the middle class workers and salaried folk, able to live lives of dignity, to third world status -- worker units for the NWO. That is the aim. The banktators (sounds like some kind of potato) serve the Sky People of the NWO, they want us to be Mud People (and to know that we are Mud People).
They see us as farm animals. Our battle is pure good vs. evil.
Minus the malice. I don't make excuses for anyone, but casting this as intentional oppression alienates the human beings supporting the system, who "know" they are not evil or intentionally trying to destroy anyone. This is the first step towards ensuring we all drift further apart into extremes, which - now, I don't speak for you, but for me? - sounds like a terrible plan.
In my view, the problem is pretty simple and requires no black-hearted dehumanization. When the neoliberal system is working, it's good for the middle and lower classes and GREAT for the rich.
The problem is when it goes pear-shaped. Then it's fucking terrible for the middle and lower classes and merely ok for the rich. And the rich don't realize this. They think they're suffering along with us because the only people pointing out the difference are also making proclamations of evil and malice. The only people pointing out the difference are also begging to be ignored.
Shit, much of the middle class still doesn't realize this.
What we should be working for is a system where, when things are working, it's good for the middle and lower classes and "merely" good for the rich. And, when things are broken, it's bad but not life-ruining for the middle and lower classes, and similarly bad but not life-ruining for the rich. We should be in it together.
People who view others farm animals to be milked or slaughtered are evil. It's hard to fight evil if it can't be named.
On the other hand, a system which features both regular folk and millionaires (but not billionaires) could be fine. But our current system allows such concentrations of economic wealth/power that democracy is undermined.
All I'm saying is they don't actually view other people as farm animals, they only act like they do, and they don't realize they're acting like it. The difference between malice and stupidity is intent. That's all I'm saying.
Agree with your second graf, and in fact "a system which features both" is exactly what we need. A system which features both - highlights both, cares about both. Not just the millionaires.
After the labor reforms here in the U.S., it never occurred to me that industrialists would race to locations where once again they could use child labor, kill union organizers, pay near slave wages, abuse the environment and commit too many other abuses to list. Human nature hasn't changed since we were slave owning societies. We seem to have a different worldview.
[Note I changed my second paragraph.]
We do. Don't get me wrong, I acknowledge completely the existence of evil. There are sociopaths, and sociopaths are more likely to be in charge.
http://healthland.time.com/2011/09/20/study-1-in-25-business-leaders-may-be-psychopaths/
My comments are not meant to shield them. I am concerned more with the rank-and-file supporters of the sociopaths who don't realize that they are mimicking sociopathy. Because human nature, as you say, has not changed. We are still prone to following authority. But the very purpose of Occupy is to awaken the people who - by their passive and ignorant support - enable the sociopaths. It may still boil down to Us vs. Them, but my definition of Them is much narrower.
(As per your edit, I will say that I don't really care if there are billionaires. I only care if there are billionaires who can bend the rules in their favor just because they're billionaires.)
The existence of sociopaths needs to be mentioned more and more. Most people don't think sociopaths have any impact on their lives.
You know, I agree with that. I think the accusation of sociopathy needs to be more carefully delivered. But also certainly more often. It could use a little demystification.