By John Pilger

May 19, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- As Britain’s political class pretends that its arranged marriage of
Tweedledee to Tweedledum is democracy, the inspiration for the rest of us is Greece. It is hardly surprising that Greece
is presented not as a beacon but as a “junk country” getting its comeuppance for its “bloated public sector” and “culture
of cutting corners” (the Observer). The heresy of Greece is that the uprising of its ordinary people provides an authentic
hope unlike that lavished upon the warlord in the White House.

The crisis that has led to the “rescue” of Greece by the European banks and the International Monetary Fund is the
product of a grotesque financial system which itself is in crisis. Greece is a microcosm of a modern class war that is
rarely reported as such and is waged with all the urgency of panic among the imperial rich.

What makes Greece different is that within its living memory is invasion, foreign occupation, betrayal by the West,
military dictatorship and popular resistance. Ordinary people are not cowed by the corrupt corporatism that dominates
the European Union. The right-wing government of Kostas Karamanlis, which preceded the present Pasok (Labour)
government of George Papandreou, was described by the French sociologist Jean Ziegler as “a machine for systematic
pillaging the country’s resources”.

The machine had infamous friends. The US Federal reserve Board is investigating the role of Goldman Sachs and other
American hedge fund operators which gambled on the bankruptcy of Greece as public assets were sold off and its
tax-evading rich deposited 360 billion euros in Swiss banks. The largest Greek ship-owners transferred their companies
abroad. This haemorrhage of capital continues with the approval of the European central banks and governments.

At 11 per cent, Greece’s deficit is no higher than America’s. However, when the Papandreou government tried to
borrow on the international capital market, it was effectively blocked by the American corporate ratings agencies, which
“downgraded” Greece to “junk”. These same agencies gave triple-A ratings to billions of dollars in so-called sub-prime
mortgage securities and so precipitated the economic collapse in 2008.

What has happened in Greece is theft on an epic, though not unfamiliar scale. In Britain, the “rescue” of banks like
Northern Rock and the Royal Bank of Scotland has cost billions of pounds. Thanks to the former prime minister, Gordon
Brown, and his passion for the avaricious instincts of the City of London, these gifts of public money were
unconditional, and the bankers have continued to pay each other the booty they call bonuses. Under Britain’s political
monoculture, they can do as they wish. In the United States, the situation is even more remarkable, reports investigative
journalist David DeGraw, “[as the principal Wall Street banks] that destroyed the economy pay zero in taxes and get
$33 billion in refunds”.

In Greece, as in America and Britain, the ordinary people have been told they must repay the debts of the rich and
powerful who incurred the debts. Jobs, pensions and public services are to be slashed and burned, with privateers in
charge. For the European Union and the IMF, the opportunity presents to “change the culture” and dismantle the social
welfare of Greece, just as the IMF and the World Bank have “structurally adjusted” (impoverished and controlled)
countries across the developing world.

Greece is hated for the same reason Yugoslavia had to be physically destroyed behind a pretence of protecting the
people of Kosovo. Most Greeks are employed by the state, and the young and the unions comprise a popular alliance
that has not been pacified; the colonels’ tanks on the campus of Athens University in 1967 remain a political spectre.
Such resistance is anathema to Europe’s central bankers and regarded as an obstruction to German capital’s need to
capture markets in the aftermath of Germany’s troubled reunification.

In Britain, such has been the 30-year propaganda of an extreme economic theory known first as monetarism then as
neo-liberalism, that the new prime minister can, like his predecessor, describe his demands that ordinary people pay the
debts of crooks as “fiscally responsible”. The unmentionables are poverty and class. Almost a third of British children
remain below the breadline. In working class Kentish Town in London, male life expectancy is 70. Two miles away, in
Hampstead, it is 80. When Russia was subjected to similar “shock therapy” in the 1990s, life expectancy nosedived. A
record 40 million impoverished Americans are currently receiving food stamps: that is, they cannot afford to feed
themselves.

In the developing world, a system of triage imposed by the World Bank and the IMF has long determined whether
people live or die. Whenever tariffs and food and fuel subsidies are eliminated by IMF diktat, small farmers know they
have been declared expendable. The World Resources Institute estimates that the toll reaches 13-18 million child deaths
every year. “This,” wrote the economist Lester C. Thurow, “is neither metaphor nor simile of war, but war itself.”

The same imperial forces have used horrific military weapons against stricken countries whose majorities are children,
and approved torture as an instrument of foreign policy. It is a phenomenon of denial that none of these assaults on
humanity, in which Britain is actively engaged, was allowed to intrude on the British election.
The people on the streets of Athens do not suffer this malaise. They are clear who the enemy is and they regard
themselves as once again under foreign occupation. And once again, they are rising up, with courage. When David
Cameron begins to cleave £6 billion from public services in Britain, he will be bargaining that Greece will not happen in
Britain. We should prove him wrong.

www.johnpilger.com

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Comments (25)
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jan jan 63 · 9 weeks ago +4

Their history is a living part of the struggle and the lies of the elite fail to penetrate this vibrant community , the lesson to be
taken is know your history ,, " We our all Greek"

Reply Report

intotheabyss · 9 weeks ago +4

Thanks to the people of Greece for showing the world what real courage looks like. May they succeed in bringing justice back
to their country and be a beacon to the people of the world.

Reply Report

Ex Pat · 9 weeks ago +2

ERIN GO BRAGH - 1

Sean, Sean, things not going well in the UK under the Neocon-lapdog-led Empire-lite?

To the rest of the world it looks quite like Algiers, where the freedom fighting party became the police state party before you
could say "proportional representation." Which you never got. Though your "parliamentary democracy" was looking pretty good.
Until which the Yanks and your elite found ways to neuter it. At least judging by Margaret Thatcher's greatest success - Tony
Blair and 'New Labour' - which was Thatcherism Mk II.

Tell us that that was not a US-inspired 'Deep Politics' scam. By the same Iran-Contra / New World Order / Neocon crooks who
gave us the invasions of mighty Grenada, Afghanistan 1, Panama, Iraq War 1, Afghanistan 2, Iraq War 2 and now Afghanistan
again. What is this Afghanistan obsession???

Though Algeria's slide to police state happened rather faster there than your several hundred years.

Unfortunately, there are many who will take a great deal of pleasure in the Empire-lite applying at home those techniques that it
has perfected over the centuries. Divide. Conquer. Death. Assassination. Torture. Murder. Genocide. Starvation. Death by
closing their eyes - the Irish famine and the enormous Bengal famine of 1943. Who knew?

Are there any lessons from the Old Country and the Wearing of the Green?

What is like to be colonized for eight hundred years? The UK will get a taste rather soon if your elite use the draconian methods
at home that they are now using on the Iraqis and on the Afghans. Not to mention previously Ireland, India, Ceylon,
Afghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Somalia, Trinidad, Afghanistan again, Malaya, Aden. On and on.

How long until they use death squads, genocide and shoot-to-kill on the 'awkward squad' at home? - 'Into the terrifying world of
the Pakistan's 'Disappeared,'' by Robert Fisk, March 18th, 2010, Independent -http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion
/commentators...

'If you don't know any history it's as if you were born yesterday. 'They' can tell you any lie and you won't know any better.' -
Howard Zinn paraphrased.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY SPECIAL REPORT - THE EXILED

Some history, for demonstration purposes only, we hope. A remarkably accurate portrait of the Ould Sod and we don't just
mean Charles J. Haughey.

CITY OF LONDON BOMBS

Continued - under Reply

Reply 2 replies · active 9 weeks ago Report

Ex Pat · 9 weeks ago +1

ERIN GO BRAGH - 3

THE GIFT THAT GIVES ON GIVING - URBAN GUERILLA WARFARE

The Irish finally gave the British Empire the boot in 1921, after a mere eight hundred years of rape, pillage, murder, torture and
genocide, inventing a new form of warfare to do it - urban guerilla warfare. Details below.

Remember that when the UK imperial storm troopers are being blown to smithereens (yet again) with an IED, in their latest
Imperial Crusade, by yet another wily peasant on a donkey with a sly "Who, me?" look, saying the local equivalent of "Que?" to
all your questions. Spare a thought for the wild colonial boys who invented the method. "Que?" - Manuel in Fawlty Towers - Tell
us again how the Irish have risen above cultural imperialism. Not. ; ) -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-oH-TELcLE

Which is why Michael Collins's name is revered. -- Ireland's answer to Biggles? Or the reason we are now free to screw up in
our own unique way. -- The man who invented the death squad - The Apostles - aka The Squad - Giving the Empire what it
deserves, before the Empire wakes up. - Michael Collins - The IRA and the Intelligence War in Dublin - dead link
-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqHwKjt6Rtc

Try torrents. Or bogus? -http://www.torrentz.com/search?q=The+IRA+and+the+...

1916 - As Paddy O'Fenian says "1916 inside the GPO – Suicide has never looked so cool" - Caution - Don't try this at home,
kids. -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq7bcY9tuao#t=01m5...

Not only did Mao Tse-Tung use his methods, and free China from the colonial grip, but so did every colonial freedom struggle
of the twentieth century. World history turned on the axle of Michael Collins's innovations. Including The Battle of Algiers -
Trailer -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3XsNdCqq7Q

'Celtic Tiger my @$$$$' -- Michael Collins -- Britain surrenders to the Irish. To warm the heart of any Irishman or woman and
on Paddy's Day we're all Irishmen and women. -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ujZT38SJY

Of course, today the Empire-lite gets its dig in first and uses its death squads to slaughter the peasantry left and right. As it did
with its counter-terror gangs from Malaya and Aden to Northern Ireland and as the US is doing in Afghanistan, Iraq and
Pakistan and Afghanistan again. But as that becomes widely known the comparisons with the Nazi death camps, Nazi torture
and Nazi methods are unavoidable and the idea that there is anything moral or ethical worth defending on our side becomes
indefensible.

Any useful lessons for the future there? ER, civil war is not fun? Movies don't show you your buddy screaming all night from his
head wound. War - be a long, long way away from it? -
Agree? You will. - 'Eyeless in Gaza ' ER, no 'Headless in Thailand.' -http://exiledonline.com/sniper-explodes-head-of-t...

ALTERNATIVELY

Tony Benn - 'Big Ideas That Changed The World: Democracy' - Tony Benn -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poO5BgU2PZo

Reply Report

Ex Pat · 9 weeks ago +2

TONY BENN

Tony Benn - 'Big Ideas That Changed The World: Democracy' - Tony Benn -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poO5BgU2PZo

THE THREE HUNDRED YEAR CAUSE

"Pick a cause that you don't mind failing at, because all the really big causes - the worthwhile causes - take hundreds of years.
Slavery - slavery took three hundred years to repeal. The voting franchise - originally it was for gentlemen with estates, and not
every man. Women's suffrage. Civil Rights. Gay rights. Colonialism. Empire. Generations of men and women willing to labour to
change an unjust situation. Knowing that they would never see the victory. Willing to try, and to fail. Until one day, one of them
succeeds. And then it looks as if it was inevitable. But it was not. Not without the countless thousands of unknown men and
women who laboured knowing that they would not see the victory." Tony Benn, UK politician, paraphrased.

A noble, noble man - A man whose party backed the UN Declarations on Human Rights - because their generation had seen
World War 2 and knew of World War 1 and the carnage of both. On the British National Health Service - founded in 1948 by a
penniless Britain - "Because if you can find the money to kill people, you can find money to help people." -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LnY-jy_cE0#t=00m4...

"Each and every one of us has to be given confidence. If anyone asks me what I hope people will say of me after I have gone,
I hope it will be, "Tony Benn - he encouraged us." I would like that written on my gravestone."

Try Articles -> Articles and Articles -> Audio/Visual

Try Added for Articles and Audio/Visual after 8/26/08

Tony Benn -http://www.bennites.com/Home.html

Reply 1 reply · active 9 weeks ago Report

guest · 9 weeks ago +2

another logical insight on truth and reality by Pilger.I can always hear the collective sigh from aware and frustrated people after
reading his stories.The universe can only keep breathing if people like Pilger can reach us.

Reply Report

+1
 · 9 weeks ago
Rabbitnexus 60p
I guess going Greek or doing Greek style takes on yet new meanings.

I don't think we have the sense of urgency or the amount of life force left in most other Westernised countries to stand up to the
Greek style raping we're getting.

Reply 2 replies · active 9 weeks ago Report

Disgusted · 9 weeks ago +1

Extraordinary! Mr pilger may just be the peoples conscience however words simply represent the devouring of trees or in this
case megabytes.
The people of this country really need to grow some balls and take to the streets, it seems like only yesterday that those
honest folk of Iceland took to the streets and in no uncertain terms told their government to take a flying hike. This action
almost made it to tthe front pages of the MSM however it seems that just in case this popular infection spread coverage has
somewhat abated. Whether its the Greeks or the Thai redshirts these popular movements are almost always depicted as
zealots hotheads and vandals injuring poor armoured and heavily armed paramilitary police.
Am I being delusional when I see the current debacle in greece for what it really is an attack on the Euro to protect the US$ am
I being fanciful in noting that we are fighting a war in Iraq and about to launch another in Iran with all the attendant
consequences, is it merely coincidence that both these countries had decided to replace the Dollar with the Euro as the means
of exchange for OIL.
The current disaster is no random event its absolutely planned, there's an old adage "FOLLOW THE MONEY" its all going one
way in the most rapacious larceny of all time and we are powerless because of the, either incompetance or corruption of our
elected "representatives".
The solution is in our hands we must take to the streets and reclaim our countries its the only thing the financial system fears,
however we must be prepared for the consequences there will be blood on these streets gone are the days of policing by
consent, you can see the coverage now "COUNTRY AT A STANDSTILL" "RIOTERS BREAK WINDOWS" "QUEEN UPSET"
"POLICE CALL UP ARMY"
Cam Clegg pledge urgent review BULLSHIT. If we do not take our country back, not in year not in a month but immediately we
will be enslaved to debt, restricted movement , and dictatorship.
We still have a chance of freedom however we must grasp it ourselves the so called democracy will not work for us its been
bought and paid for by malign forcre and they will demand their pound of flesh ..... YOURS.

Reply 1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago Report

Paul · 9 weeks ago 0

It must be pointed out that Greece has an over sized public sector and that retirement age is 53 or 55(I forget). It is also an
extremely corrupt country where tax evasion is rife. Pilger conveniently leaves this out. Why should other countries rescue a
corrupt leftwing country that is down right lazy compared with the rest of Europe. You reap what you sow. Let these lazy
buggers get up and do a days work for a change. Fuck Greece, I hate the fact my country is giving them money even though
we are broke.

Reply 3 replies · active 9 weeks ago Report

Fay Hannah · 9 weeks ago +1

What would be wrong with a left wing country when the world is dominated by right wind countries. Pilger is a brave man and if
only there were more of them. The state of our journalism in the west is appalling. He rarely gets a split second of air time in
his homeland. And good reasons why too for he knows the state of the nation. We are lackeys to Uncle Sam plain and simple. I
could go on and on but suffice to say hurrah for the Greeks more of it. What is wrong with a large public service or retiring in
one's fifties and some time to enjoy life. Remember many of our values and ethics are founded on the ancient Greek Scholars
and still valid today in a world where the illiterate and ignorant are growing in numbers so they can serve the industrial war
machines for the despots who are only concerned about bottom lines and leaverages. Even the language they use is moronic
but as so few people know how to read properly that is critically they are duped just as it's supposed to be. Arise ye starvlings
from your slumbers still has powerful cachet.

Reply 1 reply · active 9 weeks ago Report

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