by Vasilis Giavris (Lawyer & Political Scientist)
The end of “metapolitfsi”
marks a turning point from one epoch to the next. With it, the landscape of
power in Greece has changed. Increasingly, voices stemming from
the far right & left, in conjunction with those from the various political
charlatans who claim “parthenogenesis”,
are dominating the political agenda gaining a ‘legitimacy’ previously denied to
them.
Offering an over-simplistic analysis full of vitriol,
prejudice and fear mongering their polemical rhetoric promotes a policy of
distraction and a misplaced rage that marginalizes rational discourse. Such
voices serve as a smokescreen designed to achieve their sole objective – polarize
the Hellenic people and maintain or obtain political power. What they express is a brutalism motivated by
misanthropy, obsession and compulsion.
Welcome to the “post truth” era. Language is used to deceive,
entrap and polarize. When a large amount of people peddle fantasy as fact our
society loses it’s grounding to reality. But the burden of today should not be
used as an excuse to trample democratic principles, human rights and the rule
of law. Tyranny can take many forms. We must not replace one form for another.
Today the “language
of truths” remains to be spoken. This is the language that we must seek. As
Hellenes we must protect, respect and honor our cultural and historical past. However,
it is imperative that we do not become or remain victims of such past.
The word “παράδοση” inherently involves an acceptance,
respect and understanding of previous knowledge, customs and heritage developed
and adopted by our forefathers. However it does not end there. It is not enough
to understand and respect our past. We must build on it for the future. Hellenism
is a living organism. We need to “δόση” which entails to hand over. What we
need to hand over is an amalgamation of the sum of our past, our struggles of
today and our vision of the future.
So where are the
voices of truth? Where can we turn? Why aren’t ordinary concerned citizens
forming new political parties in Greece?
Reform will not be brought by the existing parties who hold seats in
parliament. They are part of the dysfunctional system. Reform can only be
achieved bottom up – from each and every one of us.
Now is the time for
new hope and possibility. The Hellenic people need to replace the politics of
fear with post-partisan reform. We must incorporate a new sense of direction where
human needs are placed at the forefront of government policy. Where a balance
between individualism and collectivism is sought and achieved and
individual rights co-exist with communal expectations.
Now is the time to learn from Isocrates and understand that a
democracy destroys itself when its citizens abuse their right to freedom and
equality, when its citizens are encouraged to consider insolence as a right, illegality
as freedom, offensive speech as equality and anarchy as bliss.
Now is the time for a
new political leadership that will stand up for all Hellenes and offer a
rational vision of rebuilding Greece.
A broad based alliance that will oppose the new grammar of power that seeks to
distinguish between creditor and debtor states. That will oppose neo-colonialism
in the form of German Euro-nationalism.
Greece
needs to come of age, to show independence of mind and spirit, to forge its own
destiny. We cannot continue to be a “quasi democracy” where decisions about Greek citizens are made by foreign governments. The German “Bundestag” must no longer decide the fate of Greece.
The fate of Greece
must rest with the Hellenic people for it is the Hellenic people that are the
custodians of sovereign power.
We must not loose
faith. On the contrary, let’s get active!
Vasilios Giavris
President
Hellenic Democratic Initiative
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