This is a story about the ideas of Mikis Theodorakis,
who while idealistic, actually speaks cogently about how
to fight oppression. He claims to have faught in WW2
and against the junta (a much more polite battle). He
was incarcerated for writing songs, but there was no
'fun' incarceration then.
IshitUnot:
Athens news
Interview: Theodorakis’ call to arms
by George Gilson 19 Feb 2012
...In a recent open letter to the international community, entitled “The Truth about Greece”, composer Mikis Theodorakis points to a nexus of military industrial interests - from Germany and France to the US - which profited from Greece’s excessive borrowing for decades.
... What were your thoughts as you heard the parliamentary debate on the bailout?
I am not interested in a parliament representing a minority of the nation - they total less than 50 percent of the electorate combined. From a constitutional standpoint, they are illegal because they are staging a coup, just like the members of the junta.
... Law professor Yiorgos Kasimatis has argued that even 300 MPs cannot negotiate our national integrity (akeraiotita). All acts implementing the memorandum are thus illegal. The troika, the government and all politicians who took such decisions are illegitimate. You can be sure that one day they will be tried and punished.
... Greece is rich. Our people are hard-working. What do we lack? We lack essential national independence. Since the end of the civil war, since 1950, all the major issues - diplomacy, defence, economy and politics - were decided by the Americans. What are the parties that have ruled Greece? They are the parties that have the US’ blessing and are sworn to keep the left wing in the corner. However, today the Patriotic Left is beginning to awaken
... Who is to blame for the crisis - the Greeks, the Germans with their austerity model or the all-powerful markets?
The only crisis is the crisis of international capitalism, which is up against the international mafia comprising the giants of finance capital - of virtual money. Finance capital has apparently bought off today’s European leadership, which does not realise that it is putting a noose around its own neck. Today, the European leadership threatens and acts like a predator.
... Manolis Glezos and I called on the people to flood Athens in protest, and they did. There were hundreds of thousands. In terror, the state power sprayed poisonous gases directly at us, to kill us. Glezos fainted and fell down. At first, I saw Charon (death) with my own eyes, as I could not breathe. I recovered and returned to my post, in front of the riot police guarding parliament. I took a loudspeaker and said: “Don’t be afraid. We won’t be storming. We will do that later, when we are ready.” That’s when they started throwing thousands of “bombs” of all kinds.
