Like many in the diaspora, I have been sitting back, watching all of the rhetoric and news reports coming out of Athens over the past month since snap elections were called. And like many, I have been concerned. Of course I care about the country of my parents’ birth and a country that has given me a lot— much more than summers on the beach and a heritage that I continue to live— even being born far away from its shores.
But unlike many, I have reserved judgement and comment both during the days leading up to the elections and after its results last night.
There are a lot of Cassandras out there— those who predict the end of the country as we know it. “The fucking commie won,” stated one friend on her Facebook page, perched in her Upper East Side swanky apartment. “Hello Middle Ages” and “Who’s going to Cuba— I mean Athens— this summer?” wrote others on their social media channels.
From New York to California and everywhere in between, people I know and many I don’t, all had their cataclysmic projections about the election of a man named Alexis Tsipras as the new prime minister of Greece.
On The Pappas Post Facebook page others presumed the “un-Greekness” of Tsipras, commenting about why Tsipras didn’t parade the Greek flag (what was it after all, a beauty pageant?) or the various colored and different flags that were waving at the congratulatory rally where Tsipras accepted the election results. There were various colors indeed– from the various organizations and groups that comprise Tsipras’ coalition.
Several made bigoted comments about the presence of gay rainbow flags that greeted Tsipras’ victory. In most cases, after clicking to see the location of these arm-chair commentators, they were in places like Iowa, New York, Niagara Falls and Chicago.
I wonder if any of these people commenting so vociferously against Tsipras hold a Greece passport, or have ever waited in line to get their pension check. I wonder if any of these commentators had to deal with a son or daughter being forced to lave home and the country in search for a better life in a faraway land. I wonder if any of these commentators ever experienced their salaries being trimmed down to a paltry figure, barely able to make ends meet.
I haven’t experienced any of this— exactly as so many family and friends in Greece have. And this is exactly why I’m reserving both comment and judgement on the election of Alexis Tsipras and his SYRIZA government.
What I will say— and this shouldn’t be taken as an affirmation of Tsipras, his policies or his party in any way shape or form— It’s the first time a political party other than New Democracy and Pasok have ruled Greece in more than 40 decades— two political parties whose policies and sycophantic and greedy leaders have destroyed Greece and brought millions of her people to their knees.
It’s only fair at this stage for me to hope and wish for the best for Alexis Tsipras as the new prime minister of Greece and extend wishes for good luck, good sense and wisdom– for Greece. And for this reason, I stand with Alexis Tsipras– for Greece, as we ALL should.
PS— For a very good, fair and balanced analysis of the Greek election results see Endy Zemenides’ analysis via The Hellenic American Leadership Council and the Greek Current news site.
6 comments
Well said! We all need to stand with Greece. It is time for new leadership.
I am an ex-pat Brit living in Chania for the last 20 something years.
I applaud your post, and agree that the people have given him their mandate, and although i still do not have a voice in this process, I agree that he should be allowed to do what he can to improve things here.
What have we got to loose is very much the attitude i am seeing, and indeed things cannot continue along this road, the Greek people are beaten to a pulp by the austerity package.
Lets all wait and see if he can produce on his promises
I like the attitudes you express here. Yes, let’s wait a while to see what happens with the new PM and the new government. But let us not forget that his ideoogical history includes a period of adherence to Marxism. If he starts to show signs that that poitical persuasión is again blossoming forth in him, we should be very concerned. Although I am not an atheist, I am kinda glad he is because atheists are frequently more sincere than the ones who say they believe. He has not been able to accept the God message because it is clear to him that the people who deliver it are mostly a bunch of phonies.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. Hopefully Tsipras is able to form a coalition and deliver Greece from this dark period in it’s proud history. The severe austerity program has taken a heavy toll on our friends and families and something needs to be done.
Warmest congratulations to all the brave Greeks who voted to dump a decade of humiliation hoisted on Greece by by the vicious austerity policies of the Troika and to reassert Greece’s national sovereignty. I’ve never been prouder to be Greek! If the new government does as promised, Greece will stand as a model for the entire world. It wouldn’t be the first time Greeks saved civilization!!!
EYXARISTO!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!! MERCIiiii
FROM GREECE WITH LOVE!!!
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ!!!!!!