There is very little understanding in the world concerning the Greek riots, probably because of the way it was covered by the main-stream media. Here are some relevenant facts.
1. Police and impunity: Police in Greece has always been (purposefully) separated from the people. It’s “us” and “them”. Through impunity for their actions – which range from stupid brutality to right-down murders – they assumed great power and earned great contempt. Not all police officers arer the same, of course, and these cases may not be the norm but since they are usually applied to a lower caste of citizens (students, poor youth, foreign workers) the police find it very easy to lie about facts and get away with it.
2. Technology. The internet and mobile phones has made the previous fact more relevant and uncovered the lies of the state to protect their “praetorians”. YouTube videos shot with mobile phones with officers beating people to a pulp when the offcial claim is that their injuries came from an attempt to escape and falling on plant pots, or other street fictures have infuriated common Greeks and alienated the police even more. Other dicusting videos of officers “playing” with foreign workers (usually economic migrants) have not helped either. There was one video with two Albanian boys ordered to slap each inside a police station and videoed by the officers themselves on a mobile that was particucarly sickening.
3. Economic and social factors. Years of neglect of the countryside and anything outside Athens – apart from European ordered transport infrastructure – have resulted in an overpopulated capital with fewer opportunities for work. Add to that the huge influx of illegal economic migrands (about 1 million in a country of 10 million) mainly from Albania (about 500,000) but ranging from Africa to Asia and you may start to understand how difficult thinks have become. A lack of immigration policy and consistent failure or even unwillingness to address the issue has created an underclass of people (both Greek and foreign) which survive through a para-economy (a.k.a. black economy) of illegal, uninsured, temporary, badly paid, money-under-the-table work. By extension employees exploit the fact that there are more people than jobs and pay them pittance (hence the “700 Euro Generation”), fire them at the drop of a hat, and usually keep them illegally uninsured (that’s public insurance contributions – i.e. state pension money – not some priviledged private health care thing).
4. Education. In Greece, education is free all the way… At least on paper. You may not pay for school or University education but in fact most parents pay huge sums of money for private tuition, private foreign language courses, books, and a lot more. University entry is by country-wide exams are quite difficult and the offered free education is usually not enough, hence the private tuition. Kids end up with 12-14 hour work days (e.g. 6-7 hours school, couple of hours English language, couple of hours private tuition, plus homework). Students with less money and lower abilities inevitably fail to get a deegree and are condemned to unemployment and a sence of worthlessness. However, even those with degrees (all the way up to PhD) find it difficult to find a job in their area due to lack a strategic higher education to produce what is really needed. This creates a social stratification with several levels with main parameters being money, social status (usually, but not necessarily synonymous with money) and “connections”. Connections are imperative in Greece even if you have a good education. In most cases the “conection” is a political party member that “arranges” for you to get a goverment job in exchange for votes and/or party alegiance. Public sector jobs are highly sought after since they are permanent, as public sector workers cannot be made redundant and are very rarely fired even for gross incompetence.
5. Politics. Politicians in Greece have always been highly corrupt. They use their power for two purposes mainly: to stay in power through “favours” (usually public sector employment, but also including turning a blind eye to minor illegalities), and make LOTS of money for themselves. There are exceptions but they don’t usually last long and end up being “populist” and laughed at. Governments, care little about “the people” and a lot about “their people”, who voted them in in the first place. And here’s a hint: young people of voting age (18+) are a very small minority due to low birth rate, itself due to money constraints. Recently, (again aided by technology) huge scandals have been uncovered even involving the Greek Orthodox Church (previously a beacon of moral stability in a sea of corruption). Older people may have been already “indocrinated” and at ease in a society where corruption is rampant and expected. Unfortunately for the leaders, and besides their best efforts, Greek education is designed to produce thinking people and not mindless robots. As a result the youth is hugely disillusioned, disheartened and angry.
6. Corruption. I have already mentioned corruption but it’s worthwile making the distinction between goverment corruption and the wide-spread corruption in everyday life. Tax evasion is the norm, doctors demand their bribe (fakelaki – “little envelope” is the common term, and if you think it contains a “thank you” card, think again…), public sector workers require a “fast-action stamp duty” to move your papers through the well-fed beuracracy, large companies that don’t want to pay taxes are given discounts while small companies’ owners go to jail (yes, for debts). To prove how corrupt the system is, here’s an interesting fact: the Greek tax system doesn’t tax you on how much money you say you made but how much THEY think you made. So if you have a large car (doesn’t matter how you got it – may have been a parent’s gift) and declare income below a certain level you get taxed sometimes double because you own that car. They assume you lied because the car is beyond your means. At the same time, politicians and their circles go around in big cars and yachts and generally living in oppulance, infuriating people even more.
There are other factors as well, perhaps more specific to Greek society. Even so, the above are enough to create a large marginalized group of mainly young people (I won’t use the word underclass since they come from almost all walks of life). These young people are disillusioned, frustrated, purposeless, futureless, stressed, unhappy and very, very, very angry. Add to that the normal energy of young people – and especially teenagers – and all you have to do is wait for critical mass and a trigger incident. Then you have what happened in Greece.
I will put the usual disclaimer here: I don’t personally condone destruction of property and looting. But I will also add something very few have said: I understand it. If you fill people’s heads with the notion that a huge 4×4, LCD, PC, CD, DVD, Xbox, PS3, and other acronyms, or by talking more on your latest mobile for less money is the way to a better life, it is inevitable you will have destruction and looting by the “have-nots”. Unfortunately, the Greek government has used this (and its TV coverage) as a way to get public support and divide the public into “us” and “them”. This is the true meaning of “divide and rule” and they have done a good job there for a change… Now most people care more about safety than what the young people’s problems. I personally think the destruction and looting was instigated by the police and state exactly for that purpose.
This is just the beginning and not just for Greece. Wherever in the world you may be, have a look at the above list and identify the similarities in your country. If there are even a few, brace yourselves. People are angry and getting angrier worldwide. And they are right to be angry, when their governments don’t care to spend a few dollars or euros to save their homes, their jobs, or even their lives (remember Katrina?), while spending billions to save some bankers. With a little knowledge of economics I may understand why they do that, but governments shouldn’t deal only in faceless economics. The masses will eventually go out and break something out of pure frustration, and they will throw your economic forecasts out of the window. All they need is someone to cast the first stone for a good enough reason.
Apologies for the long analysis, but I thought it was needed.
