Army operation against Greek truck drivers: A warning to European workers

Source

... the use of the military against striking truck drivers in Greece sends a warning to the entire European working class. The extent of the austerity measures that either have been agreed upon or are being planned make violent social conflict inevitable. The Social Democrats, the trade unions and their petty-bourgeois “left” supporters play a key role in enforcing these attacks. By restraining and paralyzing the working class, they give the ruling elite the necessary time to prepare more right-wing and authoritarian forms of rule.

Everything now depends upon working people intervening independently in political events. They must break from the influence of the Social Democrats and trade unions and establish their own party, one that uncompromisingly defends their own interests against the demands of the financial oligarchy.

This article by Peter Schwarz stands as a warning to people everywhere that the various military and police forces are being mobilised to put down any attempt by the working class to fight back against the austerity measures being imposed globally.

This isn't really news to most ATSers but some members may be surprised as to the extent that this is already happening around the world. The current assault on welfare programs that were key to keeping the poor in check will leave us with a growing population of disaffected, desperate human beings. In turn, any leader who can organise this group into a coherent political force will find themselves empowered to affect the stability of whole nations or continents. That is why the elite will use their military might increasingly for maintaining control of the local population.

I know it's been almost 30 years since I served with the Greek military, as a US soldier. But what?

The soldiers I served with would never have turned upon their own families and fellow countrymen.

Yeah, maybe there are some well paid goons, but this is NOT the Greek way. Yes, the people could very well turn against their government, but the bought and paid for soldiers would not do this.

Greek folks are very affable, and also very proud.

I don't see it. Surely a culture hasn't changed so much in about 30 years.

I suspect the goverment goons are way out numbered by the patriots.

Originally posted by kyred
I know it's been almost 30 years since I served with the Greek military, as a US soldier. But what?

The soldiers I served with would never have turned upon their own families and fellow countrymen.

Yeah, maybe there are some well paid goons, but this is NOT the Greek way. Yes, the people could very well turn against their government, but the bought and paid for soldiers would not do this.

Greek folks are very affable, and also very proud.

I don't see it. Surely a culture hasn't changed so much in about 30 years.

I suspect the goverment goons are way out numbered by the patriots.

Thanks for the reply and hopefully your experience with the Greek military can shed some light on this part of the source article.

The use of the army is particularly significant because memories are fresh in Greece of the brutal military dictatorship that ruled from 1967 to 1974. The Greek colonels carried out a coup on April 21, 1967 in order to prevent an election victory by the bourgeois politician George Papandreou, the grandfather of the current prime minister. Thousands of political opponents were jailed, tortured and killed. George Papandreou himself died in 1968 under house arrest.

There's plenty online about the "Colonel's Coup" including this wikipedia entry - Greek military junta of 1967-1974. Once again, the USA is implicated in supporting or at least keeping quiet about a known plot to overthrow elected leaders.

US journalist Cyrus L. Sulzberger has separately claimed that Karamanlis flew to New York to lobby US support from Lauris Norstad for a coup d'état in Greece that would establish a strong conservative regime under himself; Sulzberger alleges that Norstad declined to involve himself in such affairs.

Unfortunately, soldiers and police are getting caught on camera all over the world including the "free" countries using strong-arm tactics against peaceful demonstrators and often completely innocent passers-by whilst allowing "rent-a-mob", black bloc groups to run wild, vandalising buildings and cars.



These agent provocateers are also getting caught on camera changing out of their black protesting clothes and escaping beyond police lines without challenge.

All of the people hidden behind the uniforms, gas masks and black bloc clothing are allegedly citizens but they've apparently sold out to some higher calling than democracy.

Originally posted by JohnJasper
The current assault on welfare programs that were key to keeping the poor in check will leave us with a growing population of disaffected, desperate human beings. In turn, any leader who can organise this group into a coherent political force will find themselves empowered to affect the stability of whole nations or continents. That is why the elite will use their military might increasingly for maintaining control of the local population.

The most powerful political tool any of us wield isn't the ballot paper, or vocalising of protest, its the money in our wallets, regardless of how much of it you have.

The knack it to organise a coherent economic coup in pursuit of whatever goal of change is sought. The UK poll-tax (on both occaisions) was brought to its knees by just such a method of refusal to pay.

Collectively, it can break the biggest businesses, break the tax revenue system, and enact change not through violence or taking to the streets, but just by simple and silent economic non-cooperation

As the saying goes...money talks, BS walks

[edit on 5-8-2010 by citizen smith]

Originally posted by citizen smith

The most powerful political tool any of us wield isn't the ballot paper, or vocalising of protest, its the money in our wallets, regardless of how much of it you have.

The knack it to organise a coherent economic coup in pursuit of whatever goal of change is sought. The UK poll-tax (on both occaisions) was brought to its knees by just such a method of refusal to pay.

Collectively, it can break the biggest businesses, break the tax revenue system, and enact change not through violence or taking to the streets, but just by simple and silent economic non-cooperation

As the saying goes...money talks, BS walks

[edit on 5-8-2010 by citizen smith]

I didn't know/had forgotten about the non-payment revolt and was convinced that the protest marches were what defeated the poll-tax. Thanks for pointing this out. After some quick research, I found this link to a Militant.org.uk webpage. Not only do they confirm your information, they also add weight to the OP.

Over 200,000 people had joined a mass, peaceful and good humoured demonstration in London, yet the police saw fit to attack and attempt to break up the day's proceedings.

A decade of Thatcherism had not just made poverty commonplace but also made brutal police attacks on demonstrations another regular feature of life in Britain.

Miners, printers, students and other workers had seen many peaceful protests broken up by vicious police assaults. The Metropolitan police has a record second to none in employing such tactics and for them 31 March was to be no different as they unleashed an unprovoked attack around 4pm.

There are many versions as to how it all started but only one unalterable truth. The police attacked a mass, peaceful demonstration.

Horses trampled protesters under foot, cars and vans drove at high speed into the packed crowds, while riot police drew blood with indiscriminate use of truncheons. Hemmed in on all sides, many demonstrators tried to defend themselves, their friends and others.

Yet another glorious day of working-class solidarity had been marred by the actions of the police.

But back to your post, non-cooperation does appear to be a formidable tool. But how about non-trade union (those "workers" unions that have sold out to big business,) mass strikes.

I wonder what affect a series of national/global no-work days would have on the elite's austerity campaign? No picketing, no marching - just flexing our muscles.

Would they cause workers to realise just what power they actually have and skyrocket into vast workers movements that would be unstoppable even by well-armed police and troops?

Originally posted by JohnJasper
non-cooperation does appear to be a formidable tool. But how about non-trade union (those "workers" unions that have sold out to big business,) mass strikes.

I wonder what affect a series of national/global no-work days would have on the elite's austerity campaign? No picketing, no marching - just flexing our muscles.

Would they cause workers to realise just what power they actually have and skyrocket into vast workers movements that would be unstoppable even by well-armed police and troops?

Strike action isn't quite the same as economic sanction.

In this current climate, many are indebted to unsustainable levels in personal and mortgage finance, making any walk-out from employment an act of financial suicide. That is one major reason why such a strategy wouldn't work.

Declaring an economic sanction, as in refusing to spend your money on certain goods or use services en-masse doensn't require you to take to the street to shout your voice hoarse, be photiographed and earmatrked by FIT teams or stand in direct confrontation, nor does it require you to jeopardise your employment by strike action.

There is no legislation stating that you are legally required to spend your money, nor can you be forced to purchase at gunpoint.

All it requires is for people to quietly and calmly refuse to open their wallets.

yes they would they would absolutely turn on there own family and neighborhoods.

This is no volunteer army, you join in an operation you follow orders or ur shot for mutiny and you are cleaned up afterwords.

in our country they teach leo and militarily to not be discriminatory with violence and deadly force.

Taze the little girl and the old men.

Preferably kill the men get the women hooked on government handouts and sent the children into government custody because they are deemed to poor to have children.

Its accepted its wanted and you love it.

Fake tears and fake patriotism LoL. If i wrapped feces in teh flag i bet you would still sing to it given enough time and force.

You live in a fantasy land if you think our military and police wont pull the trigger on unarmed people even if its wrong.It happens every day and that is acceptable.

There is no reason to think otherwise.