"The hunger strike shall win - their struggle is everyone's struggle"
You walk down toward Patision Ave, a brisk tempo as the cold bites in. The rumours have been swirling around corporate media all day long: “the hunger strike will end any moment now”. But the hunger strikers are determined. They reject the government’s bogus proposal and carry on. At Patision, a sight to warm you up, hundreds of people in solidarity have already gathered. A struggle snubbed by the Left and ignored by most anarchists brought 1500-2000 people out to the streets of Athens last night. The largest change starts with firmly holding your ground: it starts with keeping on fighting in spite of so-far minimal support of a lethargic social movement.
The hunger strikers must win: for themselves, for all migrants here, for all of us.
36 Comments
“Ignorate by most anarchist”?
Is it true?
Didn’t give them solidarity?
any action of solidarity for london… if you know if any please post it on Athens Indymedia
who said so?
In most cities of greece the only people that are doing something are the anarchists. The last few days, dozens of actions have taken place, as demonstrations, occupations of TV stations (meaning entering the studio of a TV station, stopping the normal program and putting a video prepared for tha case) etc. In Athens, the assembly of solidarity os not one anymore, as the anarchists went away, but they formed other assemblies of solidarity.
Sorry, but immigration only serves to divide and conquer the working-class, just look what it has done to most of the Western world. In the U.S., White males gave up supporting the unions in the 70s because of the influx of different ethnic groups into what were once solidly white groups. These same working-class whites began voting against their economic interests by voting for the Republican party because the way they saw it was, “hey, we’re losing our jobs to minorities, but at least we’ll vote for the party that upholds our social values.” A strong national identity, usually associated with a shared language and ethnicity, is a strong factor in developing a more egalitarian society, IMO.
I see this all the time in New York. There is a leftist group that organizes, which attracts all these different minority groups with wildly different goals and agendas. The meetings often breakdown because there is no real solidarity to speak of. It’s a clusterfuck for sure.
Every time there is a protest here about anything, you’ll have pro-Palestinian groups chanting “free free Palestine” when the protest has absolutely nothing to do with Palestine. You’ll have black groups who don’t really like whites and whites who feel the same way, and you’ll see the cracks in solidarity forming. I wish things weren’t like this, it’s just something I observe very frequently.
Soon, in Greece, leftism will be associated with minorities and people who support minorities. That will turn the majority Greek population against the left, and that is how the elite will win. If minorities are given rights now, you’ll see even more minorities flooding in for a better quality of life in Greece. Soon, the native Greeks will come to resent it and they will be easy to further exploit by the elite who are looking for anyway to reduce solidarity.
Of course, these mono societies often bring these problems upon themselves as they bring in immigrants to work on the cheap, which is fine until those immigrants start demanding rights, etc. Many of the working-class in America were against immigration influx as the immigrants very often took their jobs and housing. These people were not consulted about the direction of their country but the elite did it anyway as they did in Britain.
Yeah, JR, and i’m sure you believe you’re a “native american”, fries come from France and Britons speak with “english accent”, hahaha.
The next teaparty will send you back to europe…
Ah, the massacre of the Native Americans is just one of a series of atrocities that humans have perpetuated.
But you see, you are obviously hostile to whites, and serve a perfect example of why ethnic groups should seek to maintain their status. You are just reinforcing what I said above.
Delete pls the comment of the idiot above
Yes, delete my comments instead of debating them on the merits.
And let me ask, why not delete White Minority’s comments? He or she is basically stating that whites should be kicked out of America and sent back to Europe.
What a joke.
Because you don’t have right to the wrong opinion you son of a bitch. You are an uneducated, human shaped turd. You are a shit talking, ignorant cunt. You are a racist lowlife, and you are fucking retarded. Did you even finish high school you fucking wanker? Die, you fucking poof.
Haha, I actually have an advanced degree from a rather prestigious school, but who really cares? You have obviously become apoplectic as a result of points I’m making and actually come off more “uneducated” than I as a result. Racist? Someone is talking about repatriating white people back to Europe, and yet you have no qualms with that person. It’s time to examine your own biases.
American scumbag. I hate the fucking Americans
Mmmm, how very racist of you to hate an entire people.
Not to continue ruining all your misconceptions, as you are obviously not very articulate or perceptive, but I am not American. I simply live in America.
Sofia, i don’t think that your language or your statement that you hate americans has a reason to stay in an anarchist blog. I don’t agree at all with JS, of course, but his statement has some facts that are correct.
I disagree totally with him, because the objective of the working class should be to unite against capitalism. A big part of the working class in greece is not native and a nice way to keep the class united is to at least achieve equal rights to all workers. If the immigrants don’t have the same status as i do, the working class will remain devided and also the bosses will go on sqeezing our wages, exploiting immigrants and making them to work for almost nothing. The idea of leaving the immigrants in an illegal status only serves the bosses.
To leave greece or stop them from coming is not something that can happen anyway, as the situation in the nearby Asia and Africa is unbearable, and all this due to the policies of the ruling class of the western countries (greece included).
Also, about the possibility that native workers will have a problem with the immigrant workers, is exactly what the movement wants to stop. We want to express the fact that people are not divided for their nationality, but they are divided in classes.
Our grandfathers were refugees
Our fathers were immigrants
We will be racists?!
The working class isn’t divided in “nations”. The difference lies inbetween the rich and the poor, up and down. Internationalism, you know? One world, one working class. You know which “socialists” tried to tell workers that there are “ethnic”, “racial” differences? The National Socialists…this ideology is based on the belief that class differences should be ignored to assist the “nation’s community” in which everyone has his or her place by birth. That is (as you stated it): “A strong national identity, usually associated with a shared language and ethnicity, is a strong factor in developing a more egalitarian society, IMO.”
In fact you are a Nazi or a national bolshewik. By your beliefs stated above and not by my accusation.
In one point you’re right though: The working class is divided due to “immigration”. It’s divided by racism, nationalism and borders. That’s ideology influenced by the capitalist structures and the idea of “national states”. It’s not the immigrants, which are in our way to a more egalitarian society, it’s the ideology which makes workers believe that the immigrants “stole their jobs” and makes them different to them selves. You know what “egalitarian” means? It means humans are always humans and should be treated equal. No matter which colour, ethnicity, … everwhere on the earth. So, what we have to fight is nationalism, fascism and national borders, not the humans which are the victims of the “elites”.
Alerta Antifascista! Smash this rascist naziscum!
I must inform you that these immigrants are ILLEGAL. They didn’t come just like every single immigrant. Greece has almost 25% of its total population immigrants. We don’t need more. We are full. Most of them are responsible for high crime. Just have a look in the inner city of Athens and find the truth for yourself. What you post here is pure propaganda. This action is a work of a few who try to push their political agenda. If you want immigrants take them to your home and feed them. The taxpayer cannot afford. We cannot even afford ourselves. All immigrants must be banned or deported. Greece is full fuck off. Stop this left wing propaganda and see the real facts. Most of the Greeks want cuts in immigration. Polls and opinions are completely against granting asylum documents to these so called refugees. The only fascists is you. Respect the opinions of the majority.
The majority is the worldwide proletariat
Since when it’s “racism” to give the “real americans” their stolen land back?
That’s just jerking bullshite. Think it over: Following the rascist terms of society it means aliens won’t be “illegal” anymore if they have weapons like the Europeans had when occupying Amerikkka.
So that’s the solution: Weapons for refugees!
Unfortunatly most of them can’t stand violence.
F First of all, there is no such thing as land belonging to anyone in particular. As history has demonstrated, the people with the means and power to take what they want, take it when they can. Just look at how the Israelis took the Palestinian’s land, and mind you, that happened in the 20th Century. The Israelis colonized Palestine so successfully because the Zionists were a highly wealthy and influential bunch, had the “moral” justification of just going through the holocaust, and honestly did not think anyone with any power would care if they removed a few million Arabs from their land. The UN resolution dividing Palestine seems to support this sentiment. To this day, the Jews in America, Europe and elsewhere run a tight ship of propaganda that controls a large amount of foreign policy. Just look at how America has fed billions to Israel through U.S. tax payer money. This is an example of a group that uses power for colonization purposes. The only thing that will stop Israel is power in turn.
As far as whites losing control of North America, it will indeed happen sooner or later. Whites simply do not reproduce or care enough to try and maintain power, and do not have a sense of an “in-group” the way other societies and groups do, like the Arab or Jewish peoples.
Second, everyone seems to have this idea of the “noble” Native American. In reality, it does not exist. Modern man originated from Africa and we all stem from the same barbaric group of apes, sorry to bust everyone’s bubble. There is a vast amount of evidence of warfare between Native American tribes. In fact, before the White man came around, there is every reason to believe that different Native American tribes committed ethnic cleansing between one another. The Aztecs are a good example of a society of these “noble” Native Americans that practiced warlike behavior, ethnic cleansing and ritual sacrifice. The Native Americans no doubt stole land from one another, raped each other’s women, and so on and so forth. There is no doubt that if the Native Americans had the technology, they to would have come to Europe and colonized the Europeans. Humans are just apes killing each other with tools, and probably always will be. No group is really any more noble than the next. Furthermore, there is no real such thing as a Native American anymore, as the Native Americans were so thoroughly eradicated through a combination of ethnic cleansing and infectious disease introduced by Europeans. The Native Americans that are left test very highly for genetic material from Europeans due to intermixing and many of them have European surnames.
But, it’s not only Europeans who colonized the Native Americans. No, it’s also the Metizos, the Africans, and basically every single ethnic group in the world at this point. I find it funny how different Ethnic groups are always talking about sending the White man back home because we took the Native Americans’ land. Sorry, but you did too. You’re actually standing on it yourself.
It is true, “nations” are imaginary constructs for the most part. Furthermore, ethnic groups that belong to these nations are often somewhat imagined as well. Many people who consider themselves “German” or “Greek” would have at one time a few centuries ago been fighting one another when these countries did not exist and were actually composed of much smaller nation-states (which were constantly fighting), and to go back even further, smaller tribes fighting one another even before that. However, there are some genetic similarities within countries, especially in European countries (America is much more of a mixed bag). More importantly, Greeks tend to share physical similarities with fellow Greeks and a shared culture.
Most importantly, these groups form a certain amount of cohesion due to similar culture, genetic background, and physical attirbutes. This makes for a smoother society in many cases. Introduce outside groups and society gets nasty real quick, especially when economic conditions sour. I’m sorry, but for most people nationality and shared ethnicity presents stronger ties than class solidarity. This has historically been the case.
Europeans are always fretting about their low fertility and an end to ethnic Europeans. The problem is they do not reproduce and most of the elite of these European countries want cheap labor, so they bring in ethnic groups with excess populations who are willing to work on the cheap. If you look at the Arab world for example, their population is exploding. Native Greeks do not want to be displaced by a large influx of immigrants. Jobs are scarce and they want to preserve their job status and standard of living. They also want to protect what they feel is “Greece,” whatever that means.
For working class and unionized Greeks, protecting their standard of living meant unions, worker rights, and trying to protect things they also valued, like the right to protest and practice democratic activity. Add in immigrants, which many members of the left champion, and all of a sudden they have to champion the rights of these immigrants as well. The problem is, if they do, they could very well be losing out on their standard of living in the process as they become displaced.
Essentially, if you belong to an in-group, it’s almost always a bad idea to let in an out-group. Look at what happened to the Native Americans when they tried to greet the Europeans as “gods.” Look at the Palestinians when they originally let in Zionists on a small scale. Soon the Zionists overran their country and took their land.
But, I’ll admit, it really does not matter anymore, because through globalization, the working class is screwed. If you don’t want immigrants in your country, then the corporations will just move their operations to another country where labor is cheap. Corporations hold no national loyalty or ethnic loyalty, they are simply loyal to their money. In fact, the only class solidarity you ever really see is with the very richest, it’s funny how it works that way.
The reason why National Socialists were such a threat at the time wasn’t just because of their extremely aggressive behavior towards other nation-states, but in their strong dislike for usury, which they associated with a consumerist-mercantilist-Jewish type of monetary system. The National Socialists did not want the German people to turn into consumers, but actually wanted them to ascribe to an ideology “blood and soil” which transcended materialism. The National Socialists actually had a very romanticized view of the world and of the German people. This led to the extermination of the Jews inside Germany and a desire to expand territory for the German people. This ultimately failed, but not only in the realm of conquest, but also in the realm of ideology. The system of usury exploded after Germany’s defeat, and we see countries invaded not with armies, but with money. The IMF has basically taken control of Greece, and they did not have to fire one shot. The Germans had to use tanks, and were ultimately defeated.
How does this system of control work? Basically by removing a strong national identity, appealing to the baseness of the people in society through consumerism, which serves to divide, and making countries sign on as debt slaves. What removes a strong national identity? Many things. However, an influx of immigration which will dilute the solidarity of nation’s people the quickest.
You will see, Greece will be a less cohesive place in the end with more immigrants. You see the same story in the rest of Europe, and more and more you see the rise of right-wing parties. Right wing parties survive based on exploiting fear of native populations. The National Socialists were so successful in taking power partly because of the presence of an out-group (Jews) in Germany. No out-group and I wonder if a party like the National Socialists would have been so successful. You see this now with the Roma in France, and of course the Muslims throughout Europe.
It is counter-intuitive to many here, since many of you ascribe to this color-blind one world one-worker ideology. But the nation-state composed of a solid ethnicity is the strongest support for rule against an elite. The people are not so easily divided and have something to keep them together besides mindless consumerism, and that is a shared background–a threat to the elite.
The problem is that America and Europe often support hostile environments for people in other countries, in the Arab world they often prop up dictatorships and regimes that do not share oil wealth with their country folk, this leads to a desire to move into more well off countries. Who can blame them?
I’d just like to say that I wish humans were not the way they are. I honestly do not wish the hunger strikers any further pain. I also understand the human impulse to seek respect and a desire for equal rights in a society. That being said, I see how immigration destroys societies, and these are simply points I felt like sharing.
Sorry for the typos, I was typing that fast and quite honestly, it’s a tad bit sloppy. But, there ya go.
Also, I’d just like to mention one thing. I follow this blog because it really is a source of info about Greece you can’t get anywhere else. Also, it’s a very interesting time in Greece, ergo, I am interested in what is happening there.
That being said, the poster here pointed out that leftists and anarchist groups have mostly ignored the plight of the hunger strikers. Even if you have half of the anarchists and some sympathy from the unions, you see a division there. This is an issue native ethnic groups are *always* divided on. You will see these leftists and anarchists slowly divide on this issue, just like they did in the U.S. This development mixed in with the liberalization and selling off of state assets in Greece will break resistance to the elite. You will even see some on the left turn to politicians on the right who promise to protect Greece from an influx of immigrants, as this issue will take precedence in their minds above all us.
That being said, the left in Greece is *extremely* strong compared to the left in America in the 70′s. The left was dissolved not only through a mix of immigrants but also through economic policies that neutered the unions through off-shoring. The unions caved in because they had no economic leverage to bargain with and because they felt that the unions were too friendly to minorities, so many of the leaders of the unions defected to the Republican party. You saw this with Nixon who courted many labor leaders who turned against the “social revolutionaries” of the 60′s, ie. women, minorities, and hippies. The left was split once and for all. Now in America, there is no left or right on economic issues. Both parties espouse free markets. People vote entirely based on social issues that do not effect anything economically, ie. gay marriage, don’t ask don’t tell, that kind of stuff. It’s complete control by the elite here in America, and that is reflected in income disparity.
It is possible my prediction will not pan out for Greece, but already you see the unions being dissolved and closed professions being opened up to market forces. Add in an influx of minorities and I think you will see the left crumble further.
@JS: So, you are not only racist, but an antisemite too. Why do you think the “Jews” have been an “out-group” in Germany? Many of them have been peeps like you and me, unfortunately jewish instead of christian…there hasn’t been a conspiracy.
Does this blog not have moderators to delete this nationalist propaganda bullshit?
the moderators of this blog have made a statement some time ago: http://blog.occupiedlondon.org/2010/05/04/a-note-on-comments/
I agree with the statement “you don’t have the right to the wrong opinion”. This is a blog about specific type of activists and not for conspiracy theories. Whoever wants to spread his/her racist lies please open another blog. Nobody’s forced to stay here.
First of all you know nothing about behavioral psychology or sociology. You are mostly a doctrinaire or ideologue and are not paying attention to my arguments, just screaming racist like a little child. When I refer to an out-group I am not being racist, I am simply using a scientific term. The Jews were considered an out-group in Germany because they were of a different religion, simple as that. There are all sorts of different ways to be a part of an out-group.
Furthermore, specifically tell me how I’m being an anti-Semite? I fail to understand.
Furthermore in Israel an out-group would include an Arab. This is just another example. Different people and groups see each other groups as out groups and are often hostile to them. It is not jus race or religion. For example, I represent out-group ideas that threaten ideas that you hold dear, so you attack me. You see this in all manner of society.
Forgive me for spelling errors, I am typing this on a cell phone.
Who OWNS what land? All workers, internationally, are mere ‘variable capital’. Nationalism is shit, whether it’s ‘indigenous’ or not. How many ‘white’ Americans have ‘native’ DNA, or vica versa…Who is a ‘Real’ anything, and who’s to judge -It’s all racist horseshit. Solidarity with the hunger strikers!
Oh, and meanwhile-
It’s not just the Middle East, but Croatia too -100,000 marched last week and 5000+ on Sunday-
“The protesters carried a huge banner reading “330,000 unemployed, 40,000 without pay, capitalism – no thanks”. “Thieves, thieves”, “Mafia”, “We want elections”, “Resignations” and “Everyone take to the streets”, they shouted. ”
http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/English/Politics/Croatia-Anti-government-protesters-burn-party-and-EU-flags_311748250484.html
what the heck is “indigenous nationalism”?
Maoris facing antiterrorist laws in their own country or what? using genocide history against migrants?
@JS: Have you taken in mind that “scientific terms” might be means of authority too? Like the enlightment has become its opposite, positivist social sciences are nothing more than tools of oppression for the ruling class. Because they lack of the ability to criticize. First it’s about which school of thought you believe are wrong and right. Second: You are trying to “rule” this discussion by referring to scientific terms which you seem to know and everyone else doesn’t, thus you are the only one with the ability to see the “truth”, thus you are the master. I won’t be your slave.
Further I don’t think behavioral psychology should be used to explain human beings, for I think of people as humans not as black boxes. Also, like it is with positivist science in general, what exist musn’t be what we have in future.
Studying sociology myself I recommend you to do some research in Critical Theory (Adorno: Dialectic of Enlightenment, Studies on the Authoritarian Personality, Introduction to Sociology (trans. from German, don’t know the english title), Horkheimer: Traditional and Critical Theory, Marcuse: One-Dimensional Man). This is imo one of the most outstanding theories in sociology and many approaches in the last 30 years have fallen back under their level.
Man, I’m so angry, that my English isn’t fluent. My motherlanguage is German. I don’t feel like everything is the same what I think and what I write.
Regarding out-groups: Incubus has made the point. Sociology defines an outgroup as a group of people to whom another group is hostile and prefers their own peeps. And now comes the part of defintion you forgot: Out-groups are often a victim to biased attribution. And thats it: People aren’t born that way, it’s an attribution by other people (sociology you know?) based on economic and ideological issues.
Just because outgroups exist, there is no need for them to be there. As you use a discription of the existing to legitimate racism, you block our critique with it. We critize what evokes this “outgroup”.
All concepts of ethnic, racial or national ‘purity’ are primitive (in the widest sense of the word) and contrary to scientific reality whether used by Fascist parties, totalitarian states or any political grouping. The principle of universal humanity in the face of all injustice, exploitation or oppression should stand above any particular historical grievance- be it ‘native’ Americans, Maoris, desendents of African slaves, victims of the holocaust…But it doesn’t…People hold their cultural heritage dear, but it seems to me, this sense of identity can so easily slip into hatred and fantasies of exterminatory vengeance against the historical perpetrator ‘race’, (or other groups, whether real or perceived). The sense of having suffered a unique injustice drives some to have as much irrational hatred of entire groups of people as the original perpetrators had in the first place, and ensures a cycle of degrading, mindless dehumanisation. Justifications based on ownership of land, cultural separatism, ethnic homogeneity tend to lend themselves to chauvanist, fascistic and xenophobic attitudes, and are therefore, it seems to me, incompatible with an anti-authoritarian viewpoint. The bourgeoisie uses the falsehood of race and the reality of culture to divide us as can be seen by the argument above…and Please admin, don’t let National Socialists post their faeces here…
Your are just like a stupid cannibal or gasdriver who will always find sweet excuses (his freedom!) for his crimes and your religion (that’s excactly what ideology is!) is closer to bourgois propaganda than any “rascist” indigenous thoughts. In your definition the ANC are all nazis propably only because you Mr. First World is annoyed by the idea that indigenous might think tourism sucks and could ask you rich man for a real anti-imperialist visum. Fucking “anti”-authoritan lawmaker i guess you steal indigenous culture like dreadlocks and didgeridoo like all the other progressive (positive) rascist scenemakers.
Nah mate, no dreadlocks here, no hippy diggeridoo, no ideology either, nor any tourism, nor a shitty planet-destroying car, (but yeah, the ANC are a bunch of corrupt proto-Marxist fucks who have done NOTHING for the working people in SA, or the ‘area boys’ in shitholes like Soweto)…You seem to think racism only exists amongst stupid white people, because you have so little real experience of other cultures -Never met a black anti-semite, a racist Jew or Hindu, a Nigerian who thinks Caribbeans are scum? You think the Hutus loved the Tutsis, that Bantus don’t hate Zimbabwean immigrant workers? If the idea of ‘kicking out the white Americans from America’ appeals to you, why not extend it to Brazil- kick out the descendants of the Portuguese, the African slaves, and all the diverse peoples that settled there, or why not Europe- ethnically cleanse it of all non-europeans. It’s all the same principle-Racism…You really are up your own self-righteous anti-imperialist, nihilist arse, as usual. Idiot.
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