"DE-BAIT", in Greece

On Sept 21st 2009 the leaders of the two major political parties in Greece, Nea Democratia and Panhellenic Socialist Movement, met before the TV cameras for a show reminiscent of the Eurovision trash-song contest.
Minus the actual voting, of course. That comes on Oct 4th.
That's a shame because,

• it's the best part of the (any) Eurotrash show,

• it would save taxpayers in Greece an estimated (and mind-boggling) Euro 115-125 million in subsidies to politicians & their parties.

Not to be outdone by the leading role politicians, TV entertainers ensured their own full star billings by extending the event on either chronological side: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we had pre and post debate discussions and shows. Free content.
The pre's analysing, and speculating on what the two leader were to say; the latter analysing and and speculating on what the leaders actually did say (or not, as the case may be).
Not to put a too fine point on it, little was exchanged that had political consequence.

May I dare propose the following brief but (I believe) no less accurate summary?

• New Demo: I've had it with all the bozos around me. Same old bull, plus ca change plus c'est la meme chose. Country's run by a bunch of lazy morons, anyway.
• Pan Socialist: "I've got a dream, I've got a vision: I'm riding the donkey and leading the country. It is my turn to ride the donkey. They're not the only ones with bills to pay..."

Allegedly, viewership was low in the <24 year olds.

Who said Greek voters are not choosy when it comes to TV entertainment?

"...votez corruption..." Will the Greeks hold out (and on?)?

During French elections two years ago, the slogan "vote for/ choose corruption over fascism..." was aired and heard quite often, urging voters to avoid falling for the extreme Right Wing's sweet siren song of paradise to come. The matter there was clear: choose the lesser evil
As some of us know, the electoral results were in line with the injunction: France chose a run of the mill gov ("corruption") -- rather than the Right Wing paradise.

I Greece, we are past democracy and related sentimentalist bullshit. Voting is a football match, only more expensive and even less fair.

To go back to the french paradigm, one of our problems in Greece is that voters are not faced with a similar choice between two or more evils -- or chosing between windfall solutions; it is all about making a quick buck -- 1.4bucks, to be precise, the Euro having clambered up the scale lately.

So the up and coming elections in Greece are really about choosing the party in which we are best connected, and hoping they will win. If we are connected to the winners , we too can hope for a small share of the spoils...

It is a pity.

Of course this is not a unique case... bemoaning the situation in Greece as if it were better elsewhere, because there is no evidence that politicians are better elsewhere.

It is just that things are so blatantly obvious and unrestrained in Greece, that public Administration enjoys writing the rules to its apparatchiks satisfaction at any junction, that rule of law is talked about more than it is applied, that living in Greece is best for people above the bog-standard law. And of course, Investing in Greece is best left to people who are well connected politically and otherwise, and can hope for serious government contracts -- and/or government influenced favours.


In light of the above, Greeks have held up pretty well. While people living in Athens are generally hostile, with psychopathological aggressive tendencies, they survive. Without proper political representation, un-empowered police (who are still the "bad guys"), iffy schools, expensive lifestyle and expensive real estate...
Only the country's representative Basket Ball team has something to say for itself. Indeed, in that respect it probably is unique in its partiotic duties.

So, the electoral motto no one voices out loud in Greece is, "Who cares about Democracy?
Who is it, who knows somebody, who knows the King, who holds the purse strings? That's who you vote for!"