Elections In Greece -- Yet Again: If In Doubt, Vote Dogmatically, Against Someone Else (to pull his nose), or just Follow Your Heart

I have been trying to understand why it is in Greece that elections are a much like a football game, where serious issues do not really count, the nation doesn't really count, what is better or worse for said nation doesn't really count...

In other words, a critically large portion of voters in Greece do not vote rationally at all!

How is this?

There are two-three points which makes sense out of this erratic and nationally self-destructive behaviour -- i.e. to be partisan behind politicians who have demonstrably sunk the country, and OR have abundantly demonstrated they are grossly incapable of performing any job, let alone running a country.

1st: Greeks vote left-wing for emotional reasons, because their "heart is on the left" or simply because such is their "style" mostly new-romantic.  Typical image of the "girl offering a policeman the rose". Any other consideration -- policy, proposed measures, etc -- does not enter the picture at all.
Then there are those that vote their personal choice of "left"because that is right thing. This vote is dogmatic.
Coming to think of it, the politicians representing most "left" wing parties are as dogmatic and intolerant as their religious counterparts in the middle ages.

2nd: Greeks voting sort-of right wing are pragmatist. They believe in what politicians are supposed to represent: free enterprise,  conservatism, EU membership... the usual "democratic" freedoms espoused in the wealthy countries of first world. The fact that these politicians have fallen short of implementing their convictions when in action does not daunt these voters. "Other choices are even worse", they say.

3rd There is the spattering of Greeks who choose to vote AGAINST someone, come what may. These are easily swayed one way or another by anyone who has the knack of manipulating Greek voters correctly; the erstwhile premier of the 80s Mr A. Papandreou (now deceased) was masterful in this. The present, not as masterful leader of the deter-left party, a Mr Tsipras, is donning the style of the aforementioned Papandreou's to the fullest extent and to unparalleled success! The old ruse works!!

Of course there are those who simply vote for strict personal gain and get their hands in the till (see Pasok in recent years or Syriza now). But these alone do not an election win.*


So, elections in Greece in recent years are not about what is better or perceived as such for the country, nation: in fact Greeks are not hot about their "nation" believing for some strange reason that any reference to "nation" is a vestige of the right wing, which is definitely not trendy and generally unacceptable.

Elections in Greece are mostly about the three points above, and which one prevails - or combination thereof prevail.



Greeks are used to voting, after all democracy is a greek word as is the institution, both direct and indirect democracy. Greeks are also used to voting as a means to decide on issues and have been doing so for a few millennia already.

So, in the end, these elections are, yet again, all about having a bit of fun and tomorrow politicians will flock into the TV stations, well-connected market-research companies will have their 15 mins of free TV fame, and in particular, home delivery restaurants will do great business!


For anyone who is not Greek but knows and is interested in the country, it is all very charming and fun.
Woe betide those who are...





*Case in point: in the 2004 elections where a pragmatist and serious campaign led the centre-right party (Nea Democratia) to power by a very large marginby local standards). However that party did not act upon its promise and that was the last time Greeks voted with anything even remotely resembling common-sense.

Elections in Greece -- a New Party in Power

Let's us hope that they are not really the bunch of illiterate, uncouth, bullshitting conmen they seem to be during the pre-electoral period.

At the end of the day, they may just be full of sh*t, making wild declarations and accusations, something of a parody of the archetypal Latin American dictator-revolutionary...

That they are imperiously indifference to their country's fate is a given: they wouldn't have insitgated elections at the moment, had they been interested in their nation.

In fatc, nation is a much forgotten word in Greece.
Forgotten by the politicians, most of whom have a "left-wing babble disorder".

After all, Greece has an authoritarian left-wing regime.

Greek Elections: Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.. Greek style

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité  is the motto of the French Republic. It is also the feed for hope worldwide.

Many countries have in one way or another adopted something similar, Haiti exactly the same.

In essence these three words are the quintessence of modern day cohabitation and, to a large extent, they can be seen reflected in the global community:
liberte: I can speak freely, to anyone, to the world (well, most of the time, anyway...)
egalite: we are equal -- just check this when you are on-line, say even in a bog standard forum; we are equal!
fraternite: when an e-friend was undergoing a major operation, I wrote mentioned it online. Hundreds wrote back to say they are praying, thinking and supporting! Not important, you say, what counts is the doctor who performed the operation (open heart surgery).
Wrong: the patient was reading all of this, his courage rose sky-high. It is no small thing to know that someone half way around the world is thinking of you...

Speaking with a friend, he claimed that in Greece, this motto has been abandoned politically. Whether it was ever a la une is unknown. "Suffice it to say" he said "that it certainly does not apply in this hard-line stalinist Soviet country":

liberte: OK, no problem, as long as you say what we prefer, OR no-one listens to you (whereby, say whatever you like). Liberte of action is less open: business etc is grudgingly tolerated, small-scale. For large scale, the politicians in power must be made privy and party to the project and expect part of the action.
egalite: there is us and them. Politicians in Greece and civil servants are allowed to receive kickbacks. For the rest of the population, this practise is called fraud. Politicians are also unaccountable for their actions, which makes things even more pleasant. So egalite only for politicians, between them.
fraternite: you kidding me???? The spoils are for me, my close family, and friends, all within the political establishment. There is us and the rest. Fraternite... really!



An interesting view on the present day of the country that invented democracy and which, in the year 2k had near-triple the per capita of its huge neighbour, an empire not so long ago (Turkey).

Now Greece is distinguished by the 5th highest worldwide unemployment rate, it has received the largest amount of foreign aid ever recorded in the world history, it has numerous opportunities for growth yet chooses to elect a prime minister whose conduct and declarations remind us more of parodied African chieftains than a contemporary leader of the western world.

The only consolation for contemporary Greeks is to look back at what their country once used to be.

Happy New Year?

Let's hope so.

For some, this year started out very badly: it is their last.

Words pale, fail to express raw horror. And my vocabulary is poor.

For others, like us, still here to witness the horror, life goes on.
We are the lucky ones.

Merry Xmas!!! (From The Country That Doesn't Give A Damn)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Greece's MPs voted today (those of them that were awake and lucid) for a second time in the presidential election.

168 voted in favour, not enough to elect the new president.

As usual and expected, the stock exchange plummeted.

As expected, the politicians continue their bickering, indifferent to the havoc they are creating.

Unfortunately, they don't give a damn. Or they don't know worth a damn. Mostly, both. Greek MPs are notorious for not reading the texts they are discussing. Rumour has it and internal Parliamentary sources seem to confirm the rumour that more than 60% of the MP in the Greek Voule who voted in favour or against the loan agreement and the attached memorandum had not actually read the text they voting.

 Greece may be in dire straits, but the political catchphrase in Athens remains: what? Me worry???? (Never!)

Why worry: politicians have amassed their wealth, they are set for life (or think they are), they have nothing to fear.  If it all fails, there is always Switzerland...

Presidential Elections in Greece:the triumph of personal expediency!

SO, what else is new? 

Greece's parliament (300 strong, for a population of ~10 million... not bad) voted 160 in favour of the presidential nominee. Not enough to instate a President.
Ridiculous people playing dangerous games: if Greece does NOT elect a President, general elections must be held.

All of this comes at a moment where the country is struggling to exit recession and move onto the tenuous path of recovery. Yet, Greece's members of Parliament and their entourage (media, advisers, cronies and the like) spend their time analysing and speculating -- not one giving paying attention or, at least, mentioning what would be good for the country for once.


Yet, when viewed from the point of view of Greek politicians', this lighthearted approach is understandable:
Greece's politicians and their cronies are well fed. Reportedly, many have amassed wealth and connections that guarantee further affluence. Most have no clue of how the world around them operates, what the market is and how business is conducted. Most have never held a proper job.

So, when a crisis like the present one hits them, they are blissfully unaware of the dangers or the repercussions of their actions; why should they, after all? They are comfortably off, their monetary needs are taken care of, they get a decent pension (better than decent: around  7k / month + extras) and... who cares if the Athens Stock Exchange dropped by 28% in just three days? They are not exposed and they do not understand what it is to be captive -- so they cannot feel it. They have no idea.

Their world is a theoretical world, or conceptual for those who have the gift to conceptualize, and nothing more; reality has to do with their home, their friends, their constituents and the favours they owe others...

Except for the actual wealth, the affluence: no theory here, that is one is for real. All public money.


Greece's politicians and their cronies: Never have so few owed so much to so many.

Emotions run rampant: Greek politicians bickering with nary a care for their country. Yet again...

It is well known that Greece has been in 6years recession  and is, on paper atleast, exiting the recession as of the 3rd quarter 2014. While "the end of recession" is not something to take to the bank, the general business atmosphere is much better than it was two years ago.

Greece's coalition government was scheduled to nominate a candidate for the presidency at the end of the 1st quarter of 2015. Instead, in a sudden move, mostly incomprehensible or as the Economist notes, a "gamble", Greece's Prime Minister, A Samaras, moved the election 3 months forward to this week.
The Eurozone granted a 2 months extension to the loan programme which was normally due 31st December.

Greece's PM, A Samaras, exiting. Fortunately for Greece, it is not the Eurozone he is leaving, just the Greek Voule -- temporarily

In Greece, the President is voted into office indirectly through the Voule (parliament). The office has few executive powers, so the President is seen as a figure of unity and of course, the ultimate representative of the country worldwide. In this respect and with a single exception (a nonentity named Sartzetakis), all of Greece's  Presidents had done their best to forget political hue and focus on the nation.
So it is not the President but the procedure of instating which the point of contention between political parties. To be instated at the first vote, the nominee has to reach a 2/3 majority or 180 out 350 MPs. If that fails, the country can be led to elections. In Greece no single party has enjoyed such luxurious majority, so the choice of President has always been a matter for bargaining, bartering and petty bickering.

And bickering is where it's at now even though the dire financial situation does not allow for political instability.

But who cares? Obviously not Greece's elected representatives.

The main opposition, Syriza, your usual '60s type "down with everything and everybody else" self-proclaimed left-wing party, had intimated that it will block the vote. The party contends that it is making a point: not to support the "people who brought the country into this mess". Considering that most of its supporters come from Pasok, an erstwhile ruling "socialist" party, this puts them in the same basket. (This same party has declared that it is other peoples fault the country is indebted, that it will raise taxes, lower taxes, review the civil service, re-instate the civil servants' lost income...)
 
The left-wing Dimar has openly declared it will not support the nomination. Likewise for the right wing Golden Dawn. Both of these parties are blocking the vote as a matter of political principle rather than rational rationale.


Independent MP's are being flirted with to cast their vote, one way or another.


The candidate is a man called Stavros Dimas, European commissioner for the Environment and Minister for Foreign Affairs (briefly), a lawyer by trade. At the onset, an OK candidate, good personality, has impact and some work experience. BUT, let not the quality of the candidate for the job influence the vote!


So here we are, waiting for the 17th when the first vote will take place...
And yet, by all standards, Greece is bafflingly lucky. As Stephen Pope put it in a recent contribution to Forbes magazine, commenting on the Eurozone's decision to extend the programme by two months to accommodate the latest news from Greece,
"Once again to those outside of the Eurozone, it is baffling how a sovereign nation that should never have been allowed into the Euro in the first place…which should have left the Euro in 2010…has again been rewarded for failing to deliver its side of the bailout bargain by being allowed more time to comply."

Quite so.
Especially for a country whose inhabitants have seen their taxes grow by 35% in 6 years,  the disposable income fall by 47% and private sector unemployment soar to 25.7 - 26.4% (the ministry of labour is not sure which of the two applies).

So, the good part is that Greece and its presidential election are in the news-- and publicity is always good it is said.

The bad part is, it's all for the wrong reasons.


Again, Greece's inhabitants deserve better than their politicians.

"Help, I feel I'm sinking..."

I was speaking to a friend this W-E aboutwhat I think is the rise of loneliness in the world, despite (or in spite of) ll the communication devices we have at our disposal.

HE was much more positive. "You have access to so many people on line. Even the words of a perfect stranger could provide enough comfort. Even if words alone don't mean much, the fact that someone takes the trouble to write them proves we are not alone."

I would like it to be so, but I'm not so sure. I googled the phrase and not much came up in way of support; of course, much of the correspondance will have been done through private messaging I expect.

However, back to the brass tacks: "sinking" usually means something went wrong beforehand.

A stranger can hardly put right whatever went wrong. Often, the only person who right the wrong is the sufferer; I think this is because many of the wrongs are either a matter of perception, or matters that require personal presence and action.



Of course, it would be nice to have someone take the matter in their hands and tell us that it's going to be OK. And regress to childhood....





Which may be better than resorting to temporary chemical relief from the problem -- which does not solve the problem per se.

Don't let the flame go out

We don’t want your medical tourism business

An article by Dr Constantine Constantinides of healthCare cybernetics that appeared in the IMTJ looks at the resentment factor in medical tourism.

We don't Want Your Medical Tourism Business...
We have known for some time that several hospitals in Ontario, Canada have been providing care on a “for-profit basis” to people from outside Canada and generating millions of dollars in revenue.
But in November 2014, we read that the (Liberal) Canadian Government had taken steps to put the brakes on medical tourism into Ontario, and that this was greeted as welcome news by the coalition of health organisations that had been calling for the government to end the practice.
But why should this be “welcome news”?

The Canadian “Directive” on medical tourism

In 2014, Minister of Health, Eric Hoskins issued a letter to all Ontario hospitals requesting that they not market to, solicit or treat international patients with the exception of international patient activity related to a hospital's existing international consulting contracts. Back in 2012, Dr. Hoskins’s predecessor, Deb Matthews, had warned hospitals that they could only treat international patients in non-emergency cases if no public dollars were used, no Ontario patients were displaced, and all the revenue generated was spent on hospital services for Ontarians.
Hoskins also pledged that the Ministry of Health would work with relevant hospitals on a framework to ensure compliance with the outlined principles and requirements. In the interim, he asked hospitals not to enter into new international consulting contracts that include the treatment of foreign nationals in Ontario.
So, what motivated this move? For me, the move was motivated by the medical tourism resentment factor.

The Asia incident... disruption of a medical tourism industry event

I seem to remember reading (in 2014) about placard-wielding protesters who disrupted a Medical Tourism Congress being held in a prominent Asian medical tourism destination. The Asian protesters were likewise ill-disposed towards the idea of medical services being offered to international patients.
Like their Canadian counterparts, the Asian protesters were apparently opposed to any scheme that turns health into a “for-profit commodity” to be bought and sold, especially if it involves providing export quality healthcare services to foreigners.

The resentment towards “inbound” medical tourism…  

In 2009, I briefly addressed the benefits and losses (for a destination) associated with the provision of medical tourism services in an IMTJ article (Medical tourism: The Resentment Factor and the (beneficial) Ripple Effect).
We know that medical tourism development delivers benefits for a destination and its “providers”. But some feel that, at the same time, the provision of medical tourism services is associated with “loss”, at least for a sector of the population.
The medical tourism resentment factor, in essence, refers to anger felt and expressed by locals towards the practice of treating paying foreign patients at local hospitals.
The resentment to inbound medical tourism is primarily fueled by the feeling that scarce healthcare resources are diverted away from the poor “entitled” locals and channeled to rich “unentitled” foreigners.
When it comes to inbound medical tourism, the following issues cause resentment:

• Export quality healthcare services, provided exclusively to foreigners (inequality).
  
• The subsidizing of medical tourism development and promotion with taxpayers’ money (taking from the poor to give to the rich).
  
• Internal brain and resources drain (diversion of human and technical resources away from the locals and channeling them towards foreigners).
  
• Healthcare services “free-loading” (e.g. unentitled foreigners making use of free public healthcare services as experienced in the UK’s National Health Service)
  
• Unsavory practices (such as the trade in kidneys, which discredits the country)

________________________

On the other hand, other countries can be thankful, even if they do not express these thanks in any manner -- Germany for instance. Germany has by far the highest turn-over in Medical Tourism in the EU. The fact does not seem to have had effects on the quality of medical services offered to the national population.
In other countries, it might even help raise the standards for the population as well; the fact that a country is selling medical tourism presupposes the existence of quality medical services among other things. As the level of services offered to medical tourists expands, such service level may become more accessible to the population as well.
Hopefully. 
India could be the example here...

Consumerism And The Surge of Luxury Brands In Greece -- A Thing Of The Past?

 Attending various to-do's, bashes, and even official occasions in Greece, I noticed that all (within experimental limits of error) of the indigenous population always sported at least one piece of garment from a luxury brand.

I wondered at this near-religious propensity...

Many fast-moving mass consumption products here -- but there's also Rolls et alia. You get the drift.

I put aside the obvious reasons: upmarket branded apparel & accessories are well made; more often than not they are original, look good, and are always very -- or outrageously -- expensive. That is to say, one can easily acquire other items that do the same job for much less -- minus the logo, of course.

So, I focused on the logo.
In and of itself, the logo alone did not furnish sufficient explanation for the "rite of the brand". Humongous sales at every social nook & cranny: I was assured that a few years ago, every woman, girl, and her aunt, had a DK or two in her wardrobe, including those living in the remotest villages in Crete.

Could it be a matter of taste -- but then again that point of view did not wash; Not only is it a fact that contemporary Greeks are far from being stalwart proponents of elegance and refinement, it is also a fact that the fastidious choice in stentorianbranded excellence did not extend to other items and habits including, at times, personal hygiene.

And then I hit upon it -- or a friend did and I followed.
He said, people buy XYZ because they they do not like who they are and wish to be like someone else. That someone is wearing a BurbXYZ coat; ergo, by donning one of same, I become identical to said someone.

Existential problem, solved.

This viewpoint not only adequately explains the phenomenon, it also provides invaluable insight into contemporary Greek psyche. "With a label I am someone to be reckoned with; without it, I am just myself, i.e. no-one."

Viewed thus, the erstwhile hordes of buyers outside the Burberry's etc outlets make sense. From a personal point of view, it is a confirmation of oneself, asserting one's existence and success; from a social point of view, one asserts oneself and confirms being part of the exalted circles of Burberry owners, thereby dispensing the need to learn manners,how to eat, or how to welcome a guest at one's home -- indeed, how to decorate one's home to receive guests.
And, from a financial point of view, simply buying a Hermes scarf beats going to finishing school: it is much cheaper, faster, and it keeps out the cold.

A bargain!

So, I do not think the importance of luxury brands has fallen in Greece; it is only the money that makes the difference.

The "Troika" to Be Pulled Out of Greece?

Or, that's what is rumoured in numerous publications including the Irish Independent.

Putting national pride aside, that's bad news for Greeks and other inhabitants of the country.

So far, the (very) few reforms have been implemented either because the "troika" put their foot down -- which is rare -- or because the "troika" suggested and served as the scapegoat.

A photo of the 3 "reps" together in Athens

Without the Troika, who will be the one to uphold common sense in Greece? Certainly not the Greek politicians -- they haven't produced an inkling of communality since the advent of time... The main opposition party is still harping about leaving the Euro zone (and the EU) and having the country live happily on its own -- they probably have not caught on to the existence of the internet yet.


So what are the poor Greeks to do? They will be left to the merciless mercy of hungry predators who have 5 years of austerity-experience under their belt and they have thereby discovered a very dangerous truth: that Greeks have proven very tolerant in the name of "we have to survive and there is no money". They have not seriously questioned the barrage of nuisance taxes that has wiped out much of the middle classes. They are likely to accept any pillage that they are victims of as... "financial fate".


And, dangerously enough, there may be less and less Greeks will be able to do about it: if you are in power in Greece and you wish to do something that is reprehensible in some way, all you need to do to make it acceptable is legislate:
 Let us not forget that Greece is probably the only country where giving "presents" to civil servants is legal. And politicians are not liable for anything. By law.



Meanwhile the rodents will be chewing away at the spoils and dancing happily knowing they are safe from public fury, creditors' supervision, and annoying legal constraints...

Are You Thinking of Dying in Greece? Don't.

Don't... for any number of reasons, most obvious being that we want you here, with us, beside us, in our lives...

Here is another, less obvious reason:don;t die because you are in Greece.

It is very  bureaucratic nightmare to die in Greece; what's more and perhaps worse for your friends & family, you can only be decently buried if you are Christian and cremation is out of the question. Also, death & ceremony are very expensive, costing upward of Euro 5k for a service, ceremony and...
then, you have the 40 days and, to be sure, a three years burial.

Eh???

Yup, three years is all you get. At the end of which, your loved one is EXHUMED and the remains thrown away, unless you pay further for something to be done... such as store the remains in a small container that you have to buy.

Yup, death is good business -- but obviously not for you OR your family. Apart from the emotional strain...


Unfortunately, the above is not a scene from an episode of the successful erstwhile series of skeletal ilk*; it is, as the wonderful Father Iakovos** once said, "a gruesome view of what reality is..."
Having been there I can testify to that - as can many others.

So, be smart. Die elsewhere.
How about in France? You can die in perfect dignity; people you never even met pay their respect; no-one is hurried out and the personnel are gentle. And, of course, you may even opt to rest at Pere Lachaise, with Jim Morrison and many others.

But whatever you do, you deserve to rest in peace, we all do.
So steer away from Greece of today.


*  "Bones"
**Father ("Pateras") Iakovos is an Orthodox priest and spiritual guide. In the tradition of orthodox priests, he is wise, uninhibited, and unusually clear-sighted. Father Iakovos and others like him show us what decent people are like and are a joy to be with.