Greece's Referendum: the David Syndrome

Reading about reactions to the results of the (sham) referendum in Greece, I asked myself why is it that Greeks voted the way they did?

I don't mean to pay more than lip service to the political declarations bandied about -- but the real why. Maybe it would be one of the political pronouncements, maybe not. It wasn't.

Thoughts led me to an astounding "aha" moment: in a reductionist, I concur, view of the affair I realise that a large section of the population is in David psychology. That that sizeable section of the population sees the country as a valiant, developing nation and not as what Greece really is: a wealthy country (not so much due to the crisis) part of the EU, member of the eurozone.

The present Greek government feeds this view; maybe its members believe it or maybe they are suffering under the weight of a massive inferiority complex. The fatc of the matter is that Greece is a member of the rich mens' club, and its present government and many of its voters interpret their discontent as the need to assert their existence. Which is not in doubt. This is akin to the thwarted adolescent, looking for his or her path in life...

The signs are there: the need to assert, to say no, to "dare", to "challenge" the "bullies" who are oppressing us", i.e. not sucking up to us or openly saying "I love you".


There are no bullies, so to speak. Greece is a country that belongs to the rich mens' club and, despite all the recession and the austerity, its civil servants are all still there (unlike, say, Romania) and still earn more than they did 15 years ago; it may not be much but it is something.

No, the bullies are inside us.

Let's hope the euro-partners catch on to this, fast.