Yeeeeeha...or not

The government is holding back wages and continues with the cuts. There's a group on facebook calling all the Greek people, from all over Greece, to gather at the center of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patra, the three biggest cities of Greece, today to sit- protest against the austerity measures. Another thing that is important to mention here is that no political parties are involved in this protest and no one is attending as representative of any political party.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/%CE%91%CE%B3%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%A3%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%A3%CF%85%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%BC%CE%B1/210627972310743

Now at this point I'd like to say that I'm a bit relieved as it seems that we finally are waking up but it's still a bit late! But better late than never. Meh... A revolutionary movement when the tip of the knife has passed the flesh and started scratching the bones that protect the lungs. Pretty poetic huh? But still better late than never.

Last year, and even some months earlier, all the political parties were protesting against the austerity measures. A large amount of people were on the streets and another large amount of people were sitting at their homes watching from their t.v sets while having lunch or trying to come back home from work cursing those who had blocked the roads in protest of the austerity measures.



I went to one of these protests outside of the parliament once. In all honesty my stomach turned for a second when I saw 3 or 4 different blocks and banners from different political parties. Your saviors are laughing at your face and you still hold their banners high. I went to one of those marches to take pictures and a guy I used to talk to said: “Pff and why are you going to take pictures? You think you're a photographer or something? Pfff” Do I have to say what this guy was and still is? I bet you know what I'm going to call him...yup a major dickwad.

Plus, everyone was marching behind the block or flag of their political parties. Different marches, different blocks, different ideologies but marches and protests for the same goal with final destination the same place. The parliament. “They're a bunch of morons...of course I won't march with them. I'll be at the protest but with my Union” I heard a guy saying proudly behind his party's block.

This has nothing to do with your Unions. This has nothing to do with which political party you vote for. This has nothing to do with the brand of cigarettes you smoke, which t.v show you watch and who you think represents your political opinion best. This has to do with you, me and everyone else.

I guess this had to happen for people to realize that they're not alone on this planet and all that matters is not just their precious little ass and comfortable beds but also the person next to them. We're all philanthropists and sympathize with our neigbor's suffering only when their suffering becomes ours as well. Till then we just don't give a fuck and we pray to the lord not to happen to us. We only worry when our own life and prosperity is on the line.

This whole, "I'll march with my Union", or "I'll march behind the block of my political party" or "I'll go behind the anarchists block and start breaking things and give a big fuck you to all the others" reminds me of the good ol' “divide and conquer”.

Now they chase the so called anarchists for damage of public property. Tomorrow, they will be chasing the communists for being too whiney. Next day, they'll go for the simple left wings because they will ruin the country etc etc.

And at this point I would like to get my pipe fill it with smoke, wear my monocle and my satin robe, sit in my comfortable chair, cross my legs and recite a part from a poem that is attributed to Pastor Niemoller or Bertolt Brecht. I'm still a bit confused who's it by.


“First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me”

I'm not playing revolutionary, and of course I'd like to think that this is all for the best and it's a step forward. All I'm saying is that I'm glad that finally people decided to act together and put aside their political parties' banners. But on the other hand, I still fear that once the “storm” is over and out, everything and everyone will turn back to “normal” again. Meh...laterz.

P.S: THE PICTURE'S FROM THE PROTESTS THAT HAPPENED IN 2010. And the first one cause I'm an A-class photographer.