With the radical left Syriza coalition tipped to form the next government in Greece following the announcement of early elections in the new year (The future has begun, says leftist Tsipras as he scents power, 30 December), liberal democracy is under scrutiny as it has never been before in the very heart of Europe. Will the Greek people and their democratic constitution be respected and upheld by the European and US establishments which have committed billions to foreign interventions in the name of democracy and human rights, or is Europe poised to experience the overthrow of a democratically elected government within its union?In connection with the possibility of Syriza forming the next government, one cannot help remembering US president Lyndon Johnson’s hubristic disregard for Greek democracy when he expressed himself with regard to the Greek ambassador’s concern with the US’s preferred solution on Cyprus: “Then listen to me, Mr Ambassador, fuck your parliament and your constitution. America is an elephant. Cyprus is a flea. If these two fleas continue itching the elephant, they may just get whacked by the elephant’s trunk, whacked good … We pay a lot of good American dollars to the Greeks, Mr Ambassador. If your prime minister gives me talk about democracy, parliament and constitutions, he, his parliament and his constitution may not last very long.”Russell CaplanLondon Continue reading...
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