Pages

Monday, July 6, 2015

Athens has reinvented our vision of democracy

In such grim times, it’s wonderful to celebrate the collective courage of the Greeks, who – with a leadership capable of offering a vision of a different future - rejected the troika (Greek voters defy Europe, 6 July). Of course it is going to be horrendously tough, but then it would be if they had grovelled and voted yes. We tell our children (albeit with feminist and anti-slaving caveats) that democracy was invented by the Greek city states. This demonstration of democracy in action is surely one of Greece’s finest moments.How can we offer solidarity? Buy Greek products as a positive version of boycotting those of repressive regimes, and, if we have the resources, holiday there in locally owned hotels. Yes, these are very modest suggestions, yet given the utter lack of an alternative vision from Britain’s “left of centre” parties where the centre has drifted so far to the right, practical support of the Greek people might help us believe that there is an alternative. Professor Hilary RoseLondon Related: Greece and Spain helped postwar Germany recover. Spot the difference | Nick Dearden Continue reading...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com