Well-researched post on Yanis Varoufakis, written from a Trotskyite Marxist POV, but that doesn't obscure Varoufakis's own words, which are quoted liberally. Where Varoufakis is coming from, and where is likely headed.
Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis’ mission to save capitalism
Chris Marsden | Socialist Equality Party
Also
A comment from a reader: The peculiar socialism of Syriza
Syriza capitulates to the EU
ht Bob in the comments
14 comments:
I'll be honest with you, Tom.
I am skeptical about Syriza and Varoufakis. I hope to be mistaken (and after the events these last days, I'm losing any limited faith I had in them), but I believe their election was an error Greek voters (and the Greek Left) may still have to regret.
Further, I'm happy the Communist Party did not join them in a coalition (as I was happy Syriza itself refused to join the Pasok/Christian Democrat Coalition): at least they can still keep their hands clean.
Having said all that, I think Marsden is being unfair to Varoufakis. He is evidently picking and choosing quotes, citing them out of context, to show Varoufakis in an unnecessarily bad light.
I'm not sure I even consider Varoufakis an "erratic Marxist", let alone a Marxist, but I don't think he's a charlatan, a traitor, or a sellout. And that's what Marsden's text boils down to.
This is not a matter of personalities.
For me, Varoufakis is just deeply, sadly mistaken (and the Greeks may have to pay for his errors).
Or maybe I'm just a fool. Take your pick.
------
I do despise the stunted, evil, cripple gargoyle Schaeuble.
Disclaimer: I and only I am responsible for the things I write. The recipients and hosts of my comments are not to be made responsible for my words.
Well, YV characterized himself as "an erratic Marxist" so I guess he asked for criticism from the left.
But you are right. It's not over until it is over, and the initial agreement that gets Syriza over the hump of default is not signed yet. That's only the first step if the goal is to stay in the EZ and end austerity within it, which the platform on which Syriza ran and the mandate the voters delivered.
Too early to second-guess this.
I also get the impression that YV and his team are paternalistic.
http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2015/02/21/515763the-assassination-of-greece/
Syriza’s compromises demonstrate that the looney right’s (the Economist, Financial Times, NY Times, etc.) characterization of Syriza as the “hard left” or the ultra-left have no basis in reality. For the Greek electorate’s “hope for the future” could turn to anger in the present. Only mass pressure from below can reverse Syriza’s capitulation and Finance Minister Vardoulakis unsavory compromises. Since he lacks any mass base in the party, Tsipras can easily dismiss him, for signing off on “compromise” which sacrifices the basic interests of the people.
However, if in fact, EU dogmatism and intransigence forecloses even the most favorable deals, Tsipras and Syriza, (against their desires) may be forced to exit the Euro Empire and face the challenge of carving out a new truly radical policy and economy as a free and independent country.
A successful Greek exit from the German – Brussels empire would likely lead to the break-up of the EU, as other vassal states rebel and follow the Greek example. They may renounce not only austerity but their foreign debts and eternal interest payments. The entire financial empire – the so-called global financial system could be shaken . . . Greece could once again become the ‘cradle of democracy’.Post-Script: Thirty years ago, I was an active participant and adviser for three years (1981-84) to Prime Minister Papandreou. He, like Tsipras, began with the promise of radical changes and ended up capitulating to Brussels and NATO and embracing the oligarchs and kleptocrats in the name of “pragmatic compromises”. Let us hope, that facing a mass revolt, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Syriza will follow a different path. History need not repeat itself as tragedy or farce.
Let us hope, that facing a mass revolt, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Syriza will follow a different path.
The election gave Syriza a contradictory mandate. Either the Greek people will persist in what is logically impossible by insisting on mutually exclusive goals, or they will change their collective mindset and select one of them. If they do, then I assume that Syriza will alter course accordingly.
Interestingly, YV was not a member of Syriza but was brought in from the outside.
I don't want to believe that Syriza people were complete idiots by promising ending austerity and continuing with euro. They never wanted to answer the question in realistic terms of how they were going to do It. They could not be naive enough to believe that EU was going to bow. Would you have been? So this brings me to think that very interesting events may lay ahead. YV might have been in mission to get the deal signed just to get some time. We don't have the information. It is just hard for me to believe that this is It. Tsipras might have thought that he can really drop the deal any time he wants to by not agreeing to some conditions attached but he could not get the debt extended once he lets the deadline go. YV is just doing what he is told, Tsipras might be bigger fish than we think.Tsipras was in one of those "modern money and public purpose" events, that video is somewhere in the net. it wasn't exactly MMT but Scott Fullwiler was there for example. We don't know why they did what they did but we don't have the whole picture, we don't know everything involved. These people are certainly more knowledgable than their opponents in Brussels. As of right now, I just don't buy that they gave up. Continuing with austerity is not an option for them any way if you think about it, they can't do it, they must understand that. This government is history in 3 months if they try It. I don't believe that this is a case of getting scared.
A Portuguese site had an interesting interpretation of last Friday´s eurogroup agreement, from the creditor countries´ POV.
It deciphered the agreement´s technocratic language into the brutal language of power relations.
Here is a translation.
“We won. After the last couple weeks watching the Greek government’s proclamations that it would sever the links with the troika, adopt measures contrary to the troika program, end the austerity, renegotiate the public debt (with perpetual bonds and securities linked to growth) and claim lower targets for the budget surplus, we, the 18 of the 19 Ministers of Finance of the euro, won the contest.
The troika continues. We are extending the existing loan, but under conditions: a review of the troika’s program must be successfully completed. Any flexibility to change the conditions of the current program will be “worked out together” between the Greek authorities and the “institutions” (the new name for the Troika). In our Brussels language, this is a double euphemism – “institutions” are the troika (a word that disappeared from the Eurogroup lexicon) and “working together” has always been the way the troika and we the ministers of the eurogroup, have publicly sold our model of “interaction” with national governments (in Portugal, while in reality the troika undermined the autonomy of the government, it kept saying said that it was the government who decided and implemented the austerity measures).
Nothing is guaranteed for the future. We, Eurogroup, will give you only three days to submit a list of reform measures based on the current program´s commitments; and it will be the troika who assesses whether the list is convincing and then give (or not) the green light to go ahead.
In case the list is not approved by the troika We, the Eurogroup, will send you neither the money included in the tranche, nor the repatriation of the European Central Bank´s profits on the Greek bonds.
The money for the banks is for the banks only. It is not to be spent for other purposes, as you had asked. This is the reason the money will be transfered from the Hellenic Financial Stabilization Fund (HFSF) to the European Financial Stabilisation Fund (the EFSF). It will remain at your disposal, but can only be used after a specific request to be approved by the European Central Bank.
You, the Greek government, will be able to select some of your austerity measures (“structural reforms” is an euphemism for eternal, tough measures in a particular sector of the economy). We agree with your intention to combat tax evasion and corruption and reform the state, something that should have been done long ago. But beware: our technicians will be looking at how you will do it.
Your public debt to us is to be paid down to the last cent.
We got the message, and we realize that you are deeply worried. For 2015 you may come to rely on a relaxation of the primary budget surplus target, which is 3% of GDP. But it will be only a slight easing, courtesy of the troika, and it will not correspond to your “red line” of 1.5% of GDP.
The troika is and will remain in charge. You, Greek government, will not reverse or change any measures of the adjustment program which have impact on the economy or on public finances – and the entity who evaluates the “impact” is the troika.
Now we will approve this agreement in our parliaments. And, then, you will have to work really hard. With the troika, that is.
This agreement shall be implemented. End of story.”
Both sides declared victory, which indicates that the perceptions are completely different and opposite.
What this implies, we don't yet know, since the agreement is not yet complete and Greece has until Monday to deliver its reform program for approval.
One thing seems sure. Syriza was not prepared to leave the EZ summarily, which what would have happened if an agreement to agree was not reached Friday. The same holds for the actual agreement on Monday, so we will have to wait until then to see what the next step actually will be.
My sense is that Syriza wants to go as far as it can to reconcile the irreconcilable objects of remaining in the EZ and ending austerity. It's not yet entirely clear which horn of the dilemma they will choose when push comes to shove. Based on Tsipras's statements, ending austerity seems to be his priority.
We'll see.
http://news.newsdirectory1.com/tsipras-fights-protest-in-our-very-own-ranks/
Greek Prime Minister Tsipras celebrates as winner in the tug of war with his creditors. Ironically, a figurehead of his campaign is now at a distance, and speaks of a sham.The Greek government is in difficulties: on the a single hand it has rigid requirements for reform of European creditors meeting, on the other hand, the expectations of their constituents to basic change. By Monday evening, the Greek government have to current their reform checklist. Whilst Prime Minister Tsipras strives to existing the improvement in a favorable light, now stirs protest in their very own ranks. A figurehead of the campaign of Tsipras and his movement SYRIZA in confrontation with the Prime Minister Manolis Glezos, a 92-year-old MEP and for the left Greeks also a myth from the time of resistance towards the German occupation. He reports to the Prime Minister eyewash.
1 post in Glezos apologized for his “involvement in the creation of illusions”. The agreed in Brussels renaming – as “institutions” alternatively of “Troika” or “agreements” rather of the hated “Memorandum” with the reform circumstances, “companion” as an alternative of “creditor” – have not altered in substance. In contrast, the Greek people voted for the promise of SYRIZA, the austerity, the memoranda and the Troika simply abolished.
From the standpoint of the Communists Glezos need to now reply to the party, “just before the evil progresses”. Since “between the oppressor and the oppressed” there can be no compromise. The members and individuals who supported the SYRIZA need to choose in extraordinary meetings, regardless of whether they desired to accept the current situation
Here is an interesting take
Much like the newly minted field marshal, Greece’s finance minister was dispatched on his tour of European capitals not to win the war but to lose it. The ultimate goal of Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, is not to compromise, but to facilitate an exit from the eurozone and regain control of both his country’s fiscal and monetary policies.
Because relinquishing the euro is likely to be unpopular, resuscitating the drachma must be framed as a patriotic response to the economic aggression of Greece’s foreign enemies. The villainised Troika of its international lenders and, better still, German chancellor Angela Merkel and her finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble serve this purpose. The loan extension that has emerged from negotiations in Brussels this week merely buys time for the Greek government to plan a more orderly return to its own currency
http://www.thebull.com.au/premium/a/52328-greece%27s-path-out-of-the-euro.html
Sounds plausible to me. Given the history along with recent German attitude and behavior, it won't be hard to demonize Germany with the Greeks. Given the hardline stance of the Germans (and others), Grexit is looking likely. No way they can accept continued austerity that is driving Greece into the ground. I would expect that there are already Greek missions to Russia and China exploring alternatives.
Further, I'm happy the Communist Party did not join them in a coalition: at least they can still keep their hands clean. And this is a good thing why? I'd be happier if the Communists joined the coalition, as it would have pulled Syriza in the right direction: Exiting austerity above everything else. The main problem with Varoufakis is his exaggerated nightmare scenario of Grexit produced by specious arguments.
However, if he & Tsipras keep to their words putting ending austerity above everything else, including EU & EZ membership, they're still OK. We'll know more tomorrow.
The real point is that it is not about debt, but degradation. About a nation being humiliated by innumerate zealots. Greece's debt is probably not even unpayable, if it just exited austerity in whatever manner, and got its people back to work, as Dan Kervick is rightly emphasizing is job #1.
Greece's debt is probably not even unpayable, if it just exited austerity in whatever manner, and got its people back to work, as Dan Kervick is rightly emphasizing is job #1.
Debt is all about terms. If YV proposal had been accepted there would be no problem paying the debt in full.
The problem is the creditors are arrogant and self-righteous pricks who are demanding blood from a stone with their terms.
The communist party is not making any compromises on anything with anyone. In current political reality where communists are a minority, you cannot govern a country with such a a coalition partner.
Post a Comment