The Heroic Vote of the Long Suffering Greek People

For years they have had to endure the pain of austerity. Look on helplessly as their jobs disappeared, and their pensions shrank.

But still the cruel and greedy banksters wanted to impose even more austerity upon them. And humiliate them further for daring to elect a left-wing government.

But today the Greek people finally rose up and said enough is enough. 

In a referendum seen as the single biggest experiment in people power since the debt-stricken country crashed on the rocks of bankruptcy, 61% of voters rejected the terms of further financial assistance set by creditors at the European Union and International Monetary Fund. Lobbed at the heart of Europe with the force of a rocket launcher, the rejection was a cry of rage. 

 “Oxi, oxi, oxi [No, no, no] that was what we had to say,” said Roula Apostolou, a student, who had rushed to the headquarters of prime minister Alexis Tsipras’s radical leftwing Syriza party. “What you have heard is the voice of the people, the rage of the gods.”

The rage of the gods. The greedy banksters in shock. What a wonderful moment it was...



And what made it even more wonderful for me was that it was young people who helped lead the way to victory...



Young Greeks in particular, who have been especially hard-hit by policies that have deprived them of hope, are thought to have played a seminal role in the outcome. Joblessness among under 25s is above 55%.

Just like they are doing in Spain with the Podemos movement, that now controls six of that country's biggest cities...



And just like they are are doing in other countries like Scotland, where they have helped the anti-austerity Scottish National Party take total control of that country.



And what I hope is that they will help inspire young people in this broken country to rise up against the Harper regime that would condemn them to misery and despair.

And help liberate our Canada.

From the song Liberation by Martyn Bennett, who was born in St John's, Newfoundland, and died of cancer in Edinburgh at the age of thirty three.

"The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacle of the righteous...it is marvellous in our eyes...



It's a liberation song tinged with sadness, as it should be. For Martyn who was an amazing artist died so young, and the road ahead for the Greek people will be a hard one.

But they rose up and chose struggle and hope, over fear, never-ending misery and despair.

As we will rise up against the Con regime, so that we too can say:

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacle of the righteous.

And it is marvellous in our eyes...

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