I watched very carefully all 3 debates between US President Barack Obama and Republican Candidate Mitt Romney, as well as most of the Presidential campaigns. At the beginning I thought that it would be a walk in the park for Obama, even though he did not meet most of the expectations of all mankind for real change, during the last four years. Eventually I was wrong, as Romney is supported by different trusts. 

                                       It is well known that the American President did not succeed in cutting down unemployment, and the expected so called "Green energy revolution" never came through, while the biggest economy in the world is still floundering. Nevertheless Obama made a significant change in America's healthcare system, which he now wants to enforce, he took the US troops out of Iraq, as he promised, and bound to take them out of Afghanistan as well, in 2014. 

                                         In other words, the militaristic mood of the President is exactly opposite than the one of his predecessor, George W. Bush, and that's the most important issue at stake in these elections. I've heard many times the Republican challenger saying that he has no intention to attack Iran, or to get involved militarily with troops on the ground in the Syrian civil war. He has constantly spoken much more aggressively than Obama though about the role that the US should play in the Middle East, and by the way, he doesn't agree with any military spending cuts. 

                                               We have noted of course that the Israeli government and the Jewish lobby have decided to support Romney, and the Israelis are the first who would support an attack on Iran, not now but...yesterday. We also heard Romney claiming that the biggest threat for America is... Russia, bringing us back to the cult 80s' decade and its Cold War climate. Besides, the Republicans criticised Obama because he withdrew the so called missile defence system in Poland. 

                                                 Russia and China are the 2 major supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and have blocked countless times at the UN security council the possibility of a foreign military intervention in the Syrian conflict. Apart from criticising their support to a regime that has killed more Arabs than the ones Israel has, throughout its history, the Russians and the Chinese are proving on the one hand that they are a lot stronger nowadays and on the other that the US is no longer the one and only superpower of the not so long ago past.    

                                           As we all know, every economic crisis during the last few centuries, comes to an end with a war, and I am under the impression that Romney is ... the man for the job. He says that he doesn't want a war, but to tell you the truth, I have no reason to believe him. If one connects the dots that I mentioned above, it is quite obvious that a possible victory for Romney on Tuesday (6th of November) could bring almost immediately a military intervention in Iran, supposedly in order to stop its nuclear programme and/or in Syria, supposedly to stop the bloodshed created by Assad. I say supposedly in both cases, as they would be just pretexts, in order to follow the commands the imperialistic capitalists demand, who of course want a war, as well as the Netanyahu regime. 

                                       Such a development in the turbulent Middle East could probably bring one of the following 2 scenarios. The... good one would be a new Iraq, perhaps a bit more difficult - ie: a long lasting warfare, with very strong resistance by the descendants of the Persian Empire and a huge displeasure to all the Shiite Muslim world. This could bring a new anti-american sentiment around the Middle East and the World, and so all the 4-year efforts of Obama to change the people's idea about the US could be flashed down the toilet within seconds. Also, we could not exclude the possibility of new rounds of the so-called "terrorist" attacks, that could take place in any country involved in such a war. 

                                    The other scenario, which is the most frightening, involves the possibility of China and Russia getting involved in such a conflict, militarily, in favour of Iran and/or Syria. Such a development could lead to WWIII (third world war) which unfortunately could involve the use of nuclear weapons, with unpredictable consequences for the planet. 

                                                Just to clarify, I am not saying neither that there is no likelihood of any US military involvement in Syria and/or Iran, in case Barack Obama gets re-elected, nor that the probability of a nuclear war would be non-existent, should he win.  In any case though, a Republican government could give fewer guarantees for peace, and such a risk is not worthit...


                                               Instead of a postscript, I would like to add a few more facts about both candidates, who are still very close in the most recent polls: 
-Obama and Romney are undermining Assad's government in Syria, by supporting the rebels, to whom they never refer to as terrorists, no matter what 
-Both candidates are supporting Israel without any hesitations and not the Palestinians
- Both of them do not say a word about Israel's nuclear programme - which the Israelis do not deny of having, illegally - while they condemn the nuclear programme of Iran.
-Both candidates applauded the cold-blooded assassination of Osama bin Laden, instead of accepting that he deserved a fair trial
-None of the two candidates are even implying that the US could recognise the International Court of Justice at the Hague in the Netherlands 
-Both of them constantly criticise China and its economic methods
-None of the candidates have mentioned in any debate that Turkey is an important ally for the US
-Both candidates do not use the best language to describe the US-Pakistan alliance
-Neither Obama, nor Romney are expected to lift Cuba's embargo 
-Finally, none of the two candidates are seeing optimistically the economic developments in Greece and in all the southern part of the eurozone

 GreekRagnaroker 

 

                         
                         I was one of the lucky hundreds of thousands of protesters that took the streets of London during last weekend against the latest cuts that British Prime Minister Cameron announced recently. Thousands of union members, pensioners, youngsters and workers decided to shout loudly against an austerity package, that could take away their dignity, just like it did in Ireland, in Greece, in Italy and Portugal recently. 

                         Unemployment is rising rapidly in the UK and whoever decides to go to university goes into debt for the rest of his life. NHS is going private,  while 1 out of 4 women can't afford to retire anymore, as their pensions are so small, that they would not be able to survive with such a small income. As a result they work well in their 70's...

                            The most interesting thing that happened during the rally on Saturday (October 20th 2012) was that thousands of protesters broke away from it. Various divisions of the police were trying to avoid the inevitable, aiming to control the most courageous demonstrators from taking the struggle 1 step further. The loyal dogs of the system wanted to control the Occupy, the Anonymous and the anarchist protesters, but fortunately they failed. 

                        The demonstrators managed to create a colourful chaos at the centre of capitalistic London. Playing the drums and dancing to music, they created traffic jams on Oxford Street and Regent Street, as tourists were looking at them,  not knowing how to react. 

                               But then the most awkward thing happened: Protesters - who were constantly followed closely by the police - were attempting to storm several multinational companies, that have found their way out of paying billions of pounds in taxes such as TOPSHOP, Vodafone, Starbucks, McDonald's, Primark and Boots. Fortunately many times the brave protesters succeeded to enter these shops, shouting "Pay your taxes" and then leaving. 

                             The Police though, instead of helping the tax payer against the multinational tax thieves, or even letting the demonstrators go in their shops, do their little protest and leave, they were attempting to block the entrances of this shops , like nightclub bouncers ahead of the demonstrators'... "invasions" . By unsuccesfully attempting to kettle the demonstrators, provoking them, arresting them without any reason, terrorising them and beating members of the press up, the loyal dogs of the state wanted to break the moral of the people, but I am sure they did not succeed.  After all this it is quite clear to everyone now that the UK Police is not on the side of the people.  
                                 
                          The truth is that the police on Saturday was supporting a bankrupt social system, which is in a coma. For too many years Britain has lost its moral and its morals, all in the name of consumerism and capitalism. Harrods was the symbol of fake prosperity of the world, and all the pseudo elegant and posh people had to do their shopping there, as well as in Oxford Street. 

                         Now that all the world had admitted that praising the markets brought us into this mess, the common people cannot be convinced that it was all their fault, and that they have to be punished for it, by having their income and benefits slashed. The greatest challenge is to convince the British people that a revolution of values needs to take place. I know it is hard, as the people of Britain have never had a proper rebellion even, but we have to build it up. 

                       Whether it is going to be a new party that will support the public sector, the welfare state, the workers and a new decent lifestyle for everyone against the City and the multinationals, or whether it is going to be an armed struggle, the true left powers of the island - and I don't mean Labour - need to fill that gap, and they need to do it fast. Otherwise, the fascist BNP and EDL will grow with their agenda of hate, and then there is a threat of Great Britain decaying to the dark ages...   

                  I am feeling guilt cause I am not going to be at the protests in Greece on Thursday, (October the 18th), as I leave abroad. I wish I could be there and fight with any means I have, not cause there would be a result, but to show my anger. 

                   I am feeling guilty cause I don't reside in Greece anymore. Initially I left for the experience, to see what it's like. But now I feel like I left home on a Saturday night to go out and party hard, but in the middle of the night I realise I have forgotten my keys... I can still party on, but I can't get back home. 

                   I am feeling guilty cause I let all the pimps who control the Greek media and usually the biggest construction companies (Alafouzos, Vardinogiannis, Bobolas, Kyriakou, Psycharis etc) to rule and corrupt the Greek politicians. 

                   I am feeling quilty that I don't break in a TV station like the biggest one, Mega Channel to terrify all the journalistic faithfull dogs of the Greek regime, (Pretenderis, Papadimitriou, Protosalte, Kampourakis, Kapsis, Tremi, Anastasiadis etc) by just asking them a few questions live on air about how they never speak regarding certain scandals, they always support specific banks, they never support the Greek workers... 

                   I am feeling guilty cause I can't be a volunteer in Greece and help immigrants, who have no money, no shelter, no health care, and the fear of getting killed everyday by fascist Golden Dawn, or by any sort of Mafia operating in Greece. 

                     I am feeling guilty that I can't even convince my closest family and friends to start rebelling against the horrific situation in Greece. I can't convince them to come even to a protest with me, or to actually strike on a general strike day.  

                      I am feeling guilty that I can't even understand how my father and my mother are so scared of change that they vote for the regime powers that brought Greece into this mess - μy parents, who took part at the rebellion against the Greek junta in November 1973. Especially I am feeling guilty that I can't confront my father who is speaking a lot worse towards radical left SYRIZA party, than about neo-nazi Golden Dawn. 

                   I am feeling guilty that I am not in Greece to spread fear towards Golden Dawn pseudo matcho guys, who know to bit up and kill only women and defenceless refugees. 

                    At the same time, I am guilty cause I can't reveal my true identity. But I don't cause I am scared I am going to lose my job. Nevertheless, this is choking me. 

                     I am guilty cause being from an anarchist and leftist background, I never spoke out loud against tax thieves in Greece. Even though the Greek state makes you a tax thief.

                    I am guilty cause I enjoyed how my parents were robbing the state, giving me the best education, the best toys etc. Even though states are No1 thieves everywhere in the world.  

                    I am guilty cause I never went to the Middle East to support the Palestinians in their struggle to get their homes back.  Even though I had to understand that not every Jew is supporting Israel's apartheid. 

                   I am guilty cause I didn't go to live in Cuba or with the Zapatistas and support their movements and their revolutions. Even if I don't agree with both of them in total. 

                    I am guilty cause I never went to Africa as a volunteer to help people that starve to death. Only a charity I contribute to, doesn't quite cut it. 

                    Finally, I am guilty cause I don't write about all of the above everyday. But I don't have time, and I pretend to enjoy life.


GreekRagnaroker

PS1: Everyone can submit their own guilt or complete my text the way they want, by adding phrases, or full scripts, either here on the blog as comments, or on twitter and Facebook

PS2: Tomorrow Wednesday 17th of September, Amnesty International workers go on strike all over the world. If even Amnesty International is not respecting its workers, there is actually no hope for the world anymore...You can read more here about it: http://www.uniteforoursociety.org/blog/entry/why-human-rights-workers-at-amnestys-international-secretariat-are-taking-s/

         I am really happy to be a witness and experience  the Olympic Games again, after Athens. I was excited since I moved to London a few years ago. Yesterday coming into Heathrow after my vacations in Greece, I felt the same feelings like in 2004. Greek athletes and officials were flying with us on the plane, lots of volunteers and athletes from all over the world at the exit of terminal 2, no extra pressure or panic at the border/passport control, and signs everywhere promoting the Olympics!

         There was no doubt that you could feel the positive vibe, from athletes, officials and even normal travellers one day ahead of the games. You could sense that everything is ready for the games to begin. 

            Since I was a very young boy I remember that the Olympic Games were a family issue. In 1992 I remember going to the island of Lefkada for vacations in the summer. This was the first time we took a small TV with us to watch the Olympics as there were no "Rooms to Let" with television sets back then! That's how dedicated we were as a family. After all, I would not miss the US basketball Dream Team performances for the world!  

               Moving on about 10 years later, I found myself being completely against the Olympic Games in Athens. I thought at the time that the cost was really big for our small country to handle, and as it turned out I was partly right! The Athens Olympic Games were great, from the opening ceremony to the end of Paralympics. No traffic problems, no delays, no security issues, just a great big party! Of course the Athenians suffered for years prior to this, because the Greek capital became predominantly a worksite. And after the Games, the truth is that Greece had to deal with so many stadiums and Olympic sites that we had nothing to do with - basically there was no Olympic legacy for Greece...

            After that experience I knew better. I tell my London friends and colleagues that they should not complain about the Olympics, but they should enjoy them. The opportunity to experience this party is usually once in a lifetime, if you are lucky. Generally the Olympics are like a wedding. Just like for a wedding ceremony you plan for 9 months or more and pay lots and lots of money for a night of fun, which is definitely not worth it that much, for the Olympics you get your life disrupted for 7 years and pay huge amounts for a few days of enjoyment. But just like most wedding days, the Olympics are fun! 

               I am looking forward to the Olympic Games, from the opening ceremony tonight, to the 2 sports I have tickets for, to my television, which is going to be on showing competitions day and night, to the closing ceremony! I know that the Olympics have nothing to do with the ideals of our ancient ancestors, as many suggest that they are just a big business and nothing more and I agree to an extent. But taking some friends to Ancient Olympia last week, and now going with them to the Games, makes me shiver. The Olympic Games are not perfect, but they unite humanity through something that is still partly pure: sport competitions. I am going to live this crazy party at home or on the streets as much as I can, and I am so excited I can't stop smiling - despite the ugly London weather...

        Almost one and a half years after the fall of Husni Mubarak a very crucial question lies upon this weekends' Egyptian presidential elections. Will the outcome make the people of Tahrir square feel like something has actually changed, or will they immediately take the streets again? 

           I visited Egypt a little bit before the revolution, and the feeling that I got was that this country is full of poor young people who have no future, while a very small elit is enjoying the privileges of being close to Mubarak. Cairo was totally chaotic, really hot, dirty and unorganised, and don't get me started about the driving... More or less I felt the same in Alexandria. So much beauty was put under heavy ugly constructions, so that nobody could have a view of the Mediterranean from their appartment. It's like the Egyptians, or their rulers rather, did whatever they could to hide/change the beauty of this country. The only beauty that was allowed was connected to their ancient past and to the glorious Nile, which is a mesmerising river that definitely has a soul of its own. 

            I felt deeply that the situation was terrible, and nothing could be done to change it.  And then, the unexpected happened. After Tunisia's revolution, people started gathering in Tahrir square everyday in order to revolt against the regime. They kept coming back, even though the repression forces were killing them and were torturing them constantly. I was so proud for these people. They made me feel that there is hope in this world. And in the end they won. That Friday night that Mubarak fell and hundreds of thousand of flags, if not millions were waving in Tahrir I felt that the Arab spring had succeeded its biggest victory. It changed the establishment peacefully in a country that nobody expected it. 

           The proof for this was how uncomfortably the US and Israel felt with the Egyptian revolution, as they did not know how to react at all, especially at the beginning. Of course since the 25th of January 2011, things have evolved. Many non-Egyptians were expecting that someone like Mohamed El Baradei, former Head of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), or Amr Moussa, head of the Arab League would take over for a small period of time. Better late than never though, we reached the Presidentail elections at the end of May 2012. 

         During the first round, held on the 23rd and the 24th of May, Mohamed Morsi the chosen one by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, and Ahmed Shafiq, the former Prime minister of the Mubarak era won the majority of the votes, with 26% and 23% respectively. The candidate who was more close to the Tahrir Square movement, left-wing Hamdeen Sabahi came 3rd with over 21% , in a total turnout of more than 40% throughout the country.  

            Morsi and Shafik will take part in the 2nd round on the 16th and the 17th of June, in elections that are totally unpredictable. On the one hand Morsi is the pacifist conservative Islamist, who was involved to an extent to the rebelion that brought down Mubarak after more than 30 years in power, and on the other we have Shafiq, a candidate of the former regime. 

             The Muslim Brotherhood candidate is supported by people who wanted a change in the largest Arab country, without though going to the extreme, in a non-violent way. They want a government that would keep the Muslim traditions in the country, which will bring freedom but stability, justice but tranquility, changes but slowly. They want a government where the woman's position would remain the same, and human rights would..."co-exist" with the Islamic law. They want to be something like Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey...

             The other candidate belongs to those against who the people revolted. Shafiq is the candidate of the Army and the police, who do not want to go on trial for their crimes before and during the revolution. He is the candidate of the corrupt judicial system, that uses Mubarak as a scapegoat, freeing his sons, his colleagues and his generals. And finally he is the leader of the extreme capitalists, the owners of all the private monopolies, and the 5-star hotels that do not pay taxes. Shafiq's supporters are the people that want nothing to change, and if he wins, they would have democratic legitimation as well. A possible victory by Shafiq, would be like Tony Blair stepping down, and Gordon Brown taking over - more of the same, if not worse!

             Now the question is what to chose? It is normal that Morsi and Sabahi did not go on the 1st round of the elections together, since the mix between the left wing and the Islamist candidate could be an explosive one. But now, the Egyptian people who faught for a change for their country have a dilemma. They can either choose the candidate of oppression corruption and luck of democracy, or for the pacifist Islamist, that is partly on the 2nd round as a result of the revolution, even if he doesn't meet all it's demands whatsoever. 

            If I was Egyptian, I would definitely vote for Morsi now, even if I would have to wash my hands clean afterwards, as I would like to see some changes towards democracy in the country, as well as people like Shafiq in prison! I urge all Egyptians to go and vote for Morsi as he is the candidate that can bring the country and the revolution a bit forward or else all the people that were killed in Tahrir, died for nothing...

              I hope that more Egyptians will go to the polls this weekend both in and out of the country. As for the Egyptians living abroad I have a message for them: Don't worry - Nobody will tke away your privileges and visas if you don't support the corruption. Have a bit of dignity and vote towards change in your historical beautiful country. If Shafiq wins, I am afraid that chaos will come, as the majority of the people don't want him and his regime - a chaos that could bring the country into a painful, long civil war...


PS: I never expected that I would support an Islamist in my life, but I think it is for the best...

*The article below is written about an attack from a Golden Dawn Member towards two women live on TV. On Thursday 7th of June the in Athens, Greece the MP of ultra orthodox Golden Dawn party Ilias Kasidiaris during a live Greek Television news programme threw water on the face of the Radical Left MP Rena Dourou and then slapped twice the Communist Party MP Liana Kanelli. 

              No more kidding Ilias Kasidiaris. I urge you to hide. Officially, I am looking and woe to you when If find you.

                As you can beat up only women, know that from now on you will be walking and shaking, because brave men, each one with balls as heavy as all of Golden Dawn members combined will hunt you down. Wherever you are we will be there as well and we will not let you even breathe. Your ... "comrades" will be terrified to go to the offices of the Golden Dawn, because they will not be able to get there or leave later. They won't be able to go out on the streets because of the spitting and the bullying they will get.

               I saw that you always carry a gun. I do not carry weapons so far. But now I will so that I can deal with you. You are on the run to hide from the 48 hour time limit for the flagrant crime, according to the Greek law? Better for you to surrender because if I find first you will be begging for your friends the cops. Your facebook page has come down. Make sure you change your home address as well because we won't let you sleep quietly and properly ever again. We are lurking. You will be under a constant threat for a set-up at any time in any place.

              I would like to know if your mother, your father, your girlfriend, your friends; are they proud of the slaps you gave the Communist Party MP Liana Kanelli? If it happens to your mother to defend another woman in the street by an attack from a guy like you would you like it if she was beaten up? Would you accept it? The bad news is that with what you did you put the people close to you in danger. And if something bad happens to them, which I hope it will not occur, look in the mirror to find the culprit, because you started it all...

              Those who gave you and to those like you, with their “mysterious ways”, such power to attack immigrants every day, without anybody accusing you of anything, will pay as well. Those who tolerated you so you can feel comfortable beating a woman up live on TV will be punished. But first of all, it's going to be you who will pay Kasidiaris. Protect yourself and leave the country to hide, because within Greece we have people everywhere. It is all the people now that hates you and is looking for you.

            You are a tree deeply rooted in the minds of the Greeks, because of our arrogance, of how our education and history are being taught, because of Golden Dawn's hate gardening, and of course because of the virulence of injustice, inequality and of course the illegal immigration issue. BUT WE WILL ERADICATE THIS TREE with or without the help of the people, one way or another. And we will begin with you Kasidiaris. HIDE, as you're wanted, not by the police, but by the people's anger and popular thymic. 

          The last 3 years we observe that the team that appears stronger at the final of the Greek basketball Cup, ends up more weak at the finals of the Greek league, and as a result loses, clean, clear and easily.

            But what intervenes between the two domestic titles for Olympiakos and Panathinaikos? The quarterfinals of the Euroleague and/or the Final4. The way the major Greek clubs deal with the most important European Championship and the weight they put on themselves (psychological, ethical, even economical) on it, have their results afterwards during the finals. 

       In 2010, Olympiakos had 5 amazing players: Lithuanian power-forward-star Linas Kleiza, new star of Serbia Milos Teodosic and the most expensive contract ever in Europe Josh Childres, as well as 2 great Greek players, Theodoros Papaloukas (best European player for 2006) and best Greek Centre Ioannis Bourousis. The "reds" bit Panathinaikos in the Greek cup final in Athens with a dominating performance. But then they lost badly in the Euroleague final by super-power (especially that year) Barcelona in Paris. This defeat brought "nagging" towards and in the team, especially towards their coach, Greek basketball legend Panagiotis Giannakis, and certainly played a big part that its players could not stand equally to the ones of their...eternal opponent at the finals! Panathinaikos on the contrary as a more experienced organism, managed better its failure to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Euroleague, rested and eventually won the championship. Perhaps if Olympiakos had won the European final, things would be different in the Greek finals as well. 

         Last year, Olympiakos won again in the Greek cup final with another dynamic performance against Panathinaikos, even with the abscence of the..."traitor" Vassilis Spanoulis that became part of the reds in September of 2010 with a free transfer from the greens. After the unbelievable first win  against Montepaschi Sienna at the first Euroleague quarter final (score 89-41) the...disgrace of the exclusion with 3 defeats in a row came. On the contrary, the weakened Panathinaikos compared to 2010, without Spanoulis, Lithuanian legend Sarunas Jasikevicius and Nikola Pekovic that left Europe for the NBA, managed to achieve 3 epic wins against champions Barcelona, throwing the Catalonian team from its thrown. Finally the "greens' placed the 6th star of European cups on their jersey, which gave them the "wave" to win the Greek league series later on. By the way,  it seemed like Panathinaikos was in control of all the finals against Olympiakos. Maybe though, if the Greek teams had met at the Final4  in Barcelona, Olympiakos would have won, and the Greek league could be won by the reds, after 14 years of drought!  

              During the current season, I feel that the same story is repeated in reverse. Panathinaikos initially through out Maccabi Tel Aviv struggling, and, some say, with the...help of the referees. At the Final4 in Istanbul, even though Panathinaikos was the outsider against CSKA at the semifinal, its defeat brought frustration to the team. The...non-shot in the last seconds by captain Dimitris Diamantidis put down the team mentally, while its psychology went to the bottom when the Reds achieved the biggest surprise in the history of the Euroleague, beating the Russians in the final two days later! Olympiakos beat Sienna in the quarterfinals clearing...last year's shame, and then unexpectedly won the cup, which made the players believe in themselves, especially the young ones! If however, the two Greek giants had met in Istanbul, I am almost sure that the ball would sit on the green... 

                Apart from the psychology and the "if's" though, during the 3 finals that have been played, we note a difference of energy levels between the two teams. The big players of the "Clovers" Diamantidis, Jasikevicius (who came back in September) and Mike Batiste look like they are ready to put an end to their great carreers, or  at least that they need to leave for a new career. Similarly great players do not exist in Olympiakos team with the exception of Spanoulis, who hasn't made his best career games during the finals. At the same time though its young heroes, Giorgos Printezis, Kostas Papanikolaou, Vangelis Mantzaris and partly Kostas Sloukas seem to have fully gained the momentum since Istanbul. Respectivelly the players of Panathinaikos, Kostas Kaimakoglou, Ian Vougioukas, Stratos Perperoglou and Nick Calathes cannot do the occasional excesses of the past, as the truth is that without their super-3 players (Batiste, Diamantidis, Jasikevicius) playing a good game, they can not pull the boat by themselves. 

           Simultaneously, Panathinaikos has some negative protagonists, such as Romain Sato who doesn't help the team even in defence lately, while Aleks Maric is a permanent dissapointment. On the contrary, on the Olympiakos side Martynas Gecevicius has given the cold blood shot to the team, Richard Elmer Joey Dorsey and Kyle Hines have dominated the rebounds in the two rackets deliverring numbers of blocks to Batiste, while Acie Law showed on the 3rd final, with his spreeds and all around talent what a big loss he was up till now, staying on the side because of an injury.       

          As for the coaches, the two Serbs, best men to each other, have lived opposite lives during the season. Whatever Dusan Ivkovic does comes out perfectly. He was not afraid to get American players to the team, and then change-them mid-season and he supports the transition game, the rule of offence: "we will score more than we concede". Besides, to find tha last time that Olympiakos scored over 50 points at half time against Panathinaikos, we should go to the previous - not decade but - century! 

           Zeliko Obradovic though for the first time hasn't pulled a rabbit from the hat, an unknown factor, as he has been doing every single year either during the Final4 or the chamionship finals. I've written previously that Stephen Smith and David Logan might not fit in the team, bit hasn't the time arrived for them to play a bigger role in the group, as coaches systems' do not work out properly, and the big names of the team can't take a personal shot properly? Isn't it time for Kostas Tsartsaris to play again as a Centre to try and block Hines? Shouldn't Pat Calathes and Alexis Kiritsis be part of the first 12 and show what they can offer to the team? 

        The truth is that I worry about ther future of Panathinaikos. With their owners, the Giannakopoulos brothers and Obradovic ready for the big exit, and with a team that has aged, the biggest Greek club of all times, title wise, is ready to come to an end, and we are expecting this week to watch its last two performances. On the contrary, Olympiakos shows that the conquest of the championship could be the trigger of an empire, not created by the the large sum of money that the owners, the Angelopoulos brothers, have put in the past, but a healthy family-team, ready to take the role of Panathinaikos as the representative of Greek basketball abroad. A team, whose Greek members would be the basis of the national team, starting this summer at the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Caracas. Dear national coach Ilias Zouros will you take all of them to the team? We will see this summer...
 

             
              When young Foreign Secretary Antonis Samaras was calling the Greeks to take the streets for the Macedonian name issue, I was 8 years old. Although my parents used to vote for Socialist PASOK back then, they told me in 1993 that Samaras was a “clean” politician for leaving the Conservative party New Democracy, because of a dispute about the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Macedonian issue with the Prime Minister at the time Konstantinos Mitsotakis.

               I was sad when in 1999 his party, called Political Spring (POLAN) didn’t make it into the European parliament.  For some years now though the once young and full of hope politician seems to be one of the worst and clearly dangerous Greek political figures.

               Initially Antonis mocked all the former members of POLAN that returned to New Democracy after his…Political Winter. As for himself, he  was saying that he would never return to New Democracy, even as its leader, but a few years later begged to come back. Even so, he never forgave the members of his old party that returned before him…We are counting already 3 changes of principle and position here.

              Later on, as a minister of culture, he appointed people almost only from his hometown Kalamata to the new Acropolis Museum in 2009 – a man who claims to be against corruption… At the same time he was saying that Kostas Karamanlis was such a beloved leader that he would be the first politician to be elected for the 3rd time in a row in Greece. Of course after a very short period he was a candidate and got elected president of New Democracy. Since then he didn’t even want to ask Karamanlis what happened with the Greek deficit. His logic was to cover everything under the carpet…Another 3 changes of principle and position.

              Now some facts that everybody knows: Samaras said no to the memorandum, and threw former Foreign Secretary Dora Bakoyannis, daughter  of Mitsotakis out of the party because she said yes to the bailout. He was screaming that there is “another way” than to follow the memorandum while staying within the Eurozone. After 1,5 years though, he voted for the 2nd memorandum and threw out all of New Democracy MP’s who said no to it. Then he decided to take them back to the party… Now he says there is no other way except for following the new memorandum, claiming that SYRIZA will take Greece out of the Euro with its policies, if the left coalition ever rules the country… Are you dizzy from his position switching? I am, so I stopped counting.

              Apart from the constant position changing though Antonis has another drawback – he is an old style politician in a society that is changing rapidly.

Since he became New Democracy’s President, he decides and rules with an iron feast, speaking only to a couple of his consultants about his decisions. His MP’s are only good for giving him applause, while he never asks their opinion. In order understand his 19th century mentality, look at the positions the other conservative leader, Panos Kammenos of Independent Greeks party, has in terms of calling for electronic referendums as well as the relaxed party discipline of his MP’s. Sometimes it feels like Antonis doesn’t even know what the internet is!

              Let’s take his statements and actions after the elections in comparison to the leader of SYRIZA, Alexis Tsipras. While Alexis doesn’t even breathe publicly without discussing first with his Coalition members, Antonis took and gave back the official mandate from the Greek President almost without asking anybody! Then he started copying badly SYRIZA’s moves by trying to gather all the right wing powers close to him, and talking to his MP’s about the dangers of Greece leaving the Euro if Tsipras forms a government. Again probably he did not ask their opinion about anything. Well done Samaras! Do everything to become Prime Minister even if that means, being totally undemocratic and defaming  the country. Give more hugs to Karamanlis, so that no court will ever call him over about the scandals and the deficits of his era in the government…

              What he doesn’t realise is that these kind of leaders are dead in Greece, since Socialist (PASOK) leader Andreas Papandreou was taken to the cemetery with 1 million people sad on the streets singing his name in the mid 90’s. Since then we had the Olympics of Atlanta, Sidney, Athens, Beijing, and we have reached London Antonis!!! And you still think that you are a charismatic valuable unique leader Antonis!!! Wake up!!!

              Instead of realising that the percentage of his party (from 33% dropped to 19%) fell because of his policy to follow the memorandum and use it as an opportunity to change them, perhaps as the head of an anti-memorandum block, along with Kammenos for example, he insists in punching the knife as we say in Greece. He claims it is a matter of principle not to change his views, but as we have seen, he changes his principles every couple of days…

              Are we going to trust the fate of our country in this Palaeolithic politician who knows only to spread fear and terror towards the people in order to get votes? To an arrogant undemocratic figure who accuses the left of being irresponsible, at the same time that he decided not to unite with Bakoyannis and that’s the main reason that Greece doesn’t have a government right now?

              I say that we need to get rid of him and fast because instead of getting to Agia Sofia in Istanbul, as his political adverts suggest, if he happens to rule we will lose what we have already and maybe more! Samaras is the perfect leader to divide Greek people and maybe lead them into a civil war in order to become ruler. In the next elections, make him disappear once and for all from the political map.

                           I have been thinking and rethinking this article for quit some time now. I pry everything logically, morally, technically, emotionally and ideologically. This is not an easy choice at this time.

                            Being a man who politically began from the left,  now considers himself to belong to the anti-authoritarian ideological area and lives permanently abroad, things should be simple - vote for no one - resist on the streets.

                             The possible entry of the fascist Golden Dawn in the Greek parliament though,  puzzled me. It made me think about whether we should all vote to reduce the percentage of the Nazis, or whether we should let them embarrass us even more till we learn our lesson. But I fear that some never will...

                         But let's say that somebody would put a gun on my forehead and would ask me to choose somebody to vote for,  which party would that be? Let's start with the easy ones: The once upon a time Panhellenic Socialist Party PASOK brought Greece into bankruptcy,  put loan obligations to the country till 2030, put Greece in the memorandum,  from which some of its members gained a lot of money on the backs of the Greek people. Now with its"new" leader Evangelos Venizelos that looks like Benny Hill PASOK serves the same policy: head bowed to the banks and the bosses, oppressing the population. In short it is the most complex and corrupt party in the country and wants to convince us it is fighting for our own good. Rejected.

                        Second easy one is the grandson of writer Penelope Delta, the successor of the man who was called as..."national capital" Kostas Karamanlis of Conservative New Democracy party. Antonis Samaras put all his voters to work in the new Acropolis museum, when he was a minister in 2008, he was screaming against the memorandum in 2010. He then through out Dora Bakoyannis from the New Democracy conservative party, because she supported the memorandum - a policy that later on Samaras supported himself as well. Actually, now that they agree in everything why doesn't he  take her back? In short, we are talking about the political party that brought us to the brink in 2009, changed its policies suddenly in 2011, and tries to justify the unjustifiable; with a very old-style party leader, who insults  the smaller right wing parties, forgetting that his own party in the 90s, called "Political Spring" represented literally the same thing as they do now. Rejected.

                       Bakoyannis as we already said supports the memorandum policies, and let's not forget she is the daughter of Konstantinos Mitsotakis, so she knows very well what corruption is ... I live and breathe for when I will be listening to her  statements when she hasn't made it into the parliament! Rejected. Stefanos Manos is a little more decent, and took the right position on the issue of ID cards a few years ago. Let's  not forget though that he raised the gasoline prices 50 Drachmas up in 1 night when he was Greek finance minister in the early 90s. Do not forget also that he wanted military intervention in December 2008 riots... Rejected.

                     George "Karatzaführer" lost all his prestige in the society with his participation in Lucas Papademos government, and now everybody is convinced that he has absolutely no firm policy position about anything. I remember I was in Chalkida a few weeks ago and were handed out leaflets by his supporters that read on one page: "George Karatzaferis changed positions when it was needed" and in the next page it read: "We didn't change our ideas" or something like that anyway! It's the time that his far-right, populist, TV-party comes to an end by not entering the House. Rejected.

                     For the befuddled Nazi party, Golden Dawn, I don't have much to say. Only the fact that they believe they are firstly Greek and then people shows their stupidity. I saw a photo the other day on Facebook that read: "Pure nations exist only in non-pure minds." I dedicate it to them. And I tell them that when we will have a real-impartial police force, they will all end up in jail, because they are common  criminals. Rejected.

                    Perhaps the only positive development on the right wing is the emergence of Panos Kammenos. Although a little slimy, he looks decent and I think if I was right wing I would for him, in order to keep my dignity. But I'm not, and also I do not see him having any proposals. So: Rejected.

                   In the left now: I do not know if anyone can follow the position of Coalition of the left (SYRIZA). I can not understand how they believe that Greece should stay in the European Union since it is just the expansion of Germany during the last few years. I do not know why they say they want to stay in the Euro either, although to be honest I do not believe them when they say so. I see opportunism in their party with no standard policies. Lately, they try to show a more mild and posh face in order not to lose any voters to Fotis  Kouvelis' Democratic Left party. Rejected.

                 Which brings us to  Democratic Left, where Kouvelis uses his status to convince  large parts of the population to support him, and not only traditionally left voters, but nobody believes that he will not unite with PASOK after the elections . Also his idea of a ​​gradual disengagement from the memorandum scares me! We should disengage immediately! Rejected.

                Coming to the honored Communist Party. My grandfather who was for years a member of the party used to tell me: "I do not want you to be a communist, I want you to become a democrat", and this is one of my main problems with the CPG (Communist Party of Greece). Having beaten up by a member of their youth organisation (he hit me with a helmet on the head) during my University years in 2003, I know that when "the party" has great power and uses it, you shouldn't be in their way, cause they will smash you ... As for its policies, it didn't vote against the party funds new laws, which gives rediculous amounts of money to the Parliamentary parties. Also in 2011 the head of the party Aleka Papariga said that leaving the Euro would be a disaster, even though they are against the European Union! Finally I must say that Stalinism and the international isolation that the Communist Party professes do not express me. Rejected.

               The ANT.AR.SY.A. formation I look at with more sympathy, as they have the most radical views in comparison to all the left parties. But the truth is that sometimes the behaviour of its members resemble the bullying of the Communist Party - especially where they have the power, as they do at the student unions of the Polytechnic Schools in Athens. It has almost never been easy to have a dialogue with someone from EAAK (their student union organisation) as they are always ready for a fight! Rejected.

               Finally I would like to vote for Ecologists Greens, since they would probably bring new and innovative proposals in parliament and perhaps they would push the society towards a new direction, after the fairy tales we heard from George Papandreou "Green development" before the last elections in 2009. But my fear is that they would cooperate with PASOK and New Democracy after the elections. Rejected.

             To be honest I do not know much about the other parties. I've heard good things about the "Dimiourgia Ksana" (Creation Again) party and I was glad that the Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Greece and the Communist party of Greece - Marxist Leninist finally united! But for  all the rest I should give my apologies, since I have not followed them properly.

            In conclusion, I am going back to Greece for the elections, but I am not sure whether I will vote or not. But if I do, it will be something between ANT.AR.SY.A. and the  Greens in order to help them enter the parliament, as they need 3% of the vote to get in. The other option would we to vote for SYRIZA if I felt that I want to my vote to be added to a high left wing percentage that could shake the things a little bit. I reject all 3 above formations but there is nothing else out there for me to vote for.

            Of course I must say that I find it totally ridiculous that the left is not united before the elections. It is quite a disappointing fact and shows that CPG, SYRIZA and Democratic Left have no sense of the position the country is in at the moment. If they decided to unite, I WOULD DEFINITELY VOTE THEM, EVEN IF IT WAS FOR THIS TIME ONLY! But everybody wants to keep their little shops unfortunately and do not want to take responsibilities ...

            For everyone else who wants to definitely vote I propose the following:
- Immerse the Golden Dawn, do not legalize them and give them power 
- Push down from their thrown PASOK and New Democracy. They have devastated the country and do not deserve your vote
- If you give right-wing a vote then do so for Kammenos as he is the only decent one
- For all others vote left to give a message of resistance

            Anyway my friends the day after the elections will mark the beginning of new social struggles, and we, the people will be in the spotlight. WE must take matters into our own hands and to resist against the degradation of our population. No rulling or no co-ruling party will get us out of the swamp by itself/themselves ... Elections are not the end but only the beginning. So let's have a good beginning then.

                 I haven't followed the French election campaign as closely as I wanted,  unfortunately. Following the political situation in Greece leaves me unable to get into details on any other issue. From the little I have seen, the deeply conservative European Union (EU) might have a chance to start changing if and only if French President Nicolas Sarkozy would step down come April 29th. 

                 Sarkozy played a very important role in bringing Europe through the mire it's in now. Since the beginning of his term he was always travelling all over the world, as if it was a lot easier for him to pretend solving everybody else's problems rather than dealing with his own country's. Marrying Carla Bruni was his only attempt to remain popular in France.  

                Despite his new marriage for the sake of popularity, he then fell in love, politically this time, with Germany. This alliance has suffocated relationships with the rest of the EU countries. It is not a coincidence that the social destruction and economic crisis of the P.I.I.G.S. (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and of course Spain) came partly due to how the 2 biggest Eurozone economies dealt with them: Domination, Insolence, Inexperience, Greed, Shortsightedness (D.I.I.G.S). The conservative European countries decided to support the banking system by providing it with tax payer money, instead of deciding to support its people. The puppets of the markets did a great job in reducing the living standards of their population. Sarko might say during his campaign that he saved the Euro, but in reality his leadership, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel's, is to blame for many of the symptoms of Europe's crisis. 

                     On the internal front, the French economy is in its worst condition since World War II; unemployment and unhappiness rising every day like the sun in the done in the South of the country. Problems have only grown bigger since 2007. Pensions and working conditions have worsened in the last five years while prices are only going up. I struggle to recall any major issue or reform that Sarko has implemented in France which has changed the life of the people towards betterment. Without investigative research I struggle to find even one memory of a "unique", i.e. "new" proposal from a person that the media refer to as "highly intelligent". 

                  On the other hand, the Socialist Presidential candidate Francois Hollande says he belongs to the Left and that he wants to bring back social justice. If I compare him with other "Socialist" leaders in European countries, of the not so long ago past, (Tony Blair in the UK, Jose Luis Zapatero in Spain, or George Papandreou in Greece) it's unlikely he will do much. He just uses a rhetoric that the people like to hear, in comparison to the arrogance of Sarkozy. 

                   Hollande says he wants more just tax laws and a reform of the banking system. Surely we have heard this before from other leaders, but he gets a thumbs up from me since Merkel, as well as the bankers do not like him at all... 

                    The fact is, that I don't see how, if Hollande wins the French second round,  this can change huge issues like the EU bureaucracy, the one-way street of "Merkozy" and European Central Bank (ECB) in the economy, all by himself in a Europe without any allies.  Further, I cannot foresee what route he could possibly take to fight so many growing internal issues: unemployment, poverty, credit rating problems, immigration and crime. What are his goals, what are his policies, what is his ideology, his plan for the future? 

                    Lastly the left wing candidate Melenchon looks like he can bring some sort of hope. He believes in a different approach to resolve the issues that concern the French people, as well as a different approach to Europe. He supported the pensions two years ago, and left the Socialist party a few years earlier as he understood its political contradictions. Only yesterday (Thursday night in Paris) he said: "We will tell all those who are used to tightening their belt [...] we will tell them it is useless, because our Greek brothers did tighten their belts. They sold everything and they lost everything. In the end, they did not get anything in return, absolutely nothing. We must resist!" 

                   I don't believe that Melenchon could get to the 2nd round next week, which means that his voters will then probably support Hollande, an "inevitable choice" for the French left wingers... Recent polls suggest that more than 80% of Melenchon supporters say they would vote for the Socialist candidate in Round 2. Of course Sarkozy would take the Far Right voters in the 2nd round as well, but I don't want to talk more about the xenophobic supporters in France in this article as I am wasting my time and energy on small minded people. 

                         My thought and proposal is for the French to vote for Melenchon in Round 1 this Sunday. If I was French this is what I would do. He could be the only factor that could change France for good. And even if he doesn't get elected, a very high percentage in the elections could be a message to all Europe that the Left is present in this crisis, ready to play a big role and resist neo-liberal ideology. As for the 2nd round... We shall see next week.