The Point

Last updated: 27 June 2022.

Syriza Solidarity: A united front against the status-quo

With the radical left in Greece now in power there has been a rise in confidence within the left across Europe. With a manifesto based on anti-austerity and promising to challenge the European Unions elite head on they are certainly saying the right things. The Greek people called and Syriza answered. Since the financial crisis the Greeks have suffered more than anyone else and as usual it was not the fault of the workers but the political and corporate elite. The country has almost been entirely controlled by the European Union and the central banks in order to pay back the billions of Euros that has been lent to them through bailouts etc. For too long the people of Greece have had to listen to politicians talk of tightening belts so it was only a matter of time until the people rebelled against the capitalist elite who have enjoyed the same luxuries as before with no consequence. Syriza have rode a wave of discontent very successfully with not only the establishment against them but the rising right-wing sentiment that for a while was plaguing Greece and is now on the rise across Europe. It is rather uplifting to see the people of Greece reject the politics of hate and fear and choose the politics of hope and future.

Syriza have accomplished something that no other far-left party in Europe has done and that is win a general election. They have set a benchmark for others to inspire towards but it will be in vein if they are to stand against the European Union alone. While socialists across the continent take to online media to praise them, we must go further. In order to show true solidarity with them we must ensure that they are fighting side-by-side with their comrades in other far-left parties from different nations on the main stage. Only by working together can we do this, before we work together with parties from across Europe we must work together with parties from across Scotland.

In a letter sent to the Herald yet not published, Colin Fox of the SSP correctly stated that Syriza are not like the SNP and in fact are far further to the left than the SNP ever will be. Colin travelled to Greece with a delegation from the new Scottish Left Project which is looking to form a coalition between Scotlands socialists. Colin Fox engaging with the group indicates that he could be ready to play ball along with the rest of the SSP in regards to a possible coalition. Should this happen, we could finally see the neo-liberal parties challenged

In a world that is dominated and controlled by a capitalist elite, the odds are stacked against the sole socialist state. They are bombarded from all angles; Media, Finance, Diplomacy to name a few. When someone challenges the status-quo the beasts soon surround them and pounce before a word can be uttered. The challenge to neo-liberalism has been a long time coming and Syriza are giving us a chance to mount such a challenge. BBC News has already shown its hand when covering the election by engaging with not a single person who is in support of Syriza yet having 4 separate voices condemning them with the coverage littered with phrases such as "Dangerous policies". It will only be a matter of time until financial restrictions are enforced upon the country until the time when a general election will have to be called and they vote in a party that will tow the neo-liberal, austerity ridden line. It is a regular occurrence for Europe and the US to impose sanctions on a country for little more than having a different outlook to themselves and so it will come as no surprise when they are imposed on Greece. In the 21st century military war is used to make poorer nations bend the knee but against other developed counties, financial war takes place. The IMF, World Bank and the rest are the WMDs of today's world.

In a country that is already on the brink of collapse, we cannot sit idly by and let Syriza face the might of the neo-imperialists alone. The far-left in each European country must fight for victory as we no longer have time to sit back and plan, we have the survival of Greece to consider. Podemos are already on their way but we in Scotland too must act. On the back of the referendum we have a unique chance to build something that could mount a challenge first to the status-quo in Britain and then the status-quo in Europe and the World. We must join Syriza on the world stage and only then can we show true solidarity as only then can we fight with them against the power of the capitalist elite. Greece can not suffer alone and they will struggle to take on the establishment alone. Solidarity can be shown in many different ways but in this situation there is only one way that will really make a difference. Through a strong radical left in Scotland we can help support Syriza and Podemos and spread the word across Europe that there is an alternative to austerity and capitalism. If Syriza fail and Greece suffers, the radical left will blamed and it will be another huge dent for left which is only beginning to recover in Europe from the devastating effect the Soviet Union had.

"Citizens of Athens, tonight's success is not only a triumph for Greece it is a victory for all the people of Europe fighting austerity and neo-liberalism."

This quote is from Alexis Tsipras. He and Syriza believe in us so we must not let Syriza fight alone.

Updated version of an article taken from The Scottish Left Projects blog

http://thepeopledemand.org/?p=790