Greek referendum will sharpen contradictions, not resolve them

Bill F

Regardless of the result, the referendum in Greece serves to mark a further point at which the contradiction between the mass of Greek people and the European masters of imperialism becomes even more antagonistic.

The economic and financial arm of European imperialism has, until recently, operated mainly through the “troika”, a three-headed monster (European Commission, International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank) which has imposed a series of vicious austerity measures on the Greek people in order to pay off the “troika’s” onerous ‘bail-out’ loan conditions. Now their dirty work has been overtaken by the political leaders of European imperialism, Merkel and Hollande, and their Finance Ministers. This points to a political agenda that goes beyond financial greed. 

The accumulated debt is not the fault of the Greek working people, but rather the result of corrupt politicians, government officials and an elite section of the big bourgeoisie that paid little or no tax at all. This class of robbers and parasites collaborated with the imperialist masters of Germany and France to cut government jobs and services, bankrupt public education and healthcare, slash pensions and hard-won working conditions and systematically impoverish the Greek people.

In fact, as a result of these conditions, the ability of the Greek government to raise capital and pay off the accrued loans has now been called “unsustainable” by the IMF, yet there is no let-up in the demands of imperialism that the debts must be re-paid. They demand more job cuts, more privatisations, more austerity, unemployment and misery. Concessions and compromises by the Tsipras government have been brushed aside. Only the abject surrender of Greek sovereignty to imperialism would do.

So, after some confusion and vacillation, the Tsipras government has called a referendum on accepting or rejecting the latest austerity package of European imperialism, hoping a ‘No’ vote would shore up its negotiating position and lead to some relaxation of austerity rather than intensification.

No hope! The imperialist masters are hell-bent on ramming through their program and now have the further objective of toppling Tsipras and the Syriza government. Whether ‘No’ or ‘Yes’ the imperialists feel compelled to smash Greece and set this as an example to other countries that might want to assert some independence, such as Spain, Portugal or Italy where the working masses are also tiring of the rule of monopoly capitalism. In support of this objective the imperialists and their local collaborators have used all sorts of lies, rumours, fear-mongering and provocations to de-rail the ‘No’ vote.

The ruthless attacks have only served to incense and mobilise many sections of the people, but especially the youth who can see no future under this domination. Whatever happens in the aftermath of the referendum, the struggle against imperialist domination will continue to grow and the movement for national anti-imperialist independence will continue to build.

Communists and revolutionary activists are in the thick of this struggle, preparing the people for the next stage, building mutual support systems and inspiring confidence. While socialism is not on the immediate agenda, the level of political consciousness will change rapidly as experience unfolds and the struggle intensifies.

Unmentioned and unremarked by journalists and commentators on the situation in Greece is the role of the state apparatus, the police and military, and the history of their fascist coup in 1967. They enjoy close links with European imperialism through the NATO war machine, and with US imperialism which has a naval base in the South, supplies Greece with weapons, and has access to Greek military bases.