The lords of Pompeii
The revelations made by former Prime Minister George Papandreou regarding behind-the-scenes machinations orchestrated by financial and media circles during the crisis to hinder developments or facilitate the procurement of funding for a select few, are a direct assault on the function of our democracy. It?s possible that the PASOK leader has chosen to make these revelations now because he has already lost the post of premier and is about to lose that of party leader as well — both under the worst possible circumstances — and is feeling the stigma of the loser. His fall may have made him bitter, as it is common for the loser to seek the culprit for his downfall in everyone other than himself.
Nevertheless, the disclosures made by Papandreou and the reasons he gave behind the actions he described as having taken place are not without significance, as they show that the power players who led the country to this dismal state continue to operate in exactly the same way — the only way they know how: as parasites of the state, weavers of intrigue and kleptocrats.
Naturally the crisis has shaken and disoriented the powerful kleptocracy that operates in this country, which is why we are now seeing so many leaks of back-room secrets and such prolific backstabbing. As all this is happening though, Pompeii is about to go down in flames in the background.
Unfortunately, Pompeii is this country. The power players are locked in a battle to the death in order to keep hold of their cushy positions and the old regime intact. But this battle is being fought on the ashes of Greece, on economic and social ruins, on the anxiety of an entire nation that is now paying for its silence and the tolerance it showed for its visible and invisible dynasts.
There is no question of morality here. Political leaders have a duty to have a relationship with the most powerful players of the economy and those of development?s greatest influence. But the relationship should be driven by the interests of the citizens and of the democratic state. This, however was not the case at any point in the previous destructive decades.
However, there is hope that some good will come out of this settling of accounts between the power players of Greece: Maybe it will bring about the downfall of the ancient regime that much faster.
