Ignoring the real problems of our age
Just as we were starting to get bored with politics, we got PASOK deputies Theodoros Pangalos and Evangelos Venizelos facing off to argue about issues which barely concern Greeks and certainly offer proof that the opposition party is prone to navel-gazing. But just as we were starting to enjoy the antics of these two gentlemen, we got distracted by Merchant Marine Minister Manolis Kefaloyiannis launching into a series of stinging diatribes – during an official visit to Qatar – against corruption, self-proclaimed television prosecutors and other ills of Greek public life. This is all petty politics, and it has a certain amusement value. But our interest should be focused on real politics and the problems experienced by the so-called abundant economies analyzed by economist John Kenneth Galbraith, who died last Saturday. After all, the really serious problems of our age include various petrol shenanigans, including the sudden decision by Bolivia to nationalize its natural resources. Another serious problem is the fact that the USA does not deem it necessary to find evidence of Iran’s nuclear «guilt» to justify an invasion. But more than anything else, we should make an effort to support our fellow European states, with whom we share a series of treaties and provisions – states which are skeptical about their ties with Russia as they are unable to shake their dependence on the USA. The unfortunate fact is that the EU has long lost its orientation and, one year after French and Dutch referendums on a European constitution, it has a sketchy vision of its future.
