Don’t give the Greeks too much credit. It seems spying on political opponents has become utterly normal even in America. More and more evidence is coming to light that the Obama/Clinton/DNC machine colluded with the FBI to launder made-up political dirt as actionable intelligence for purpose of destroying then-candidate Trump.
This horse bolted the barn 5 years ago. Of course, if your political opponents are actual Nazis, maybe spying on them isn’t so bad. Major parts of the American Democratic Party have convinced themselves of this idiocy, culminating with President Biden’s infamous “enemies of democracy” speech last week. So I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that American progressives are willing to thro out every legal and political norm in their pursuit of remaining in power. After all, they’re fighting to save democracy!
Christopher Barclay
1 year ago
Greece has been an EU colony since 2015. The Greek government is no more in power than the Greek Royal Family. The Greek Government is merely the window-dressing that has been constructed to hide tyranny.
Bernard Hill
1 year ago
…Maybe a canary or maybe a canard, but best surely to be wary of Greeks baring grifts?
Last edited 1 year ago by Bernard Hill
Brendan O'Leary
1 year ago
I’d certainly want to know, in time to make emigration plans, if my country’s finance minister was consulting Jeffery Sachs
Milton Gibbon
1 year ago
The point that the writer lost me was when he criticised Mitsotakis for removing a law requiring the head of the EYP to hold a postgraduate degree. He needed to come up with more than that or it just doesn’t need to be made mention of. It is credentialism he is espousing over and above, you know, real world experience such as running a company (I am assuming G4 is moderately successful). The other claims are shocking but there must be someone else who can write about this case without the sort of bias against ordinary citizens who don’t happen to have the right piece of paper.
roger harrison
1 year ago
If Yanis is correct, the smart move is to meet up with your contact down at the noisy local taverna and discuss your truths and reach agreement with a handshake out of earshot of the phone tappers. Then go back to your respective offices and on the telephone ‘agree’ to the exact opposite. Your opponents phone taps will be worth shit and overtime will be regarded as useless. Problem solved.
Jam Las
1 year ago
This piece is self confessed trite. An opposition member having a go at a political opponent. And one doing a far better job than you or your boss ever did. With a bull faeces argument to justify the importance beyond your own playground to boot. Wow!
Yes Mitsotakis may be doing better for Greece than Yanis and his politics but the point is that modern democracies need to draw an ethical line somewhere. We are all heading to hell (Venezuela, China, the Solomons, Russia, et al) in a hand-cart if the government of a modern western country, such as Greece is meant to be, steps over the line and sanctions the politicisation of its security forces, police etc. Im from Danistan (Victoria Australia) so am fully aware of the authoritarian tendencies in ‘liberal’ politicians!
I am not condoning state sanctioned wire tapping but it is naive to think this is in any way unique since Snowden, Merkel etc. There has been an ongoing domestic feud, at least since the declaration of modern Greece, that has been viscous with Yanis personally affected as many Greeks have been and massive geopolitical consequences to the State. Now is a time of clear and present danger. To my mind and my point is, this piece is trying to internationalise an otherwise unremarkable story with BS justification. Yanis is not a liberal in the Australian sense, he is a leftist, likely left of Dan Andrews. This is the axe Yanis is grinding against a successful conservative (liberal) Greek Government. How many wire taps where there during Tsipras governance? None?
I am not condoning state sanctioned wire tapping but it is naive to think this is in any way unique since Snowden, Merkel etc. There has been an ongoing domestic feud, at least since the declaration of modern Greece, that has been viscous with Yanis personally affected as many Greeks have been and massive geopolitical consequences to the State. Now is a time of clear and present danger. To my mind and my point is, this piece is trying to internationalise an otherwise unremarkable story with BS justification. Yanis is not a liberal in the Australian sense, he is a leftist, likely left of Dan Andrews. This is the axe Yanis is grinding against a successful conservative (liberal) Greek Government. How many wire taps where there during Tsipras governance? None?
Yes Mitsotakis may be doing better for Greece than Yanis and his politics but the point is that modern democracies need to draw an ethical line somewhere. We are all heading to hell (Venezuela, China, the Solomons, Russia, et al) in a hand-cart if the government of a modern western country, such as Greece is meant to be, steps over the line and sanctions the politicisation of its security forces, police etc. Im from Danistan (Victoria Australia) so am fully aware of the authoritarian tendencies in ‘liberal’ politicians!
Jam Las
1 year ago
This piece is self confessed trite. An opposition member having a go at a political opponent. And one doing a far better job than you or your boss ever did. With a bull faeces argument to justify the importance beyond your own playground to boot. Wow!
Don’t give the Greeks too much credit. It seems spying on political opponents has become utterly normal even in America. More and more evidence is coming to light that the Obama/Clinton/DNC machine colluded with the FBI to launder made-up political dirt as actionable intelligence for purpose of destroying then-candidate Trump.
This horse bolted the barn 5 years ago. Of course, if your political opponents are actual Nazis, maybe spying on them isn’t so bad. Major parts of the American Democratic Party have convinced themselves of this idiocy, culminating with President Biden’s infamous “enemies of democracy” speech last week. So I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that American progressives are willing to thro out every legal and political norm in their pursuit of remaining in power. After all, they’re fighting to save democracy!
Greece has been an EU colony since 2015. The Greek government is no more in power than the Greek Royal Family. The Greek Government is merely the window-dressing that has been constructed to hide tyranny.
…Maybe a canary or maybe a canard, but best surely to be wary of Greeks baring grifts?
I’d certainly want to know, in time to make emigration plans, if my country’s finance minister was consulting Jeffery Sachs
The point that the writer lost me was when he criticised Mitsotakis for removing a law requiring the head of the EYP to hold a postgraduate degree. He needed to come up with more than that or it just doesn’t need to be made mention of. It is credentialism he is espousing over and above, you know, real world experience such as running a company (I am assuming G4 is moderately successful). The other claims are shocking but there must be someone else who can write about this case without the sort of bias against ordinary citizens who don’t happen to have the right piece of paper.
If Yanis is correct, the smart move is to meet up with your contact down at the noisy local taverna and discuss your truths and reach agreement with a handshake out of earshot of the phone tappers. Then go back to your respective offices and on the telephone ‘agree’ to the exact opposite. Your opponents phone taps will be worth shit and overtime will be regarded as useless. Problem solved.
This piece is self confessed trite. An opposition member having a go at a political opponent. And one doing a far better job than you or your boss ever did. With a bull faeces argument to justify the importance beyond your own playground to boot. Wow!
Yes Mitsotakis may be doing better for Greece than Yanis and his politics but the point is that modern democracies need to draw an ethical line somewhere. We are all heading to hell (Venezuela, China, the Solomons, Russia, et al) in a hand-cart if the government of a modern western country, such as Greece is meant to be, steps over the line and sanctions the politicisation of its security forces, police etc. Im from Danistan (Victoria Australia) so am fully aware of the authoritarian tendencies in ‘liberal’ politicians!
I am not condoning state sanctioned wire tapping but it is naive to think this is in any way unique since Snowden, Merkel etc. There has been an ongoing domestic feud, at least since the declaration of modern Greece, that has been viscous with Yanis personally affected as many Greeks have been and massive geopolitical consequences to the State. Now is a time of clear and present danger. To my mind and my point is, this piece is trying to internationalise an otherwise unremarkable story with BS justification. Yanis is not a liberal in the Australian sense, he is a leftist, likely left of Dan Andrews. This is the axe Yanis is grinding against a successful conservative (liberal) Greek Government. How many wire taps where there during Tsipras governance? None?
I am not condoning state sanctioned wire tapping but it is naive to think this is in any way unique since Snowden, Merkel etc. There has been an ongoing domestic feud, at least since the declaration of modern Greece, that has been viscous with Yanis personally affected as many Greeks have been and massive geopolitical consequences to the State. Now is a time of clear and present danger. To my mind and my point is, this piece is trying to internationalise an otherwise unremarkable story with BS justification. Yanis is not a liberal in the Australian sense, he is a leftist, likely left of Dan Andrews. This is the axe Yanis is grinding against a successful conservative (liberal) Greek Government. How many wire taps where there during Tsipras governance? None?
Yes Mitsotakis may be doing better for Greece than Yanis and his politics but the point is that modern democracies need to draw an ethical line somewhere. We are all heading to hell (Venezuela, China, the Solomons, Russia, et al) in a hand-cart if the government of a modern western country, such as Greece is meant to be, steps over the line and sanctions the politicisation of its security forces, police etc. Im from Danistan (Victoria Australia) so am fully aware of the authoritarian tendencies in ‘liberal’ politicians!
This piece is self confessed trite. An opposition member having a go at a political opponent. And one doing a far better job than you or your boss ever did. With a bull faeces argument to justify the importance beyond your own playground to boot. Wow!