Greece stands on the threshold of a revolutionary situation. In the last
period two million workers and youth have repeatedly taken to the
streets to say that enough is enough. Capitalism, which has become a
world-wide and interdependent system, today manifests itself in a global
crisis which is in turn generating an international movement. For this
reason the developments in Greece cannot be viewed in isolation, but as
the latest flashpoint in what is an interlinked chain of events.
Greece stands on the threshold of a revolutionary situation. In the last period two million workers and youth have repeatedly taken to the streets to say that enough is enough. Capitalism, which has become a world-wide and interdependent system, today manifests itself in a global crisis which is in turn generating an international movement. For this reason the developments in Greece cannot be viewed in isolation, but as the latest flashpoint in what is an interlinked chain of events.
Now many commentators are talking of a possible "European Summer" to follow the "Arab Spring," as the spirit of revolution moves north across the Mediterranean. From the movement of the "Indignados" in Spain, to the pouring into the streets and squares in Greece, what cannot be denied is the dramatic acceleration of the struggle through the mass participation of ordinary people against austerity. In these movements we can catch a glimpse of the future class struggle in Britain.
Dignity
The movement, however, is not just limited to economics, but is a struggle for the dignity of the Greek people. It is a response to the international bourgeois press who are blaming the "lazy Greek workers." This goes hand in hand with the indignation felt as parliamentary democracy is brushed aside by the "Troika" (an alliance of the Greek government, the EU and the IMF) who seek to impose austerity from Brussels.
Some economists propose the selling off of the Greek islands to service the state debt. Even the privatisation of the Parthenon has been mentioned! No wonder some commentators are referring to what is taking place as a "financial coup d’etat."
If Greece takes the path of revolution, this will be the first movement of such a kind in the advanced capitalist countries in thirty-five years. Already the People’s Assembly in Syntagma Square, the epicentre of the movement, has called for an indefinite general strike to bring the government down. This gives an indication of the mood that is developing in Greek society. So does the Municpal Workers’ Union’s call for a "general political strike and a popular and long-lasting blockade of the Houses of Parliament…" At the same time the public sector electricity union is launching repeated 48-hour general strikes.
Victory
This reflects the will of the labour movement to place itself decisively at the forefront of the struggle of the masses, and shows its determination to escalate the struggle until the final victory.
The calls are growing for an all out extended political general strike, which must be organised through mass meetings of workplaces and elected strike committees coordinating on a local and national level to form a national strike committee. This must seek to draw in the widest layer of workers, unionised and non-unionised, and be prepared to organise workers defence squads against provocateurs and reaction.
Ultimately such a committee arises as a rival to the bourgeois state apparatus and poses the question "Who runs society?" They must be prepared to answer this question by taking power.
