For support of the fight of the Greek people and for the immediate release of the imprisoned protesters.
No, although dramatic, that which is unfolding in Greece is not a catastrophe. It is even a chance. Because the power of money for the first time has blithely exceeded the steady pace—meticulously and cleverly organised—of destruction of the public good and human dignity. And this in the land famous for its philosophy of life diametrically opposed to the Anglo-Saxon model, as too for its tireless resistance to the multiple oppressions which have attempted to rein it in. The Greek does not dance and never will dance to goose-stepping or kow-towing, regardless of the regimes that are imposed on her. Rather she dances and raises her arms as if to fly toward the stars. She writes on the walls that which she would like to read elsewhere. She burns a bank when it no longer lends her the means for making her traditional barbeque. The Greek is alive as the ideology which threatens is deadly. And the Greek, ever beaten down, always finishes by getting back up.
Yes, European finance wants to make an example. But, in its bellicose desire to strike the country which seems the most weak in the Eurozone, in its excessive violence, its mask has fallen. It is now, more than ever, the moment to point the finger to its true face : that of totalitarianism. For it is exactly this. And there is only one response to totalitarianism : the struggle, tenacious and without concession, to fight, if necessary, as existence itself is at stake. We have a world, a life, and values to defend. Everywhere in the streets, they are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our parents who are struck before our eyes even if far away. We are hungry, cold and sick with them. All the blows which are taken hurt us equally. Every Greek child who faints in the schoolyard calls us to indignation and revolt. For the Greeks, the hour has come to say no, and for us all to support them.
For Greece is today at the forefront of the fight against financial totalitarianism, which everywhere in the world destroys the public good, threatens day-to-day survival, propagating despair, fear and the cretinisation of the war of all against all.
Beyond the emotional anger which lets off steam by destroying the symbols of oppression, there develops a lucid anger, that of resistance fighters who refuse to be dispossessed of their own lives for the profit of the banking mafias and their logic of mad money. With the assemblies of direct democracy, the civil disobedience, the “Pay no more” movement and the first experience of self-management, a new Greece is being born, which rejects the tyranny of the market in the name of the human. We do not know how long it will take for the people to liberate themselves from their voluntary servitude, but it is sure that faced with the ridicule of political nepotism, corrupt democracies and the grotesque cynicism of the State banksters, we will have only one choice—against all racketeering—of making our lives ourselves.
Greece is our past. It is also our future. Reinvent it with her !
In 2012, let’s all be Greeks !
Raoul Vaneigem and Yannis Youlountas
http://antyphayes.blogsome.com
Shortly after finishing my translation I discovered that it had already been translated by Not Bored ! His translation is available below. Nonetheless I decided to publish my translation as a self-inducement to continue translating, as well as to invite comment and criticism.
The default gender in French is male, thus only when there is a group exclusively composed of women is a female pronoun used in referring to it. In all other cases a male pronoun is used. In my translation I have dispensed with using ‘it’ and ‘its’ as the substitute for ‘he’ and ‘his’ (etc.) simply because I don’t like its thing-like quality. Instead I have opted to substitute the female pronoun in most cases. I am still unsure if this is the best way to go about translating such terms.
Greece : the Cradle of Another World
In support of the battle of the Greek people and for the immediate release of the imprisoned demonstrators.
No : although dramatic, what’s taking place in Greece is not a catastrophe. It is a chance. Because the power of money has, for the first time, cheerfully surpassed the until-now progressive, meticulous and skillfully organized rhythm of the destruction of the public good and human dignity. And this [has taken place] in a land as well respected for its philosophy of life at the other side of the Anglo-Saxon world as for its tireless resistance to the many oppressions that have tried to bring it to heel. Greece doesn’t dance and will never dance to the goosestep nor submit, whatever the regimes that one imposes on it. It dances by raising its arms so as to fly towards the stars. It writes on the walls what it loves to read elsewhere. It burns a bank when it no longer has the means to cook its traditional grilled meats. Greece is as alive as the ideology that menaces it is dead. And Greece, even when thrashed by blows, always ends up on its feet.
Yes : financial Europe wants to make an example [of Greece]. But in its spiteful striking against the country that seems to it to be the weakest in the Euro Zone, in its unlimited violence, its mask has fallen away. More than ever, today is the moment to give the finger to its true face : that of totalitarianism. Because that’s what’s at issue. And there is only a single response to totalitarianism : struggle, tenacious and without concession, to the point of battle if necessary, because existence itself is at stake. We have a [whole] world, a life, of values to defend. Everywhere in the streets it is our brothers, our sisters, our children, and our parents who are beaten under our very eyes, even from afar. We are hungry, cold or ill when they are. All the blows that are struck injure us as well. Every Greek child who faints in her schoolyard calls us to indignation and revolt. For the Greeks, the hour has come to say “No,” and for all of us [the time has come] to support them.
Because today Greece is at the point of battle against the financial totalitarianism that, all over the world, is destroying the public good, menacing everyday survival, and propagating the despair, fear and cretinization of a war of all against all. Beyond the emotional anger that lets off steam by destroying the symbols of oppression, there develops a lucid anger, that of those resisters who refuse to let themselves be dispossessed of their own lives to the profit of the banking mafias and their logic of crazy money. With the assemblies of direct democracy, civil disobedience, the “We will no longer pay” movement, and the first experiments with self-management, a new Greece is in the process of being born, one that rejects market tyranny in the name of humanity. We do not know how many times it will be necessary for the people to liberate themselves from their voluntary servitude, but it is certain that, faced with the ridicule of political clientism, corrupt democracies and the grotesque cynicism of the bankster State, we only have the choice – opposed to all racketeering [affairism] – to handle our affairs ourselves.
Greece is our past. It is also our future. Let’s reinvent our future along with Greece !
In 2012, we are all Greeks !
Raoul Vaneigem and Yannis Youlountas
20 February 2012