Democratic thinking

Articles on democracy in the independent online media

August 29, 2007

Democracy on fire in Greece

I received an interesting viral email from someone in Greece that claims the forest fires are the people's fault. He is absolutely right. The bi-polar political situation between center PASOK and right-wing New Democracy has done the country no favours over the years.

The fires are a bright example of this. Not much has been done in terms of fire safety and prevention as the two main parties fight a war of words but do little to resolve the situation. The Green Party is non-existent in Greece and with no vote or say in Parliament there is nobody to push for stricter laws, more policing of woodland and modern measures to combat this plague.

So for everyone complaining about the current situation remember that you have a say in the forthcoming elections. Vote for change and things will. Keep to your traditional voting patterns and this situation will go on forever. After all this is what democracy is all about.
Failure to take action will lead to more problems in the future and worst thing is, you have nobody to blame.

4 Comments:

At 12:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No matter how much I agree with you, I'd like to say that...

"There is a time for everything...
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to be silent and a time to speak..."

Right now, it is a time to mourn and to be silent. Putting responsibilities on others' shoulders, will do us no good.

Maybe, that's the problem with us Greeks. We react yes! But at the wrong time and in the wrong way.

And yes, the time to speak is the election day. It's a great chance to tell these clowns off and get rid of them once and for all. 'Cause I ain't laughing anymore... Is anyone?

 
At 1:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

A time to be silent?
This is exactly the problem. We are always silent, always taking things in without speaking out.

This is a time to act and react to the forces that let this happen. To the people building mansions in our forests, to the others that let them do so.

This is time to speak up. Silence is an expression of slavery, not democracy.

 
At 3:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You picked up on ONE single word of what I said and built your argument around it...

I don't believe we are always silent, nor did I ever imply that we shouldn't "act and react to the forces that let this happen"!

However, I believe that silence can be a powerful argument... much more powerful than bubble talk.

And the "forces that let this happen" is each and every one of us. And I am ashamed... of my people as much as I am of myself.

You talk big and maybe you are right in doing so. Meanwhile, I prefer to simply lower my head and stay silent until I get the chance "say something" that could matter to anyone or in any way...

Thanks

 
At 4:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry to focus on this but silence is never a powerful argument. A call to action or action itself is though.

Voting green or alternative will show the politicians that crisis like this cannot be put aside. This is years of suffering and deforestation that the establishment supports by doing nothing apart from issuing planning permissions for the rich and well connected.

This government, like any other, needs to take responsibility for what is happening. For the terror, the deaths, the damage to the tourism and the economy and the worldwide defamation of a European country that refuses to brace itself against the same danger that occurs every summer.

Crisis calls for resolutions, for resignations and actions that will lead to solutions, not a recycling of the same excuses we have been hearing over the years.

This is no time to mourn and be silent, it’s time to scream and be demanding. The public’s anger should result to a better future. Self-pity and mourning will not get us anywhere, it never did.

 

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