Daily Times

Greece is a small country that joined the EU in 2001. To date, there are about 28 members of the EU. Recently, a historic referendum was held in Greece on further cuts and tax hikes in exchange for a rescue package from European creditors. At a first glance, I applaud the people of Greece for voting no on more austerity for the sick, children and the elderly. You cannot win a referendum with only rich people. So, that is the issue here. In a world of massive wealth and income inequality, the continent of Europe should support the efforts of Greeks in order to build an economy that produces more jobs and income, not unemployment and suffering.
There are two questions that I will try to answer in this article. Firstly, is Germany trying to crush Greece to set an example? Will Greece leave the Eurozone? To begin with, Germany is the richest country in Europe, especially within the EU. The Germans are terrified because not only Greece is in economic crisis, three leading nations of Europe are in a similar sort of economic crisis like Spain, Italy, Portugal and others. Germany’s conservative leadership, led by Angela Merkel, is clearly sending a message to the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese that no bailout offer will be available to any defaulting country within the EU. The Germans believe that if any relief is given to Greece, certainly the same sort of offer will have to be given to these other nations that are crumbling. Plainly, thus, they cannot afford to offer bailout deals to the whole of Europe.
On the one hand, it can also be observed that Germany and the rest of the EU’s member states certainly have contemplated that there is an urgent need for offering a new deal to Greece for a bailout. If no deal is reached with the Greek Syriza party, the countries that are crumbling may usher in left wing governments in the coming years, certainly transforming the whole system of the EU. The irony is something we all need to understand. In 1953, after the Second World War, the Germans held a number of meetings with the US, UK and France. After a number of efforts with these three leading nations. the Germans reached the London Agreement getting 50 percent of their debts erased and the remaining 50 percent was stretched out over 30 years. This economic miracle was advanced by the US, UK and France. The Germans were the ones that started the world wars but even then their debts were eased. The Germans now refuse to provide relief to Greece and are creating stress within Europe.
My second argument in favour of contention: the Germans actually intend to crush Greece in order to set an example for other weaker nations within the EU. As we know, the left wing party of Germany, Die Linke, is a sister party of the Greek radical left wing party Syriza, and it rules a couple of regions in Germany. The German left wing party has given a shut up call to the Greek left wing party as it thinks Greece is trying to promote unrest and the fall of Europe. Germany’s current administration is of the view that if a bailout offer is given to the Greeks it may trigger unrest against the current right wing government led by Angela Merkel. Thus, it is the need of the time either to give a new offer to Greece or to say goodbye to Greece from the EU. I can extend a number of arguments following logical reasoning that the Germans are responsible for the current financial unrest within Europe. The Germans do not want Greece to be stabilised and governed by a left wing party that came to power some months ago.
Now, the question is whether Europe will let Greece go alone. It is about Europe not only about Greece. Greece joined the EU in 2001 and since then has remained a responsible member of the union. To me it seems that the continent of Europe cannot afford Greece leaving the EU. I can provide a number of arguments but I will mention some of the most important.
Greece shares its border with Turkey and Turkey shares its border with the Kurdish areas where Islamic State (IS) is gaining a foothold. A few islands within Greece are five miles away from Turkey — even less than five miles if I am not mistaken — a border where refugees are pouring in by the thousands every week. More interestingly, Greece is also well connected with Russia, the country of Vladimir Lenin and a new country under Vladimir Putin. It is my opinion that if Greece were to leave Europe it would certainly give an opportunity to Vladimir Putin to form a bloc along with Greece against the leading nations of Europe to undermine them and counter the US, which is keen on following the Ukrainian crisis, recently sending troops to Europe to cater to Russia. Independent Greece may go to China, Russia and even to the dictatorial states of the Middle East for support, which would be highly dangerous from the European perspective and for security. The last important argument is that Greece is a country that is one of the smallest states within the EU but has the biggest spending per capita on the military in NATO. Can the EU allow it to fail? Absolutely, not.
In the end, I conclude that the EU, including the Germans, will not let Greece go alone. Even the Greeks voted against an austerity offer in exchange for a rescue package from European creditors. I think the Germans and Greek radical left party will reach an agreement over Greece’s debts sooner rather than later. I see a role for the US in this European disequilibrium and inequality. I am sure the US State Department is well aware of Greece’s big spending per capita on the military in NATO, due to which it will, without any doubt, urge the Germans to settle this crisis sooner. If no deal is reached with the Greeks, I am of the view that the ruling left wing party will have the ability to mobilise a class struggle movement within the EU, which will then be dangerous for imperialism in Europe, affecting the US as well.

The writer is an advocate of the High
Court. He can be reached at greenlaw123@hotmail.com