Re: <nettime> The Greek elections?

[Felix Stalder <felix@openflows.com>]

On 01/28/2015 02:44 AM, Flick Harrison wrote:
> The militant nationalism that Tsipras displayed by visiting the 
> Resistance memorial makes me think Syriza is stupid, or talking to
> the stupid.  The fascist threat isn't rolling into Greece in
> panzers; it's a few inches to the right of their coalition partners
> ANEL.  Maybe this theatrical bow to violence was actually intended
> for a far right audience, either to attract them, or threaten them,
> or both?  Surely the Germans are inured to WWII references by now?


I'm not sure if that reading is correct.

First, it's generally never wrong to remember victims of the fight
against a brutal occupying force. I don't think this counts as
"militant nationalism". Second, when the German president, Gauck,
visited Greece a few years ago, he promised to look into the question
of reparations, with no results so far. From Syriza's point of view,
the question is still very much open. Finally, Syriza likes to make
another WWII link, mainly the  London Debt Agreement of 1953, which
slashed Germans WWI and WWII debt by 50% and set out very flexible
payment conditions for the rest (including postponing some repayment
after reunifcation, which, at the time, seemed like a very unlikely
prospect to ever happen.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreement_on_German_External_Debts

Felix




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