Greece and the 'caring capitalist' delusion

It is with more sorrow than anger that I think the action of Syriza’s leading team, around Alexi Tsipras, in accepting the demands of the Troika have betrayed the confidence of workers, pensioners, the unemployed and the poor, who voted by 70%-80% in favour of No in the working class neighbourhoods and cities. They have undermined the hopes of the anti-austerity movement all across Europe, who saw the stand of the Greek workers as a beacon.

Their belief that they could persuade the billionaire class in Europe that there was a better way on the basis of ‘good’ capitalism when the neo-liberal agenda is to crush every gain made by the working class since WWII was catastrophically false.

Syriza should have rejected all austerity and adopted a socialist programme. This would include refusal to pay the debt; controls on capital flows; for a state monopoly of foreign trade; the nationalisation of the banks and the commanding heights of the economy, under democratic workers' control and management; jobs for all, with a living wage, and free, quality health, education and welfare. If the result was a break with the neo-liberal EU, then so be it.

However the last word will be with the Greek working class. It is still not too late for them to tell Tsipras the answer is still NO.

Tony Mulhearn