On Monday's evening a wild fire broke out close to a popular holiday resort area next to the capital of Greece. Within few hours 82 people lost their lives and more than 1.000 houses were burnt to the ground. People were trapped in their cars, in their houses or even drowned trying to escape through the sea.
Those who follow me know that usually, I am not posting this kind of themes but this tragedy is forcing me to speak up. This post is not about sympathy, it is about the real cause that transformed a natural phenomenon into an unbearable tragedy.
From Tuesday morning a witch hunt has began in the media organized by government and opposition supporters against those who criticize the government and the ones before, for this tragedy. Anyone who dares to mention the word responsibilities is treated as if he personally blocked the street to the firefighters or as if he sabotaged the firefighting planes.
This practice is usual among governments that attempt to cover up their faults.
The differentiator in this case is that this practice was not only adopted by the government but by the main opposition too. We are not used in such political courtesies in Greece. So what has happened?
This "paradox" has a very simple explanation. This time the criticism of the citizens was not limited to the lack of state mechanism but to political choices that are common to all the parties that have ruled in the past 8 years.
For those who do not know, in 2010 the Greek banks had huge amounts of debts. The Greek government with an unbelievable maneuver bailed out the banks, leading the country to bankruptcy. All the Greek governments, ever since, have signed memorandums that made them puppets under the orders of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the EU (European union)while Greek people are suffering under inhuman and irrational austerity measures, in order to pay off a debt that is not theirs.
The past few days people are outraged when they see European officials pouring crocodile tears for the victims since they know that it was them who have imposed the austerity measures that have disrupted the state mechanism and have extinguished the funds for fire safety.
People are outraged when they hear a member of the Greek church to attribute the fire to the prime minister's atheism because they know that in this country we pay priests (we actually do) instead of hiring doctors and firefighters.
People know very well how many firefighting aircrafts we would have had if we were not the second among the NATO countries, in armory expenses.
However, in this rage, the main opposition has nothing to answer. They signed the same memorandums, they paid the same priests and approved the same armory expenses as the current government.
So the answer to those who claim that it is not time for criticism is:
"You'll not tell us when we can criticize you".
We can challenge your intentions while collecting food or giving blood to the wounded.
We can measure the monumental deficiencies that you have caused in the state apparatus, while praising the heroic firefighters and life-saving volunteers with all the power of our heart.
We can count how many firefighters you sacrificed to buy the frigates and warplanes following the orders of the creditors.
Let me close with a huge thank you to the Egyptian fishermen that saved a lot of people with their boats, to the Palestinians that collectively offered blood for the wounded and to all of them who showed that humanity still stands.
If you think that this voice deserves to be heard, please feel free to resteem it.
Part of this post is translated by me, from this.