Come the Revolution – Alex Mitchell
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Libyan “victory” starts to unravel
Overnight the lawless hardline Islamic militias in Benghazi destroyed the US consulate and killed the American ambassador. Twelve months ago Libya’s second city was being hailed as the epicentre of the country’s “new democracy” and the armed gangs were “freedom fighters”. Today Libya is virtually a failed state run by a feeble and corrupt central…
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A looming showdown
When the Troika came back to Athens last week, parliament was deadlocked over the brutal austerity package, but outside sporadic protests had already begun. Angry pensioners stormed the health ministry over the loss of their pharmaceutical benefits, while industrial action was being planned by journalists, teachers, doctors, transport workers and even judges, who are expected…
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Greek economy doomed by debt
When representatives of the Troika arrived in Athens last week they were greeted like visiting heads of state or royalty. They were escorted from the airport to the city in a VIP cavalcade which included bomb and bullet-proof limousines, an armed security detail and an motorcycle squad in black leather and anti-riot gear. An anti-terrorist…
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Casino capitalism comes to Spain
As Greeks tense for the outcome of the Troika’s review later this month, spare a thought for Spain. Madrid and Barcelona are awaiting a decision on which one of them will get the development known as EuroVegas. Local governments in both cities are touting the plan as a way to alleviate both the financial crisis…
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Who’s to blame for Euro crisis?
The Paris-based International Herald-Tribune carried a front-page banner headline the other day saying: “A hunt for culprits in Euro crisis.” The seasoned foreign correspondent Jack Ewing wrote from Frankfurt: “The debate about how to distribute the cost of preserving the euro zone often revolves around a fundamental question that is unspoken but implicit: Who caused…
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Crunch time approaches
Greece’s summer break is coming to a close, with its place in the Euro-zone still on a knife-edge. Those Greeks still with jobs are returning to work with a deep sense of insecurity. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras spent the whole of last week in shuttle diplomacy with European leaders pleading for more time to implement…
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Andros – the Sydney connection
The island where we’ve been staying has one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece, and it turns out that the University of Sydney is playing a major role in its excavation. Settlement at Zagora on the west coast goes back to the late 10th century BC, the Iron Age. Since 1967 the university’s…
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Ecuador shames Australia
The first responsibility of every democratic state is the welfare of its citizens, a responsibility that has been abdicated by the Australian government in the case of Julian Assange. As a result, Ecuador, a tiny republic in South America, has stepped into the breach vacated by the Australian government to protect one of our citizens.…
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Surrealism on Andros
How come the island of Andros in the Aegean Sea is host to some of Greece’s best exhibitions of modern art? The answer lies in both the island’s long cultural history and its maritime prowess. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) at Hora, the main town, is funded by the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation,…
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Greece’s long hot summer
It’s the peak of summer in Greece with temperatures each day up around 40 degrees and fire tenders are stationed on every roadway around the nation waiting to catch firebugs and idiots who throw lighted cigarettes from their cars. Because the countryside is tinder dry and fires devastate farmland, offenders are arrested on the spot…
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