Greece Says No!

In a surprise outcome for many in the EU the Greek people have voted not to accept the austerity packages being proposed in return for further bailout funding. I’m glad not to be living under such pressures, the situation will get worse before it gets better, but I applaud their courage. The parallel to me is one of rejecting chemotherapy – a rejection of the idea that someone can get well by taking poison. My model for health requires that – 1. We Stop Getting Sick No more punitive austerity to service unpayable debts 2. Remove the Toxins Keeping us Sick Sweep away failed methods and institutions whose sole interest is in maintaining the status quo rather than providing the Greek people with hope for a sustainable future. 3. Use the Best Building Materials to restore health Engage the willing participation of the Greek people to define the best way to rebuild their economy and provide them with markets for their goods and respect for their independence. Although this crisis does pose great hardship for the Greek people, and consternation in the money markets, it potentially offers us an opportunity to re-examine our ideas around the European Union as a group of collaborating states serving the whole while honouring and contributing uniqueness. No healthy body can exist without a full complement of organs maintained in harmonious balance. The big questions for a stable recovery are - ‘How can we create the conditions in which such economic chaos cannot reoccur? What changes will the Greek people determine that will prove their ability to manage their own affairs? Perhaps most importantly – How much does the EU respect the rule of democracy over domination by financial institutions? Time to remove the tumour and cancel the debt? We are certainly living in interesting times.