Tervist!
I know that this post may seem weird but I felt very jealous when last April we were all talking about French Presidential elections so now that we have our delegational elections I want to tell everybody:) So, our system is simple: we have a parliament of 300 delegates and the president of the first party is the Prime minister and the most powerful guy around (not taking into consideration background alliances and agreement ofcourse) for 4 years. Late years there are two big parties that change places in government: ND (nea dimokratia) from the right wing (actually more central-right) which is in power now and PASOK (panellinio sosialistiko kinima) which is supposed to be a socialist party by name but actually is more like center, central-left(?!). These big parties take about 90% of total votes in elections since our "goal" is the American two-parties system (popular in modern republics). We also have a real:) communist party that gets about 6% and one more kind of left party. Thats our current parliament's composition but there are fears that nationalist party will do it and get in the parliament this year...
Thats our current prime minister and leader of ND (the one on the left:)
This is the leader of opposition and leader of PASOK Georgios Papandreou
This is the general secretary of Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga (the one on the left:)
We also have a President whose biggest power is that his election can lead to delegational elections. The President is elected by the parliament every 5 years and if no candidate takes at least 200 out of 300 votes that means new delegational elections immediately. Thats why late years the two big parties agry to some candidate so they dont need to be voted all the time (the pre election period is quite expensive for candidates and the delegate's salary good;) 
This is our President, Karolos Papoulias.
Being a President actually is a very nice job. You can have it for minimum 5 years with the chance to get elected for 5 more maximum, you live in a nice place (known as President's house), you travel a lot, you go to nice parties and you have absolutely no worries (Prime minister worries for everything).
So, on 16th of September it's elections' time:) Elections is, as journalists like to call the procedure, "the festival of democracy" and the only time that politicians call you "the people that have power" and not "malakes" :)
Gigi, giving lessons of political science
21 comments:
dear gigi I really don t care that you felt jealous during french elections...and wait l haven t finished. after that election l don t want anymore hear talking of politics in other place in the world...l m already in the shit (also if could be worst), french people too, estonia no comment and should I tell you more? no...l don t want stress people...l just hope that in your elections communist party will win, to start again in europe a new social revolution, like in south america with morales, lula, bechelet and the higlander Fidel! dear mates are you ready to make you country free from a wild capitalism? are you angry with a sistem which cancelled a welfare policy to follow financial and powerfull logics? are you tired of wars decided by presidents but made by proletariat's sons? if you answered yes at all those questions, don t be shame of your world, you are not guilty. continue to dream, will come a day when the last one will be the first one and nobody will starv....that day will come soon! the belt bottom of the uprisng will be in greece with a victory of communist party!!!!so gigi l m ready with gun and always olive oil and pasta. tell me when communist party will take the power to start a glorious revolution!
hasta siempre tovarish
from the mountains of the resistance,
the subcomandante insurgente christian (the real boss is el pueblo!)
I guess Chri chri got too much sun on his head during the boat trip...
So, but GG, you havent told us 3 things: - who is the most probable winner of the elections?
- who would you like to see in charge?
- for who are you voting?
and remember, half of the victory or the lost is made by journalists...
So, at first I should answer to Christian's comment. I thought I was the person with the most free time but I see there are other people that have quite a lot:) I feel sad that you lost your faith in revolution, the irony in your comment is obvious.
Lee, the most probable winner is the party that is in power now, ND. It doesnt make any difference who is in power cause the two parties have really similar policies considering big issues like social insurance, education, health care etc, their difference in only the lobby each one is supported by. I will vote for the communist party;) Hasta la victoria siempre.
And sth I forgot to say...
"and remember, half of the victory or the lost is made by journalists... "
Actually, more than half. Thats why we have a saying here: "no job is a shame apart from being a journalist"
Sorry for that:)
gigi will vote for communist party, which will win the elections....obvious
a part the sun,l took a lot of wind, thats why l m sick...fucking pope!
ue ue gigi l haven t lost my faith in revolution :(
one personal detail...more than journalist l would say the whole world of comunication is half victory or lost in election.....maybe more
gigi, l have free time because l m sick because l wasn t....now l could stay on the beach:)
Communists will take the power after revolution, anyway if the communist party had a chance to win the elections there would be a dictatorship led by "democratic states" as it happened before in my country. Terms like "democracy", "totalitarian", "dictatorship" are very relative, and as sb said "history is written by winners"
Gigi
I can't resist... I was here just holding myself, but I hardly can refrain myself.
So... Let me just make this comment: on the first picture, I think the guy on the right is also the leader of ND (The Numbs and the Dumbs).
Don't you agree?
Sorry about that, and please proceed with what you were posting.
Hic Hic Hurra
PS - Very nice description of the Greek Political System. I've learned a lot with it. Thanks.
l agree ze-porvinho:D
no gigi l can t believe you!? a war made by democratic states to export democracy or to protect it in other state? no, the democratic states follow the policy of autodetermination of population declarated on the paper of UNO, the most democratic institution in the world. I really have doubts, also because the UNO,choice a group (security conseil) of democratic states, the most democratic, which have the task to guarantee the international peace and security. and those states have to be really democratic, think for example at the china if it can have a power in human rights topics....ops china is into security conseil. ok one more example....after the second world war, a state, l don t remember which one, started to do war in every continent without consensious of UNO: korea, vietnam, supported para-soldiers in nicaragua, cuba, iraq etc. luckly in that conseil there is a state which really protects the world ...the USA. if the state that started to do wars without follow the international rules now is a state without power, with heavy penalty and sanctions, we have to say thanks to the american presidents.
lee you were right about too much sun, because now l have one more doubt....l went to check history and politic book and lt s quite starnge because lt s true that usa protects the democracy.....but lt s also the states that started the war in every continent......pufff l m bit confused....
Mussolini "l need 10000 of people dead to sit around peace table"
bush "lucky you....l need a bit more"
p.s. this post is not anti-american post, (not all the americans are like some president), was just a way to continue gigi post about the relativity of some words and I also add the retoric use of this word.
there are some civil wars that were not started or encouraged by the States (I think). This thing is, Chri, declaring war before being a declaration of strengh is a declaration of fear! and the USA always had these lauzy, cowards, pussy presidents, that when are afraid of something start sending bombs and soldiers to everywhere...
but still, I dont think that comunism is the answer... Every comunist regime I know are not really democratic... it is a very good start, though! Do you think Fidel is still alive??
Its a question what "democratic" means. What is a democracy? Athenian one? People were voting immediately but no slaves or women were participating. And how can we talk about "democracy" when slavery was a common practice? Modern republics are democracies? I can talk about Greece, we vote for delegates but who can really run for it? Who is going to pay the huge ammounts of money that are needed for a succesful campaign? You have it already? In that case you belong to sth like 5% of the country. You are financed by some lobby? In that case, you have to pay the favor back. So, either you are "every citizen" or you are not impartial.
What about communism? Communist countries were not and are not "democratic" in the sense we use the term (although I ve already doubted on the term). Communism was not the ideal regime as it was applied (thats why capitalism won the battle at the end). But isnt it weird that the main arguments against communists are about freedom of speech and travelling? What about things like education or work? Were there some essential aspects of life where communism was better than capitalism for the total population?
what you need education for if you cannt express your opinion or travel to test it??
I think what defines democracy, in it basis, are a set of freedoms: speech, association, thinking, press, property, choice, vote, etc
I am very sorry for the educated kids in Cuba, with all the vacines and a health insurance. they starve, cant move away from the country, cant show a different opinion from the regime one...
now I have to go, hidding because Christian is coming after me to beat me with a hammer!!
well now the discours starting be seriuos, l m happy that also if we are far away from each other don t say only stupidf acts and jokes.
well my previous post was a funny exageration also if in one point l was so determinated...the sense of democracy. gigi has right in one hand when say the concept of democracy is relativ, but in the other hand we have to consider that the politologis use a kind of parameter (which need by the way of interpretation). what want I say? analysing the dates we can APROXIMATLY say if a country is or not a democracy, difficult(maybe imossible) will be have qualify of democratic country. and be carefully to take in consideration the antropologic situation of every country....are you sure that our sistem is the best one and above all the the best for everycountry in this world. Montesquei is the theoric of separation of power but also theoric of a theory (that l agree) that people abviosly are different and they need a specific sistem of gouvernment adaptable at culture, nature and tradition of themself...(Is it clear? sayed in poor words)
Of course I think that for my country now the democracy is the best form of gouvernment, but I also think that the way to arrive to have a democracy are long and above all, the population must be the motor of the cultural changment.
about war...unfortunatly yes lee, the number of wars in the world are civil or to take/keep natural resources.
when the wall felt down l was 8 years old...l really can t be a communist who want the tipical communist regim....for logical anagraphic situation, l m, like most of you, globalization sons. but about the higlander fidel l could have more to be against him but more to be with him. actually lt s more easy for me be with him than against. lee ang gigi said anough about the situation but l want to add one more important and fondamental point; the colloctaion of cuba into geographic map. the south america that after the decolonization has lived a new kind of colonization made by the yankee. I don t want stress you anymore and l want to give you just one point/ question: is the situation in the other country of south america better than cuba? could appear stupid question but for me no...beacuse media always talking about the situation in the "communist cuba" (gigi remind the excellent educational and the sanitary situation)...ok lt s better if l stop but about cuba...try to think forgetting your cultural and historical background...
oh my god lt s very long post and maybe nobody understand...l will be quite for 3 days...l promise:)
subcomandante insurgente christian
P.s. I m not communist...l m new-communist or better proggresista-zapatista!
Thats an excellent point Chri, we always have to see things in relation and compare. How was situation in Russia before revolution? How was during soviet times? How is it now? How is it for mass of people, not for higher classes now and how was it during soviet times? And lets see this "freedom of speech" thing. How is the situation in former soviet republics? Can you be a communist in Estonia? But its not only former soviet republics. Can you be a communist in US? Thats all for the moment:)
Gigi
Lee wrote "hidding because Christian is coming after me to beat me with a hammer!!"
do you mean me? why should l hidding you....do I look so violent? I m so sad :(
lee, when I ll take you l will brake you in pieces so little that to recompose you we have to use a spoon!!!!!!!!!
ahahahahahahahhahahahha
bacioni
well, we cant be communists in Estonia because it is forbiden to have a communist party. but it is not forbiden to use fascist symbols. still they say Estonia is a democracy, but these are two points that Estonia has different from the rest of Europe. and for me are very important points!!
And again I will hide from you, Chri... because I think that even the kids with no education and health that work processing drug in Colombia are more lucky and free that the ones in Cuba... At Least they can leave, and have where to run...
yep lee you have to hide from me now :)
the freedoms that you said are really important but to run you should have good health and above all you know better than me thant the eductaion is one imprtant element to follow the progress...of course I don t like some castro-machiavelli decisions but castro one day have to die and l hope that who will take his place will not transform cuba in a new yankee colony, but to start from the good score that castro left, trying to find international support and look at the human right. but still l thi think that the dignity that castro gave to the nation and the services are envyly for the rest of the continent, looking also at the isolament situation. and for me is really significant that during this changement phase in soth america, with indios-socialist elected from the population, all these presidents went to castro almost to express grateful because he showed that other ways can be possible to have the progress.
l m sorry for my long posts but It s difficult for me in english be shorter or maybe lt s just the passion that l have for something:)
Hasta siempre tovarish
lee when l will meet you l will send you in exile in china
Lee, you really believe that about the children in Columbia? You really think that they can leave, or hide? I dont think that communism was or is the perfect political system the way it was or and is applied but its comparably better than other ones. For all the people. The criticism it gets is about freedom of speech and travelling and for me this shows sth. It shows that people had a job, in my country about 12% of people are unemployed. It means that people were educated. In my country, every year 10,000 children quit school not finishing the so called mandatory education of 9 years. It suggests that people were not starving. In Greece, 19,6% of total population is living in poverty (that means for a family with two children less than 11864 euros per year income) It means that people had a home. In Athens there are 11000 homeless people.
I already posted about freedom of speech and how it works in Estonia. You said that its a special republic, I know that its member of EU and NATO.You have also to consider that the soviet union was in war state during all the years of its existence. The same for Cuba. Censorship worked quite the same way in the other side too (Mccarthyism).
The thing about capitalism is that it is like a shop with very good window. You see from outside big cars, expensive jewelery, nice parties, wealthy houses, but when you get deeper in this shop you see homeless people, starvation, illiteracy, exploitation, and you realise that this is the main product this shop sells.
I dont say that communism is the solution. The one we had already is not. But I think, the solution is sth close to that.
l didn t know to have lived with lenin's brother for 5 months....vip floor was composed by 2 communist and one russian...why we didn torganize a revolution....ah ye we were in estonia:)
l quite agree with gigi, the solution can t be communism but sure we need to restrict the economic power to give it to the politic, poltiti that have to look at welfare and menage a community not like a factory but like a group of people with rights and dignity....is that a kind of new marxism? lesya where are you?
l really like this window and this post registered the comments record.
hasta siempre
One more solution is to put everyone in the oven.....whit a bit of oil of course
GG: I am a journalist. for me freedom of speech as no price! Is the value I appreciate the most. all you said seems very nice and right. but still, Freedom has no price! and people in your country may be poor, starving, iliterates... but they are free. I am very sorry that this discussion is going this way... cause it seems that I am the imperialist pig. I still have my left wing principles, I still believe that, IF IT WORKED, comunism would be the greatest political system... but it doesn't work and we know it, for the examples we had in history!
and when Castro is dead (if he is not already) comunism as we know it will dye too (cuz we dont really know what is happing in Asia!). But I still hope that the next Castro (Raul) maintain the good principles of teh revolution... if we is able to resist american pressure... and able to open the gates to Europe... we will see!
democary is the best among the worst. and I cant recal any comunist regime that has been democratic... but yeah, I agree that the solution is somewhere close to these principles...
no, no lee, don t worry I know that you are not fun of imperialist policy...I know you:)
And also if I m not journalist for me freedom of speech is very important, but this is the point...some of my antropologic teacher tought me that when you really want Understand a different country, you have to hide yourself(means culture, traditions, etc). Of course for journalists cuba and all the dictatures are hell! but politically a lot of thing are good and done with logic.
l suggest to everyone to watch sicko made by micheal moore...l haven t watched yet....could be interesting.
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