By Niki Mania
It was the beginning of the end of a seven-year dictatorship in Greece…..one of many around the world at different periods or concurrently. Common feature is the lack of freedom in every aspect of public and private sphere. Individuals are not allowed to own their own thoughts so as to control and protect the interests and intentions of those in power. Fear rules the day and many may choose to go along and keep safe, while others step forward in secret at first, boldly later upon realising they are not alone…….and often eventually and fortunately succeed in lifting the yoke after numerous losses and immense suffering….Greece made it!!!
In many, if not most, cases in Africa, in Latin America, the dictators are somehow planted to keep the masses in chains of ignorance and powerlessness….they know nothing and understand less because of poor or no education…..they have nothing to call their own or share as a community apart from their backs and hands…..they are weak because of poor or no medical care. They toil, but still remain ill-fed and sick. Yet, in their tribal collective memory there are community owned territories of rich lands where they shared the gifts of nature and the products of their labour…..
All that is gone, of course, with the strength of might/guns, and convincing missionaries who brought the love of Jesus interpreted at will…. to serve the purpose of exploitation of their land’s wealth! And here we are with countries poverty-stricken, sunk in debt with corrupt leaders one after the other borrowing supposedly to cover debts and improve the lives of their people, but actually appropriating what is not theirs and abusing their power…..Has the developed world ever thought of assisting directly without increasing the debt? No….because it is said that these peoples must learn to be independent…..the fact that corruption prevents that goes unnoticed…ignored!
Am I stretching it too far? Yes….to the far corners of the earth because this grey cloud is everywhere and in many new forms along with the older versions….
The message of the 17th November is that hopefully a future young generation will react!!!
