Thread: The Platform of the Greek Left [W:84]

1. Audit of the public debt and renegotiation of interest due and suspension of payments until the economy has revived and growth and employment return.2. Demand the European Union to change the role of the European Central Bank so that it finances States and programs of public investment.
3. Raise income tax to 75% for all incomes over 500,000 euros.
4. Change the election laws to a proportional system.
5. Increase taxes on big companies to that of the European average.
6. Adoption of a tax on financial transactions and a special tax on luxury goods.
7. Prohibition of speculative financial derivatives.
8. Abolition of financial privileges for the Church and shipbuilding industry.
9. Combat the banks' secret [measures] and the flight of capital abroad.
10. Cut drastically military expenditures.
11. Raise minimum salary to the pre-cut level, 750 euros per month.
12. Use buildings of the government, banks and the Church for the homeless.
13. Open dining rooms in public schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to children.
14. Free health benefits to the unemployed, homeless and those with low salaries.
15. Subvention up to 30% of mortgage payments for poor families who cannot meet payments.
16. Increase of subsidies for the unemployed. Increase social protection for one-parent families, the aged, disabled, and families with no income.
17. Fiscal reductions for goods of primary necessity.
18. Nationalization of banks.
19. Nationalization of ex-public (service & utilities) companies in strategic sectors for the growth of the country (railroads, airports, mail, water).
20. Preference for renewable energy and defence of the environment.
21. Equal salaries for men and women.
22. Limitation of precarious hiring and support for contracts for indeterminate time.
23. Extension of the protection of labor and salaries of part-time workers.
24. Recovery of collective (labor) contracts.
25. Increase inspections of labor and requirements for companies making bids for public contracts.
26. Constitutional reforms to guarantee separation of Church and State and protection of the right to education, health care and the environment.
27. Referendums on treaties and other accords with Europe.
28. Abolition of privileges for parliamentary deputies. Removal of special juridical protection for ministers and permission for the courts to proceed against members of the government.
29. Demilitarization of the Coast Guard and anti-insurrectional special troops. Prohibition for police to wear masks or use fire arms during demonstrations. Change training courses for police so as to underline social themes such as immigration, drugs and social factors.
30. Guarantee human rights in immigrant detention centers.
31. Facilitate the reunion of immigrant families.
32. Depenalization of consumption of drugs in favor of battle against drug traffic. Increase funding for drug rehab centers.
33. Regulate the right of conscientious objection in draft laws.
34. Increase funding for public health up to the average European level.(The European average is 6% of GDP; in Greece 3%.)
35. Elimination of payments by citizens for national health services.
36. Nationalization of private hospitals. Elimination of private participation in the national health system.
37. Withdrawal of Greek troops from Afghanistan and the Balkans. No Greek soldiers beyond our own borders.
38. Abolition of military cooperation with Israel. Support for creation
of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders.
39. Negotiation of a stable accord with Turkey.
40. Closure of all foreign bases in Greece and withdrawal from NATO.

Read more @: The Platform of the Greek Left | Common Dreams

Well i can agree with about 95% of this. If i was a Greek i would certainly vote for SYRIZA. Seems that they are up and coming and have a chance to form of a government. Will be heading in the right direction if they do.

Thoughts?
Comments?
Response?

Originally Posted by TheDemSocialist

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Read more @: The Platform of the Greek Left | Common Dreams

Well i can agree with about 95% of this. If i was a Greek i would certainly vote for SYRIZA. Seems that they are up and coming and have a chance to form of a government. Will be heading in the right direction if they do.

Thoughts?
Comments?
Response?

Gotta wonder why they don't run on an openly Eurosceptic platform, considering that expulsion will be the likely result of those policies.

Holy...

Welcome to the mother****ing twenty-first century, Greece!!

Nothing surprising. I am surprised they are not more radical by European standards. Many of their policies are the same as the socialists in France. But they are considered centre-left for some weird reason.

What I rather want to know. What is going to be their real policies, because their tax increases are modest, while their spending increases are massive. Their tax increases are only on the rich, and finance. Problem is, 75% multiplied nothing is still nothing.

There are a lot of rich people in greece, and natinoalizing banks will allow for a good amount of funds.

Either way, its nothing radical here, pretty basic stuff.

And how will they pay for all that?

Not to mention this:

12. Use buildings of the government, banks and the Church for the homeless.

Constitutional reforms to guarantee separation of Church and State

How will they commandeer churches if they've no power.

That is either a manifesto for the suicide of SYRIZA or the modern Greek state. It is the stuff of third-world anti-colonialism, and God knows how well that worked. Money is already pouring out of Greece at incredible rates. Just the chance that SYRIZA might come to power is enough to damn the country and its economy.

Realistically, SYRIZA has no chance of ruling on its own and could only enter into a coalition with KKE (hard-line communists) which would not give them enough seats anyway. Either New Democracy will win and form a government, or they'll have to schedule yet another election. Hope it'll be in July or August when I'll be there to vote and save the country.

Originally Posted by RGacky3

There are a lot of rich people in greece

Not really. Only 1.32% earn more than 50000 euro. And most of these people are overpaid public employees. Also, private employees can leave to another country, and they will. Hence, there is very little money to collect.

and natinoalizing banks will allow for a good amount of funds.

The Greek banks are deep in red. Nationalizing them will not provide any funds.

Not really. Only 1.32% earn more than 50000 euro. And most of these people are overpaid public employees.

Source for most of them being overpaid public employees? Also its not the number of people that matter, its the amount of wealth.

Also, private employees can leave to another country, and they will. Hence, there is very little money to collect.

Not necessarily.

Where are they gonna go? if Greece has a market that needs to be served people will serve it.

The Greek banks are deep in red. Nationalizing them will not provide any funds.

It will allow them to use their funds or reserves for the public good. Also renegotiation all debts would make a big difference, also I'm not sure how deep in the red Greek private banks are, its the government thats extremely in the red.

Isn't it great to see how politicians are always the first to get a sense of realism...