Traces of the Left (Five Ideas and Five Extensions)

Written by Yannis Panousis

I’ve been searching the city for years
To buy a gun
“Alt tis ei” to tell everyone
For saints and devils

CHR Tsourakis, Alt Tess H

I have never understood why Greeks, especially leftist citizens, do not accept the force of reality and try to explain life in terms of ideology, conspiracy, or even manganese. The par excellence advocates of historical materialism, when things do not suit them, sometimes mess with history (by accusing it of a “joke”) and sometimes with materialism (by embarking on “metaphysical” interpretations of events).

Five results:

1. Some say the left must change, which means they will stay the same and say the same. This constitutes the main feature of the Greek left paradox: a new community, with old scriptures and a lifelong priesthood.

2. Some people believe that people are content with listening to leftist talk (peace, rights, equality, justice, etc.) and are not interested in “leftist action.” But life is not written by writers and is written only by the thinkers of the group, and the rest must quickly follow. Daily proofs are needed.

3. Every member of the leftist parties carries in his mind a different image, idea and opinion about what the left is and what role the leftist should play. But by playing with words and terminology (such as centre-left, centre-left, reformist left, radical left) you lose the central theoretical core and move to the broader periphery.

4. Some reject the distinction between the many leaders and the few leaders, that is, the role of people and personalities in shaping the party’s collective goals and operations.

5. Intellectuals search for post-META (sic), forgetting that Alexis Tsipras was a META of the left of SYN and so on. However, I am surprised that reputable scholars and analysts interpret events on the left in this way. One-line and one-dimensional method (intentionally blind here and many years).

From the above manuscripts appear:

Note: 1. I have long criticized the social function of inheritance law, as part of civil law. This is because I think this is a discredit to the 8 year old who knows from a very young age that at some point he will legally inherit his wealthy parents. This situation becomes worse when it comes to the political party system, where some take it for granted that they will “inherit” not only the hardships, struggles and sacrifices of their elders (even if they are not their relatives), but also, and in any case, their right Inherit party positions for life.

PS2. The history of disagreements and divisions on the left (which I avoid) is not about who is right (?) but about who is to blame (against whom?). The consequences of “unbridgeable divides” and “undermining unity” are usually publicly available.

PS3. We should not confuse the defeat of the left (for example, in parliamentary or municipal elections) with the loss of some leftists internal power within their party(?).

PlayStation 4. To the left of hope is the unknown
And to the right of impossible hope
Behind hope is disappointment
Around Elpida there are troubadours, jesters, jugglers and merchants.
But within hope there is often the illusion of vision. This magic of illusion was broken by the ruling semi-left (2015-2019), and this is its main historical and political responsibility. A people who do not have the illusion of vision easily become hostage to the present, no matter how harsh that may be.

PS5. The excavations have been eroded, the mystics have been dethroned, the scriptures have been dusted off, the shadows of shadows have been cast aside, but what remains?
We will answer this question the next day.

* Yannis Panousis, professor of criminology, and former Minister of Citizen Protection