A strategy of tension appears to be dominant now in the government camp.
This is confirmed daily by the sharper rhetorical tones, the aggressiveness of speech, the unfounded and groundless charges against newspapers, journalists, and businessmen, the burgeoning efforts to malign individuals, and character assassinations, as the official propagandists of the ruling party would say.
Obviously the current narrative about the end of trials and tribulations and an imminent exit from the bailout memorandums is not working. Citizens continue to experience the consequences of an erratic policy of a government that said one thing, but went in another direction, and ended up elsewhere, without being able to convey the hope of regeneration that the country needs.
The common conviction is that the people remain incredulous, the wear and tear of governance is growing, and the prospect of a regrouping of government forces is becoming increasingly more difficult.
As long as the ability of the government to remain in power becomes more questionable, the polarisation grows, and divisiveness is chosen as a means of political defense. Everyone now realises that under the weight of the above conditions, the divisive dogma of “Either us or them” returns even more forcefully.
This is highlighted by the frantic effort to draw new dividing lines and to totally slander all and sundry, especially those who represent a different view or defend a different path than that drawn by “the great helmsman”.
This is precisely the aim of the emerging scandal-mongering. It attempts to depict the “others” as the enemy of the people”, as representatives of the rich, as exponents of a corrupt elite, and to arouse the baser instincts, such as hatred, envy, and unspeakable hostility.
Let everyone know that Greek society remains at heart peaceful.
Greeks have come to the end of their rope. By now they have experience. They met up with and measured everyone during the protracted crisis, and they can distinguish false and divisive rhetoric from productive and peaceful speech.
Citizens seek the prosperity of the country, progress for themselves and their families, security and social peace. They turn their backs on the rhetoric of tension, hatred and consequent violence, which arouses dark minds and mobilises bloody hands.
After all that has transpired in the era of the crisis, Greeks weigh everything , and by now they know that solutions do not come through revelation, nor as manna from heaven, nor from easy, divisive rhetoric, but only through honest, well organised, and extremely well planned productive efforts.
This is the great challenge of the current period. All the rest is for fanatics.
