"Ochi "Day Then And" Ochi" Day Now.
Can you hear the people saying 'No, No No' ? It sounds loud and clear to me.I am pretty sure that it sounds loud and clear to most of the Greek population.Funny how the two wise men at the top completely ignore it.
October 28th is 'ochi' ( no ) day in Greece.
I'm sure most Greek readers know the history of this, but I will briefly go into it, as it is essential , to give clarity to the rest of the post.
According to Wikipedia, on 28.10. 1940 at dawn, after a party at the German Embassy in Athens, the Italian Ambassador, Emanuele Grazzi, demanded that Greece allows Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy ' strategic locations' or otherwise face war.
It was allegedly answered by Ionnis Metaxis, the Greek dictator at that time, with a single laconic word 'Oxi' (no). However, his actual reply was,"Then, it is war.".
On the morning of 28th October the Greek population took to the streets shouting' ochi'. From 1942 it was celebrated as ' ochi' day.
Fast forward some 73 years later and today, Greeks celebrate this day.
Actually, I don't think Greeks are in the mood to celebrate at the moment. A lot of the people will be out on the streets, not to celebrate, but to complain about the way they have been, are being, and will be treated in the days, months and years ahead.
It's odd that Germany is involved in this, yet again. There is a big difference though, to what the government said in 1940 to what the government in Greece is now saying
In 1940 Metaxas said,"Then it is war ", whereas the government in power today have said,"Yes Frau, Yes Frau, yes Herr, yes Herr, anything you want us to do we will do; we will oblige you .".
It is the people who are now saying what the government should have said, and they are saying 'ochi'(no) to the most cruel austerity punishment inflicted on any country in peacetime.
Shame that those in power are deaf to the very people who allow them to live their lavish lifestyles.
There is something terribly, terribly wrong when the 'ochi' day parade- a day of national pride- has to have the sort of security that you might expect to see if a foreign power had taken the country over.Well, I suppose, in some ways that is exactly what has happened.Everything that foreign powers have demanded , has been implemented, and it's causing immense suffering to all people from all walks of life.
Thousands of police will, no doubt, guard the politicians, with spectators forced to watch at some distance away ; this shows the massive gulf between the ordinary people and those that the ordinary people are meant to have elected.Two years ago the 28th October parade in Thessaloniki was cancelled shortly before it began, after the Greek President was insulted.
In some cities last year, like in Irakleo, Crete, citizens organised a people parade. In Northern Greece, in Naousa, the people there are also had a people parade after the official one. T.V. coverage of these people parades was almost non-existent .
The people are speaking, they are shouting, screaming even, but no one is listening.
Greece was the birthplace of democracy. An interesting word that. It comes from two words; demo meaning 'the people' and kratia meaning 'the people rule'
John Lennon's song' "Power To The People" was considered a revolutionary song , when all he was singing about was democracy.
I haven't seen that lately, have you ?
.
October 28th is 'ochi' ( no ) day in Greece.
I'm sure most Greek readers know the history of this, but I will briefly go into it, as it is essential , to give clarity to the rest of the post.
According to Wikipedia, on 28.10. 1940 at dawn, after a party at the German Embassy in Athens, the Italian Ambassador, Emanuele Grazzi, demanded that Greece allows Axis forces to enter Greek territory and occupy ' strategic locations' or otherwise face war.
It was allegedly answered by Ionnis Metaxis, the Greek dictator at that time, with a single laconic word 'Oxi' (no). However, his actual reply was,"Then, it is war.".
On the morning of 28th October the Greek population took to the streets shouting' ochi'. From 1942 it was celebrated as ' ochi' day.
Fast forward some 73 years later and today, Greeks celebrate this day.
Actually, I don't think Greeks are in the mood to celebrate at the moment. A lot of the people will be out on the streets, not to celebrate, but to complain about the way they have been, are being, and will be treated in the days, months and years ahead.
It's odd that Germany is involved in this, yet again. There is a big difference though, to what the government said in 1940 to what the government in Greece is now saying
In 1940 Metaxas said,"Then it is war ", whereas the government in power today have said,"Yes Frau, Yes Frau, yes Herr, yes Herr, anything you want us to do we will do; we will oblige you .".
It is the people who are now saying what the government should have said, and they are saying 'ochi'(no) to the most cruel austerity punishment inflicted on any country in peacetime.
Shame that those in power are deaf to the very people who allow them to live their lavish lifestyles.
There is something terribly, terribly wrong when the 'ochi' day parade- a day of national pride- has to have the sort of security that you might expect to see if a foreign power had taken the country over.Well, I suppose, in some ways that is exactly what has happened.Everything that foreign powers have demanded , has been implemented, and it's causing immense suffering to all people from all walks of life.
Thousands of police will, no doubt, guard the politicians, with spectators forced to watch at some distance away ; this shows the massive gulf between the ordinary people and those that the ordinary people are meant to have elected.Two years ago the 28th October parade in Thessaloniki was cancelled shortly before it began, after the Greek President was insulted.
In some cities last year, like in Irakleo, Crete, citizens organised a people parade. In Northern Greece, in Naousa, the people there are also had a people parade after the official one. T.V. coverage of these people parades was almost non-existent .
The people are speaking, they are shouting, screaming even, but no one is listening.
Greece was the birthplace of democracy. An interesting word that. It comes from two words; demo meaning 'the people' and kratia meaning 'the people rule'
John Lennon's song' "Power To The People" was considered a revolutionary song , when all he was singing about was democracy.
I haven't seen that lately, have you ?
.
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