ΣΥ.ΡΙΖ.Α.

So the ECB's agenda is pain. What about our agenda?

One positive thing about the crisis in Europe is that, unlike many earlier occasions on which neoliberalism has been imposed by financial coercion, this one is calling forth a serious response from the left. Hopefully, we'll see a victory for Syriza in tomorrow's elections in Greece. In the meantime, check out their economic program. Good stuff.

THE ECONOMIC PROGRAMΜΕ OF SYRIZA-EKM


UPDATE: Well, that was disappointing. The Guardian says it was moral victory; perhaps we'll get a Greek perspective here in the next week.

In the meantime, the question has been raised, what do I specifically like about this program? Well, let's be honest, beside the tone of it -- which is wonderful -- it's not everything one might hope for. But it's a small party in a small country, putting together its program in a short time under extreme conditions. That said, I think the focus on tax reform, and on taxing the rich -- including the Church -- is important. Unlike Spain or Italy or Ireland, Greece does have a genuine fiscal problem. Resolving that in a progressive way is important. And if it does turn out that GReece leaves the Euro -- I won't guess how likely that is -- capital flight is going to be a huge problem. Putting in place the institutions now to capture the wealth of that fraction of the Greek elite that abandons ship strikes me as very worthwhile.