The general conditions of living in Greece have reached a critical state. We can look at the numbers, the statistics. Industrial production is decreasing by 4,5%, official unemployment is at 16% and in some areas it is reaching 30%. As for youth that is around 40%. The number of small and medium enterprises is decreasing. The debt is around 150% of GDP without the production capabilities to sustain it. These are some facts one can use to have a general picture of what is going on in the economy of Greece. What these facts certainly don't give, is evidence to make judgments about whether Greeks deserved these painful measures; whether they are lazy or cheats, or as recently Dutch politicians phrased it disappointingly; whether they are money “junkies”. I will not even consider the insults that De Telegraaf presents as arguments. What is important to see is that these judgments are nothing more than non-substantiated prejudices or else the same rhetoric should be used for the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Italians. It is alarming and a pity to think that people who present themselves as sober and rational beings, like the Dutch, would make these judgments solely on reading or listening to the news. There should be a better way of learning and judging what is happening to other countries, yet if this is not possible I would sincerely advice a suspension of judgment. So, in order to make things more insightful for the Dutch readers, I will give some examples of how the lives of some Greek people have changed with this debt crisis. These are people who have nothing to do with the sterotypes. They pay their taxes, they work longer than normal hours and have taken most of the hits of the last years structural reforms. More than that, I will try to give you a picture of the labour market and see if you can put yourself in the position of a Greek employee these days. Lastly, after reading this article there is one overarching question that should, from now on, stay in your mind; “When I talk about the Greeks, who do I mean?”

Hier een interessant interview met de anarcho-filosoof-antropoloog David Graeber, een van de initiators van Occupy Wallstreet, over de methodologie van de protesten, uit de Washington Post (sic).

David Graeber is an anthropologist at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of ‘Direct Action: An Ethnography.’ He was also one of the initial organizers of the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests. And he thinks the people asking for a list of demands are missing the point of the movement quite dramatically. We spoke this morning by phone.