Greece is not a colony, Mr.Thomsen - by Nicolas Mottas
The IMF-EU Troika has to be informed that Greece, despite its financial situation, is not a colony of anybody.
The recent statements by the IMF-EU officials, who urged Papandreou’s government to dispose public property in order to 
gain 50 billion Euros, confirmed the Troika’s colonialist perception of its relation with Greece. The representatives, Messrs. Poul Thomsen and Servaas Deroose, blatantly interfered in Greek domestic politics by calling for a massive privatisation drive in state companies, including banks, the public power company (ΔΕΗ), the organisation of football prognostics (OPAP), the Hellenic Postbank and others.
The question which therefore arises is the following: who gave the Troika the right to demand such changes in Greece’s policies. Because, instead of strictly following their advisory and supervising duties, the Troika’s representatives seem to behave more like modern colonialists. Under such a perception, nobody should be surprised if the next proposal of Mr.Thomsen will be to sell the Parthenon, Ancient Olympia archaeological site or an island in order to avoid bankruptcy.
“We do not bargain our dignity with anybody. We only take orders from the Greek people” was the response of governmental spokeman Petalotis and Prime Minister Papandreou complained to IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn. However, the dignity of the country has been already at stake - and will continue this way - as long as the bailout agreement dominates Greek economic policies. Messrs.Thomsen and Deroose have already enough power in order to co-decide with Athens new measures, cut-backs and privatisations.
But its not only that. The Troika representatives seem to be “offended” by the various protests taking place against austerity. Maybe Mr.Thomsen thinks that the Greeks should be grateful to the International Monetary Fund for imposing its strictly neoliberal economic program to the country’s lower and middle classes. I guess its about time for the Troika members and their bosses to learn that Greece is not a colony of anybody. The government has the responsibility to carry this message to them with the most definite and unambiguous way.
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