newspeak

This Thursday’s (23 July 2015) podcast by Doug Henwood was on Greece. Two interviews: James Galbraith & Leo Panitch, recently returned (this week) from Athens. Both Galbraith (the son of… ) and Panitch have been advising the Greek gov’t. and both (along with Henwood) give a strong defence of the choices made. Basically, not a betrayal of the referendum held a couple of weeks ago but, as Panitch put it, a crucifixion (Galbraith termed it a capitulation, suggesting there was no meaningful choice). The interviews are superb and insightful. (Doug needs —!!— to get Yanis back on the program.) The interviews, especially the one of Panitch—who is an extraordinary scholar and wonderful speaker—made me think of practical ways one could, working within the catastrophic conditions set by Brussels, engage community resources to bootstrap at least portions of the Greek economy. Starting with open source, of course—but also, and importantly, cooperatives beyond what is already there. But I must assume that all I could think of is already being done or at least being considered; necessity leads to invention, after all.