The suicide note of Dimitris Christoulas

[PaddyJoe]

Dimitris Christoulas, 77 years old, who shot himself dead in Syntagma Square in Athens this morning left the following note, according to the Greek media:

"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state. And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him), I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance. I believe that young people with no future, will one day take up arms and hang the traitors of this country at Syntagma square, just like the Italians did to Mussolini in 1945"
http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/54580

[ang]

Just awful how ordinary people are being "wiped out" socially and financially to uphold the position of financial institutions, politicians and their friends, including the vested interests and the "unelected mob" running Europe and elsewhere,

"hang the traitors of this country" will be heard ringing across Europe if the current policies are continued.

[Ephilant]

For those who don't know, the reference to Tsolakoglou is a reference to WW2 and the colaboration of Tsolakoglou with the then German occupiers. Once again, Mr. Christoulas voiced what everybody here in Greece knows, we are being sacrificied by todays collaborating goverment with what is seen as nothing short of a reprise of the WW2 occupation. People who experienced that episode in our history all say the same, they never witnessed then what they are witnessing in the streets of or cities today.
Mr Christoulas' suicide is the 149th recorded suicide in Greece this year, a sad statistic of the reality of life in this country. The official figure shows more than 1 suicide a day in 2012. The official figure for 2011 is 4,000, charity workers on the ground put it at at least twice that...

[eamo]

Dimitris Christoulas RIP.
I am sure all of us extend sincere condolences to his wife, daughter, friends and family.

I am ashamed when I hear our "leaders" simpering on about how "we are not Greece".

We are Greece! Where Greece is today we will be tomorrow. SOLIDARITY!! that is what is needed.

[ZeroWedge]

"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state." It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.

[Ephilant]

News just in. A father of 3 has committed suicide by burning himself. His farewell note tells a story of almost hourly harrassment by a bank to pay his debt. Unemployed, his meagre €480 a month didn't suffice to feed, house and clothe his family, while his bank harrassed him for €920 and refused a repayment programme. All or nothing was the attitude. They got both.

[eamo]

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.
.

That is disgusting.

[Spectabilis]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

Why? The poor man did away with himself to preserve his dignity.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

This man had paid into a pension scheme all his life. What are you on about?

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

Now this is just t r olling. What nonsense.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.

Have you actually got figures on the numbers of the grey-haired who have mortgages and (grand)child rearing costs.

Your post serves no purpose other than to disrupt reasonable debate on this site.

[Kev Bar]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.

My hair is going grey and I am up to my ****** in debt.
And with views like the above I'll happily hit you for as much as possible.

[fluffybiscuits]

For those who don't know, the reference to Tsolakoglou is a reference to WW2 and the colaboration of Tsolakoglou with the then German occupiers. Once again, Mr. Christoulas voiced what everybody here in Greece knows, we are being sacrificied by todays collaborating goverment with what is seen as nothing short of a reprise of the WW2 occupation. People who experienced that episode in our history all say the same, they never witnessed then what they are witnessing in the streets of or cities today.
Mr Christoulas' suicide is the 149th recorded suicide in Greece this year, a sad statistic of the reality of life in this country. The official figure shows more than 1 suicide a day in 2012. The official figure for 2011 is 4,000, charity workers on the ground put it at at least twice that...

This is even worse than what happened in Italy last week. The young people are not happy and are going to Germany or anywhere else they can to get away from the situation. People are lying under bridges to sleep as they have been removed from the house and now this man commits suicide. Its completely heart breaking, its the human side of the tragedy which we do not get to see all too often in the media. The Pasok MP who commented on the way proves that they are so out of touch with the feelings of the people of Greece , he claimed that the suicide may not be financially related. Read the fuckin note pal is all my response is to that. I hope that Dimitris Christoulas RIP and that his death is not in vain. If anything comes out of it let it be something that will improve the lives of people.....

[Newsy]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.

Your post reminds me of a jackel, scavaging for scraps.

The sentiments expressed are devoid of humanity.

[Kev Bar]

Your post reminds me of a jackel, scavaging for scraps.

The sentiments expressed are devoid of humanity.

Well put.

[Ephilant]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.


This post really does not deserve any further attention, but for the sake of clarity, here it is.

Depending on which Social Security Fund he was allowed to join (depends on lots of factors, including earnings, profession, location, etc) he would have paid anything between €130 and €320 a month. This money was invested on his behalf and the profits made would have been passed on to him, minus taxes etc. His pension would have been calculated on the both the amount put in as well as the lenght of time he was a member of the Fund, and the interest earned on his "investment". Either way, he would not have received more than €11,000 a year. So much for implying he must somehow have been paid some astronomical figure as a pension. And don't forget, as a result of the austerity measures imposed by Germany and implemented by the Troika, this man would have suffered at least a 22% drop in income, overnight.

On a personal level, I must say I find your post nothing short of dispicable, and witness to the only too prevailing levels of selfish ignorance coming to the fore, when people should be sticking together to stop us all from ending up back in a medieval system of serf-dom. The only difference between then and what we are heading for is that you will not by duffing your hat to some landlord, you'll be doing it for a banker.

[ZeroWedge]

Your post reminds me of a jackel, scavaging for scraps.

The sentiments expressed are devoid of humanity.Do you have a counter argument or not?

The real lack of humanity is stealing money out of peoples wages to pay for the idle pensioners. The state pension is paid for by taxing the lowest paid people in society. People who get their backsides out of bed every morning and go to shitty jobs and work for wages less than €15k. And then you siphon off a cut of their wages and redistribute it to some guy in his 60's who spends most days on the golf course or lolling about the bars and restaurants of the Canary Islands.

The state pension steals from workers on €10k and gives to the idle on €11k. Wheres your counter argument to that? Or do you just have emotional buzzphrases like "devoid of humanity"?

[Apjp]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.

You're horrible. You want to starve old people instead of young people. Maybe you'd be happier if we just did a Switzerland on them? Jaysus. None of us should pay for criminal banks and their puppet govt.'s.

[Apjp]

This is even worse than what happened in Italy last week. The young people are not happy and are going to Germany or anywhere else they can to get away from the situation. People are lying under bridges to sleep as they have been removed from the house and now this man commits suicide. Its completely heart breaking, its the human side of the tragedy which we do not get to see all too often in the media. The Pasok MP who commented on the way proves that they are so out of touch with the feelings of the people of Greece , he claimed that the suicide may not be financially related. Read the fuckin note pal is all my response is to that. I hope that Dimitris Christoulas RIP and that his death is not in vain. If anything comes out of it let it be something that will improve the lives of people.....

I hope they hang the traitors like he asked.

[Apjp]

Do you have a counter argument or not?

The real lack of humanity is stealing money out of peoples wages to pay for the idle pensioners. The state pension is paid for by taxing the lowest paid people in society. People who get their backsides out of bed every morning and go to shitty jobs and work for wages less than €15k. And then you siphon off a cut of their wages and redistribute it to some guy in his 60's who spends most days on the golf course or lolling about the bars and restaurants of the Canary Islands.

The state pension steals from workers on €10k and gives to the idle on €11k. Wheres your counter argument to that? Or do you just have emotional buzzphrases like "devoid of humanity"?

I'd ask the mods to have a word with this lad. Nobody wants to read this shyte.

[fluffybiscuits]

Do you have a counter argument or not?

The real lack of humanity is stealing money out of peoples wages to pay for the idle pensioners. The state pension is paid for by taxing the lowest paid people in society. People who get their backsides out of bed every morning and go to shitty jobs and work for wages less than €15k. And then you siphon off a cut of their wages and redistribute it to some guy in his 60's who spends most days on the golf course or lolling about the bars and restaurants of the Canary Islands.

The state pension steals from workers on €10k and gives to the idle on €11k. Wheres your counter argument to that? Or do you just have emotional buzzphrases like "devoid of humanity"?

Are you intentionally stirring the ***** or something? Pensioners are pensioners for a reason, they are going to spend so long putting money into the system that by the time they reach 65 they want time to enjoy life . Pensioners toiled for years to pay for the education, the healthcare , the benefits that both you and I received so its only fair that once we enter the working world we repay our debts back to them to ensure that they have a comfortable life as they ensured we have one. We will be the next generation to be on the end of the pension unless you want to spend your days toiling away at a job and then suddenly suffer a massive stroke at 70 and wonder where all your life went in a flash of seventy years. The other thing you forget is that most people pay into a pension by the time they receive it so anyone whom has paid their contributions is only going to get back out of it what they put in. I dont fancy being in your shoes when someone has to wipe your arse and you are dribbling down your bib when the alzheimers has kicked in , you will realise that any pension you have will ensure your care in such an environment but I think that fact is lost on you now. So why not just take the divide and conquer attitude and just sit behind your keyboard for a moment and think. These people have earnt it, have you?....

[fluffybiscuits]

I hope they hang the traitors like he asked.

Im a pacifist but +1 on this one. I can feel my anger bubbling slowly under the surface Apjp....

[fluffybiscuits]

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/05/world/europe/greece-austerity-suicide/

Lot of tributes pouring in for him. One of the startling facts though is suicide rates are up 40% ....

[Count Bobulescu]

My initial reaction was, we have an heir to Jonathon Swift. But that’s probably wide of the mark. While I don’t subscribe to the views expressed in the in-artfully worded posts the issue raised is indeed a serious one, and merits serious discussion.

Every pension system is funded retrospectively. Today’s taxes pay today pensions. When these systems were designed life expectancy was lower. Someone retiring at 65 then might have expected to collect for 10 years. Now it’s closer to 20 years. Those extra years have to be funded and there are essentially three options; 1: cut benefits, 2: raise taxes, 3: rise the retirement age.

Give the Germans credit for facing facts. They recognized the economics and demographics of a declining birth rate would eventually bankrupt them and raised the retirement age. The US is talking about it but has not yet bitten the bullet. The Greek retirement situation seems simply bizarre. My own parents both in their mid eighties will tell you they have never had it so good. Depending on contribution and benefit rates virtually everyone pays in less than they get out. The difference is often made up by borrowing which is another way of saying let our kids pay for it.

[ZeroWedge]

I dont fancy being in your shoes when someone has to wipe your arse and you are dribbling down your bib when the alzheimers has kicked in , When that day comes I will accept it and go gracefully and not expect the taxpayer to give me €70k per year of free nursing care.

When a person cant feed or dress themselves, thats natures way of telling them that their time is up. If they want to extend their life artifically beyond that point, they should pay for it themselves.

[Ephilant]

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/05/world/europe/greece-austerity-suicide/

Lot of tributes pouring in for him. One of the startling facts though is suicide rates are up 40% ....

According to those working on the ground in the shelters and food kitchens in the cities the actual rate is twice that of what is being expressed by the official figures, meaning nearly 3 people take their life every day...

[fluffybiscuits]

When that day comes I will accept it and go gracefully and not expect the taxpayer to give me €70k per year of free nursing care.

When a person cant feed or dress themselves, thats natures way of telling them that their time is up. If they want to extend their life artifically beyond that point, they should pay for it themselves.

Why should money be an issue? Are you some sort of liberal capitalist of sorts? I agree with euthanasia but only if you can afford to live? I think Geroge Orwell created you somewhere in one of his novels....


According to those working on the ground in the shelters and food kitchens in the cities the actual rate is twice that of what is being expressed by the official figures, meaning nearly 3 people take their life every day...

Wouldnt surprise me Eliphant. The figures are probably a lot higher but the govt is trying to cover up the issue as much as possible....

[C. Flower]

The report on this gives reactions from the LAOS (fascist) party and other right wing parties that express outrage to this man's situation. Expressing outrage, without providing economic solutions, won't help, nor will anti-German xenophobia. There are Germans whose living standards have been driven down, too.

There has been borrowing and increased spending in some states, over the last thirty years, but this is now all being called in PLUS bail outs for failures in the financial system are being paid for by the public.

Nobody kills themselves because they can't have a swimming pool or a new car. It is over lack of the basic necessities of life.

There have been in the not so distant past economies that prioritised guaranteeing not banks, but the basic necessities, for all: "from the cradle to the grave". It's a question of priorities, and the different system that is needed if we are to have different priorities.

[fluffybiscuits]

The report on this gives reactions from the LAOS (fascist) party and other right wing parties that express outrage to this man's situation. Expressing outrage, without providing economic solutions, won't help, nor will anti-German xenophobia. There are Germans whose living standards have been driven down, too.

There has been borrowing and increased spending in some states, over the last thirty years, but this is now all being called in PLUS bail outs for failures in the financial system are being paid for by the public.

Nobody kills themselves because they can't have a swimming pool or a new car. It is over lack of the basic necessities of life.

There have been in the not so distant past economies that prioritised guaranteeing not banks, but the basic necessities, for all: "from the cradle to the grave". It's a question of priorities, and the different system that is needed if we are to have different priorities.

There should just be a basic law that says that there is a basic necessity to ensure that once we ensure that every human has their basic needs met, then and only then can the fat cat bankers worry about getting paid. The far right are scare mongering to try and garner some extra votes should the government collapse I would say and using xenophobia as they typically do to whip up the crowds into a frenzy.

[Ephilant]

There have been in the not so distant past economies that prioritised guaranteeing not banks, but the basic necessities, for all: "from the cradle to the grave". It's a question of priorities, and the different system that is needed if we are to have different priorities.

100% agreed. Meanwhile, we are, right now, packing food parcels for 380 families (just over 1000 individuals) in a community of 6000 all told. We do this every 3 days. Last month it was 310 families, in February 290, in January 270. If you look at this in terms of pure figures, it's an increase of 30% in 3 months. This translates nation wide. That is the reality of policies championed mainly by German government and imposed by their puppets in our government. And the suicide rate spiraling out of control is a direct result of these very same policies. It's no surprise there is a very strong anti-German Xenofobia.
Or should we simply apply Nakamoto economics and just let them starve. After all, not being able to fend for themselves anymore may be nature's way of telling them they have no right to live....

[C. Flower]

100% agreed. Meanwhile, we are, right now, packing food parcels for 380 families (just over 1000 individuals) in a community of 6000 all told. We do this every 3 days. Last month it was 310 families, in February 290, in January 270. If you look at this in terms of pure figures, it's an increase of 30% in 3 months. This translates nation wide. That is the reality of policies championed mainly by German government and imposed by their puppets in our government. And the suicide rate spiraling out of control is a direct result of these very same policies. It's no surprise there is a very strong anti-German Xenofobia.
Or should we simply apply Nakamoto economics and just let them starve. After all, not being able to fend for themselves anymore may be nature's way of telling them they have no right to live....

I agree with what you said here - there is no point in the poor blaming the poor.
http://www.politicalworld.org/showpost.php?p=226493&postcount=863 Germany is a very divided country. Merkel no more represents everyone than does Kenny represent us all in Ireland. German jobs, wages and benefits were hammered post reunification and it was the resulting "competitivity" of German industry that in part has driven the unbalanced development in the EU.

The poor man who died rightly blamed "Greek traitors" as well as Germans, for his situation.

Greece is under the most extreme attack at the moment, but people have committed suicide right across Europe as a result of unemployment and austerity. 2008 - German unemployed man starves himself to death in protest ...


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/feb2008/germ-f27.shtml

[Ephilant]

Reports are coming in of hundreds of people making their way to Syntagma square in Athens to protest against a government that would rather see their own people dead than tell the international money men where to go. Government officials are still trying to tell the people that the action of Dimitris Christoulas was not a suicide by a desperate man, but the action of a mentally unstable individual and the suicide note is not genuine. Even in death they cannot leave the man his dignity!
Riot police is out in full force as well, armed to the teeth, and blaming the usual suspects "illegal immigrants", "drug addicts" and "escaped prisoners" for the trouble that was and will be. Those that are present say that lots of the protesters are in fact school children, in uniform, who basically want their future back. Dimitris called for the people to rise up, and analysts are now saying that if government reaction is going to be the same heavy handed approach as it has been over the last few weeks, this could very well turn into the exactly that. Even national television has turned on the government after one of thier journalists was one of the two that got injured when man-handled by riot police yesterday, despite identifying themselves as journalists. We have not seen the end of this yet...

[Newsy]

Do you have a counter argument or not?


This isn't a matter of 'argument'. Do you have any respect for the dead and particularily under such circumstances.

A man's despair and death are testament to the shocking and inhuman treatment that is on-going in Greece. And not only there.

[Spectabilis]

Ephilant, you will be glad to know that the news here carried images and voices of people who gathered at Syntagma Square today. This one suicide at least is having some meaning beyond the immediate communities, poor consolation though that is.

[Ephilant]

Thank you for that news. At least he did not die for nothing. Hopefully his death will be the catalyst needed to make people see what is going on here, in Italy, Portugal, Spain,Ireland and they will do as he urged them to do with his desperate act, stand up say "no more". But it should have come to this in the first place.

[Ephilant]

On Wednesday night, at the public vigil for Dimitris Christoulas, 2 journalist were injured as a result of police brutality. Last night, at the same vigil, 4 journalists were injured, with a photographer needing hospitalisation. Would it be possible that the powers that be do not want too much reporting on this, and are using the obvious exchanges of molotov cocktails and teargas as an excuse (and a cover) to beat the crap out of "unpopular" journalists, or would that be too far fetched.....
People present at the vigil last night all talk about the presence of hundreds of school children. If our children find the courage to stand up to this, then all is not lost.
Meanwhile, at least 1 politician has managed to label Mr. Christoulas "an anarchist" because he displayed the "I won't pay" banner on the balcony of his house. (The "I won't pay" movement is gathering pace fast in Greece, with thousands of people flatly refusing to provide the government with the financial means it needs through refusal to pay toll on roads etc.)

[Spectabilis]

Two items from the media on the event which you may not have seen:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/0406/1224314435691.html


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/world/europe/pensioners-suicide-continues-to-shake-greece.html?_r=1&ref=world (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/world/europe/pensioners-suicide-continues-to-shake-greece.html?_r=1&ref=world)

[Ephilant]

http://sup.kathimerini.gr/kath/engs/img/NEWS/2012/04/lolos_syntagma.jpg

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ahtnes-police-beats-reporters2.jpg

Marios Lolos, the president of the Greek Photo Journalists' Union, was covering the vigil for Dimitris Christoulas on thursday evening when scirmishes broke out between protesters and the riot police. He obviously did what he does best, and went to cover the riots. He is now in hospital, fighting for his life. Marios was "repeatedly beaten and kicked in the head" and suffered life treatening cranial injuries. Prior to this, he had publicly announced that he was going to file a complaint about the police brutality after he had received a few hits leaving him with a "nab feeling in his leg". It was during these first police "interventions" that Rena Maniou, reporter for Antenna TV was seriously injured by a policeman who hit her in the neck with his batton.

[concernedparent]

A strange sentiment maybe, but thank you for posting these pictures. Perhaps it may awaken people to the reality of what is happening out there.

[riposte]

It would be interesting to know exactly how much he paid in to the pension system and how much he was receiving.

The state pension here in Ireland is based on promises that are impossible to keep. People are receiving the state pension of €11,000 per year + benefits for around 25 years, totalling around €275,000. Yet most people havent paid in to the system anywhere near that amount. That means they are taking more than they are contributing and expecting the younger generation to make up the difference. Its completely unviable, when the young are weighed down with mortgage debt.

The old are parasiting off the young, and the sooner the greedy grey lobby is confronted the sooner we will get out of this economic mess.

We should knock €2k off the state pension immediately. €9k is more than enough for an old person, given that they have no housing or child rearing costs.


Do you have a counter argument or not?

The real lack of humanity is stealing money out of peoples wages to pay for the idle pensioners. The state pension is paid for by taxing the lowest paid people in society. People who get their backsides out of bed every morning and go to shitty jobs and work for wages less than €15k. And then you siphon off a cut of their wages and redistribute it to some guy in his 60's who spends most days on the golf course or lolling about the bars and restaurants of the Canary Islands.

The state pension steals from workers on €10k and gives to the idle on €11k. Wheres your counter argument to that? Or do you just have emotional buzzphrases like "devoid of humanity"?

The problem with these two posts is that they are crammed with generalisations and prejudices about hundreds of thousands of people you have never met.

Most pensioners paid their taxes through a long working life sometimes in excess of 65%.

[Kev Bar]

Do you have a counter argument or not?

The real lack of humanity is stealing money out of peoples wages to pay for the idle pensioners. The state pension is paid for by taxing the lowest paid people in society. People who get their backsides out of bed every morning and go to shitty jobs and work for wages less than €15k. And then you siphon off a cut of their wages and redistribute it to some guy in his 60's who spends most days on the golf course or lolling about the bars and restaurants of the Canary Islands.

The state pension steals from workers on €10k and gives to the idle on €11k. Wheres your counter argument to that? Or do you just have emotional buzzphrases like "devoid of humanity"?

Frankly "devoid of humanity" is apt, elegant and all your post is worthy of.

[Ephilant]

Marios Lolos, the photo journalist who was badly beaten by riot police on thursday night is in intensive care, still fighting for his life after surgery to repair the cranial damage he suffered after this unprovoked attack.
The union of photo journalists has stated that Marios was targetted by riot police, as where the 3 other journalists who were injured after being assualted by the riot police. The union has bluntly stated that “Systematic and repeated attacks against people of the press when they are doing their jobs, which violate even the most fundamental of human rights, cannot be seen as arbitrary; even the most naive can surmise that they are meant to gag the press”. The police say they may hold an internal inquiry into allegations of "excessive force"...
Our government now resorts to extreme measures to prevent the reporting to the world of the reality of the situation in Greece, inflicted on it's people by it's government. There are consistent rumours that not all "riot" police are Greek. Some of the more hard line protesters maintain to have briefly "captured" some of the riot police only to find they spoke no Greek, but communicated with each other in "a foreign language". Dimitris Christoulas may just have been a lot closer to the truth than suspected when he referred to collaboration in his suicide note

[Kev Bar]

Marios Lolos, the photo journalist who was badly beaten by riot police on thursday night is in intensive care, still fighting for his life after surgery to repair the cranial damage he suffered after this unprovoked attack.
The union of photo journalists has stated that Marios was targetted by riot police, as where the 3 other journalists who were injured after being assualted by the riot police. The union has bluntly stated that “Systematic and repeated attacks against people of the press when they are doing their jobs, which violate even the most fundamental of human rights, cannot be seen as arbitrary; even the most naive can surmise that they are meant to gag the press”. The police say they may hold an internal inquiry into allegations of "excessive force"...
Our government now resorts to extreme measures to prevent the reporting to the world of the reality of the situation in Greece, inflicted on it's people by it's government. There are consistent rumours that not all "riot" police are Greek. Some of the more hard line protesters maintain to have briefly "captured" some of the riot police only to find they spoke no Greek, but communicated with each other in "a foreign language". Dimitris Christoulas may just have been a lot closer to the truth than suspected when he referred to collaboration in his suicide note

I am not in a position to dispute what you say but I am merely pointing out a common trope in intense civil conflicts that some evil "other" is involved/responsible. This often helps people avoid dealing with the brute fact that they are doing what they are doing to each other.
(I am not minimising the pressure from abroad)
But surely if this was the case, if there were vicious `fill in the nation you like least' police mercenaries given the fact that every citizen is now a camera man/ journo, surely one would have some hard evidence.

Homelessness seems toi has reached an epidemic scale, but `I recall you noting that an alleged Swiss owner had evicted a Greek.

In such grounds, pogroms grow.

And they generally get the scapegoated, not the guilty.

[Ephilant]

http://www.protothema.gr/files/1/2012/03/mesakeimeno.jpg

This is the offical copy of the hand written note, left by Dimitris Chistoulas. Translated it reads:

“The occupation government of Tsolakoglou literally annihilated any possibility for my survival that was depended on a decent pension which only I personally paid for 35 years (without any state support).

Because my age does not give me the possibility for a dynamic reaction (without meaning that if a Greek would grab the kalashnikov, I wouldn’t be the second one [to grab one], I see no other solution than the decent end before I start searching in the garbage for food.

I believe that one day the youth without future will take the arms and hang upside down at Syntagma Square the national traitors as the Italians did with Mussolini in 1945 Piazza Poreto in Milan)”

And as Satoshi Nakamoto, who publicly questioned the dead man's honesty and integrity, will no doubt note, the suicide note quite specifically states that the pension contributions were made by him alone, WITHOUT any state support.

[Count Bobulescu]

I am not in a position to dispute what you say but I am merely pointing out a common trope in intense civil conflicts that some evil "other" is involved/responsible. This often helps people avoid dealing with the brute fact that they are doing what they are doing to each other.
(I am not minimising the pressure from abroad)
But surely if this was the case, if there were vicious `fill in the nation you like least' police mercenaries given the fact that every citizen is now a camera man/ journo, surely one would have some hard evidence.

Homelessness seems toi has reached an epidemic scale, but `I recall you noting that an alleged Swiss owner had evicted a Greek.

In such grounds, pogroms grow.

And they generally get the scapegoated, not the guilty.
Well said.

[Ephilant]

I am not in a position to dispute what you say but I am merely pointing out a common trope in intense civil conflicts that some evil "other" is involved/responsible. This often helps people avoid dealing with the brute fact that they are doing what they are doing to each other.
(I am not minimising the pressure from abroad)
But surely if this was the case, if there were vicious `fill in the nation you like least' police mercenaries given the fact that every citizen is now a camera man/ journo, surely one would have some hard evidence.

Homelessness seems toi has reached an epidemic scale, but `I recall you noting that an alleged Swiss owner had evicted a Greek.

In such grounds, pogroms grow.

And they generally get the scapegoated, not the guilty.

There is indeed no hard evidence of any foreign involvement, as there is no hard evidence of any collaboration from our government with any foreign government with less than honourable intentions. But then, figures released by the European Council data on arms licenses clearly show that while the first bailout was being negotiated (officially to help Greek and it's people out of the hole they were in):

- France secured a €794 million military aircraft deal with Greece, as well as €58 million worht of missiles and €19 million worht of electronics used for "Aircraft countermeasures and target acquisition"
-The Netherland and Germany (champions of auterity!) sold €90 million worht of ground vehicles and electronics
- Italy sold €52 million worth of rifles and aircraft parts
- Spain sold €33 million worth of military grade chemicals...

On condition of anonimity, a source close to the then prime minister Papandreou is on record as stating that
“No one is saying ‘Buy our warships or we won’t bail you out.’ But the clear implication is that they will be more supportive if we do.”

I don't know what you call this, but we, the people of Greece, call this collaboration with not so friendly nations.

Related to this not so very patriotic and people friendly behaviour from our government, todays bunch of muppets has been called to parliament to decide on the allocation of €30 million Euro to the main political parties to fund the imminent election campaign. Meanwhile, people are still starving in the streets of our cities....

[C. Flower]

There is indeed no hard evidence of any foreign involvement, as there is no hard evidence of any collaboration from our government with any foreign government with less than honourable intentions. But then, figures released by the European Council data on arms licenses clearly show that while the first bailout was being negotiated (officially to help Greek and it's people out of the whole they were in):

- France secured a €794 million military aircraft deal with Greece, as well as €58 million worht of missiles and €19 million worht of electronics used for "Aircraft countermeasures and target acquisition"
-The Netherland and Germany (champions of auterity!) sold €90 million worht of ground vehicles and electronics
- Italy sold €52 million worth of rifles and aircraft parts
- Spain sold €33 million worth of military grade chemicals...

On condition of anonimity, a source close to the then prime minister Papandreou is on record as stating that
“No one is saying ‘Buy our warships or we won’t bail you out.’ But the clear implication is that they will be more supportive if we do.”

I don't know what you call this, but we, the people of Greece, call this collaboration with not so friendly nations.

Related to this not so very patriotic and people friendly behaviour from our government, todays bunch of muppets has been called to parliament to decide on the allocation of €30 million Euro to the main political parties to fund the imminent election campaign. Meanwhile, people are still starving in the streets of our cities....

I read yesterday that PASOK and New Democracy were looking for this money for the very short election campaign.

We wrote here last year about the pressure on Greece from Germany and France to fulfill arms contracts, as a condition of support for emergency loans, and since about the very heavy Greek expenditure on arms, and corrupt payments to a Greek politician in relation to arms sales.

When the story about foreign police came up, and I searched for a good few hours for any first hand reports, or photographic, or other evidence, and could find none. It's Greek police that are on the streets. The story seems to be a significant myth. That is not to say that it could not become true in the future.

Given the history of Germany in Greece, it's to be expected that the onslaught of German capital on the Greek people will provoke profound reactions, in the same way as can British actions in Ireland. The rich and powerful of Europe are all together on this - Draghi, Monti, Kenny (lol!), Merkel, Papademos, Sarkozy, Olli Rehn, and the financial interests who they represent, against the rest of us.

[C. Flower]

His funeral today. Thousands present, applause and political protest. BBC video report ( 1 minute approx.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17648466

[Ephilant]

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg875/scaled.php?tn=0&server=875&filename=q1ike.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

http://www.tsantiri.gr/wp-content/media/2012/04/Xristoulas02.jpg

Thousands of people came to say goodbye to Dimitris Christoulas, many of them the "youth without future" he referred to in his suicide note. RIP.

[Ephilant]

http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg644/scaled.php?tn=0&server=644&filename=6dvfr.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640

the tree under which Dimitris ended his life has been turned into a shrine and a focal point for anti austerity demonstrations. This is a uniform of the Special Forces Police, taken of on of them after the police were attacked by the crowd. As one of the "attackers" said, "it's time to give them some of their own medicine, see how they like it"
The uniform was subsequently burned.

[fluffybiscuits]

His funeral today. Thousands present, applause and political protest. BBC video report ( 1 minute approx.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17648466

Very symbolic pictures and film. The death of Dimitris almost embodies the dreams and chances of the youth of Greece in this day and age. The burning of the coat is the two fingers to authority (all obvious I know) but powerful imagery....

[C. Flower]

Daughter of Greek Suicide Victim:

"Bestiality of Capitalism Unacceptable"

Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in Athens, Greece, for the funeral of Dimitris Christoulas, the 77-year-old retired pharmacist who shot and killed himself near the Greek Parliament building last week after writing a note that blamed his suicide on the economic crisis. Christoulas’s daughter, Emi Christoulas, spoke at his funeral and said his act had been "deeply political."
Emi Christoulas: "You found it unacceptable that they were killing our freedom, our democracy, our dignity. You found it unacceptable as they tightened the harsh noose of economic austerity and apartheid around us, to the unacceptable act of surrendering our independence and the keys to the country. It was unacceptable to you that Greece did not acknowledge its children, and its children did not recognize their own country. You found the bestiality of capitalism unacceptable, that it infiltrated our lives, and no one tried to stop it. Then, you made your decision: to become the fear, the death, the memory, the sorrow of our ruined lives."

At 5.30 in this bulletin.

http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/9/headlines/daughter_of_greek_suicide_victim_bestiality_of_cap italism_unacceptable#.T4NRmVqtIfQ.twitter

[C. Flower]

In the last six weeks, 10 self-employed people in Italy have killed themselves because of their destitution and indebtedness.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/0414/1224314729045.html

[fluffybiscuits]

In the last six weeks, 10 self-employed people in Italy have killed themselves because of their destitution and indebtedness.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2012/0414/1224314729045.html

We will see more in the weeks to come. There has been absolutely no coverage ofthe human side of the tragedy in a lot of the worlds media. It remains to be seen what will happen in the years to come to count the complete cost of this tragedy.

[C. Flower]

The New York Times has published a well-researched article on rising rates of suicide linked to the crisis. It covers Ireland too.

I feel angry that people are completely unnecessarily left destitute. These small business people are not needed by the system, so they are left to starve. There are also people who are unemployed, in similar circumstances.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/world/europe/increasingly-in-europe-suicides-by-economic-crisis.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all?src=tp

It is a brutal and inhumane system.

[Ephilant]

And then there are the ones nobody talks about.... today, Greece records 2 suicides a day. Amongst this years victims, Dimitris Christoulas stood out because of the public nature of his desperate act. Politically motivated suicides are a sad, new phenomenon in Greek society. On April 14th 2012, Savvas Metoikidis, a 44 year old teacher took his own life while visiting his parents over the Coptic Easter holidays. He was found, hanging in the shed next to the house. Savvas left 2 suicide notes, one for his family and friends, and one for the world to see, stating that his action is "a clear protest against the impact of EU enforced policy on the Greek people". As a teacher, Savvas would have encountered far too many cases of extreme poverty in the families of the children he tought. RIP.
On April 23rd, 38 year old Nikos Palyvos, PHD and specialist in Seismolgy, committed suicide. Nikos had officially been hired as a university lecturer, but for 2 years he never got paid. Troika imposed cutbacks. But, because he was hired, he was not entitled to any unemployment support. He tried to make ends meet with some free lance work, but after 2 years of struggling, it all became to much for him. Nikos had his own blog, http://npalyvos.wordpress.com/, where he talked about his hopes, his passion for geology, etc. Sadly, this will not be updated any longer. RIP

These well educated young men in the prime of their life are only 2 of the 1700 suicides known to have been committed as a direct result of the policies being forced on Greece. Meanwhile, Merkel & all are still dancing to the bankers tunes, with total disregard of the effect their "measures" are having in the real world....

[C. Flower]

And then there are the ones nobody talks about.... today, Greece records 2 suicides a day. Amongst this years victims, Dimitris Christoulas stood out because of the public nature of his desperate act. Politically motivated suicides are a sad, new phenomenon in Greek society. On April 14th 2012, Savvas Metoikidis, a 44 year old teacher took his own life while visiting his parents over the Coptic Easter holidays. He was found, hanging in the shed next to the house. Savvas left 2 suicide notes, one for his family and friends, and one for the world to see, stating that his action is "a clear protest against the impact of EU enforced policy on the Greek people". As a teacher, Savvas would have encountered far too many cases of extreme poverty in the families of the children he tought. RIP.
On April 23rd, 38 year old Nikos Palyvos, PHD and specialist in Seismolgy, committed suicide. Nikos had officially been hired as a university lecturer, but for 2 years he never got paid. Troika imposed cutbacks. But, because he was hired, he was not entitled to any unemployment support. He tried to make ends meet with some free lance work, but after 2 years of struggling, it all became to much for him. Nikos had his own blog, http://npalyvos.wordpress.com/, where he talked about his hopes, his passion for geology, etc. Sadly, this will not be updated any longer. RIP

These well educated young men in the prime of their life are only 2 of the 1700 suicides known to have been committed as a direct result of the policies being forced on Greece. Meanwhile, Merkel & all are still dancing to the bankers tunes, with total disregard of the effect their "measures" are having in the real world....

http://npalyvos.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/dsc00738_cropped21.jpg?w=450

RIP Nikos Palyvos

[fluffybiscuits]

And then there are the ones nobody talks about.... today, Greece records 2 suicides a day. Amongst this years victims, Dimitris Christoulas stood out because of the public nature of his desperate act. Politically motivated suicides are a sad, new phenomenon in Greek society. On April 14th 2012, Savvas Metoikidis, a 44 year old teacher took his own life while visiting his parents over the Coptic Easter holidays. He was found, hanging in the shed next to the house. Savvas left 2 suicide notes, one for his family and friends, and one for the world to see, stating that his action is "a clear protest against the impact of EU enforced policy on the Greek people". As a teacher, Savvas would have encountered far too many cases of extreme poverty in the families of the children he tought. RIP.
On April 23rd, 38 year old Nikos Palyvos, PHD and specialist in Seismolgy, committed suicide. Nikos had officially been hired as a university lecturer, but for 2 years he never got paid. Troika imposed cutbacks. But, because he was hired, he was not entitled to any unemployment support. He tried to make ends meet with some free lance work, but after 2 years of struggling, it all became to much for him. Nikos had his own blog, http://npalyvos.wordpress.com/, where he talked about his hopes, his passion for geology, etc. Sadly, this will not be updated any longer. RIP

These well educated young men in the prime of their life are only 2 of the 1700 suicides known to have been committed as a direct result of the policies being forced on Greece. Meanwhile, Merkel & all are still dancing to the bankers tunes, with total disregard of the effect their "measures" are having in the real world....

Another tragic loss of a young mans life. May he RIP.

[C. Flower]

An Italian man who lost his job last year threw his two children and himself from a balcony. http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/suicidal-father-also-throws-young-children-from-balcony-552315.html

[Ephilant]

An Italian man who lost his job last year threw his two children and himself from a balcony. http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/suicidal-father-also-throws-young-children-from-balcony-552315.html

This is so sad, and oh so familiar. It is an absolute disgrace that a situation is allowed to develope to a point that somebody becomes so desperate that something like this happens. We cannot begin to imagine what state of despair that man was in. And what is done to prevent this? Apart from some idiot saying that the authorities should add lithium to the drinking water, nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Somebody sees or hears the warning signs, somewhere alarm bells must have gone off way before he reached this point. Why did nobody react? Quite possibly becasue they did not recognize the signs for what they were.
Instead of teaching kids half the crap they teach them in school, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to teach them a few life skills like compassion, empathy, how to develop a social conscience etc.
If anybody is interested in this, I have a very good friend in Ireland who is perfectly placed and very willing to go and talk to schools etc about the whole suicide thing. I will pass any requests on to this person and let my friend decide whether to get in touch or not. Just drop a private message to me with a contact number (Irish!) where you can be reached.

[Ephilant]

Reports are coming in of a double suicide in Athens. What is known at this stage is that the two victims are a 90 year old woman and her 50 year old son. They jumped of the roof of their house in Metaxourgeio, one of the poorer areas in down-town Athens. Locals say that the son lost his job 2 years ago, his mother did not have a pension, and they ran out of money...
R.I.P.

[Ephilant]

And hard on the heels of that sad report, another story is breaking about the discovery of the body of an 85 year old widow, found in the harbour in Zea, southern Athens. Again, suicide brought on by austerity.
A few people in Brussels/Berlin have a lot to answer for. How do they sleep at night?

[Ephilant]

The double suicide in Athens is causing waves, and rightfully so. The man, a professional musician, left his farewell message on "Stixio", a networking site for musicians. Roughly translated it reads:

For 20 years I took care of my mother, who developed Alzheimer in the last 3-4 years. She had more health problems and was refused by every care centre.

The problem is that I didn’t predict that I should have cash because the economic crisis came suddenly. Even though I have been selling our possessions, we have no cash flow, we have no money to buy food anymore, my credit card is full with 22% interest rate, we have running expenses.

I have been living a dramatic life.

Now I have new serious health problems.

There is no solution. Nothing left to sell, no cash, therefore how to get along without food? Does anyone know of a solution?

Leaders of this world, for the economic crisis you created, you need to be hung. And that’s not enough.”

We now also hear of another suicide, this time in Peristeri park. He had gone to the bank, and then went to the park, sat down on one of the benches, and slit his wrists. He was found after his children reported him missing to the police.

Banksters of this world, for what you are doing to ordinary people, you should indeed be hung!

[C. Flower]

These people it seems to me are not ending their lives due to depression (although it is very likely that, given their circumstances, they are depressed) but because they don't have access to food.

[Ephilant]

"Hunger" is by far the most cited reason for people to finally approach shelters like ours and the many others around for assistance. Second reason is "Medical Needs", usually the inability to pay for medication. Whether they actually need that medication or they are just being told so in order to contribute to the growing bank account of some or other Pharmaceutical company is of course a different question.

We have 2 people who are specialist "hunters" as we call them, they go out and look for people who need assistance. Pride is a very strange thing, and lots of people will not admit to needing assistance because it's perceived as "shameful". Another legacy of competition-driven society. Our "hunters" find people in the most appaling situations, who will not come in because "we have food, we are ok" It's hunger that drives them out of hiding to come for help, very much like animals will only come out of their comfort zone when driven by hunger. But by the time they finally do ask for help, if they don't commit suicide first, the health problems, both physical and psychological, are immens.

We are beginning to see the tip of the iceberg, and from what we see around us, and the stories we hear, this is the mother of all icebergs. For months I, and others, have been shouting from the rooftops that we were looking at an EU generate humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. This is it. And as Antonis Perris, the musician who jumped 6 floors with his elderly mother rightfully states, "for what you have created, leaders of this world, you should be hung".

[Ephilant]

Today, an unemployed 45 year old man electrocuted himself in a desperate attempt to reconnect the electricity supply to his house in Aegaleo in Athens. He had only recently moved in to this house, together with his unemployed brother and their bed-ridden mother. Their total monthly income was 340€, being the mothers pension.
They have severe financial problems, and could not pay the bills. The only means to heat the house is electric, and the bed-ridden mother needed heating constantly. Despite being fully aware of this, the electricity company cut the supply...

[fluffybiscuits]

"Hunger" is by far the most cited reason for people to finally approach shelters like ours and the many others around for assistance. Second reason is "Medical Needs", usually the inability to pay for medication. Whether they actually need that medication or they are just being told so in order to contribute to the growing bank account of some or other Pharmaceutical company is of course a different question.

We have 2 people who are specialist "hunters" as we call them, they go out and look for people who need assistance. Pride is a very strange thing, and lots of people will not admit to needing assistance because it's perceived as "shameful". Another legacy of competition-driven society. Our "hunters" find people in the most appaling situations, who will not come in because "we have food, we are ok" It's hunger that drives them out of hiding to come for help, very much like animals will only come out of their comfort zone when driven by hunger. But by the time they finally do ask for help, if they don't commit suicide first, the health problems, both physical and psychological, are immens.

We are beginning to see the tip of the iceberg, and from what we see around us, and the stories we hear, this is the mother of all icebergs. For months I, and others, have been shouting from the rooftops that we were looking at an EU generate humanitarian disaster of epic proportions. This is it. And as Antonis Perris, the musician who jumped 6 floors with his elderly mother rightfully states, "for what you have created, leaders of this world, you should be hung".

What a stark picture you have painted, it will pain a lot of people if they read this and not the guff in the media. A lot of the soup kitchens are suffering under strain because the government cut money and it was the Orthodox church that saved them wasnt it? One thing that is worrying is that Greece imports 40% of its food, this would mean a huge rise in prices if the euro collapsed for them ? (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-19/news/31778109_1_golden-dawn-greeks-greece-heads). The article goes on to cite that the soup kitchens are feeding twice the amount they had last year.

[Ephilant]

A lot of the soup kitchens are suffering under strain because the government cut money and it was the Orthodox church that saved them wasnt it? One thing that is worrying is that Greece imports 40% of its food, this would mean a huge rise in prices if the euro collapsed for them ? (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-05-19/news/31778109_1_golden-dawn-greeks-greece-heads). The article goes on to cite that the soup kitchens are feeding twice the amount they had last year.

As stated above, the Russian Orthodox Church just contributed 500,000€ in donations from the Russian people towards the running of the soup kitchens in Greece, managed by the Greek Orthodox Church. Which would be the vast majority of them, and a very welcome boost. Because of the all the intricacies involved in getting people to use the soup kitchens rather than go rummiging through waste bins at night, in the hope nobody sees them, it is hard to put a number on the amount of people in need, but going by what we experience, we estimate that almost 2,000,000 people use those kitchens on a daily basis. Which is indeed almost a doubling of numbers compared to late last year when an "official" survey put the number at 1,200,000.

As for food production, yes and no. The 40% imports gives a very distorted picture of the situation, because it includes eg. subsidised imported "patatas" from Egypt and Morocco, while our own farmers have to destroy their crops. Ditto for all the stuff imported by the supermarkets like Lidl, Metro, etc. Local growers sit at the side of the road selling anything you can imagine, because they can't compete with subsidised imports from i.e Holland (Tomatoes and cucumbers!!!). And then they get moved on, if not arrested, for not having a licence to sell their products.
That resulted in the so called "barter markets", which are now being clamped down on heavily by the authorities under the heading "tax evasion". How on earth can the EU pretend to be willing to "put the economy back on its feet" when a basic, sustainable, local economy like food production gets subsidised out of existence? But then, if you can control a peoples' food supply, you control the people (ie, the so called super seeds in Africa). Here, on the island, it is different. Most people would simply grow their own and give away the surplus. They slaughter their own animals, despite the EU forbidding that (but then there is no "legal" abatoir on the island), and a lot of food grows in the wild here. I could take you into the mountains for a week, without food supplies, and you would eat better, and probably healthier, than you ever did before. The problem arises in the cities, as is evident in Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras. The main challenge for a post-Euro Greece will not be food production, it will be food distribution, because our main import is fuel, and that we don't have ourselves. Apparently the Russians are prepared to throw a serious spanner in the EU works there. And rumours are that Iran is also making overtures in that line. That would really go down well with our neo liberal Übermenschen in Brussels and Berlin. Wait and see...