We are facing a new kind of war, and if we do not realize that the country’s very survival will be in doubt. Either we get serious or we will sink.
It’s time we all put our egos aside. Starting with the prime minister. The 42% his party won in the last general election was not a mandate to appoint whomever he wants to wherever he wishes, to put incapable politicians in critical posts. If he couldn’t find anyone in his party or in the Parliament, he should have looked further away, beyond party or personal preferences.
But even the ministers who seem to be working hard – as they are giving their all to tackle problems – should get over their egos and realise that they cannot cope with what we are facing. As for the invisible power struggles between top officials who either claim publicity or try to shift the blame after a tragedy, there are no words.
The time has come to get serious as a country and break some eggs. Every time we have a major crisis we find that we don’t have the basic number of planes or helicopters – that is a small but indicative example. To be more precise, we have them on paper but not in the field. Then we start discussions upon discussions and conclude that the country needs a defense industry and a support base. Great.
Who is the best person to run it? Mr. X. This person accepts the challenge until he finds out that he will be paid 2,200 euros, he will have a prosecutor constantly interfering, and unionists and various well-connected opportunists chasing him. He prefers to stay at home and the country remains defenseless when Turkey is progressing in leaps and bounds.
The time has also come for zero tolerance for corruption and mismanagement. It’s not just that the Greek taxpayer’s money is being lost. It is that this phenomenon is gnawing at the survival of the country when some people turn a blind eye to quality defects and delays in public works or when a mayor takes the funds earmarked for anti-flooding projects and uses them to organize festivals that bring votes.
We all have to put our egos aside, including us, the voters. We need to understand how suicidal and stupid our choices often are. When we vote for people who are perfect at organizing festivals, attending christenings, and taking selfies as our lawmakers, regional governors, and mayors, but who are incompetent and nowhere to be found when things go wrong, it is our fault; we are the ones who vote for them without asking what they have achieved in their lives. “Have you ever worked in a regular job, felt the risk of being fired?”
We stand in awe, insecurity, and anger looking at the disasters of the last few months. We cannot change nature or geography. The challenge is for all of us to wake up – from the prime minister to the last citizen – and understand that if we don’t break out of our inactivity and cynical lethargy, we will end up in a “failed state.”
Source: Alexis Papachelas
