Philosophy's Ann Robertson: In Defense of Greece's Syriza

COUNTERPUNCH -- This opinion article co-written by Lecturer of Philosophy Ann Robertson argues in defense of the Syriza government leadership in Greece. “Yet the conclusions of betrayal and naïvete, although they might seem to contain some truth, fail to take into consideration that the Syriza leadership was placed in an impossible position by the Greek electorate. On the one hand, the Greek people clearly rejected austerity; on the other hand, at the same time even more (75 percent) wanted to stay in the eurozone. This is why Tsipris kept repeating in the lead-up to the referendum that the vote was not about leaving the eurozone. And it is why some of Greece’s creditors, who were trying to manipulate a yes vote, kept insisting that a no vote meant leaving.”