450 Euros

            Imagine this scenario If you will. You are a fresh engineering graduate, finally entering the working world after 5+ years of tireless study.  You are eager to make your mark on the world. You open that door to the real world and you are shocked at what you find waiting for you; 58% unemployment among your age group and a mandatory starting wage of 450 euros a month.

             

            For many youth under 30 in Greece this is a reality. 

            With the implementation of the Euro in Greece in 2002, Greece was effectively tied to pricing dictated by the wealthier and more affluent Northern European countries.  As opposed to other countries like say, Mexico with their own currency, Greece was forced into following the prices set across Europe. This wasn’t so much of an issue when the Banks were gleefully pumping billions into a system that could not withstand the high costs of borrowing, but now in the midst of the worst recession seen in Greece since the 2^nd World War this is having a serious effect on the population. 

           

           In exchange for one of the myriad bailouts given to the Greek Government, the government has been forced by the troika (EU, IMF, ECB) to implement an entry level wage of 450 euros to any labourer under the age of 30. Remember though, the cost of goods and services are roughly standard across the Eurozone. For example, a Playstation 3 in Germany would cost the exact same amount as a Playstation 3 in Greece. 

            So what does 450 Euros a month get you? Let’s break it down. We will assume you are living on your own, so you will need to rent a small apartment.  First, you will need 200 euros minimum for a small bachelor’s suite measuring between 200 and 315 square feet. Right away you are down to 250 euros for the rest of the month. Let’s assume you have to bus to work as you cannot possibly afford a motorcycle, scooter or a car.  Transit in Greece costs 1.40 euros which you need to pay twice a day to get to and from your job.  This is 2.80 a day which amounts to roughly 84 euros a month.  Let’s be generous and not include weekends. That’s 76 euros a month. We are now down to 174 euros. Electricity prices are outrageous in Greece, (odd considering the abundance of sunshine, wind and other clean forms of energy) so you roughly pay 50 euros a month for electricity. We are now down to 124 euros a month. We’re really stretching it now, so let’s assume you do not pay for heating to save some money.  A loaf of bread at a bakery costs 50 euro cents a day. So that’s 15 euros a month. 109 euros are now left to subsist on. A coffee a day costs 1 euro, that’s 30 euros a month.  We are now down to 79 euros with no nutritional value aside from simple carbohydrates from a single loaf of bread. Food is expensive in Greece as well. 500ml of milk costs about 1.20 euros.  Since we’re barely making ends meet we’ll buy one every two days which equates to 18 euros a month. 61 euros are now left. Assume we can somehow live on 1 euro (you can’t) a day for food and we are now down to 31 euros. Remember, we have no heating, have not spent a penny on clothing and no communications such as internet, a telephone line or a television.  Any of these extras added on, or even an extra euro a day for food will bring you into the red. 

            There is little recourse for the youth of Greece at this point in time under the current system. This wage is static so you will most likely be forced to work for 12-15 (lazy Greeks right) hours a day in order to keep your job. If you don’t like it, the employer can easily fire you as there are thousands of others looking for work. The punch line is that the current clowns in the Greek parliament wax lyrical about how terrible things will get if Greece leaves the Eurozone. Samaras and his cronies like to fear monger and tell people how there will be no oil, no electricity and no health services if Greece were to leave the Eurozone. But I just broke down a very basic cost of living for a young graduate above and there is no money for medications or heating there either.  So we should objectively question the statements made by those in parliament of a potential doomsday scenario were Greece to leave the Eurozone. At least under the drachma the Greeks could control their own destiny. 

            Remember, this is not a fabrication. This is reality. I have lived in Greece and I know and have seen the cost of living there. People are starving and youth unemployment is at 58%. At least in the above scenario, the poor sap has a job. If you take anything out of this article take this. Too many times we see an event happen overseas and we do not take into account the human aspect of it. We throw terms around like socialist, centrist and conservative and attempt to attribute blame while the human cost goes unmentioned. While this is an economic issue spawned from a plethora of issues, the human cost cannot be understated. While bankers, financiers and politicians sit around a table throwing out numbers and useless statistics, people in Greece are slowly starving to death.

Exhortation To the Greek People

The Following is done in the Style of a Funerary Oration 
  
We, an ancient and proud people have lost our way.
But does this foreshadow the end of 4000 years of history?
No. For this is a new beginning!
Compared to other nations
The natural resources and population of Greece
Are relatively miniscule.
Despite this, how is it
That we have been able to fight and innovate for so long?
It is because our goal and purpose on this planet is a righteous one.
It’s been over 175 years since we achieved independence from the Ottomans.
Since then we have let ourselves be consumed by greed and factional discord.
We have let foreign influences judge and label us. Instead of innovating and creating as is our birthright,
We have become nothing more than lapdogs to a broken system. No more.
We want our freedom!
Never forget these times in which the EU has trampled us under the guise of solidarity!
We, the Greek People, have had a hard struggle
 To achieve freedom for all citizens of our great nation and for what?
My beloved country has been sacrificed.
Why?
For the prosperity and continuation of a broken economic system and our own corrupt politicians.
Perhaps many of you have become complacent;
Such a lack of compassion is understandable in the face of their lies.
The international banking system as well as our political elite left, right and centre have polluted our Country for their own greed and benefit.
We must send them a message, but not composed of words.
We have wasted too much time with words. We need action now.
The political elite must be taught a strong lesson for their corruption.
This is only the beginning of our war.
Instead of fighting amongst each other we must unite behind the love of our homeland.
We must create a new system, one that is not born out of greed and manipulation but rather, Innovation, loyalty and honest work. The old systems are broken!
Your fathers, brothers and sisters are starving
In the face of a contemptible enemy and yet we still bicker amongst each other! Enough!
We must never forget
What the financial and corrupt political elite have done to our people and to our country!
By focusing our anger and sorrow and uniting behind a common cause,
We can finally be in a position where victory is within our grasp,
And once again, our nation will flourish as it did for a millennia.
Victory is the greatest tribute
We can pay to the ancients who left us their legacy!
Rise, Rise! Take your sorrow, and turn it into anger!
Greece thirsts for the strength of its people!
Long live Greece and her people!

Musings on the Concepts of Work, Progress and Legacy

            How many of you have questioned the status quo of your life and the life of those around you? The reason I open with this question is because more recently in the past few years with the explosion of technology and menial comforts available to us, I see people settling for mediocrity. While this is a strong condemnation of society as a whole, I would like us to examine this question, for it may be at the root of our myriad troubles today.

             

           For the past 50 years we have been all offered a narrative which we blindly follow. Tell me if the following sounds familiar. ‘Get an education, get a good job, have kids/start a family, don’t break the law, save enough money, work 40 hours a week, retire. ‘

           

           This sounds extremely boring when written down but it is shocking how we all follow this narrative with little deviation throughout our lives. Indeed, look at it this way; when you meet somebody the conversation within the first two minutes will always deviate to what sort of work you do which is utterly pathetic. We are literally defined now by the work we do as opposed to being defined by the goodness of our souls. This is more so in North America where we live to work as opposed to many European’s who just work to live, (though this is changing to the former). We are even taught to ridicule those who do not exactly follow this narrative.

             

           Why do we do this? To survive? Or is it perhaps what has been ingrained in us for the past 100 years with shiny trinkets being dangled in front of us on a stick? The Ancients didn’t devote most of their day to work. Indeed, up until the medieval era humanity had more Leisure time than actual work time! While this is all ingrained in our current socio-political systems as well as our economy, start to think of alternatives. We deserve better than to just fade away into obscurity slaving away for something without meaning. Must we validate our existence by the work we do at the expense of all else? Must we validate our lives with meaningless trinkets? Diogenes of Sinope, one of the men through which I draw inspiration railed against such timid behaviour.

            

           Life is monotonous if you live in pursuit of your work.  I can only fathom the number of people who lay on their deathbed thinking about the road they didn’t take in recent times. We have all this technology, all this potential for advancement, politically, economically and socially and instead of pushing for change and growth we are stuck in a vicious cycle of work/sleep until you retire or die. While some will try to point that we have always been like this, I posit that this is a by-product of modern capitalism. People will inevitably say, ‘but you need money for leisure!’ The truth of the matter is that by saying that they are perpetuating this cycle of mediocrity.  We need to start changing our entire perception and this starts with asking questions of our government, political systems, economy as well as our way of living. 
           
           To close out this piece, I would like to turn your attention to history. The reason why there was such an explosion of ideas during the Ancient Era all across the world is due to this one simple truth. The people had leisure time and welcomed debate and interaction instead of shying away from it. They did not work 40 hours a week, come home and turn on the television because they were simply too tired to do anything else.  Instead they examined themselves as well as each other. Yes, they disagreed and fought over their ideas, but they did not slave away their lives for nothing. The people back then simply aspired for more than wealth. Their ideas, their legacies, are timeless.

I do not presume to know the solution to our many problems but I can offer you this truth. We can break this cycle by engaging with each other. Instead of strictly focusing on working ourselves to the bone for personal benefit that is ultimately meaningless, aspire for more than the mundane. Aspire to have your name ring out long after you are gone. Work for the betterment of society not just personal gain. People still remember Homer and the many ancients over 2000 years after they passed away. I doubt they will remember those who lived only for themselves.

This isn’t something that comes from either the left or the right. I reside outside of this archaic classification system. I merely ask that you all do your best to ensure the future. Also I do wish to state that many professions do indeed contribute to the betterment and advancement of society but even still, these people need to contribute to dialogue instead of merely accepting their life as it is.