Coup fears in Greece over referendum plan

[MNBrewer]

<http://wsws.org/articles/2011/nov2011/gree-n02.shtml>

"Prime Minister George Papandreou sacked the Greek military high command Tuesday. The move came amid furor on the part of world governments and international financial markets over his proposal to submit a European Union bailout plan that spells years of punishing austerity for Greek workers to a popular referendum.

The Greek defense ministry issued a terse emailed statement that Papandreou had dismissed his chief of national defense, the Greek Army general staff chief, the heads of the Air Force and the Navy, along with 12 other senior officers.

The announcement fueled rumors in Greece of an impending military coup. These fears are founded on an understanding that the drastic cuts in employment, living standards and essential social services that have been demanded by Europe’s ruling elites as the price for a partial relief of the country’s debt burden cannot be imposed by democratic means."

[Katashi_itto]

1. Tick Tick Tick...Time is running out for Govts across the world...

Not just Greece...

[leveymg]

3. It's about time. We've been waiting since '68.

And, have been much too quiet since.

[closeupready]

2. This is all going in a very ugly direction.

nt

[dipsydoodle]

4. That was already scheduled to occur.

And not regarded as being associated with current political events

[tama]

5. Papandreou III

was a young boy when he saw last time his grandfather who was then the PM of Greece, taken by the Junta and placed under house arrest where he died 1967. He has been generally been considered a good man - before his post as PM amid this crisis - and I have hard time imagining he would be planning a coup. Information has been limited, but AFAIK the military brass now replaced and sacked were nominated by the former ND center-right government. Nothing is impossible but my interpretation is that this was show of balls and preventive action against the possibility of top brass of right wing sympathies trying to torpedo the referendum with coup or threat of.