Adele Fatemi-Topping is a lifelong activist, a Greek American whose family (she’s the daughter of activist Nick Topping) placed social justice foremost. A paraprofessional in Milwaukee Public Schools’ special education department, she has been active in the anti-war and women’s movements, and most recently in the battle against Act 10 and Scott Walker’s scheme to dumb-down education in Wisconsin. Topping returned recently from Greece and wants to assure our readers that tourism in the country is safe and the people are friendly, and the famous Greek hospitality is alive and well.
You were in Greece in the weeks leading up to the recent referendum in Greece on the European-imposed austerity measures…
We were visiting family and friends in Athens—and also the political situation was very important to us. I feel bad that my mother, who died recently, wasn’t able to see the victory of the Syriza party and all the events since then, especially the historic victory of the “Oxi—No!” vote against austerity in the July 5 referendum.
In the days before the referendum, the mainstream media was saying that the vote was too close to call. Instead, it was a landslide for “No!” to more cutbacks to the social safety net and standards of living.
Knowing that Greece has always been a social democratic country, I knew at least 50 percent of the people would vote “No!” and we knew that our relatives and friends were going to vote “No!”
How is life in Greece, currently?
The economic situation is very hard for the working class. One-third of the population has been reduced to poverty. It is very difficult to see people looking for food in garbage cans and panhandling for money…
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This was not the case before Europe forced the Greek government to cut pensions and benefits?
No. The Syriza party won the national election because people are fighting back—that’s the exciting part—fighting against the horrific austerity measures that moneyed interests in Germany and elsewhere have continued to impose on the Greek people. People understood what they are up against and took matters into their own hands. Germany occupied Greece during World War II and raided the national treasury. People are angry at [German Chancellor] Merkel for denying funds to Greece now.
Do you see a connection between European Union economic policies and what Scott Walker is trying to do in Wisconsin?
Very much so, especially because of the privatization they are trying to shove down the Greek people’s throats. The Greek people want important industries to belong to the people. It’s like the 1% in America who own and control everything—except in Greece, it’s the 15% who control everything. Those people have so much wealth, it’s unbelievable.
What are your thoughts about the future in Greece?
There is anxiousness and uncertainty about the future. Although many people have been kicked out of the middle class, they are standing up to the IMF. What you don’t hear about in the corporate media are things like the Solidarity for All movement. For the last three years, they have set up neighborhood clinics, pharmacies staffed and supplied by volunteers. There is the No Middlemen movement where farmers sell produce directly to the people instead of supermarkets. There are many ways people are organizing to confront austerity: an organized fight-back against the cutthroat policies of Europe.
People in Greece will not give up the good fight. They know from history they can win—after kicking out the Germans in World War II and bringing down the dictatorship in 1974. What is going on in Greece has even inspired the Turkish people to vote for more democracy in their country. We will see more amazing things come out of the situation in Greece.
