How far is the revolution?

EUobserver / Greece comes to standstill as citizens focus anger on EU: "One worker said: 'The EU wants to squeeze Greece like a lemon. It wants to get all the money from us.'"

The elites are in trouble, as wrote David Brooks the other day. I have read in the press that it is Greece that has managed its wealth erroneously but this is not the opinion of the Greeks according to several articles from both European and American press. In the US there is the Tea Party movement with their claim on fiscal responsibility.

Lemon juice is the word because Greece has complained on Germany who stole their gold during World War II and did not pay it back, something the Germans do not agree upon. Increasingly people are beginning to get the feeling that too much is decided on top of their heads and that they have to pay for other people's mistakes, despite going to work every day.

However, the question is what the Greeks in reality expect. Their country's finance is bust and austerity measures in need. They are not in the mood for working themselves out of their pit. Do they have a feeling that this is not possible? That someone is going to rescue them? Perhaps no one is providing a new way forward. A clear sustainable goal for future living. They are frustrated because they have lived their life but this did not work. Debt accumulates as they live above their means.

The Germans, those in Europe with the deepest pockets, apparently got crazy when they heard that the Greeks were going to raise their pension age from 61 to 63 and wondered if they had to raise theirs from 67 to 69 to bail Greece out. A revolution is perhaps not really justifiable. However, they need reform. Transparency International rank them with Bulgaria and Romania, way down on the list. Corruption is rife. Turkey is actually above Greece in the corruption ranking and some people hesitate to enroll them to the EU because of their problems of governance, their civil war between the democratic Muslims and the secular Military.

Is it then possible for the Greeks to complain on the European elites? Corruption is not only a problem of the establishment. It is also a systemic ailment. The bottom line of recent events, however, is that the Greeks don't seem remorseful.