Light at the end of the tunnel

Light in its many forms has always played a huge role in human affairs, starting with the sun and its effect on our life. It is so important that it has become part of our symbolisms, a positive force that combats the negative represented by darkness - light is good, darkness is bad. Night, in fact, strangles and suffocates us when we are laden with problems, whereas the morning brings light and hope.

One of the ways we use to describe this is 'light at the end of the tunnel', where our problems take the form of a dark tunnel and the potential solution (salvation?) is the light we see as we come out of it. And this expression has been used quite a lot this past summer to describe the supposed improvement in Greece's financial situation and the exit from the direct control of the infamous 'Troika' : its EU partners and lenders, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Should we be using such an expression in this case?

Politicians have often used analogies to manipulate public opinion, make us believe in them and their ability to manage our lives and the future; this provides them with not only a purpose but a job, power or even material rewards. They clearly have a vested interest in making us feel better about life as affected by them, and to show our gratitude by voting for them.

Sometimes reality intervenes unfortunately disrupting the lovely stories, and my fear is that this is what is soon to happen this time. This is because very little has changed fundamentally for the better either in the actual Greek economy or in the attitude of the Greek people. The government has managed to 'balance the books' - perhaps 'cook the books' may be more appropriate...) in a way that satisfied some of the requirements of the supervising team and the prevailing EU political climate, but this achievement has only been possible using over-taxation and by draining the functioning economy of liquidity - a cruel form of strangulation that has left most of the private sector in ruins.

Furthermore, the attitude of the people has gotten progressively worse during this crisis, especially as the politicians have foisted more and more hardship on ordinary citizens, with tax avoidance reaching new levels and individuals, especially the young, evading any obligation possible. This has reached the form of an epidemic, with a huge number of people (my gut feeling is over 50%) paying nothing for using public transport and many encouraging shop keepers and restaurant owners not to declare transactions and asking to share the spoils. It is astounding that not only do Greek politicians refuse to learn from the mistakes of others regarding over-taxation - perhaps they should listen to Taxman, a song by the Beatles written in the sixties - but that the people also wilfully ignore their responsibility toward the state, stooping to daily theft (as described in the previous sentence), even if they do not consider it as such. Perhaps they view the State as a rich uncle who won't notice the difference or the crime as victimless. Or perhaps they see themselves as modern-day Robin Hoods taking from the rich (the bankrupt state) and giving to the needy poor (themselves).

Nevertheless the success is trumpeted, the light at the end of the tunnel is heralded; it remains to be seen whether it is the hoped for exit from darkness or a train coming the other way to flatten those in its path.