Greek hospital is Occupied!

[abram spritzler]

Greece: Hello from the occupied hospital in Kilkis
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php...20227103334638
Monday, February 27 2012 @ 10:33 AM CST

The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on 
Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time. This occupation is not only 
about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither 
is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, 
indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the 
human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a 
nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against 
the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the 
whole world.
Hello from the occupied hospital in Kilkis

February 26, 2012

Hello all,

Thank you so much for your interest and support.

The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on 
Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time.

This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at 
the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health 
System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what 
is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat 
is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few 
social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, 
America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.

Today's Greece, is tomorrow's picture of Portugal, Spain, Italy and the 
rest of the countries worldwide.

The workers at the Kilkis Hospital and at most of the hospitals and 
health centers in Greece are not paid on time and some of them see their 
salaries being cut down to practically zero. A fellow-worker of mine was 
transferred to our cardiological clinic almost in shock, when he 
realized that instead of receiving the usual check of 800 euros (yes, 
that is his monthly salary) from the state, he received a note saying 
that not only he will be paid nothing for this month, but he is also has 
the obligation to return 170 euros! Other workers were paid only 9 
(nine) or 4 euros and even less for this month! Those of us who still 
receive some kind of a salary will support them in any way we can.

This is a war against the people, against the whole community. Those who 
say that the public debt of Greece is the debt of the Greek people are 
lying. It is not the people's debt. It was created by the governments in 
collaboration with the bankers in order to enslave people.

The loans to Greece are not used for salaries, pensions and public care. 
It is exactly the opposite: salaries, pensions and care are used to pay 
the bankers. They are lying. Contrary to what they declare, they do not 
want a debt-free society.

They create the debts themselves (with the help of corrupt governments 
and politicians) for their own benefit. They gave Greece a banker as 
prime minister to ensure that the "job" will be done properly. Our Prime 
Minister Loukas Papadimos was not elected at all. He was appointed by 
the ECB and the bankers with the help of European and Greek corrupt 
politicians. This is their interpretation of the term "democracy"!

The debts are created by bankers who create money out of thin air and 
collect interest, just because our governments gave them the right to do 
so. And they keep saying that for those debts it is you and me and our 
children and grandchildren that will have to pay with our personal and 
national assets, with our lives. We do not owe them anything. On the 
contrary, they owe the people a great part of the fortunes they made 
thanks to the political corruption.

If we do not open our eyes to this truth, we will soon all become 
slaves, working for 200 or less a month. That is those of us who will be 
able to find a job!

No medical care, no pensions, homeless and starving, as now is the case 
with my fellow citizens in Greece. Thousands of them live outdoors and 
starve.

We have no intention to paint the reality with dark colors, but this is 
the truth. This situation is not due to a financial or monetary accident 
or mistake. It is the start of the ugly phase of a long process 
following a carefully designed plan, a process that has started decades 
ago! We have to fight together against this neoliberal plan. And this is 
what we, in Kilkis and in so many cities around the world, do now.

For the time being, we are not considering the opening of a donations 
account. We might, however need to do this in a few months or even 
weeks, if the situation might be worse. What we currently need most of 
all is moral support and publicity. Local struggles all around the world 
have to spread and gain massive support if we are to win the war against 
the corrupt system. If you can think of any additional ways to spread 
our news and ideas, it would be great!

Again, we can't thank you enough for your kind thoughts and words.This 
solidarity of yours has a great meaning to us.

You can contact us at the following mail address:
enosi....@yahoo.gr

Yours
Leta Zotaki,
Director of the radiological department, of Kilkis Hospital
Member of the workers general assembly,
President of E.N.I.K. (Union of the Doctors of Greek National Health 
Care System in Kilkis)

[Terra Friedrichs]

and so they shut down the medical system... and then what?  maybe the doctors will still come in to work.  let's see if your theory works.  remove money from a country (which is what effectively happened), or refuse to pay people (effectively what devalued currency has done anyway), and they'll come to work anyway.  let's see if they stay or go.  maybe you/we should hope for a total collapse of their economic system as a testbed for anarchist theory.  wonder how many lives we'll lose in the process.

Terra

*~*~*~*
Terra Friedrichs
978 808 7173 (cell)
978 266 2775 (desk)
978 266 2778 (home/messages)

[Dana M]

They're not shutting down the medical system - they're doing the opposite, running a hospital by and for the people, thereby beginning the creation of a new and better medical system that serves human needs instead of the profit motive. If you read the email below, you'll note that the doctors are part of this - they're still treating people! I fail to see how that is a bad thing, much less how "lives would be lost."

---

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 17:18:33 -0500
From: ter...@compuserve.com
To: masso...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Greek hospital is Occupied!

[Paul Garver]

I checked with another source for this letter from the Greek worker occupiers via LabourStart (an international labor news service for which I am a correspondent.)  It confirms Dana's interpretation.  I admire the boldness and the moral standard being set by the occupiers (which by the way do include

 high level professional staff).

 

On 03/07/12, Dana M<bunny...@hotmail.com> wrote:

 

They're not shutting down the medical system - they're doing the opposite, running a hospital by and for the people, thereby beginning the creation of a new and better medical system that serves human needs instead of the profit motive. If you read the email below, you'll note that the doctors are part of this - they're still treating people! I fail to see how that is a bad thing, much less how "lives would be lost."

---

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 17:18:33 -0500
From: ter...@compuserve.com
To: masso...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Greek hospital is Occupied!

and so they shut down the medical system... and then what?  maybe the doctors will still come in to work.  let's see if your theory works.  remove money from a country (which is what effectively happened), or refuse to pay people (effectively what devalued currency has done anyway), and they'll come to work anyway.  let's see if they stay or go.  maybe you/we should hope for a total collapse of their economic system as a testbed for anarchist theory.  wonder how many lives we'll lose in the process.

Terra*~*~*~*Terra Friedrichs978 808 7173 (cell)978 266 2775 (desk)978 266 2778 (home/messages)

On 3/7/2012 3:48 PM, abram spritzler wrote:

Greece: Hello from the occupied hospital in Kilkishttp://news.infoshop.org/article.php...20227103334638Monday, February 27 2012 @ 10:33 AM CSTThe occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time. This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.Hello from the occupied hospital in KilkisFebruary 26, 2012Hello all,Thank you so much for your interest and support.The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time.This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.Today's Greece, is tomorrow's picture of Portugal, Spain, Italy and the rest of the countries worldwide.The workers at the Kilkis Hospital and at most of the hospitals and health centers in Greece are not paid on time and some of them see their salaries being cut down to practically zero. A fellow-worker of mine was transferred to our cardiological clinic almost in shock, when he realized that instead of receiving the usual check of 800 euros (yes, that is his monthly salary) from the state, he received a note saying that not only he will be paid nothing for this month, but he is also has the obligation to return 170 euros! Other workers were paid only 9 (nine) or 4 euros and even less for this month! Those of us who still receive some kind of a salary will support them in any way we can.This is a war against the people, against the whole community. Those who say that the public debt of Greece is the debt of the Greek people are lying. It is not the people's debt. It was created by the governments in collaboration with the bankers in order to enslave people.The loans to Greece are not used for salaries, pensions and public care. It is exactly the opposite: salaries, pensions and care are used to pay the bankers. They are lying. Contrary to what they declare, they do not want a debt-free society.They create the debts themselves (with the help of corrupt governments and politicians) for their own benefit. They gave Greece a banker as prime minister to ensure that the "job" will be done properly. Our Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos was not elected at all. He was appointed by the ECB and the bankers with the help of European and Greek corrupt politicians. This is their interpretation of the term "democracy"!The debts are created by bankers who create money out of thin air and collect interest, just because our governments gave them the right to do so. And they keep saying that for those debts it is you and me and our children and grandchildren that will have to pay with our personal and national assets, with our lives. We do not owe them anything. On the contrary, they owe the people a great part of the fortunes they made thanks to the political corruption.If we do not open our eyes to this truth, we will soon all become slaves, working for 200 or less a month. That is those of us who will be able to find a job!No medical care, no pensions, homeless and starving, as now is the case with my fellow citizens in Greece. Thousands of them live outdoors and starve.We have no intention to paint the reality with dark colors, but this is the truth. This situation is not due to a financial or monetary accident or mistake. It is the start of the ugly phase of a long process following a carefully designed plan, a process that has started decades ago! We have to fight together against this neoliberal plan. And this is what we, in Kilkis and in so many cities around the world, do now.For the time being, we are not considering the opening of a donations account. We might, however need to do this in a few months or even weeks, if the situation might be worse. What we currently need most of all is moral support and publicity. Local struggles all around the world have to spread and gain massive support if we are to win the war against the corrupt system. If you can think of any additional ways to spread our news and ideas, it would be great!Again, we can't thank you enough for your kind thoughts and words.This solidarity of yours has a great meaning to us.You can contact us at the following mail address:enosi....@yahoo.grYoursLeta Zotaki,Director of the radiological department, of Kilkis HospitalMember of the workers general assembly,President of E.N.I.K. (Union of the Doctors of Greek National Health Care System in Kilkis)

[Terra Friedrichs]

Well, I'll be SUPER excited if it works. 

Speaking of which, does anyone on this list know about "medical cooperatives"?  A guy at a meeting I was at tonight has one for "home care services" for seniors.  Does anyone know about one for medial services, in general?  I'd be interested, personally, for such a service group here in New England.

Terra

*~*~*~*
Terra Friedrichs
978 808 7173 (cell)
978 266 2775 (desk)
978 266 2778 (home/messages)

[Terra Friedrichs]

So maybe each "business" that's about to go out of business...has a "workers revolt", instead...

Terra

*~*~*~*
Terra Friedrichs
978 808 7173 (cell)
978 266 2775 (desk)

978 266 2778 (home/messages)

[Paul Garver]

What the Greek occupiers are occupzing is not a "business" but a unit in a national health system that is failing because the tax money that should be going into it is being siphoned off to make sure that corporate bankers do not suffer from a Greek default.  The other underlying cause is massive tax breaks to and tax evasion by wealthy Greeks that deprive national revenues of oxygen. Obviously the occupation will not fix and cannot create an alternative health system that is viable in the long run. But it does dramatically call attention to the plight both of health workers and of the people who are no longer getting adequate health care services. 

 

 

On 03/08/12, Terra Friedrichs<ter...@compuserve.com> wrote:

 

So maybe each "business" that's about to go out of business...has a "workers revolt", instead...

Terra*~*~*~*Terra Friedrichs978 808 7173 (cell)978 266 2775 (desk)978 266 2778 (home/messages)

On 3/7/2012 7:47 PM, Paul Garver wrote:

I checked with another source for this letter from the Greek worker occupiers via LabourStart (an international labor news service for which I am a correspondent.)  It confirms Dana's interpretation.  I admire the boldness and the moral standard being set by the occupiers (which by the way do include

 high level professional staff).

 

On 03/07/12, Dana M<bunny...@hotmail.com> wrote:

 

They're not shutting down the medical system - they're doing the opposite, running a hospital by and for the people, thereby beginning the creation of a new and better medical system that serves human needs instead of the profit motive. If you read the email below, you'll note that the doctors are part of this - they're still treating people! I fail to see how that is a bad thing, much less how "lives would be lost."

---

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2012 17:18:33 -0500
From: ter...@compuserve.com
To: masso...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: Greek hospital is Occupied!

and so they shut down the medical system... and then what?  maybe the doctors will still come in to work.  let's see if your theory works.  remove money from a country (which is what effectively happened), or refuse to pay people (effectively what devalued currency has done anyway), and they'll come to work anyway.  let's see if they stay or go.  maybe you/we should hope for a total collapse of their economic system as a testbed for anarchist theory.  wonder how many lives we'll lose in the process.

Terra*~*~*~*Terra Friedrichs978 808 7173 (cell)978 266 2775 (desk)978 266 2778 (home/messages)

On 3/7/2012 3:48 PM, abram spritzler wrote:

Greece: Hello from the occupied hospital in Kilkishttp://news.infoshop.org/article.php...20227103334638Monday, February 27 2012 @ 10:33 AM CSTThe occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time. This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.Hello from the occupied hospital in KilkisFebruary 26, 2012Hello all,Thank you so much for your interest and support.The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, 8:30 local time.This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.Today's Greece, is tomorrow's picture of Portugal, Spain, Italy and the rest of the countries worldwide.The workers at the Kilkis Hospital and at most of the hospitals and health centers in Greece are not paid on time and some of them see their salaries being cut down to practically zero. A fellow-worker of mine was transferred to our cardiological clinic almost in shock, when he realized that instead of receiving the usual check of 800 euros (yes, that is his monthly salary) from the state, he received a note saying that not only he will be paid nothing for this month, but he is also has the obligation to return 170 euros! Other workers were paid only 9 (nine) or 4 euros and even less for this month! Those of us who still receive some kind of a salary will support them in any way we can.This is a war against the people, against the whole community. Those who say that the public debt of Greece is the debt of the Greek people are lying. It is not the people's debt. It was created by the governments in collaboration with the bankers in order to enslave people.The loans to Greece are not used for salaries, pensions and public care. It is exactly the opposite: salaries, pensions and care are used to pay the bankers. They are lying. Contrary to what they declare, they do not want a debt-free society.They create the debts themselves (with the help of corrupt governments and politicians) for their own benefit. They gave Greece a banker as prime minister to ensure that the "job" will be done properly. Our Prime Minister Loukas Papadimos was not elected at all. He was appointed by the ECB and the bankers with the help of European and Greek corrupt politicians. This is their interpretation of the term "democracy"!The debts are created by bankers who create money out of thin air and collect interest, just because our governments gave them the right to do so. And they keep saying that for those debts it is you and me and our children and grandchildren that will have to pay with our personal and national assets, with our lives. We do not owe them anything. On the contrary, they owe the people a great part of the fortunes they made thanks to the political corruption.If we do not open our eyes to this truth, we will soon all become slaves, working for 200 or less a month. That is those of us who will be able to find a job!No medical care, no pensions, homeless and starving, as now is the case with my fellow citizens in Greece. Thousands of them live outdoors and starve.We have no intention to paint the reality with dark colors, but this is the truth. This situation is not due to a financial or monetary accident or mistake. It is the start of the ugly phase of a long process following a carefully designed plan, a process that has started decades ago! We have to fight together against this neoliberal plan. And this is what we, in Kilkis and in so many cities around the world, do now.For the time being, we are not considering the opening of a donations account. We might, however need to do this in a few months or even weeks, if the situation might be worse. What we currently need most of all is moral support and publicity. Local struggles all around the world have to spread and gain massive support if we are to win the war against the corrupt system. If you can think of any additional ways to spread our news and ideas, it would be great!Again, we can't thank you enough for your kind thoughts and words.This solidarity of yours has a great meaning to us.You can contact us at the following mail address:enosi....@yahoo.grYoursLeta Zotaki,Director of the radiological department, of Kilkis HospitalMember of the workers general assembly,President of E.N.I.K. (Union of the Doctors of Greek National Health Care System in Kilkis)

[Terra Friedrichs]

Yes, I understand it's not a business.  I'm suggesting that we DO occupy failing businesses. It may be a blessing to the business owner.  There was a guy at the Social Enterprise meeting last night that was effectively ready to give one of his businesses.  Not free.  But it seemed like he'd be prepare to part with it real cheap...

Our medical facilities are private, effectively making our health (rather sickness) a profit industry.

To successfully "take over" any healthcare facility in the US would not be likely because "the system" has a vested industry in profit-making enterprise.  Read the constitution carefully.  I'll be providing notes which connect certain words/phrases to case law which shows that the police have a "duty" to uphold profit making industries.

An interesting discussion ensued last night about violence.  That "the state" considers "violence" to include any "taking" of a property holder's commercial "value", including future profit.  Sooo...if, say, the constitution unethically provides that value, and we want to change it, it's effectively illegal for us to do so, even though the constitution provides for the right to revolt against an unethical "oppressor".  There will be more discussion about this at the next OB Ideas meeting.  Perhaps Wednesday.  I can't remember the schedule.  It's on the calendar.

Terra

*~*~*~*
Terra Friedrichs
978 808 7173 (cell)
978 266 2775 (desk)
978 266 2778 (home/messages)

[abram spritzler]

the way to create the better health system is democratic revolution.  when people are allowed to create systems that are designed to serve the needs of people and not the needs of the 1% the world will know peace.  until then, the class war is the war we need to wage.  we need to continue building the democratic revolution explicitly.

[cc2...@verizon.net]

Hi Terra and others following this very intersting thead...

RE the idea of "occupying failing businesses...." There is a fairly recent history wiht this, going back to the "early de-industrialization'
era. Place, Youngstown Ohio, steel plants among manyu others being shut down. Local union people and religious groups puyt together group to re-org mill as worker owned coop. Plan supported by liberal and conservative local pols., because it was about keeping jobs, local economy, etc. Carter Admin gave them 200mill$ to get started. But , ,plan eventulally faded under pol. and corproate pressure. Now, referred to as "youngstown plan, youngstown initiatve".  Still has advocates, for ex. Gar Alperovivitz, au. of recent book America Beyond Capitalism: Recalingg our Wealthy, Liberty, De,mocracy....

This idea has good precedent in the Populist movement and Populist Party in America, the last party based in the 90% that almost caught on, about 120 yrs ago. Starting pt. was "Farmers' Alliances" starting  cooperative mills, silos, etc, to cut outy the middleman. But, they had to borrow money from banks to get starting capital, then banks called loans when drought came and c rops failed. So , Populsit party proposed, govt. fund buuilding of coop silos, farmers could use the grain they stored in them as equtiy for govt loans; suddently they'd not be poor farmers anymore. Plan was part of Populist platform  in 1892; they almost took presidency in 1896, allied w/democ. party. Almost...

Idea seems related to contemp. ideas of micro-credit, etc; or, advocates of tapping " alternaive forms of  equity, like social networks of poor {forget that guy's name, from south asia... micro-loans...} Question; could this type of micr-loan to the poor have relevance in America???

Anyway, maybe Terra is onto this , from work on social enterprise. Perrenial issue for such eneterpises or coops has been-- where to get start-up capital, etc?

Guessing you've all seen "Roger and Me". Imagine that flint woirkers had the option of buying up their old plant, rather than seeing it torn down. In Germany and other "euro-style social-democratic-captialist" or whatever, states, laws require that companies offer this as an option to workers.

Caution; down-side is, they sometimes gtet stuck with a "deflating balloon", ie bearing costs of a dying factory........

Q; upside or downside predominates???

Joe from OccupyJP

 

 

On 03/08/12, Terra Friedrichs<ter...@compuserve.com> wrote:

 

Yes, I understand it's not a business.  I'm suggesting that we DO occupy failing businesses. It may be a blessing to the business owner.  There was a guy at the Social Enterprise meeting last night that was effectively ready to give one of his businesses.  Not free.  But it seemed like he'd be prepare to part with it real cheap...

Our medical facilities are private, effectively making our health (rather sickness) a profit industry.

To successfully "take over" any healthcare facility in the US would not be likely because "the system" has a vested industry in profit-making enterprise.  Read the constitution carefully.  I'll be providing notes which connect certain words/phrases to case law which shows that the police have a "duty" to uphold profit making industries.

An interesting discussion ensued last night about violence.  That "the state" considers "violence" to include any "taking" of a property holder's commercial "value", including future profit.  Sooo...if, say, the constitution unethically provides that value, and we want to change it, it's effectively illegal for us to do so, even though the constitution provides for the right to revolt against an unethical "oppressor".  There will be more discussion about this at the next OB Ideas meeting.  Perhaps Wednesday.  I can't remember the schedule.  It's on the calendar.

Terra*~*~*~*Terra Friedrichs978 808 7173 (cell)978 266 2775 (desk)978 266 2778 (home/messages)

[Terra Friedrichs]

Does anyone know about the Cleveland Project?  Somethign to do with collectives.  Co-ops or something.  I keep hearing about it.

With a good plan, start up capital comes.  The Social Enterprise group at OB has had two meetings.  Most of the time is spent learning from people who have operated in these work environments.  Some is spent learning about resources to help people startup.  And the rest is actually talking about who wants what business model, etc.  Several are forming. I should have a lit by end of week.  Everything from brewery to a housing development co-op, to a credit union.

There are several grant orgs on our list and some "social venture capitalists" that look for lower returns for socially responsible ventures.  More soon.  Join the S.Ents list, if you want to be part of the core group of "instigators": https://lists.mayfirst.org/mailman/listinfo/social-enterprise.  If you just want to come to meetings, watch the OB calendar. Usually Wednesday/Thursday evenings. 

Terra

*~*~*~*
Terra Friedrichs
978 808 7173 (cell)
978 266 2775 (desk)
978 266 2778 (home/messages)