As many have probably guessed — though it hasn’t exactly been hidden — I classify myself in the far, far left of the political spectrum. Based on Marxist ideals, I find many of the goals of communism and socialism to be something we should strive for internationally.
I had no problem declaring myself as such when I registered to vote, either.
Thus, I always have mixed feelings about the failings of attempted socialist governments. This may range from my hatred toward the bastardized version Lenin, and later Stalin, forced upon the backwards and agrarian Russia, to the quiet disappointment of misguided attempts by countries like Venezuela.
It seems Greece is another country I can add to this list of disappointments.
The president of Socialist International and the soon-to-be former prime minister of Greece, George Papandreou, came into power in 2009. With him came a number of other socialist politicians who shared Papandreou’s goal of helping the poor and working classes.
Given the number of impoverished citizens following the economic boom in Greece that resulted in the country’s transition from the drachma to the euro, it’s not surprising it was able to gain such support.
However, if you’ve paid any attention to the news in the past few years, then you would know Greece’s economic boom did not last. After a decade of relying on taking on debts, the Greek economy came to a crash.
And with it died any hope to fulfill the promises and goals Papandreou may have had.
The largest target to help alleviate the recession in Greece was to enact things that mostly harmed the poor, which is unfortunately the most common practice. Thanks to cutting both spending and welfare, it soon became obvious they couldn’t follow their political ideals.
Although this may have been partially the product of poor timing and the inheritance of an already faulty economy, it was simply too idealistic an endeavor for Greece.
Like with many other countries that have made an attempt at these Marxist ideas, Greece simply wasn’t prepared. While Greece’s economy may have indeed been more industrialized and healthy than Russia’s was — though it’s not saying much — it looks like it’ll take much more before any country is truly ready to make such a transition.
Unfortunately, while it seems these politicians and countries may have a great goal in mind, they simply don’t have the means to get there. It’s the same thing that occurred in the Soviet Union, Cambodia, North Korea, Vietnam and really any other place that has made an attempt so far.
The worst outcome of this is that the very people this is done for — the poor — are the ones who suffer the most under these failed attempts.
Just as we’re seeing in Greece right now.
Had the economy not been so against Papandreou and his fellow socialists as they came in, then maybe things might not have been the same. Unfortunately in politics, even if you have the greatest ideals and goals in mind, the actions of other people simply cannot be ignored.
We even saw this in our own country recently: economic practices and the relaxing of regulations causing the economy to be in tatters before Barack Obama could even take office. While his actions and policies dealing with it since then may not have been the best, it’s easy to see how things might have been different had he not inherited such a problematic system.
For Greece, only time will show what happens once its newly agreed-upon unity government takes office. With Papandreou gone, only to be replaced by former central bank chief Lucas Papademos, a regime change may be just what the economy needs.
I can agree with such a move, seeing how easily Papandreou betrayed those he was elected to protect. While his motives may have been more pure than Lenin’s, I find his failure just as disappointing.
 
Zachary Davis is a 20-year-old history junior from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_zdavis.
 
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Contact Zachary Davis at [email protected]