What gets me is that the EU stepped in to help Greece from its debt in a move that is technically socialist in nature. There was nothing really to be gained from a capitalist point of view from doing so. People will make comment about how they were getting the Greeks to pay interest on these loans, but you have to remember that the loans themselves were financed by other EU states effectively borrowing on Greece's behalf at a better rate and because as no one would do it directly. Politically this was unpopular but was done to stabilise things under the proviso that Greece would act in a way to fall into line with the rest of Europe in terms of how it collected taxes and what state pensions were. Its a principle of universality throughout Europe.
Instead what has happened is the Greek Government has sort to paint the other EU states helping them as exactly the same as the private banks who lent in the first place. Its fundamentally different as its now taxpayers throughout Europe who are footing the majority bill. Yet the rhetoric is purely about 'The Bankers' as these faceless monsters who should foot the bill. So whilst the Greeks are complaining about how unfair it all is, and are victims they are now somewhat unfairly blaming those who acted to help them and are passing the problem to other taxpayers elsewhere. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
At the same time they have completely failed to be the socialists they claim to be, by wanting to retain a pension age lower than those bailing them out, and exempting areas of their country from VAT when there are already huge problems with income tax collection. So that's two of the fundamental problems that have gone completely undealt with, in the pursuit of political power and the popular vote. This is to the detriment of the people. The political parties if they were acting in the best interest of the people they represent and were the socialists they profess to be, should have sold the bitter pill. Instead they are just as corrupt as the ones they replaced, in pursuing the vote rather than what the country needed.
Taxation is something none of us like but it is to our benefit regardless of your political stance either as a capitalist or socialist. Unfortunately the entire system has now broken down with tax evasion culturally acceptable for all social classes. You can't blame the elite any more than the poor because of that, even if it became a question of survival. The problem simply wouldn't be to the extent it now is, if the scale of the evasion hadn't become so widespread and people weren't willing to turn a blind eye. That again is not socialist in nature. Socialism more than other political system relies on taxation as a form of economic redistribution. So the way the Greeks have voted does not reflect their own real beliefs.
The comparison between post WWII Germany and modern day Greece therefore fails down at this point. Germany survived and was granted debt right off because it complied with its creditors and recognised it had to live in a way that fitted in with those who lent it money rather than trying to argue that it should be granted exceptions that others elsewhere didn't share. It didn't matter what the political cost was or who was in charge at this point. It was beyond this point. Democracy really came after reconstruction. In Greece politics have been put ahead of economics. Germany traded the goodwill for doing so, and accepting it had to do that to simply survive. Greece has shown no such will to the rest of Europe. Good will is a currency just as much as cash.
Instead Greece continues to play the martyr and play pin the blame on the donkey, rather than just getting on with actually solving the problems it faces. Something that post war Germany just couldn't afford to do. Playing the martyr is a luxury that the bankrupt can not afford, regardless of who is at fault.
I've heard today, talk of humanitarian relief for Greece, and I suspect that might be the way things now go. With no more credit, and an exhaustion of goodwill and patience, there does seem little other option. Other countries have a duty to their own people who have elected them and protecting their interest. Democracy does not begin and end at the Greek borders, which seems to have bypassed their thinking. Humanitarian aid can be distributed from an external source effectively missing out the influence of the government - and therefore undermining it further.
Its horrible to watch but I dispute that what is going on is a victory for socialism on any level.