But, isn’t Cyprus the navel
of the world?
Part 1
The article below from the BBC is on the one hand a slap in the face
and an insult to the dignity of both our communities in the north and
south of Cyprus. On the other hand, it is a much needed wake-up call
for the petty politicians of our island, who are still stuck in the
small-minded village coffeeshop where they still think they are even as
they cruise the salons of Europe.
The article is clearly published in order to serve the United Kingdom's
Governmental machinery which carries out foreign policy. These days,
most of the BBC operations are quite independent, autonomous, and even
critical of the UK Government. Still, the author of this particular
article, Tabitha Morgan, seems to be among the few of her colleagues
who are attached to the needs of the UK diplomatic (and not- so-
diplomatic) missions abroad, which are still aimed at maintaining the
global hegemony that the UK enjoys in partnership with Washington.
Part of the reason that the article is so successful in its venomous
and revengeful atmosphere ("see little bug, I squash you - but not to
death, just enough to break you and then pour salt on you"), is that it
tells the truth. The truth, coming from enemies of the people can be a
blessing, if we know how to harvest it. Even little bugs under the
crushing might of the Imperial foot can learn to assess reality. And
even wake up to it.
There's an element that’s missing from the context of the article,
which is the broader and objective- subjective political reality of the
region and of global power dynamics. That missing element is the blind
spot within the current "visionary" policies of both the petty
politicians of Cyprus and of the criminal politicians who rule the
global Empire. It is discussed in a short comment below.
Petros Evdokas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyprus deals with disappointment
By Tabitha Morgan
BBC News, Nicosia
Papadopoulos has had limited success in bargaining with the EU.
Politicians in the mainly Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus are coming
to terms with the realisation that their country is just a small player
in the large and diverse European club.
President Tassos Papadopoulos has acknowledged that while the EU's
latest declaration on Turkey may not have been exactly what he had
hoped for, under the circumstances it was the best deal that could have
been secured.
The final agreed text of the document insists that recognition of all
EU member states is a "necessary component of the accession process"
and regrets that Turkey has so far refused to recognise Cyprus, but it
stops short of setting a deadline.
For President Papadopoulos' domestic critics, frustrated that the text
fell so far short of their expectations, the correct course of action
seemed simple: Cyprus should have threatened to veto the start of
Turkish accession talks until Ankara agreed to formal recognition.
'Delusions'
Cypriot commentators often joke that many of their elected leaders
behave as if the international community is exclusively concerned with
resolving the Cyprus problem, and that this small island of less than a
million people remains permanently at the top of the agenda for the
European Union and the United Nations.
Politicians here have always, as one newspaper put it, "suffered from
delusions of grandeur" over their importance on the world stage.
CYPRUS, TURKEY AND THE EU
21 September 2005: EU approves so-called counter-declaration calling on
Turkey to recognise Cyprus before accession
July 2005: Turkey signs customs deal with 10 new EU member states but
says move is not a recognition of Cyprus
December 2004: EU agrees to hold entry talks with Turkey
May 2004: Cyprus joins the EU
April 2004: Greek-Cypriots vote against re-unification plan
But faced with the prospect of all 24 European states agreeing to
smooth the way for Turkish accession talks to begin next week, it
became apparent that this was a time for pragmatism and political
expediency, rather than for grand gestures.
Compromise is not a concept that is widely accepted in Cypriot
politics.
Any mention of it in public debate of the Cyprus problem, known here as
the "national issue", is viewed as unpatriotic.
Many Greek-Cypriots who rejected the UN's plan to reunite Cyprus in the
referendum of 2004 did so in the belief that once the republic had
joined the EU, their political leaders would swiftly be able to extract
greater concessions from Turkey, and renegotiate a better deal.
But while Cypriot politicians are seeking to make political capital
over the issue, there has been little public enthusiasm for engaging
with such an intangible issue.
Despite the patriotic rhetoric, for most people the question remains an
entirely abstract one with little or no impact on their daily lives.
For the Papadopoulos government, on the other hand, the controversy has
been a salutary experience, highlighting the limited bargaining power
that a small state such as Cyprus has when it comes to influencing EU
policy.
From the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4290452.stm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But, isn’t Cyprus the navel of
the world?
Part 2
There's no doubt that Cyprus politicians have always "suffered from
delusions of grandeur" over their importance on the world stage.
In fact, there's an unbroken tradition of this extending
throughout the thousands of years of our documented history: the local
masters of Cyprus have always dealt with foreign powers and conquerors
by oscillating between a policy of pleasing the conquerors with rectal
tongue- work, and a policy of posturing as "political geniuses" who
supposedly possess "unique technique" for balancing the powers and
forces that flow across or explode between the continents around us.
Well, posturing is one thing, but doing is another.
And that is the lesson for the little bugs under the crushing might of
the Imperial foot. We *
can*
learn to do it, instead of just pretend at
it.
What would it take to disarm and destroy the illegal military bases
operated by the UK and the Pentagon in Cyprus?
Does anyone think that the Imperial forces don't care if they lose
their bases and facilities?
At this point, Cyprus - the unsinkable aircraft carrier - is a prime
base for the launch of genocidal operations against our neighbours in
Iraq and Afghanistan, plus it serves as a regional military command
post for the forces of the Empire. And the island is a geo-strategic
point from which almost one third of the globe is under constant
electronic surveillance and espionage through the machinery operated by
the Pentagon and by the US National Security Agency on the mountain
peaks of Troodos, and through facilities within the UK military bases
occupying our country.
What do you think the local masters and petty politicians will do if
Turkish Cypriots and Hellene Cypriots begin to unite more effectively -
on our own, bypassing the politicians - to kick out the bases? What do
you think the shape of the game will be then, vis a vis the larger
political scene in the EU or within the United Nations?
Despite the delusions of local politicians in Cyprus, despite the
delusions of our Imperial masters in the global centers of London and
Washington, there exists a broader and tangible objective- subjective
political reality.
Its potential is alive and tangible: there is not a single native soul
on this island who wants the pigs and butchers here. There are many who
are willing to engage in open struggle on all fronts and at all levels
against their presence here. Whether we can find the virtue and the
dignity within us to put aside our idiotic ethnic, cultural, and
religious differences and build among us trust and unity in opposition
to the Empire's big foot on our island, or not, is up to us. But it is
feasible, desirable to everyone ...and highly tempting.
Would this kind of motion shift the bargaining power of our people?
Would it enable us to manage our own affairs better and disallow the
constant foreign intervention we are subjected to? Surely.
All of them, every single one of the "political geniuses" and petty
politicians of Cyprus agree with all of this analysis. Except they keep
saying "not now".
Some of us are ready.
Petros Evdokas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~