The freedom to fail

A question hovers over the conference on the 50 years since the restoration of democracy, known as the Metapolitefsi, which began Thursday: Have we learned enough from our recent bankruptcy? Has the sad realization that the prosperity of previous decades should not have been taken for granted perhaps led to a new mentality, to behavior that would rule out a repeat of this defeat? In Thursday’s discussions, which covered the economy, justice and institutions, there was a frank appraisal of the achievements of the Greeks since 1974, but also a fear that we had not learned enough from the last great crisis, that not everyone was conscious of the weaknesses that had led to this. This image of a country that needs to mobilize all its strengths and curtail its weaknesses is complemented by the findings of a poll that was conducted for the conference. It revealed that most respondents believe that the course of the country has been “for the worse” (34 percent) since 1974, as opposed to those who think it has been “for the better” (33%), while 21 percent describe it as “static.”

The restoration of democracy, after seven years of dictatorship and many decades of serious division (including civil war), renewed the vision of 1821 for a nation that is free and creative. What happened for the unprecedented prosperity and stability that came after 1974 to lead to bankruptcy? How did we squander this new freedom, which was reinforced by a new constitutional order and by our being part of a united Europe? There are many reasons, and they were analyzed from the first hour of the conference. Perhaps, though, there is something deeper which encourages division in public and private life, which sets short-term gains, sloppiness and showiness above consensus, foresight and seriousness.

Perhaps we have not realized what freedom means. Addicted to foreign tutelage from the beginning of the Greek state (we still expect help from abroad, we still stage protests outside the US Embassy), blinded by selective memories and grandiose visions, it seems that we do not understand that freedom demands vigilance, flexibility and cooperation. It demands sacrifices, a sense of responsibility, tolerance and trust in one another. Because freedom includes the freedom to fail.