Too distracted to see the wall

There are times when I wonder whether anyone could really govern this country right now when it is in a state of absolute chaos. We are at such a historic crossroads now, with Greece coming to look more and more like what has traditionally been called a failed state.

Farmers have all but paralyzed economic activity with their ongoing blockades of the country’s highways and border crossings, and they are persisting with the kind of extreme and violent behavior they learned from the current government when it was in the opposition.

The inflows of migrants and refugees have become completely uncontrollable and are starting to cut Greece off from the rest of Europe.

Hasty and clumsy decisions in regard to the delicate business of NATO’s planned involvement in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean to help stem the activities of people smugglers are in danger of coming back to hit us like a boomerang.

The economy is frozen in its tracks like a deer caught in the headlights and banks are too frightened by the prevailing uncertainty to make any meaningful decisions.

In the meantime, the country is at risk of finding itself right back where it was last summer unless the ongoing review of its progress in implementing the bailout deal with international lenders is wrapped up soon.

Everyone seems to have a solution to how we need to get out of this perfect storm, to break the deadlock of this convergence of seemingly hopeless challenges. Some believe early elections and a change of government to be the answer, while others champions a unity government that would be put together for the specific purpose of dealing with the most pressing current challenges.

There is one thing, however, of which I am certain: Even if we were to resurrect our greatest statesmen, from Ioannis Kapodistrias and Eleftherios Venizelos to Constantine Karamanlis, and they were to join forces, they’d have a struggle on their hands to get Greece out of this mess.

The present coalition government is excellent at evoking ghosts from the past and taking out real or imagined enemies, yet try as I may, I can’t put my finger on one tangible result, on one actual action or step in which it has displayed any creativity or determination.

All it appears to want to do is hold up a mirror to the country and point out its faults and the mistakes of the past – of which there are admittedly many. But this not the way to move forward or govern a country. It is, however, a great way to forget looking at where you’re going and run into a brick wall.