Could Greece lead Europe to war?

C.Mercer 7.11.11

This is not a prediction, more of a worst case scenario. Some would say far-fetched, but modern history would say otherwise.

Greece will now hold elections around February. Who will the people vote for. Will they choose the most sensible option of a government that will follow the punitive austerity measures as needed to pay for the massive debt caused by decades of not paying any tax? Or will they choose a party who will water down the measures and possibly take it to bankruptcy? Or will even more radical groups emerge? Throughout modern European history those countries brought to their knees by financial mismanagement  have headed into extremism, left or right. A nation's wounded pride is a dangerous thing. As resentment and nationalism increase so does   the   chance of conflict. This happened with both Germany and Italy, and more recently with the former Yugoslavia. Greece borders the Balkans, and the relationship has never been easy. The Republic of Macedonia on Greece's northern border annoyed Greece from the start for stealing the name of the northern state of Macedonia in Greece. Then of course there is Turkey, a rise of nationalism can do no favours for that relationship.  The peoples of the former Yugoslavian states seem very nice today, but back in 1992 as I hitched through war-torn Macedonia, Serbia and Croatia, I saw the hate that comes with war first hand. When a country has its back to the wall, it is those with the loudest voices (and biggest fists/guns) that tend to be heard. Athens has already been affected again and again with violence because of the anger of its people. How about Italy, also on the edge, maybe a much bigger edge? No, Italy would never be ruled by a charismatic leader who will do anything to retain power, would it?

It is worth remembering during these times why the European union was founded in the first place, to prevent war and encourage communication between all of the people throughout Europe who have always, constantly and for millennia done nothing but kill each other.