Oxi

As many of you know, tomorrow is the day that the Greek people are going to vote on the referendum. It is a tense moment in Greece, and local people are putting a lot of careful thought into how they will vote. Most people realize that it is a complex issue and that the path forward for the country will be very hard regardless of how the vote turns out.



We found this "OXI" sign stapled to a tree in our neighborhood. OXI is the Greek word for no, and this sign is urging people to cast a no/OXI vote in the election. The vote no folks are on the left, as is the current government. A no vote is a vote against the terms set forth by the EU, while a yes vote accepts the EU proposal. Many people simply explain it as "no = drachmas and yes = euros", but everyone knows it is not that simple.



I have spoken to folks on both sides of the debate and they are passionate about their positions. Differences of opinion have broken out between family members and friends, and vigorous debates are breaking out in homes and cafes.



Many Greeks feel that the burdens placed on them by the EU are too high. They feels that it is a heavy weight that they can't get out from under and that eventually it will crush them. Everyday Greek people are suffering, they have very little. They feel very oppressed by the current state of affairs with the economy and don't think the current path is working for them. They may be right. There is a high level of animosity on the part of many Greeks towards the German government. They feel that Germany is trying to crush them.



Tomorrow we will hear what the Greek people have to say. Voting takes place in Astypalaia in the town hall. I will post a photo of it tomorrow. People are also complaining about the timing of the vote, as people are traveling in the summer and won't be home to vote in their districts. No absentee voting, you must vote where you are registered.



Tonight all of Greece waits.