Before strikes, what?

Strikes are a big thing. So big, indeed, that they become the top news item in the media in all healthy democracies. And the rarer a mass mobilization is, the greater its impact. Strikes, walkouts, marches and other such protests are not just the subject of police bulletins about street closures; they bring the demands that are at stake into the public dialogue.

In Greece, however, strikes have become so ubiquitous that they don't mean very much anymore. We are not referring to Wednesday's nationwide strike, but do people know who was on strike the week before and, more importantly, why? The only thing people are really interested in is how a march will affect traffic and public transportation in central Athens. Protest rallies aimed at raising awareness among the Greek public of whatever sector's "just demands" have become nothing more than ceremonial events for unions and...