Dimitris Christoulas, at 9am took his own life in the middle of Athens

pacquiao

Earlier today, we remarked on the story of a 77-year old Greek, now identified as Dimitris Christoulas, who at around 9 am took his life in the middle of Athens' central Syntagma Square with a bullet to his head. His full suicide note has been released. The note, presented below, ends in a solemn call to arms to "hang the traitors of this country."

"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state. And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him), I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance. I believe that young people with no future, will one day take up arms and hang the traitors of this country at Syntagma square, just like the Italians did to Mussolini in 1945"

Celly Smunt

the scary thing is there are probably thousands who are in the same boat planning the same thing over the same situation here in Ireland.

marty1985

Anyone else read the title and think it was about a 9 year old?

Strangely relieved in that sense.

RIP.

Edit: Thread title changed.

Sykk

That's desperate, poor man... RIP

Hande hoche!

RIP

Awaits inevitable father ted reference.

flyswatter

marty1985 wrote: »

Anyone else read the title and think it was about a 9 year old?

No.

Icepick

Without a bailout, he would have gotten no pension.

Napper Hawkins

Fire me?! I made the BBC!!

yermandan

Jesus, my heart bleeds for this guy's suffering. Lost for words.

RIP

kincsem

Sad.
When a population is greedy and takes more than they produce the result is recession. Some prosper, more suffer.

bnt

So, pacquiao, do you have an opinion of your own, or do you cut-and-paste that too?

cassElliot

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

blackiebest

Watch this, an event such as this is often the spark that ignites the fire! You will, I expect, note the absence of reporting of this incident in the mainstream media. These are precarious times! The EU could well be embroiled in war, with itself and its citizens in a very short period of time. Although I can never condone an act like suicide, I respect this mans train of thought! RIP

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

touts

RIP. A high profile death but sadly just one of many that happens across the PIIGS states every day for similar reasons.

Unfortunately as he was a Greek this won't even register in the halls of power. If he was a German then there would be immediate action but from the point of view of the EU this is just one less of the PIIGS underclass to maintain.

Napper Hawkins

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

Well there's already been suicides, wouldn't put it past some poor soul drawing inspiration from a story like this and topping themselves outside Leinster House. But then this is Ireland, they'd probably **** it up.

touts

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

Happens every day in Ireland and across the PIIGS nations. It is just the majority happen in private away from the glare of the media.

forfuxsake

cassElliot wrote: »

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

I believe he had a very high regard for how it would effect people. I think he hoped his death would have an effect.

Benny_Cake

cassElliot wrote: »

that is terribly sad, but it bothers me hugely that he had a blatant disregard for how badly it would affect people to see someone put an end to their life so violently and so publicly.

perhaps it speaks to his state of mind. I just think there are some things people are better off going through life not witnessing.

There have been several cases of Tibetans setting themselves alight this year, but self-immolation as an act of protest has a long history, and some who do it, such as Jan Palach in Prague in 1968 end up being viewed as heroes. It's a horrible thing to happen, and I hope it doesn't inspire anyone to follow his example. RIP.

pacquiao

bnt wrote: »

So, pacquiao, do you have an opinion of your own, or do you cut-and-paste that too?

Fair point.
I didn't see this in the "news" today. I just read it awhile ago and to be honest i was lost for words.

Guy:Incognito

blackiebest wrote: »

Watch this, an event such as this is often the spark that ignites the fire! You will, I expect, note the absence of reporting of this incident in the mainstream media. These are precarious times! The EU could well be embroiled in war, with itself and its citizens in a very short period of time. Although I can never condone an act like suicide, I respect this mans train of thought! RIP

Minstream media where? I heard it on Newstalk earlier.

cml387

Poor guy.

Notice he puts the blame where it lies, at his own government. Not "The Germans" as some in this thread seem to imply.

staker

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

forfuxsake

cml387 wrote: »

Poor guy.

Notice he puts the blame where it lies, at his own government. Not "The Germans" as some in this thread seem to imply.

He blamed the Tsolakoglou government.

Georgios Tsolakoglou was the wartime Greek PM who collaborated with the Germans.

prinz

RIP, but isn't really going to achieve anything.

touts wrote:

Unfortunately as he was a Greek this won't even register in the halls of power. If he was a German then there would be immediate action but from the point of view of the EU this is just one less of the PIIGS underclass to maintain.

Boll*x frankly.

DrumSteve

staker wrote: »

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

How desperate do you have to be when that is your only option? He chose that over rummaging in bins looking for scraps and handouts and losing what dignity he had left.

He was a brave man and I hope he rests in peace.

My name is URL

staker wrote: »

Stupid thing to do imo. No disrespect to the dead and may he rest in peace, but what the hell did he think he was gonna change by topping himself?
How could he not see an alternative method of active protest?

I know the two situations are worlds apart, but this is similar to how the Arab Spring was started after Mohamed Bouazizi killed himself.

cml387

forfuxsake wrote: »

He blamed the Tsolakoglou government.

Georgios Tsolakoglou was the wartime Greek PM who collaborated with the Germans.

Ah, interesting.I missed that.

So what kind of pension would he get if the Greeks defaulted?

forfuxsake

He could throw rocks at the politics but if he did it wouldn't be reported across Europe and it wouldn't be being discussed thousands of miles away. Leaving aside whose fault it was, it was a successful, albeit unfortunate and very sad, protest.

The thought that pensioners in Europe could be bin-hoking for food, especially when the have worked and paid pension contributions their whole lives is horrific.

KeithAFC

RIP.

Greece is in a terrible state. What Greece need now is to recapture the glory days of Ancient Greece. If only Alexander the great was alive now for the Greek people.

Fuhrer

KeithAFC wrote: »

RIP.

Greece is in a terrible state. What Greece need now is to recapture the glory days of Ancient Greece. If only Alexander the great was alive now for the Greek people.

You want Greece to take up arms and conquer all the known world?

staker

DrumSteve wrote: »

How desperate do you have to be when that is your only option? He chose that over rummaging in bins looking for scraps and handouts and losing what dignity he had left.

He was a brave man and I hope he rests in peace.

You say brave, a brave man wouldn't take his own life.
Suicide is never a means to an end in his situation. If he had mental issues or suffered from depression or whatnot then I couldn't even begin to comprehend his reasons.
But to take his own life to keep his dignity? Nah,I believe no matter what hole you find yourself in in life you gotta deal with it and rise above it.

John Doe1

Fuhrer wrote: »

You want Greece to take up arms and conquer all the known world?

To be fair the known world in greek times was the med and asia so its a lot more realistic:)

John Doe1

staker wrote: »

You say brave, a brave man wouldn't take his own life.
Suicide is never a means to an end in his situation. If he had mental issues or suffered from depression or whatnot then I couldn't even begin to comprehend his reasons.
But to take his own life to keep his dignity? Nah,I believe no matter what hole you find yourself in in life you gotta deal with it and rise above it.

Suicide is an option always if you feel you have nothing left no live for or no dignity left. Its very easy for you to say something like that because you have never been without hope

mikom

Awaits Greek government coming out and claiming he had a long history of mental illness...........
Calm the proles etc.

DELTATIP

To be honest two years I thought with the illigal organisation s and available weapons in this country ie. pistols / rifles /nail bombs we hear about -I thought some of the headlining figures would have been done in.
-I always thought the situation was that dark where taken money from the poor and keeping the rich in what they were accustomed to was a recipe for a diaster but you what i was wrong - life continues nobody died.

Benny_Cake

At 77 he would have been old enough to have some memories of the war and the starvation in it's aftermath, a vicious civil war and the couple in the late 60s. So hee would have been no stranger to really hard times and perhaps to see things taking such a turn for the worse again was more than he could take. All speculation though.

johnners2981

staker wrote: »

Nah,I believe no matter what hole you find yourself in in life you gotta deal with it and rise above it.

I imagine he has tried for the last few months/years and eventually had enough.

Can't see many options for a 77 year old who has to eat out of garbage cans to stay alive, poor man

touts

cml387 wrote: »

Poor guy.

Notice he puts the blame where it lies, at his own government. Not "The Germans" as some in this thread seem to imply.

From wikipedia:
Georgios Tsolakoglou (Greek: Γεώργιος Τσολάκογλου; Rentina, Karditsa, April 1886 - Athens, May 22, 1948) was a Greek military officer who became the first Prime Minister of the Greek collaborationist government during the Axis Occupation in 1941-1942.

donegal_road

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Anyone think that the day may come when this happens in Ireland?

it is happening every day, just doesn't make the news.

staker

John Doe1 wrote: »

Suicide is an option always if you feel you have nothing left no live for or no dignity left. Its very easy for you to say something like that because you have never been without hope

That's a cheap price you put on life. It should never even be thought of as an option.

As for your claim that I haven't been without hope, no I haven't. Nor will I ever be. I also read it in a Morgan Freeman tone.

pragmatic1

staker wrote: »

That's a cheap price you put on life. It should never even be thought of as an option.

As for your claim that I haven't been without hope, no I haven't. Nor will I ever be. I also read it in a Morgan Freeman tone.

Of course suicide should be an option. There are worse things than death.

forfuxsake

staker wrote: »

You say brave, a brave man wouldn't take his own life.
Suicide is never a means to an end in his situation. If he had mental issues or suffered from depression or whatnot then I couldn't even begin to comprehend his reasons.
But to take his own life to keep his dignity? Nah,I believe no matter what hole you find yourself in in life you gotta deal with it and rise above it.

Not so easy to say when you are 77 and hungry. I had an American friend whose father at 81 was faced with selling his house and using his life savings to pay for his medical care. Fcuk that $hit he thought and took his own life. Left a note saying he was too proud to have worked all his life only to see his savings pissed away on trying to avoid the inevitable. This doesn't compare with a younger man with depression who isn't thinking clearly.

This guy was 77 and didn't have enough money to live and my hear goes out to him and his family. He was not a coward because he wasn't brave enough to spend the last few years of his life in misery, poverty and shame. My heart goes out to him and his family.

staker

That's a different scenario,would that not be classified as euthanasia due to the medical grounds?
Swings and roundabouts though. Yes this greek man fell on hard times-he commited suicide, but my fundamentals on the issue are totally different to a lot of posters. He should've had other options.I'll bow out as it's getting off topic.

forfuxsake

staker wrote: »

That's a different scenario,would that not be classified as euthanasia due to the medical grounds?
Swings and roundabouts though. Yes this greek man fell on hard times-he commited suicide, but my fundamentals on the issue are totally different to a lot of posters. He should've had other options.I'll bow out as it's getting off topic.

Couldn't agree more.

hmmm

What exactly do the Greeks want? Tax evasion is a national sport, there are hundreds of thousands of civil servants with little to do, and they pay themselves too much, all financed by borrowings. Now that Greece has defaulted borrowers aren't willing to lend any more, so the Greeks are forced to crawl off to the rest of Europe and beg for a bailout, all the while moaning about how they are being forced to accept "austerity" as a consequence.

I'm sorry for the man, but the only "traitors" in Greece are the electorate who vote in politicians who bribe the electorate with borrowed money - much like our own electorate.

Potatoeman

pacquiao wrote: »

The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state

Did he work for the state? How did they take his pension?
I saw a report about an elderly Greek gentleman that didn't have enough pension money to pay for his medical prescriptions.:( He was working selling groceries on the motorway to make ends meet and still not making enough to pay his bills. It’s sad but he was part of the problem as he was fuelling the black-market over there. They need massive social change (here too of a different kind) to get things on track.
We are relatively lucky here no one is starving. Being in debt is not the same as not being able to feed yourself.

Dyr

Funny how the greeks economy was apparently a basket case but it actually worked until they rail-roaded it into the eurozone.

Anyway its all their own fault, nothing to do with the single market; ein market, ein euro, ein volk as we like to say in Berlin.

mezdupmaiden

bnt wrote: »

So, pacquiao, do you have an opinion of your own, or do you cut-and-paste that too?

I see you haven't added yours:rolleyes:


Very sad and to be honest at least greece are standing up to their government.

RIP

Captain Slow IRL

mezdupmaiden wrote: »

.......Very sad and to be honest at least greece are standing up to their government.......

Would have been more effective to have put a bullet through one of the politicians heads, that might have sent a more productive message.

I don't understand how you can hear and read about innocent people gunned down for no reason in this country and no-one's had the balls to go shoot the likes of those bastards Ahern or Flynn?!

Sonics2k

staker wrote: »

That's a different scenario,would that not be classified as euthanasia due to the medical grounds?
Swings and roundabouts though. Yes this greek man fell on hard times-he commited suicide, but my fundamentals on the issue are totally different to a lot of posters. He should've had other options.I'll bow out as it's getting off topic.

Yes, he should of have more options. The problem is that he didn't.

At 77 years old it's doubtless that this man had seen a lot of Greece since the end of the war, and like it says, he was forced to eat from bins to live.

The sad part is that many many people across Europe are also reaching the same position, and not just at his age, and have been committing suicide.

It is a shame that he went so far as to commit suicide, but we can only hope that now the various Governments involved will actually change things for the people, and not just themselves.