Greece and Spain lead the opposition to EU austerity

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/14/greece-spain-eu-austerity

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"If Syriza comes first, Europe should be very afraid ... we would have chaos," claims Professor Kevin Featherstone of the LSE (Will Syriza leader's radical message of hope lead eurozone into chaos?, 12 June). What does he think 40 years of untrammelled free-market ideology, the predatory reign of "disaster capitalism", and the privileges and greed of the corporate and financial sectors have produced, if not chaos for the majority of people? His words ominously echo those of Kissinger in 1970: "The example of a successful, elected Marxist government in Chile would surely have an impact on ... other parts of the world, especially in Italy; the imitative spread of similar phenomena elsewhere would in turn significantly affect the world balance and our own position in it."

Kissinger was speaking the language of fear, particularly of democracy, and we know what happened in Chile. Raw, inexperienced, shapeless even, Syriza may be, but what it is trying to do is challenge the power of neoliberalism and assemble the resources for what Raymond Williams called "a journey of hope". Professor Roger Bromley Nottingham

• Although many British newspapers have extensively covered the financial crisis in Spain, there appears to be an almost total blackout of news about the response of the workers' movement in Spain to the government's austerity measures, including most significantly, the indefinite strike by Spanish coalminers which began on 31 May and is now escalating to near civil war in some areas of Asturias and Leon. The government's announcement to drastically cut subsidies to the mining industry, which will threaten the livelihoods of around 8,000 miners and endanger another 30,000 jobs, is being met by miners and their communities with a determined and united resistance. The government's response is classically neoliberal and has no doubt brought tears of joy to Christine Lagarde and the other free-market warriors of the IMF. For those of us in the UK who remember 1984-85, it is also depressingly predictable, with the Guarda Civil out on the streets in force firing tear gas and rubb er bullets at miners and supporters. The British public who supported the NUM in 1984-85 owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the Spanish trade unions and, particularly, the miners for their solidarity and financial support. It is now time to stand with them. John Cunningham Acting secretary, Spanish Miners' Solidarity Committee, ex-miner, Dinnington Colliery, South Yorkshire, Carrie Hedderwick Sheffield Women Against Pit Closures, Ian Isaac Ex-miner, St John's Colliery and executive committee, South Wales NUM 1982-87, Steve Brunt Ex-miner, Arkwright Colliery, Doncaster, Yorkshire

• My MP, George Eustice, has a real cheek (Let's help the EU change, 11 June). As a former constant nagger at Cameron over the EU, he is now trying to do the impossible and change the EU into a beneficial market without opting in to the real decision-making part. Cornwall has been receiving EU money for years and has done very well. What Eustice really wants is to demand the impossible in the hope that when it is rejected he can campaign again to leave the EU. When Cornwall has done so well from EU funding (even Camborne/Redruth's new Heartland project)it is the height of hypocrisy and an insult to the people of Camborne/Redruth for our elected member to constantly opine his negativity over Europe. Vince Burton Camborne, Cornwall