And let's say a miracle happens: Syriza wins, and ignores the external pressure for austerity, doesn't get sucked into a bunch of terrible concessions between bickering factions, and creates a coherent anti-austerity strategy. There's still no guarantee this strategy will be able to grow the economy and improve living standards. The financial class can still be ruthless and try to sabotage trade and investment in Greece. There's still the possibility that it's too little too late, and the best Greece can do is patch up a broken economy. There's also plenty of economic disasters looming: the collapse of the Euro-zone, America on the brink, another investor-created bubble, a dramatic shift in oil prices... Another unexpected disaster might completely undermine Syriza's plans, let alone destroy any sense of co-operation or credibility among their new government.Anyway... I've already ranted too much. The real point is, as someone considered "left" on the Canadian political spectrum, I would never point to Greece as a role model for an alternative to American-style capitalism.
Apples and oranges, indeed.
OK, so why haven't you considered the possibility of the Greek government trying to achieve manufacturing self-sufficiency and construction self-sufficiency?