Paper short abstract:

Inspired by work focusing on eating as a central metaphor in the "politics of the belly" of structurally adjusting Africa, this paper analyzes Greeks politicians' and citizens' uses of the slogan "together we ate it" to debate blame and distribute responsibility for paying for the fiscal crisis.

Paper long abstract:

In Greece, the metaphor "to eat" has long been used to debate crime and punishment for theft/illicit use of resources. Over the past two years, the phrase "together we ate it" has been at the heart of debates about the causes and effects of - and blame and responsibility for - the Greek fiscal crisis. This paper addresses two questions in this regard: (1) Why and how have politicians been successful in using the slogan "together we ate it" to convince many citizens that they carry most of the blame for the crisis, and to accept the structural adjustment programs passed into law to date - even as the same citizens express their growing fears that the programs are making them unable to feed their families? (2) Why and how have other citizens redeployed the same phrase to deflect the blame and burden of payment back to the politicians using it, and to contest the programmes - and to which effect? In short, inspired by work focusing on eating as a central metaphor in what Francois Bayart has termed the "politics of the belly" of structurally adjusting Africa, this paper illuminates part of the metaphorical and literal politics of the belly emerging in fiscal crisis Greece.