Mήπως τελικά... "Mαζί τα Φάγαμε?"

 Aganaktismenoi at Syntagma Square, Athens, Greece

 Photo Source: Sharon Chelmis

Η πορεία ξεκίνησε σαν χείμαρρος, κινούμενη από παλμό, ωθούμενη από τα νέα μέτρα της κυβέρνησης.

Στην πρώτη γραμμή διέκρινα τον Mάκη, δεν ξέρω τι δουλειά κάνει, τόσα χρόνια συνδικαλιστή τον ξέρω.

 Δίπλα του η ξαδέλφη μου η Μάρθα από τα 37 της συνταξιούχος, γιατί είχε κλείσει 15 ετια στον Eυαγγελισμό με ανήλικο τέκνο. 

Μαζί της η φίλη της η Στέλλα 30 χρόνια τώρα έπαιρνε σύνταξη σαν άγαμη θυγατέρα.

  

Παραδίπλα ο Στάθης, η εθελουσία από τον ΟΤΕ του είχε αποφέρει 120.000 ευρώ και τώρα αγωνιζόταν στο ψάρεμα. 

Μαζί και ο συγγενής μου ο Κώστας 46 χρονών, πυροσβέστης, είχε καταθέσει εδώ και ένα μήνα τα χαρτιά του για σύνταξη (είχε προλάβει να κατοχυρώσει λέει) περίμενε και κάποιο χοντρό  εφάπαξ.

Δίπλα τους ο θείος μου, δεξιός από σόι, κατέβαινε σε πορείες μόνο όταν ήταν το ΠΑΣΟΚ κυβέρνηση.

Και από κοντά τα δυο αδέρφια ο Στέλιος που του είχε βάλει το κόμμα τα 2 παιδιά στο δημόσιο, και  ο Γρηγόρης που έπαιρνε τα έργα του δήμου υπερτιμολογημένα λόγω γνωριμιών.

Πίσω στην δεύτερη σειρά ακολουθούσε ο Γιάννης, πατέρας εδώ και κάτι μήνες έκανε εξάσκηση του νέου νόμου περί αδείας και του πατέρα στο δημόσιο, αγκαλιά με την γυναίκα του την Μάρω που με τρεις γέννες είχε να πατήσει στην δουλειά της 3 χρόνια. 

Και από κοντά ο Μιχάλης εργολάβος με συνεργείο 27 ανασφάλιστους αλλοδαπούς και -3 Έλληνες. 

Στα δεξιά τους ο Λάκης φοιτητής ετών 32, παρέα με τον Γιώργο, γιατρό επονομαζόμενο και "ταχυδρόμο" από τα φακελάκια.

Μαζί τους  και ο Θεόδωρος γιατρός του ΙΚΑ που στο ιδιωτικό του ιατρείο δεν έκοβε ποτέ του αποδείξεις, με τον Κυριάκο της εφορίας που δεν είχε δει ποτέ του παράβαση τα τελευταία 6 χρόνια. (τόσο ρολόι δούλευαν όλα).

  

Και φυσικά δεν θα έλειπε και ο Βασίλης, λιμενικός, πρώτος ταβλαδόρος στο τελωνείο.

Να και ο Μηνάς, είχε ξεχάσει πότε έκοψε το τελευταίο του τιμολόγιο, μαζί με τον Ορέστη επιδοτούμενο χρόνια αγρότη που δεν ήξερε που ήταν τα χτήματά του.

 Όλοι μαζί με άλλους τόσους σήκωσαν τα χέρια ψηλά και με σφιγμένες τις γροθιές βροντοφώναξαν

"Κάτω τα χέρια από τα ΛΕΦΤΑ ΜΑΣ"

Ο Στέφανος αδερφικός μου φίλος, άνεργος οικοδόμος με κοίταξε με γουρλωμένα ματιά.

"Ρε Κώστα εμείς εδώ τι κάνουμε?"

Έλα ντε!



Mήπως τελικά "Mαζί τα Φάγαμε?"



(Received by email from Olga B, Athens...Thanks)

Europe...According to the Greeks!

From www.pocket-talk.org via the Athens Daily Newspaper  Ta Nea

A unique analysis of how we Greeks see our European neighbours!

With much love from all of us who live in 'the Best Country in the World!'

Enjoy! :))

Ellas Ole Ole!!! Greece in the 2010 World Cup ! Good Luck! Καλή Επιτυχία!

In just over an hour Greece will be starting it's 2010 World Cup Odyssey! 

 In 2004,  a milestone year for Greece, we lived through magical moments as Galanolefki Greece made us feel so proud as, just weeks before Athens' Magical, Dream Olympics,  they showed the world just what Greece can do! 

Incredible, unforgettable days in June and July of 2004, when the Greek team led by Coach Otto Rehhagel, or King Otto as he is fondly called,  became the European Football Champions and made us so incredibly proud to be Greek wherever in the world we happened to be!!!

Wherever we are in the Global Greek World today, our heart and souls are with the Greek team in South Africa as they play their first game with South Korea and wish them the very best of luck...

Καλή Επιτυχία!!! 

Go Greece!!!!

Royalties for Inventing Civilisation?" Yes", says Jean-Luc Godard "The Entire World Owes Money to Greece ..."

  Temple of Athena Lindia, Lindos - Rhodes 

Photo Source: Konstantina Fournari

 'Greece, 

Where do you think your money's going to come from? 

Royalties for inventing civilisation? '  

Never a truer word said in jest as Shakespeare said, this was the question asked by Seth at the beginning of the Tina Fey video in our previous post...





Royalties for Inventing Civilisation - What a great idea!  Why didn't we think of it?





Celebrated French film director Jean-Luc Godard didn't just think it, he said it  out loud in a recent interview for the magazine Les Inrockuptibles carried by Greek daily newspaper To Vima , protesting at what he called the appalling treatment of Greece by the Europeans. In fact rumour has it tonight that he refused to go to to the 63rd Cannes Film Festival for the same reason, despite the fact that his latest film was being screened this evening.







We should be thanking Greece...



The West owes much to Greece, the land of Philosophy, Democracy and Ancient Tragedy. We often forget the connection between ancient tragedy and Democracy. Without Sophocles there wouldn't be  Pericles. Without Pericles there wouldn't be Sophocles. The technologically advanced world that we live in owes everything to Greece... Who invented logic? Aristotle. If this and this then that....



The entire world owes money to Greece. This country could demand trillions in royalties and rights from the entire contemporary world. And it would be absolutely logical for  them to be given. Immediately...



«Θα έπρεπε να ευχαριστούμε την Ελλάδα »



« Η Δύση οφείλει πολλά στην Ελλάδα, τη χώρα της φιλοσοφίας, της δημοκρατίας, της αρχαίας τραγωδίας. Ξεχνάμε πάντα τους δεσμούς ανάμεσα στην τραγωδία και στη δημοκρατία. Χωρίς τον Σοφοκλή δεν θα υπήρχε ο Περικλής. Χωρίς τον Περικλή δεν θα υπήρχε ο Σοφοκλής. Ο κόσμος της τεχνολογίας μέσα στον οποίο ζούμε χρωστά τα πάντα στην Ελλάδα. Ποιος εφηύρε τη λογική; Ο Αριστοτέλης.» συνέχισε. 



« Ολος ο κόσμος χρωστά χρήματα στην Ελλάδα. Αυτή η χώρα θα μπορούσε να απαιτήσει τρισεκατομμύρια από όλους για τα συγγραφικά δικαιώματα των αρχαίων. Και θα ήταν απολύτως λογικό να της δοθούν. Αμέσως... 





On devrait remercier la Grèce



C’est l’Occident qui a une dette par rapport à la Grèce. La philosophie, la démocratie, la tragédie… On oublie toujours les liens entre tragédie et démocratie. Sans Sophocle pas de Périclès. Sans Périclès pas de Sophocle. Le monde technologique dans lequel nous vivons doit tout à la Grèce. Qui a inventé la logique ? Aristote. Si ceci et si cela, donc cela. Logique. C’est ce que les puissances dominantes utilisent toute la journée, faisant en sorte qu’il n’y ait surtout pas de contradiction, qu’on reste dans une même logique. Hannah Arendt avait bien dit que la logique induit le totalitarisme. Donc tout le monde doit de l’argent à la Grèce aujourd’hui. Elle pourrait demander mille milliards de droits d’auteur au monde contemporain et il serait logique de les lui donner. Tout de suite.



Food for thought indeed, but Greece won't be doing that...Ancient Greece's legacy to the world stands despite the severe economic problems the country is facing right now.  



Greece's unique and unparalleled history, culture and civilisation are what our ancestors left us  in trust for future generations, and we have chosen to share that wealth with the entire world, at no extra charge. 



It is our duty, our honour and our privilege. 



Noblesse Oblige...as our French friends would say.



Thanks for the support, Jean-Luc Godard! It means so very much!



Merci Beaucoup,  

  

Ευχαριστούμε Πολύ! 

Magnificent Moon rising over Cape Sounion - Temple of Poseidon

(Owner not known but no copyright infringement intended)

SNL - Tina Fey :I Love You Greece But Greek People in America Work the Register at the Diner til they Die..

Half-Greek American Tina Fey's (the other half is German-Scottish appropriately enough) latest appearance on Saturday Night Live last week had a distinct Greek flavour and has stirred up quite a lot of discussion in cyberspace!  Greeks invented satire - we have always had the ability to laugh at ourselves and Tina does it beautifully! 

What did you say? 

Retire at 54? 

Really? Αλήθεια?

Greek People in America Work the Register at the Diner til they Die...

It was hilarious, but just for your info Tina mou, in Greece a lot of people work the register til they die too - especially when it is their own business! Anybody who visited the landmark Varsos Zaharoplasteio in Athens' Northern Suburb of Kifisia would have seen Mrs Varsos senior behind the register well into her old age...it's the Greek work ethic - wherever in the world we may be!



Oh, and by the way...not too many retire at 54! This is a myth, but not a Greek one, along with the one that talks about the luxury pensions in Greece...  ask any 70 year old who  is struggling to survive on 700 euros, Greece's average pension...

Wednesday, 5 May 2010 - A Black Day for Greece, the Cradle of Democracy

Life goes on normally in Athens today - the centre is quiet for the moment and the only evidence of yesterday's tragic events, apart from the buildings which were burned, some smashed windows and burnt rubbish containers...

For 3 families though, life will never be the same again... a tragic waste of life, a senseless murderous attack which has sickened everyone. Our hearts and prayers go out to them for their terrible loss...

For the people of Athens and Greece it is time to take stock and think carefully about what is next, where do we want to see this country go? Why do we allow the minority to consistently ruin it for the majority?

Let's reflect on something one of our much wiser ancestors said many many years ago...

"Η Δημοκρατία μας αυτοκαταστρέφεται διότι κατεχράσθη το δικαίωμα της ελευθερίας και της ισότητας, διότι έμαθε τους πολίτες να θεωρούν την αυθάδεια δικαίωμα, την παρανομία ελευθερία, την αναίδεια του λόγου ισότητα και την αναρχία ευδαιμονία."

Ισοκράτης (436 - 338π.Χ. )

"Our Democracy is destroying itself because it abused the rights of freedom and equality, because it taught it's citizens to consider insolence as a right, illegal acts as a freedom, rudeness as equality and anarchy as prosperity".

Isocrates (436 - 338 b.C.)

Greek PM George Papandreou in Washington: If I Had a Euro For Every Time Outside Observers Have Underestimated Greece’s Determination Our Fiscal Problems Would Be Solved.

Rising to the Challenge of Change: Greece, Europe and the United States



In his address at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Monday March 8, 2010, a day before his meeting at the White House with US President Barack Obama, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou spoke extensively on the ongoing deficit and economic crisis plaguing Greece. Referring to the austerity measures taken by Greece last week to cut back the double-digit budget deficit and restrict a ballooning public debt he said

   

    "To restore confidence in our country and stability to our economy, we pledged to bring the 12.7 percent deficit down to 8 percent this year, and to EU-mandated levels of 3 percent by 2012 ... To meet those targets, the (Greek) Parliament has adopted the toughest austerity measures in Greece's modern history ...



Nobody should underestimate our determination to overcome our current challenges.



The truth is, if I had a Euro for every time outside observers have underestimated Greece’s determination—well, our fiscal problems would be solved.



A decade ago, when I launched the process of Greek-Turkish rapprochement as Foreign Minister, everyone said it was doomed to failure; but our countries are closer than they have been in centuries—and there is no better symbol of that than the fact that my good friend Kemal Dervis is moderating this discussion.



I look forward to Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Athens in the coming months. I believe we can make new breakthroughs in our relationship and become a symbol of stability in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.



Prior to the Athens Olympics, so many voices said Greece would fail—but we pulled off one of the most secure and successful Games in history.



Today we will be using this legacy to revamp Athens and our public administration.



And so we will overcome this new challenge.



And we will do it with the cooperation of our partners in Europe and America who have stood with us on so many vital tests.



For this new crisis is a moment of great opportunity—for Greece, the chance to modernize and revitalize its governance and development model.



For Europe, a chance to become more fully integrated. And for the world, this is the moment to move toward greater democratic cooperation at a time when, once again, the global power of poorly regulated markets is proving dangerous for us all. Yet well-regulated markets can truly lift our people to new heights.



At its heart, our very modern global economy faces a very ancient challenge. 



Before the advent of democracy, Greece’s city-states were ruled by rich and ruthless oligarchs who belonged to powerful, interrelated clans—not altogether unlike the mergers between powerful financial institutions that dominate today’s global market.



Plato made a critical remark about a system controlled by the vested interests of a minority elite: And he characterized such a system as one where " 'just' or 'right' means nothing but what is in the interest of the stronger party."



We have a shared responsibility to create rules and institutions that can provide a more satisfying and sustainable answer.



So let me take you to the Parthenon as I finish my speech.



If one stands by the Parthenon and looks down on Athens, you will not only see the new Acropolis Museum waiting for the return of the Parthenon marbles.



To the other side, you will see the ancient market, or 'agora' in Greek. Agora in Greek has two meanings. It means marketplace, but it also means public speaking. A place of politics.

The market is and must be part of the realm of our political decisions.



If you look over to a hill on the other side you will see the Pnyx. 



There each and every citizen could stand on a rock, speak and be heard. Politics in ancient Athens was participative. Everyone had the power to be heard.



So we must use the new means we have in our globalized society to empower our citizens and give them a real voice in politics.



As you look towards the sea, you will see islands of the Aegean. 



In ancient Greece, every island was a country unto itself. A city state. Yet they all were aligned to a common purpose: the protection of democracy and common values.

So let us see our countries as a vast sea of diverse islands linked by a common set of values.

This is what Europe is striving to be.

 

The ancient philosopher Isocrates said: 'being Greek is partaking in Greek education.'



Meaning sharing in our common values.



Greece has long been America’s partner in values and in history.



We are determined to be an ever-stronger partner for the US in world affairs—in commerce, in culture, in security.



Now, I ask you to stand with us and work with us again—as we each confront our own challenges of change, and as we work together to realize our shared interest in a strong Europe and a sound global economic system. "



You can read the full text of PM George Papandreou's Address  Click Here



or watch the video

Greek Economy the Main Course at 'Secret' Dinner Hosted by Goldman Sachs at Athens' Grande Bretagne Hotel in January

 

  Full Moon at Syntagma Square

Funds' role in Greek drama examined 

Sam Jones, Hedge Fund Correspondent, Financial Times

On January 28, a cloudy, drizzly day in Athens, Goldman Sachs played host to a hotchpotch group of 10 clients at the Grande Bretagne, a palatial belle epoque hotel overlooking Syntagma square and the old royal palace, now the home of the Vouli, the Greek parliament.

At dinner on the rooftop - with an unimpeded panorama of the Acropolis as the backdrop - the clients; ten bankers, asset managers and hedge fund analysts, ruminated on the future of the Greek economy - and of course, how to make money from it.

Events since - a vicious collapse of confidence in the Greek debt market - have made some of those present, millions. But there has been a price. The dinner and the two-day schedule of meetings it bisected, is now one of a handful of events at the centre of a growing political backlash against some of the biggest and most powerful traders in the debt markets.

Hedge funds and more broadly financial 'speculators' are finding themselves under attack from politicians and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic, who accuse them - including some of those Goldman chaperoned around Athens in late January - of exacerbating the Greek credit crisis in an effort to spin a quick buck.

It is a charge that sticks not least because of the size and pedigree of some of the names involved. 

By far the most significant of the 10 analysts present on the January tour were two from Paulson & Co - the $32bn US hedge fund that shot to prominence for its spectacular bets against the US mortgage market in 2008...

Click here to read the rest of the article in The Financial Times

Click here to read relevant article in Eleftherotypia (in Greek)