To most who arrive in Athens, the city resembles something between a complex of industrial factories, and the dodgy areas of Detroit. Smokestacks shooting out dark clouds pepper the skyline, above the endless maze of concrete and cement. It is a claustrophobic monstrosity, with street after street of wearisome grayish-white buildings and sidewalks. At night, [...]
Archive | Opinion RSS feed for this section
The Tale of a Prime Minister: George A. Papandreou
It’s only’ve been two years since George Papandreou after an overwhelming victory moved to the[...]
A New Ancient Greek Drama a Long-Running Flop
The machinations between Prime Minister George Papandreou, a Socialist whose two years in office[...]
Is the Economic Crisis Partially Rooted in “Philotimo”?
Look up the Greek word philotimo and you will find one of the longest entries in your dictionary. Ask a Greek what he means by philotimo and you will see this dictionary entry personified. The individual you have chosen to ask will most likely embark upon a lengthy oration, emphatically waving his hands to illustrate [...]
The Big Fat Greek Babel
While the Greek political turmoil and the fate of the Euro-zone still dominate most of Saturday’s newspapers, Greece’s “national saviors” continue to fight like a married couple about who is going[...]
Shocking Forbes Article: What Greece Really Needs is a Military Coup
“Instead of pouring euros down the drain, it would be much wiser for Germany to sponsor a military coup and solve the problem that way.” No, this extract is not from a fascist blog. It is from Forbes magazine and it’s just another one of the provocative articles that follow this insane ongoing anti-Greece campaign [...]
Time to Clean Up the Garbage and Repower Greece
For two and a half weeks, my commute to work has involved step-stoning through wide expanses of trash. Plugging my nose has become second nature. Like the rest of Athens, I have started to forget that there were once marble and cobblestone sidewalks beneath the mountains of garbage. The trash men are striking indefinitely as [...]
When Americans Walk the Streets of Athens…
When Americans arrive in Athens, there are a variety of typical reactions. My, what tiny cars you have! No toilet paper in the toilets- you’re kidding, right? My, I’ve never smelt more strongly of cigarette smoke! What do you mean, you don’t believe in recycling? What do you mean, ten points for the pedestrian? When Greek-Americans arrive [...]
Vanishing Cyprus: Bank Domination
What the people of Greece are going through is certainly a crime against humanity! We are seeing a human tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes where people are driven to suicide; ending up homeless; sleeping rough in the streets; banks repossessing homes while marriages and families are shattered. There is the stench of desperation [...]
Mentality of Pallikaria and its Role in the Economic Crisis
My favorite Greek word is pallikari. I grew up like every other Greek-American, impressing everyone at my lunch table as I would call my mom and explain in Greeklish that I forgot my basketball sneakers, but horrified whenever I’d get off the plane in Athens and find that I could not understand a word. I went to [...]
Two Years in Power: Ten Things George Papandreou Has or Hasn’t Changed
From crushing ruling Conservatives party two years ago, Papandreou’s poll numbers have suffered a dramatic slump turning the Greek PM into a contemporary Diogenes of Sinope who instead of strolling around with a lamp looking for an honest man, he’s desperately looking for his voters- if there’s anyone left that is[...]
Receipts? Greek Tax Evaders Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Receipts!
As the noted American newspaperman journalist and writer Damon Runyon said: “All horse players die broke,” and to that you can add ethical people. Greeks who dutifully collected receipts in 2010 for everything because the Greek government said they would be needed to get a tax refund have been waiting for months to get what’s [...]
-
05 / 24 EU Leaders Tell Greek Voters to Make “The Right Choice”
-
05 / 23 A Crisis of Democracy: Greece
-
05 / 23 Fearing Eurozone Exit, More Greeks Stop Paying Taxes
-
05 / 23 Market Watch: ‘If Greece Exits Eurozone, Replace It With Turkey’
-
05 / 23 Pilot Program Allows Immediate Visa for Turkish Tourists on Arrival to Greek Islands
Calendar – Exhibits, Concerts, Fun
- Thessaloniki: 50 Year Anniversary Commemorated of Seferis Literature Nobel Prize May 23, 2012
- ‘Doctors of the World’ International Conference to be Held in Greece May 22, 2012
- Crete is a Mediterranean ‘Treasure’ of Aromatic Plants and Herbs May 22, 2012
- Crete to Export Products to Australia May 21, 2012
Salonica
18°
