Things I've Learned

greekdude:

A painting by Pablo Picasso painted in 1939, and donated to the Greek people by the artist in 1949 to honour their “brave resistance against the Nazi’s”. The painting, measuring 56cm X 40cm (22 inches x 16 inches) was one of the three stolen from Greece’s National Gallery in Athens on Monday.   (via Photo from Reuters Pictures)

A fire broke out in downtown Athens tonight burning down the bulding of the former ‘Acropole Palace’ hotel. The fire’s cause as well as the extent of the damage are currently unknown.

Built in 1928, it is one of the most important examples of the Greek version of the Art Nouveau architecture.

The hotel, which has the status of a listed monument, has been vacant and in disrepair since 1980. 

(source)

Anti-austerity protesters shout slogans, during a student parade in Athens, October 28, 2011 / Getty Images

The Revolution of ‘No’

This has been the first national holiday in many years where I haven’t complained about the student parades all over Greece. My country swamped with what seems to be an ever increasing number of problems, it feel awkward to go against a tradition most Greeks support. 

Today though, many parades on the occasion of Oxi (No) Day were marked by protests against politicians that in many instances disrupted the events. In Thessaloniki, the President of Greece, Karolos Papoulias had to leave the parade early after citizens shouted “Traitors!” at the official podium. In Athens, students parading in front of Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou were holding black ribbons while groups of protestors where shouting “Thieves” and “Traitors”. In many other parts of Greece politicians were “welcomed” with similar protests and hurled eggs. 

Many progressive voices welcomed the protests hoping that this would be the beginning of the end for student parades, a militaristic tradition dating back to the years of dictatorship and surviving until today. Others, saw a turn of the public opinion towards the Left, with quiet, until recently, citizens now protesting and expressing their anger and disapproval towards austerity measures and the political system. 

Personally, I believe that this interpretation is very wrong. It’s easy to see that the majority of Greeks have nothing against student parades occuring twice a year (March 25th, October 28th). Their anger, which is now greater than ever before, is exclusively aimed against politicians and the “system” they represent.

A protest banner on display today in Athens (see photo) reads: “Germany 1933: Work sets you free. Greece 2011: Is slavery setting you free?”, written in both German and Greek. The banner is ilustrated by the flag of Greece behind a swastika and the word OXI (No). A few meters away from that scene, something more scary was taking place: Members of a neo-nazi group were attacking immigrants selling Greek flags on Syntagma square.  

I very much fear that what we are entering in, is a circle of anger and pessimism. Greeks have enough reasons to feel that way. People are laid off every day while new taxes and austerity measures are imposed. Together with unemployment, crime and poverty rates are rising as well.

The media are compounding the situation by having a negative influence on the public. According to George Tzogopoulos, a media expert:

one of the problems is that the Greek media portrays the crisis as the fault of foreigners intent on dominating the country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a favourite target. Conspiracy theories abound, explaining why Greece has been singled out for punishment. “If you look at the Greek media you would not think we were not responsible in any way for what happened,” he says. “It never portrays the crisis as an opportunity for Greece to change.” 

(source)

October 28th, 1940 was the day when “Ohi” (no) was echoing in the streets of Greece, as a reply to Mussolini’s ultimatum that would allow Italy to occupy strategic locations of the country. Fast-forward to 71 years later, October 28th, 2011, the Greeks, more angry perhaps and certainly a lot more pessimistic are protesting against the “system” including the politicians they voted for and the European Union that just yesterday erased 50% of the Greek debt. 

Saying ‘no’ is expected when your life is turned upside down and the only thing left is uncertainty. However, I’m afraid that the situation won’t get any better before people move on the next step, if not this, then what?

- greekdude

For a family escaping from the hell of Afghanistan, Hellas, my country should look like heaven on earth. Not for a family of Afghans living in Athens, who lost one member tonight when a bomb exploded near them.

At 22:45 local time a bomb exploded outside a building at Patissia, Athens killing a 15 year-old man who was apparently holding the bomb which he found inside a garbage bin and wounding an 11 year-old girl and her mother. All of them seem to be an Afghan refugee family according to media reports.

Athens has seen a wave of bombings recently, mostly targeting public buildings, without victims until tonight.

Details are still sketchy. For MORE:

• Athens bombing kills one, injures two (Reuters)
• Bomb kills man and injures girl in Greek capital Athens (BBC)
• One killed in explosion in Athens (CNN)

Photo from Reuters Pictures

Bear of the week is the Earth Hour panda bear. On a terrace under the Acropolis the Greek-speaking panda bear is calling Athenians to turn off their lights tonight from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m

Like last year, thousands of households and businesses around the world are expected to turn off their lights and electrical appliances for one hour tonight. Earth Hour, organised by WWF is held on the last Saturday of March since 2007. Its aim is to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Or rather against climate change. So, while turning off the lights for one hour per year can be an important symbolic event, I would suggest to learn what else you can do to fight climate change.

MORE:

• Earth Hour homepage
• Earth Hour (Wikipedia) 
• What you can do to fight climate change (WWF)
• Earth Hour 2010 gets underway in Australia, Pacific islands (Reuters)

BONUS:

• Earth Hour 2009 (click on the images to see an animated fade between “on” and “off” - The Big Picture)

(video via LhstarxosNtabelhs)

The Acropolis rock as seen in the early-morning hours on March 24, 2010 in Athens, Greece.

189 years since the beginning of Greek War of Independence, Greeks don’t have to fight for their freedom against the Ottoman Empire, but rather fight for their dignity in a totally different world. As Athenians are watching the extravagant military parade in the center of Athens from their TV sets, (last year it costed more that 3 million €) Eurozone leaders are gathering for a two-day meeting in Brussels where the focus will be on whether and how heavily indebted Greece will be helped.

Greece has a long history of borrowing money. First loans were issued by British fund-holders in 1824 and 1825 making the City of London the financier of the Revolution and leading to the creation of the “British” political party in Greece. Today, with Greece heavily into debt, all eyes are on the Eurozone summit in Brussels, often forgetting that this war should be primarily fought on Greek soil, where corrupted politicians are walking, expensive armoured fighting vehicles are marching through the streets and respectable citizens are forgetting to pay their taxes.

MORE:

• Greek War of Independence (Wikipedia)
• Eurozone leaders lock horns over whether to rescue Greece’s economy (Guardian)
• Divided EU seeks pre-summit deal on Greek debt (Reuters)

Photo from Getty Images

First day of Spring in Athens! If we forget some sport results, it’s been a good day. 

Photo from Getty Images

Demonstrators holding white pieces of paper form a peace sign at Monastiraki square in Athens March 14, 2010. The gathering was organized by the international organisation “World Without Wars”.

While demonstrators were forming the peace sign at Monastiraki square in Athens, SIPRI, a leading Swedish peace research group, announced that Greece is the 5th biggest importer of conventional weapons. In the world. Yes, Greece, a country of 11 million people pays more than any other country in Europe to equip its arsenal. And this, while during 2004-2008 period, weapon imports in the country were decreased by 5%.

So, why does a country with people living in a period of peace and economic difficulties has to import so many weapons? The answer is simple. Greece has to import large amound of weapons every year because there are countries that export them. Especially since some of those countries happen to be strategic partners of Greece. Right after Greek PM Papandreou’s visit to German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier this month (official purpose of it was to get political support from Germany) Greece, announced the agreement to buy four submarines from Germany. I guess political support is valued really expensive these days. 

MORE:

• Arms Transfers to Europe and Central Asia [PDF, full report by SIPRI]
• US No. 1 arms exporter, China, India top importers: SIPRI (India Times)
• «Αγαπημένη» των αγορών όπλων (Ελευθεροτυπία) 
• Athens reaches deal in submarine row: minister (France 24)
• BONUS: Τουρκική υπεροπλία στο Αιγαίο (Το Βήμα)

(Photo from Reuters Pictures)

What is Αthens talking about today? Is it the economy, the forthcoming strikes, prime minister’s visit to the U.S.? No, it’s the closing hours of bars and restaurants! Ok, perhaps I’m exaggerating but this controversial decision of the Athenian City Council drew a lot of attention today. According to it, bars and restaurants in Athens with capacity of up to 200 people should stop playing music at 11 pm from Sunday till Thursday and at 1 am on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. Those times will be exceeded by 1 hour during the summer season.

It’s easy to be critical of such a decision but I can’t forget how it feels trying to sleep while the neighbours are having a party till the morning hours. (Obviously I wasn’t invited at that party. grrr…)

Athens’ decision brings memories from the early ’90s when conservative politician Stelios Papathemelis, serving then as minister of public order, had imposed a 2am curfew on bars and clubs.

After becoming the butt of jokes by comedians for some time, jokes which invariably took his diminutive stature into account, the curfew proved as short-lived as his ministerial term.

More

Taking that into consideration, time will show the future of this controversial decision.

(Photo via MarcelGermain)