Unprecedented Visit by VP Biden to Archdiocese

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Unprecedented Visit by VP Biden to Archdiocese

Constantine S. Sirigos

EΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΞ/ΚΩΣΤΑΣ ΜΠΕΗ
Vice President Joe Biden poses for photos with Archbishop Demetrios, the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America, at the beginning of their meeting, in New York, Wednesday.

NEW YORK – In what is perceived as a tribute both to the Greek-American community’s importance to President Obama’s reelection campaign and the states of affairs in Greece and Cyprus, Vice President Joe Biden paid an unprecedented visit to Archdiocesan headquarters and Archbishop Demetrios of America on November 16, which was attended by prominent church leaders and laypersons alike.

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November 14, 2011

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8 readers comments


1. Philip Vorgias wrote on November 14, 2011 8:12 PM	While it's good that VP Biden is visiting the Archdiocese not reform in Turkey's treatment of the Patriarchate is going to happen until America stops coddling Turkey. The Turks laugh at these 'expressions of support' without any teeth behind them. And why shouldn't they? The USA has not held Turkey accountable for the Armenian Genocide, the burning of Smyrna, the 1955 Pogrom, the invasion/occupation of Cyprus or even the recent Turkish sword rattling over Cyprus energy exploration. America looked the other way in all of those cases, or provided cover-up for Turkey. When are we ever going to learn that law-breaking regimes like the one in Ankara are not encouraged towards ethical behavior by constant appeasement? America has in fact acted as an enabler for Turkish crimes against humanity during administration after admnistration in Washington DC. If Biden really wants to do something for religious rights of minority Orthodox Christians in Turkey he needs to make it plain to PM Erdogan that US military support and foreign policy advocacy in support of Turkey is going to end until they pass religious reforms in a new constitution-AND get out of Cyprus.

2. Dionysios Markopoulos wrote on November 15, 2011 12:12 AM	Well said Philip. I wonder how much financial and military aid the US still gives to Turkey. I'm sure it's gone way down over the years.

3. Philip Vorgias wrote on November 15, 2011 2:47 PM	It has gone down Dionysios but it still exists. Turkey gets US financial support through NATO and it's substantial. Further, the US Congress just agreed to sell Turkey (at bargain basement prices) attack helicopters to replace losses they suffered against the PKK. Finally, the US just agreed to provide Turkey with US Predator drones to aid in their fight against the PKK. This doesn't get into US sales to Turkey of spare parts for their previous military purchases from US companies. There is much the US could do to punish Turkey for it's wrongful behavior, but we almost never have. A brief arms embargo after the 1974/75 invasion of Cyprus was the only thing the US Congress ever did (President Ford and Henry Kissinger fought it tooth and nail) and former President Jimmy Carter removed that as soon as he came to office. The Turks know America is only going to appease them, because we always have. They pay no attention to these verbal 'expressions of support' for Greece and Cyprus. In fact, they laugh at it.

4. Philip Vorgias wrote on November 17, 2011 9:52 AM	Let's cut to the quick-what is America going to DO about the rights of the Patriarch? About Halki Island? About Cypriot energy exploration rights? Words of support are meaningless without tangible actions to back them up. We are heading into an election year and, by all indications, Obama is in deep political trouble. Pardon me for interpretting this meeting in that context. Let's not forget many Greek American Democrats promised us real improvement in US policy towards Greece, Cyprus and the Patriarchate when Obama was running for the Presidency in 2008-and the first foreign trip he made out of the gate was to Turkey, where he genuflected at the tomb of Kemal Ataturk! How's that for a slap in the face to all Hellenes?! We Greek Americans need to wake up and demand more than photo-ops and meanless statements of support for our votes. I'm willing to listen to VP Biden and President Obama to hear what their plan is for the eastern Med, but it better contain tangible actions in support of Hellenic principles or I'm not buying it. BS will get you elected the first time, after that it takes deeds. We are waiting and watching with interest-at BOTH parties.

5. Niko Seretis wrote on November 17, 2011 7:07 PM	You hit the nail on the head Philip when you said the Turks laugh when the US shows "verbal support" towards Greece and Cyprus. Its a big joke with the Turks and they're used to it. The US will bow to their every need just like always, even if most of their needs are fabricated lies. A pre-requisite to becoming president in the US is to promise the Greeks justice in Halki, the Aegean, and Cyprus and never deliver, and Kiss the Asses of the Turks! Every president does the same thing but Obama is the biggest ass kisser of them all!

6. Dionysios Markopoulos wrote on November 17, 2011 11:45 PM	As usual you guys are right. The Greek American vote cannot be taken for granted. As a community we have to get a lot in exchange for our votes. We are not that many, but we are just enough to swing an election one way or the other. And it bothered me a lot that Obama went to Turkey like that. So I say to Greek Americans, realize we have the votes to sewing this and any election because elections these days are won by narrow margins. Do not give your votes away for free. Politicians must solve our issues or must not get our vote. This should also go for our so called friends who pay lip service to our issues but don't do anything about them. Politics is a cold hard business. If politicians deliver for us then vote for them. I'd they fail then get new politicians and try them out. Simple and it works. Just look at the Jewish vote. Every member of congress is terrified of losing the Jewish vote. They should become just as terrified of losing the Greek American vote.

7. Philip Vorgias wrote on November 18, 2011 1:34 AM	I've made my mind up NOT to vote for Obama. His coddling up to Turkey is nauseating. Whether I vote FOR the Republicans depends on them. If we get another weasle like Bush-in other words, if we get Mitt Romney-I'll vote Libertarian again. I will not support a party which is indistinguishable in foreign policy from the Dems. And both major parties have been pro-Turkey for decades. If we can get enough Greek Americans to follow us by flipping off frik and frak we'll have the force with us. Maybe then they won't take GA's for granted? Let's not forget US elections are determined by fractions of a point, usually. If you anger a political constituency you put yourself at a big disadvantage. Let's be a political constituency!

8. Constantinos E. Scaros wrote on November 18, 2011 10:27 AM	Philip, to the extent that there really is a "Greek-American vote" (i.e., a vote particular to issues particularly important to Greeks both in Greece and here in the U.S.), an effective way to get noticed would be to vote for NEITHER the Democratic NOR the Republican candidate in 2012. Even if, say, 90% of Greek-Americans were to vote for one of those two candidates, those votes would not be noticed very much when each major-party candidate would get about 50 million votes in total. On the other hand, if Greek-Americans were to mobilize and vote for a respectable third-party candidate, and one who has vowed to make these issues (Patriarchate, Halki, Cyprus, etc.) part of his or her campaign, and this person comes out of nowhere to at least be noticed and receive, say - 5% of the total vote - then it soon will be realized that the Greek-American voting bloc was behind it, and that bloc will be a force with which to be reckoned. I made this point in a recent TNH column about Buddy Roemer, currently running as a Republican only because he chose that major party by default (he is less a Democrat than a Republican these days), though he is close to joining a respectable centrist third party - like the Reform Party. The article also appeared in TNH's main (Greek) edition. Imagine if Americans went from saying "who in the world is Buddy Roemer" to seeing his name and face on the news every night? Even if he has no realistic chance of actually winning, the message of the Greek-American issues will get out there. I have never met Buddy Roemer and have no personal stake in his success. I have interviewed him, though, and he has promised to address these issues seriously. Is he sincere, or is he merely being a politician? I can't know for sure - especially since I don't know him personally. But whether or not he follows through is less important than that if he gains support as a result of Greek-Americans, then Greek-Americans will become more respected as a voting bloc, and their voices will be heard more prominently.
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