Hellenic Initiative: Much-Needed in Greece and Diaspora

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Hellenic Initiative: Much-Needed in Greece and Diaspora

Christopher Tripoulas

Special to The National Herald

Former president Bill Clinton visited Greece in mid-July accompanied a group of prominent Greek-Americans, featuring industry leaders like John Calamos, C. Dean Metropoulos, and Andrew Liveris for meetings with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and other Greek political and business leaders to launch an auspicious program known as Hellenic Initi

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August 02, 2012

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10 readers comments


1. Basil Zafiriou wrote on August 04, 2012 8:37 AM	Chris, you would have been ahead had you stopped your article before the “constructive criticism” part. Bavarians who came to Greece in the 1830s are to blame for Greece’s current debt crisis? It’s not just that that was nearly 200 years ago, the Greeks threw the Bavarians out in 1862 and have changed their constitution more than a dozen times since, the most recent being in 1974, post the junta regime. Hard to see how one can blame some dead Bavarians of the 19th century for Greece’s problems today. Can’t blame the mnimonio either. After all, Greece got into its current mess before the mnimonio --which has not even been implemented yet. Had the mnimonio been implemented, the Greek public sector would be smaller today (and hence there would be less government waste and red tape), tax evasion would have been curbed (and government revenues thereby enhanced), public assets would have been privatized (and therefore better managed, contributing to, rather than being a drain on the public purse), product and labour markets would have been liberalized (and the Greek economy would therefore be more competitive). In short, had the mnimonio been implemented, Greece would not be in the soup in it is in today. Let’s stop patronizing Greeks by always seeking others to blame for their own shortcomings.

2. Philip Vorgias wrote on August 04, 2012 3:18 PM	Amen, Basil. Chris trips over himself whenever he gets into commmenting on economic matters-which he knows less about then the average guy in the street. He resembles the Greek news media journalists, who promoted the political prospects of one loser after another in Greek elections the past 50 years-and now INNOCENTLY report on what a disaster the modern Greek economy is. We wont let them off that easily.

3. ARMODIOS PAPAGIANAKIS wrote on August 05, 2012 11:48 AM	YES SIR(S)! Let’s forcibly take monies from European taxpayers, many of who, if not most, left to their own free will, would not lend or approve of loans to Greece, and transfer most it to Greece’s creditors, who failed in their primary responsibilities as lenders by failing to properly determine credit risk. Then, disburse the balance to the near empty Greek treasury to pay Greek bureaucrats to form committees, in order to implement and monitor a 51 page “weapon” of rules and regulations on economic competiveness and efficiency, written by foreign bureaucrats who’ve never run, or managed a business, not even a periptero, but are “experts” at improving economies on a national and global scale. This way we can punish the productive, reward the inept, control the desperate and assuage the delusional and self- righteous. I salute you both!

4. Philip Vorgias wrote on August 05, 2012 12:11 PM	Would that be the same european taxpayers who bribed Greek officials to buy their overpriced weapons systems, Armodios? Or the Germans who bribed Greek governments to buy Siemens products and services? Stop kissing their northern european butts, they're not innocent in this whole episode-far from it.

5. ARMODIOS PAPAGIANAKIS wrote on August 05, 2012 12:43 PM	I recall something about crony German industrialists, along with complicit German politician, paying or approving bribes, but I don’t recall honorable, hard - working German, Finnish, or Danish TAXPAYERS doing same.

6. Philip Vorgias wrote on August 05, 2012 1:20 PM	Hey, if they want to drop out of the Eurozone and repudiate the benefits they've gotten from being a member that's their perogative. Until then let's just call it club dues!

7. Niko Seretis wrote on August 05, 2012 8:50 PM	Has anyone forgotten WWII and the destruction the Germans caused along with the loss of lives, one eigth of the Greek population at that time perished. What goes around eventually comes around, big brother Germany will pay up! The taxpayers in the US payed for the rebuilding of Germany, and no one asked them if they wanted to foot the bill!

8. Philip Vorgias wrote on August 06, 2012 6:46 AM	Excellent point, Niko. The Germans have conveniently forgotten how others paid to rebuild them-after they brought it on themselves.

9. ARMODIOS PAPAGIANAKIS wrote on August 06, 2012 3:15 PM	Notwithstanding the fact that it was American bombs and industrial power that literally obliterated vast swaths of Germany, your school yard arguments conveniently deflect the crux of my point; It is immoral and unethical to take (by force) from the productive and redistribute it to the unproductive. It destroys wealth and incentive. Take a look at almost any US welfare project (which is what Greece has essentially become). Expecting or trusting government bureaucrats, whether it being on a local, national or global (i.e. Troika) level, to do it efficiently (i.e. why Finns, Danes etc.?) is even more frightening. Sadly, that it is what you’re both condoning, and, you don’t even know it. So remember children: “two wrongs don’t make it right”.

10. Philip Vorgias wrote on August 07, 2012 11:35 AM	A 'schoolyard argument' to point out that the squareheads brought it on themeselves (and the rest of europe) then got low cost loans to rebuild their nation? You might try hanging around some schoolyards, you might learn something Armodios!
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