The National Herald

A Terrible Mistake
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:45 AM, May 16, 2012
As I write this commentary to you from Athens, the serious observers believe that the calling of new elections may end up dealing the death blow to the economy and usher in Greece’s exit from the euro zone. Indeed, it would be hard for someone to think of a worse scenario. For yet another time in the country’s history, during moments of a national crisis, the national interest took a back seat to petty politics. The elections of May 6 have brought us to today’s tragic impasse, and the like...

Greece is ‘Boiling’
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:17 PM, May 15, 2012
As time goes by, we Greeks begin to feel an ever-growing need to grab hold of something steady to hold onto for dear life during this difficult period of insecurity and doubt, to ensure that we are not shaken and forget who we are. I’ve traveled a good deal in my life. I have seen wonderful cities, buildings, museums, churches, rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains. But in all my travels, I have never seen what I have seen in Greece: light. Not the sun. Light. Greece is light, it is the harm...

The Politicians Don’t Understand the Gravity of the Situation
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:35 PM, May 11, 2012
Greece has made international headlines news once again. The barbs, commentary, and way in which the world media had spoken about Greece contains some of the worse references that have been made about the country in a long time. The threats against the nation are both direct and indirect, and are unleashed one right after the other. The goal is to frighten the Greeks. I wonder… isn’t Greece at least partially in the right? It certainly has to be. But why, then, has the entire world seemingly gan...

What's next
Constantine S. Sirigos • 12:54 PM, May 11, 2012
As we have said earlier, the global media should chill out about Greece. Nothing was going to happen this week. This is where an earnest effort to form a Unity Goverment begins. Now is when prayers are needed. My forecast is that after Venizelos informs President Papoulias he can't form a government, Papoulias will make a patriotic appeal for a National Unity government. That will provide cover for 1, 2 or more MP's to leave their parties, and support the coalition. They probably won't return to...

How History is Written
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:00 AM, May 11, 2012
It’s a tradition that goes back for decades. Whenever a Greek politician decides to say something important , especially to make reveal something important, he makes it to the American media. That is the way they demonstrate their… respect for the Greek media! Yesterday’s revelation was just such an instance of great investigative reporting by the WSJ entitled: “How a Radical Greek Rescue Plan Fell Short.” This article is filled with important revelations. Here is two: The first is Mer...

Time to Decide: Euro or Drachma?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:00 AM, May 11, 2012
Since most of Greece seems to have gone mad over the past few days, it is high time we got a reality reality. The international commentary regarding Greece is now revolving around the following issues: - Is Greece going to be expelled from the euro zone or not? - Is Greece going to decide to abandon the euro on its own or not? Is this the kind of talk that is fitting to an historic people. Is it fitting for our history and culture when even those persons who admired us and we...

FOR ALL THOSE PANICKING ABOUT GREECE, HERE IS THE SCORE
Constantine S. Sirigos • 05:33 PM, May 09, 2012
This note is for everyone who is freaking out about Greece(That includes the American and Global Media, the editors, that is, because their Greek correspondents - and ALL the outlets seem to have Greek correspondents now - are telling them what I will say below, but the editors are choosing to make the story "Look at those crazy Greeks." Oh yeah? Look at those crazy Americans, tea-bagger whackos just knocked off Dick Lugar. BACK TO GREEECE: There is a simple political calculation her...

The Politics of Irrationality
Constantine S. Sirigos • 01:15 PM, May 09, 2012
I keep telling my republican friends (as I have for 20 years) Limbaugh, etc. have taken control of your party and we are all in trouble. Guys like that don't care about the national interest. Attacks and hate fuel their ratings. If Richard Lugar is not conservative enough for the tea party, if he was punished because they were afraid he might "compromise", there is more to worry about in American rather than Greek politics. As Senator Paul Sarbanes says, democracy cannot work without...

I hope the voters don’t regret their decision
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:12 AM, May 08, 2012
If you feel like the situation in Greece today has gotten worse than you could have ever imagined, you are not alone. You have plenty of company. The news emerging in the wake of the elections is that the political earthquake that struck caused the majority to shift from the center of the political spectrum, where it was rooted for decades, to the extremes. Voters abandoned the conservatives and socialists and opted for the far left and far right. I understand the people’s anger. However, such s...

The New Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:58 AM, May 07, 2012
The analysts have provided exhaustive commentary to describe the importance of today’s elections in Greece. They have called them critical, important, and decisive. They said that the fate of the country was at stake. These descriptions are not far from reality. And the reason for this is that Greece’s future in the euro zone will depend on this election. This is the major issue. Here is what I mean: If the results from the exit polls stand true – which in essence affirm the tradition of the fal...

It is in the People's Hands
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:04 AM, May 05, 2012
There are also positive elements to the situation in today's Greece. It is only that these are lost in the tornado of hopelessness. The best example of this is the democratic governance of the country. And so, Greek citizens have the opportunity to decide themselves about the fate of their country. It is up to them to elect the right leadership; the politicians who will responsibly handle the problems. The ones who will lay the foundations for a better future. I've said it many times: the soluti...

Let the Greek People Speak… Without a Muzzle
Christopher Tripoulas • 09:51 AM, May 03, 2012
The people of Greece will be heading to the polls in less than a month in an election that will attract worldwide attention. The results of the election will prove just how much austerity and “self-inflicted wounds” a people are willing to withstand and perhaps serve as a gauge for just how far this “weird science” of impoverishing the people can go. After two years of endless measures and a tsunami of tax raids, the Greek citizens will finally have a chance to speak. The people are at a crossr...

Why Delta is Stopping its Flights to Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:10 AM, May 03, 2012
First it was the charters. Then Olympic followed. Next it was Continental. Now Delta is stopping its flights to Greece on October 26, 2012. These are unbelievable, historic developments, that should not surprise us. Delta's New York-Athens flight was no big deal. Its airplanes had often mechanical issues. The airfare was unbelievably high. A family of four needs $5,000 for its airfare alone. And that's before they get to Greece and convert their dollars to euros. And yet, Delta is the only airli...

Prophets of Leaders
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:19 AM, May 02, 2012
A void exists in some area long before most people even realize it. By the time that it is realized, valuable time has already been wasted. In time this void will be filled. That is a law of physics. The leadership void in Greek politics has been intermittently evident for many years. The last time that a void in leadership appeared was prior to the national elections of 2009, and especially afterwards; a little after George Papandreou became prime minister. Based on this law of physics, eventua...

It's Just a Break and it Will Be Over Soon
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:15 AM, April 30, 2012
A week from now, the campaign pledges being made by the parties in Greece will have been forgotten. Even the results of the elections will have been forgotten. All eyes will be on the formation of the new government. Which parties will participate? Who the ministers are going to be? Who will be prime minister? Everything will seen to have gone back to normal next Monday. It will be just like old times. Just like it has been for the past 35 years. Only that things really won't go back to normal. ...

Election Forecasts
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:12 PM, April 20, 2012
A series of elections in various countries over the next few months will test the endurance of the European experiment. France will hold its first round of elections on April 22. Greece will follow on May 6, and then Italy will hold municipal elections, followed by Ireland, which will hold a referendum on its memorandum with the euro zone. Although it is always dangerous to make predictions since things change very quickly in politics, I will nevertheless risk the following prediction: Regardles...

A For-Profit Calling
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:05 AM, April 20, 2012
The news of Father Frank Marangos entering the job market as an employee of a private, for-profit, enterprise is nothing less than shocking. After all, he is not your everyday priest. But even if he were it would have been a surprise. He was, for God’s sake, the dean of the main Cathedral of the Archdioceses. A priest that presumably was chosen very carefully among many candidates for that vital and very high-profile post. It is important to remember the unexplained leniency the Archdiocese sho...

Pascha is an Opportunity for the Greek People to Reunite, Reernergize, and Rejoice
Christopher Tripoulas • 09:53 AM, April 20, 2012
The holiest of holidays in the Orthodox Christian calendar, Pascha represents the hope and light of renewal, the joy of the resurrection. This resurrection, proclaimed from the steps of the neighborhood parish early into the Sunday of Pascha is a springboard not only for our souls, but for all aspects of our lives. The symbolism is hard to ignore. Pascha and spring go hand in hand. The earth celebrates the joyful news of Christ’s Resurrection with a “resurrection” of its own: the budding flowers...

A story of pride and honor
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:32 PM, April 18, 2012
Throughout the history of modern Greece, Greeks of the Diaspora have stood as the nation’s grand benefactors. Ιt is precisely because Greeks of the Diaspora live far away that according to Andreas Dracopoulos, President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, “they feel a duty and obligation” to Greece and its history. Meanwhile, the rich Greeks of Greece, who usually make their fortune from government contracts, are indifferent. That’s the truth. And this truth has been proven once again by the Sta...

A Successful Greek-American Woman
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:05 AM, April 18, 2012
For the world of media, there is no bigger award than the Pulitzer Prize. The Hungarian-born Joseph Pulitzer was the publisher of the New York World and St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and he was able to make a serious contribution towards the improvement of American journalism from his position. He was perhaps best known for the crusade he had made against corrupt governments. The Pulitzer Prize is handed out annually for many different areas of journalism by a committee made up of prominent members...

The Road to the Resurrection
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:59 PM, April 13, 2012
I feel this year's Pascha more intensely. Do you agree that the harder that things become in the homeland, the closer we feel to it and the more we want to help? Do you agree that the stranger that our American compatriots begin to look at us the more Greek we become? Yes, it seems like you have to miss Greece in order to appreciate it in all its magnitude, in order to feel for it, and in order to truly love it. I am reminded of Greece's journey by the excerpts of the Gospel passages read this w...

A Picture of Hope
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:17 PM, April 11, 2012
At 11 a.m. on Holy Wednesday, a tall, well-built man who looks well for his age walked through the imposing entrance of a mansion on Dionysiou Aeropagitou Street, just a few meters away from the Acropolis, escorted by guards and looking clearly dejected. He must have been crying just a little while earlier. This man was once a very powerful top aide to former prime minister Andreas Papandreou. He was a star politician that had served as minister at practically every cabinet post in the governmen...

An Election/Referendum
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:07 PM, April 10, 2012
CBS' 60 Minutes is the most trusted program on American TV and has been airing every Sunday since 1968. Last week's program had a segment on the economic crisis in Europe, with Greece playing a leading role. It would have been nice if a Greek television station decided to rebroadcast it. Maybe the state television. It would have done a service. It would have helped wake up a lot of people. The basic point in the segment is that Greece is not going to make it. Yes, I know. This does not come as m...

Desperation and Hope
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:02 AM, April 09, 2012
Holy Week. The week marking the Lord's Passion and Resurrection. The week of betrayal and love. The week of despair and hope. Every week of the year includes these elements. Human life - the miracle of miracles - is not lined with rose petals, fortunately. If it were, it would lose its wisdom and beauty. The Lord has created everything in wisdom. But during this week, all things - good and bad - take on supernatural proportions. This week alternates between pain and joy, both springing from the ...

Eleftherios Venizelos: the Ethnarch and His Wise Policies
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:59 AM, April 05, 2012
The celebration of this year’s Greek Independence Day is special because it coincides with another major national anniversary. This year, over half of Greece (the so-called “new lands”) will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the fulfillment of their long- awaited dream of independence and union with the Greek nation-state that managed to arise out of the miracle of 1821. Ninety-one years later, the patriotic fervor of the Greeks who were still under the Ottoman yolk and the political geni...

What Crisis?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:31 AM, April 04, 2012
Recently, after the panic, struggle, agony, promises, and signatures to secure the second tranche of the 130 billion in bailout funds, Greece appears to have entered "calm waters," to use a phrase Andreas Papandreou once told the NYT when describing the new and improved relations between Greece and America. And so, I am left with the feeling that the nation is reliving one of Aristophanes' comedies, believing that it is heading towards normalcy, while the politicians are reasserting th...

A Crucified Cry
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:02 PM, April 02, 2012
What a brilliant new idea? The International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis and the Society of Cretans ‘Omonoia’ held an event that included readings of excerpts from Kazantzakis’ work ‘Freedom or Death.’ As I was reading the ad they placed in the (Greek) newspaper, one of the things that left an impression on me was the invitation extended to guests to bring along a copy of this book. Would you ever except an event like this to be successful? And yet, my associate Demetris Tsakas, who...

More Measures Besides Jail to Combat Illegal Immigration
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:13 PM, April 01, 2012
Not many years ago, the Greeks of Greece used to accuse the Greeks of America of being racist. They lived in a homogeneous society then, and the only non-whites in the country were tourists. Now their feelings have changed, and I understand them. However, I am worried over the ill-will that comes about during each immigration wave to the country. Some people are surprised over how 15 immigrants could possible live in one room together, rent out pillows to each other, etc. I have news for them: t...

The Road Leading to the Extremes
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:40 AM, March 29, 2012
In retrospect, one can easily distinguish the events that led to the formation of crises, or even wars. Sadly, at the time that they are actually taking place, they are not evaluated realistically by the responsible people or society as a whole. For example, Greece has been suffering for years now from constant protests and rioting that sometimes even lead to tragedies like deaths. All these events are more or less accepted as normal, as if they were the manifestation of some supposed democrati...

Weaknesses of the Democratic System
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:24 AM, March 28, 2012
President Obama was overheard earlier this week telling his Russian counterpart in confidence that he would be better able to handle the issue of global missile defense after his reelection. He said he would have “more flexibility,” because it would be “his last term.” What he didn’t know was that his microphone was on. There have been similar slip-ups made by presidents in the past as well. In August 1984, President Reagan was joking around during a sound check and said "My fellow American...

The People Come First
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:16 AM, March 27, 2012
“Into the present, as Greece now struggles against an enemy more insidious than any of the invaders it has repelled in the past, I recall those March 25th events of my childhood, the fervor, tears and joys of those celebrations of Greek freedom after centuries of enslavement. And with all my heart I hope once again that the durable people who inhabit that small, lovely and long suffering land find the will and means to liberate themselves from the tyranny of this new bondage.” (Excerpt from Harr...

No sweeter thing than country
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:58 AM, March 26, 2012
These days, students attending Greek Day, Afternoon, and Saturday Schools are performing shows where they loudly proclaim their faith in the purity of the great decision made by our forefathers for “Freedom or Death.” It is in these school auditoriums that the name of Greece takes on giant proportions and fills our children with pride over their Greek heritage. This is where the Greek conscience is formed and which will stay with these students for a lifetime. This is where the self-sacrifice of...

Gearing up for the Greek Independence Day Parade: Prioritize, and Lose the Kitsch
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:40 AM, March 22, 2012
The month of March once again finds the Greek-American community preparing for its (second) most important communal activity of the year – the annual Greek Independence Day Parade; the most important communal activity being Holy Week (especially Good Friday and the Resurrection service in the early hours of Pascha). Holy Week is the most important because it retains its primary significance in the lives of millions of practicing Greek Orthodox Christians, while still managing to keep the beauty ...

The Volunteers Saved Us
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:02 PM, March 20, 2012
The President of the United States hosts a reception each year at the White House in honor of Greek Independence Day. The Mayor of New York City does the same thing, as do the mayors of many other U.S. cities. As politicians, they are looking out for their best interests. But it is volunteers who undertake the massive effort to put together our events, including the Greek parades all across America. They are our true heroes. Last Saturday night I attended a dinner hosted by the Hellenic American...

Greek: Food for Thought
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:56 PM, March 20, 2012
I never paid any mind to the theory arguing that children who learn more than one language can mix them up, which will adversely affect their classroom performance. And yet, this theory is deeply entrenched and has served as a good excuse for all those people who did not want their children to learn Greek for some particular reason. This theory is irrational. There is no way that a child with a fresh, relaxed mind could get confused so easily. Besides, if that was true, why wouldn’t the millions...

The Greek Ideal
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:45 AM, March 18, 2012
A new air of capability, worthiness, and optimism blew in following the op-ed piece that appeared in yesterday's Wall Street Journal written by Greece's Ambassador to the U.S. Vassilis Kaskarelis. The importance of this article lies not only in the fact that it was read by a wide audience, which we can be assured of based on the prestige and popularity of the newspaper, nor in the fact that Mr. Kaskarelis seized an opportunity to present the other side of the Greek issue - the "real story&q...

A Letter to My Fellow Greeks
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:11 AM, March 15, 2012
On Friday I sent a letter addressed to Greek bond holders, who agreed to exchange the worthless paper in their possession with new bonds for a much smaller face value. Today, I am writing to you, the other part of this equation. Dear Fellow Greeks, It pains most anyone deeply to think this (and much more to say it), but this is the truth: Greece has gone bankrupt. It is important to understand this, otherwise he or she will continue to follow in the tragic steps of Sisyphus. They call it "d...

A Letter to the Greek-American Community
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:08 AM, March 13, 2012
During this critical juncture for Greece, the Greek-American Community is following the developments with bated breath. It certainly wants to help. The question is not whether it wants to help, but if it can help and if it will. In my last two commentaries, I sent open letters to Greek bond investors and our fellow Greeks living in Greece. I left the last letter for us, the Greek-American Community. During prior visits to the homeland, there were many Greek-Americans who had a hard time understa...

A Lost Opportunity?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:49 AM, March 09, 2012
The message that NYT’s columnist Nicholas Kristof sends from Athens is enough to bring you to tears. Here’s what stands out from what he wrote: “stop signs are merely suggestive. No-passing markers before blind turns mean: pass anyway, and pray. When an entire economy operates without rules, it has a problem.” But there was another part that also stood out for me: “Countless Greeks are giving up on their homeland and emigrating to northern Europe or Australia. Gloom is as thick as a morning fog ...

The Threat from Iran
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:35 AM, March 07, 2012
Despite appearances to the contrary, America and Israel are having major disagreements. It is not a difference of strategies, of course but a difference in tactics. In other words, no logical person is opposed to the state of Israel's right to exist. But there are questions over the tactics employed to achieve this goal. For instance, the U.S. supports the establishment of a Palestinian state, just like many American Jews, but Israel does not agree. Recently, another major disagreement has arise...

History Has Repeated Itself as Europe Has Spawned a Minotaur for Modern Times
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:02 AM, March 06, 2012
Mythology speaks of a frightful beast named the Minotaur – half man, half bull – whose lair lied in Crete and who terrorized the people. Each year Athens was compelled to send seven young men and women to Crete as a sacrifice to appease the monster. There now lies yet another strange hybrid named Merkozy who lurks in a labyrinth stretching from Berlin to Paris to Brussels, but exacts an even heavier tax upon the youth of Greece. This strange political monster’s rise to power threatens the liveli...

The Boundaries of Decency
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:21 AM, March 05, 2012
We are all obliged to speak out against certain behaviors – even when they are done by powerful people – if we do not want to become accomplices to this behavior knowingly or out of negligence. We need to act accordingly whether we agree with the matter being discussed or not. Rush Limbaugh’s radio program is broadcast across 600 stations nationwide. He is a radio personality who influences millions of people on a daily basis. Often times, however, he crosses the borders of even the most fundame...

A Warning from China
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:15 PM, March 04, 2012
As an immigrant to this country, I have great faith in America’s abilities to handle its problems. Faith that rests in its historic path up until today. But I am uneasy over the fact that there is an absence of will on behalf of politicians and the people to handle the problems facing this country, like they once did. (Does this remind you of anything?) Unfortunately, the people refuse to accept the self-evident, which involves raising taxes to lower the deficit. Political partisanship is so gre...

A Greek Counterattack
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:48 PM, March 01, 2012
In order for someone to understand the major events transpiring in a country, he needs to not only focus on the country itself, but also to examine the political situation in the regional power that exerts direct influence over the country in question. Eleftherios Venizelos taught us all a great lesson during his handling of Great Britain in the early 20th century. With this in mind, when Angela Merkel brought the issue of the new Greek loan to the Bundestag for approval this past week, she face...

What's Up With Greece? There were errors, but there were struggles tooGLES TOO
Constantine S. Sirigos • 05:39 PM, February 26, 2012
What people do not realize, and this is not an excuse, this is just history, is that for all its errors, Greece has endured trauma almost every decade of the 20th century. Yes, they should have built a modern state, because they have achieved many great things since 1821, but there were great obstacles and forces which warped the development of her economy and political system. In 1900, only three years passed since the modern Greek state's first military setback in 1897, as they were still in t...

Greece Needs All Kinds of Help
Constantine S. Sirigos • 01:24 PM, February 26, 2012
I have a friend who commented on my facebook post that Greece doesn't need the German administrators - including some who are volunteering - to come help with tax collection, they just need to catch the tax evaders and put them in jail. Actually, they need both. They don't have enough administrators who know how to track and manage the cases!This is the key phrase from now on to SAVE GREECE. "They need to do this AND that". They are lacking in so many things that are basic here and in ...

HELP GREECE NOW, MARCH LATER - BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Constantine S. Sirigos • 12:18 PM, February 24, 2012
It is not a Greek term, but it is a good one. Raison d’etre – reason for being. Omospondia is a Greek word, also a very good one – it means federation, a gathering together for a common purpose, like a parade. One day per year the federations of the Greek-American community present Greek parades in cities across America – that seems to be their raison d’etre. These are very important events, enabling us to express our Greek identity and present Hellenism to our neighbors, but what about the oth...

Immigrants and Home
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:31 AM, February 24, 2012
Immigration from Greece has come to an end. That is how quickly people rushed to write off this issue just a few years ago. And yet, immigration for Greeks is like a cigarette for Mark Twain, who once said: "It is easy to quit smoking. I've quit a thousand times." The same thing holds true for immigration. It is a cycle that repeats itself every thirty to forty years. Every time it seems like Greece is changing, developing, and making progress, something goes wrong. It is like the stor...

Modern Greece Seems to be Out of Touch with Hellenism’s Hierarchy of Needs
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:27 AM, February 24, 2012
The hierarchy with which every society chooses to organize and structure its needs is indicative of its priorities. This appears in many forms, like its organizational structure, architecture and monuments, educational system, economic structure, modes of recreation, etc. For example, someone studying Classical Greece – Ancient Athens in particular – might be very interested to note that although that particular society clearly possessed a vast technological knowhow and ability to build exquisi...

Europe’s Promise
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:52 AM, February 23, 2012
The Greek crisis is not the cause of Europe’s decline. However, it represents a clear picture of its decline. Friends and foes alike now agree that Europe is on the decline. The economic trend has shifted away from Europe to Asia…. along with countries like Brazil, India, and Turkey. And yet, just a few years ago things were far different. Following the tragic events of the 20th century, Europe thought that a political union would lead to lasting peace. Back in the 1990s, the ruling class though...

The Junta and the Crisis
Antonis H. Diamataris • 06:52 PM, February 22, 2012
Some people gave up their lives. Others risked everything to restore Democracy to the land where it was first created. This was a matter of national honor and dignity for them. I often wonder how they feel today. Back in 1973, Nikos Pappas, who was a lieutenant commander in the navy, escaped on the destroyer “Velos II” to the Italian port Fiumicino. His action was heroic and demonstrated that the armed forces were divided in contrast to what the junta was saying. Admiral N. Pappas, an honorary c...

A Major Opportunity
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:31 AM, February 22, 2012
Relief? Yes, certainly. Pride? No. Hope? Yes, but it depends... Anxiety turned to relief on the morning of Tuesday February 21. This is true for the countries of the euro zone as well as for Greece. All the euro zone nations including Greece were decisively set on avoiding a default on Greece's debt. Maybe they wanted to buy some time and manage to build a "wall of protection." However, these walls usually, if not always, allow Trojan Horses to enter into the gates... Is the avoidance...

RELIEF? NO, MAYBE CLARITY, AND MORE TIME FOR GREECE TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER
Constantine S. Sirigos • 09:30 AM, February 21, 2012
Yes things are still looking ugly for Greece, but the people who are attacking the Troika simply do not grasp what a default and "return to the drachma" means. They say the Troika wants to occupy Greece. B.S. the Troika wants to supervise its bogus government that has betrayed its own people and make sure they do what they need to do to improve their people's lives by building a real economy and a modern state. Default and Drachma would have been devastating. THAT's what would have led...

Where is Hercules?
Constantine S. Sirigos • 09:54 AM, February 20, 2012
This just in from CNNMoney.com: "Additionally Greece will have to take 24 additional steps before the end of February, mostly things the government has promised but hasn't done so far. Greece's government also announced further austerity cuts ahead of Monday's Eurogroup meeting." Now 24 steps doesn't seem like a lot. If the Greek Parliament had done so step by step beginning two years ago( well 22 years ago, but that's water under the dam and milk that was spilled a long time ago)they...

Heading for the Cliff at Full Speed
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:52 AM, February 19, 2012
“Weep for Greece” is the title that Greek-American George Lois, one of the biggest names in the U.S. advertising industry ever, gave to an ad that he made during the period of the military dictatorship. I saw this ad again in the special issue on Hellenic Leaders that appeared in the TNH English edition(www.thenationalherald.com) and I thought how tragically timely this message has once again become. Yes, it is time to weep for our beloved homeland. We should be weeping for the sad state that i...

Strategic Moves
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:38 AM, February 17, 2012
Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Cyprus is the first visit by an Israeli premier to Cyprus… even though the island nation is located just a short distance away from Israel. To what can we attribute Cyprus’ – and Greece’s – sudden fondness for Israel? To put it succinctly, to the change in the balance of powers in the region. While Greece was going bankrupt, Turkey was busy emerging as the regional superpower. Historically each time the balance of power between nations changes, a clash occurs. And s...

From the Lips of a Ship Owner
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:44 AM, February 16, 2012
The rich Greek ship owner embodies the dynamic, risk-taking, free Greek spirit and stands as one of the few sources of pride we have left. His success resembles that of the fabulously wealthy Greeks of the Diaspora in that they earned their fortunes outside of Greece. Still, we do not understand how it is possible for a law (!) to be on the books that exempts ship owners from taxation in Greece. Probably paying a reduced rate might be justified, but how can not paying any taxes can be justifie...

Meaningful Slogans
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:54 AM, February 15, 2012
Two newspapers – the New York Times and the Financial Times – ran the same photo from Greece in their editions yesterday: deep red graffiti on the Bank of Greece’s marble wall on Panepistimiou Street, with what looked like a bullet and blood, along with the phrase ‘Steal so you can have money.’ The newspapers did not translate the phrase, and so most readers did not read it. They were more interested in the “blood” appearing above the sign that read Bank of Greece. For us, however, the old sayin...

OUTRAGEOUS!
Constantine S. Sirigos • 01:59 PM, February 14, 2012
And now I will step back from defending the Europeans. What is happening TODAY is unconscionable. Who are the spoiled babies today? They are crying for more Greek sacrifice, more Greek pain? Didn't they see over the weekend that the people of Greece have endured enough? Yes, the Greek politicians should be punished, but how much more can the the citizens take?. Now they reportedly want them to cut defense spending. Do they know who is next door? Did they help defend innocent Greek lives in 195...

Monti Drops a 'Bomb'
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:51 PM, February 13, 2012
There is an old Greek saying that one hears the truth from a child and a crazy person. Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is neither one nor the other. But he is a technocrat - not a politician - which means that his reflexes during his conversations with journalists might not be as well refined as those displayed by politicians. In its Saturday edition, the NYT writes that Mario Monti paid them a visit and chatted with its editors about - what else? - the European debt crisis. During their disc...

What is the Capitol of Greece?
Constantine S. Sirigos • 11:43 AM, February 13, 2012
The world has seen us at our worst, burning down the capital of Greece, but perhaps soon they will see our best, when the people of Greece, and whatever politicians are left with vision and nerve, when some of the uncertainty clears (maybe after the bonds coming due in March are paid off, maybe after elections that they want to hold in April but which should be postponed) really get down to work building a new Greece. Those fires were the perverse reflection in warped anarchist minds of the real...

Don't Confuse Incompetence with Evil - Troika to Blame Too
Constantine S. Sirigos • 02:28 PM, February 12, 2012
By the way, I do hold the Troika responsible for some of the violence today because they have handled the last few days very badly, giving the Greeks the impression they are sadists, but that is incompetence on their part that should not be confused with evil. The EU has every right to be angry at the Greek governments' broken promises, but this is a new deal that was to be voted on in the face of massive and legitimate protests. This was not the time to demand new austerity. There will be oppor...

Stop Slandering and Just Take Constructive Action, Here and in Greece
Constantine S. Sirigos • 02:06 PM, February 12, 2012
I sympathize with the Greek people who are protesting today. In addition to lighting a candle in church, I am also taking action with friends across the country to organize help from the Greek American community. All of you should too. HOWEVER, when I see images or texts associating the Troika with NAZI's and the Greek leadership - flawed as they are 0 trying to get the best deal for Greece the equivalent of the NAZI collaborators it makes me crazy. That kind of behavior is just Greeks feeling...

Leadership 100 to the Rescue?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:20 PM, February 09, 2012
That the Archdiocese has failed to take action or even show concern for the plight of the people of Greece has already done further damage to that situation. After all, if helping those most in need is not at the heart of Jesus’ teachings, then what is? Thankfully, there is a mobilization on the part of AHEPA, the Philoptochos, and others – individuals and organizations alike – to help in this very worthy cause. As we have stated on numerous occasions, we would prefer that one organization cond...

The Acropolis is for Rent – Is George Seferis’ Nightmare Becoming a Reality?
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:20 PM, February 09, 2012
In its latest act of madness, the Greek Government has decided that in addition to mortgaging the country’s future and sentencing the citizenry to perennial poverty and hunger, it would be expedient to bankrupt the great legacy that Greece has bequeathed to the world: its culture. Just when you thought that things could not get much worse, the Ministry of Culture (sic) announces its decision to lease the Acropolis – the country’s most recognizable symbol – for under $2,000 a day. Here’s how the...

A Way of Life
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:16 AM, February 08, 2012
Every Greek man and woman should be ashamed that they needed a third party – the U.S. authorities – to come and fine the company Smith & Nephew $22 million for bribing Greek orthopedic doctors to use its products on their patients. Not that the $22 million fine is enough in itself – they should have thrown them in jail too – but that’s the law. The only thing that is left is for Greek authorities to punish this company’s representatives and make an example out of them. Mind you that they jus...

Taking it Too Far
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:08 PM, February 06, 2012
The deadline to reach an agreement to secure the …next tranche of the loan Greece needs keeps changing. But the clock continues to tick and March 20th the day when Greece is obliged to pay back its bonds is fast approaching. The state coffers are empty and politicians in Athens continue to be more interested in politics rather than the best interest of the country. What a tragedy! The current thinking is that the people cannot take it anymore, that they are ready to revolt, and so the Germans ar...

Everything is Connected Madame Secretary
Constantine S. Sirigos • 01:55 PM, February 05, 2012
Yes Secretary Clinton, you are right to criticize the Russian and Chinese vetoes re: Syria, but you are so WRONG to not support the recognition of the Armenian Geonocide, and so FOOLISH not to see that no one will take seriously US humantitarian positions TODAY, if we can't be honest with our own allies about far more egregious actions that still cry out for jutice. Rembmber: Genocide is mass murder PLUS the despicable, immoral attempt to wipe out an entire nation. Thats why Hitler's Holocaust i...

No Labor contract compromises - Are you kidding?
Constantine S. Sirigos • 09:43 AM, February 05, 2012
OK the Greek talks are down to the wire. Keep praying. One of main sticking points is they are being advised that their goods and services will not be competitive unless wages are reduced and certain labor practices change. Yes, that's painful, but that is part of what needs to be done to get out of the crisis, that is part of the way to growth. If they are reasonable reductions and changes, it is the anti-dote to austerity. Politicians and labor unions - who have ignored other elements of compe...

A Great Idea
Antonis H. Diamataris • 06:47 PM, February 04, 2012
The letters from are readers are always a great opportunity for our newspaper to communicate with the outside world, especially when people write in to disagree with one of our positions. However, some letters really leave me riveted and fill me with hope. They rivet me with the prudence and understanding that they demonstrate regarding the struggle for the survival of Hellenism, and more importantly, they provide solutions and volunteer their services as active proof of their beliefs. These let...

Inspired to Help Greece
Constantine S. Sirigos • 03:59 PM, February 03, 2012
Do we miss them more or less when they inspire us? Family and friends gathered on a brilliantly beautiful February morning at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Manhattan to bid farewell to Nikos Petakas. Many others, both among the living and the departed, would have liked to be at the humble parish to pay their respects. Tears were mingled with memories of the ebullient man from the island of Siphnos who “helped everybody.” Nikos Petakas also helped his island. I remember being impressed w...

They still don't get it
Constantine S. Sirigos • 10:59 AM, February 03, 2012
The Greek politicians still don't get it. Communicating with the people of Greece that is, clearly, honestly, focusing on what must be done for a better future. I don't blame PM Papademos - he is not a politician, but if his time is extended (it should. Greece doesn't need elections in April)it is a skill he will need to pick up. in the meantime, it is the existing party leaders who should be conveying to the people what is being done- or should be done that has been ignored - to create a bette...

The Big Threat
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:04 AM, February 02, 2012
Although it goes by unnoticed in the whirlwind of problems facing Greece, today I would like to point out that we find ourselves in an advanced state of the formation of a psychological and economic gap between the Greek people and leaders and those of the other countries of the eurozone. A gap which if left unchecked, could in time render any other development devoid of significance. The reason for the existence of this climate is obvious: Greeks are seeing their standard of living decrease, th...

The Right People
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:08 PM, January 31, 2012
Greeks are incapable of governing their country. Therefore, in order to secure our loans and help get them on the right track so that they will not need another bailout, we would do well to send a commissioner to get their affairs in order. (King Otto and the Bavarians are returning). That’s probably what the Germans and many others are thinking after the “luminaries” in Athens brought them to the brink of committing hara-kiri. But not all Greeks are incapable, as a Swedish man wrote to the edit...

What Patriotism Demands
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:52 PM, January 30, 2012
“There is... the fierce conviction, right or wrong, that only the Israelis can ultimately defend themselves” “Will Israel Attack Iran?” in the NYT The news that Germany is demanding that Greece cede its sovereignty o matters of expenses and taxation to a “commissioner” - something reminiscent of a Stalinist regime – whom it will appoint as a precondition to approve the next loan worth 130 billion euro to keep Greece from defaulting is shocking but not surprising. Something similar happened duri...

Supporters of TNH's Fund for the Neediest
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:44 AM, January 30, 2012
Back on Dec. 15, 2011, I had called on readers to support TNH's Fund for the Neediest, which has been helping the less fortunate for the past 20 years. In that commentary, entitled "Help Your Fellow Greek-American in Need," I wrote the following: " It is truly heartbreaking to see people suffering and in need on the holidays. When someone is lying on a hospital bed, or when there is no money for Christmas dinner or to buy any presents for the children, then loneliness turns to dar...

Oh Those Photos!
Antonis H. Diamataris • 06:07 PM, January 27, 2012
The photos our newspapers have run over the past few days are shocking. They have once again proved the old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I cannot think of a photo that has shocked me more than the one that appeared in yesterday’s Greek and English edition of TNH. It shows a large crowd of Athenians, with their tired and harrowed faces, picking out onions, potatoes, and carrots from booths that were set up by farmers from Boeotia, who decided, to their credit(!), to give awa...

Not only Countries and Companies Go Bankrupt
Constantine S. Sirigos • 11:23 AM, January 27, 2012
Every January we celebrate education and the related values that are the bedrock of the success in America of the achievements the descendants of Greek immigrants. There are many individuals and organizations, new and old that ARE doing their part, but we can do more. Let's commit ourselves to establishing foundations all over America committed to two things: scholarship funds, and mentoring programs led by people in all the professions where Greeks have come to dominate. I propose a simple goal...

Parallel Lives: The Institutional Crisis Facing Greeks Both at Home and Abroad
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:30 AM, January 27, 2012
Despite the seemingly endless onslaught of taxes, wage cuts, more taxes, more wage cuts, and a few more taxes for good measure, the Greek economy appears to be doing worse than ever. Media around the world are writing about the country’s surging poverty level, the startling rise in crime, and the desperation of the youth, who face the bitter prospect of migration once again. For the first time in several decades, widespread hunger is becoming a daily problem. More and more photos are springing u...

Tourism at Gunpoint
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:37 AM, January 26, 2012
The Acropolis, the symbol of Greek – and worldwide – culture, will soon be turned into a commercial site, if the Ministry of Culture has its way. And so, a fashion model, for example, would be allowed to pose in her lingerie with the Acropolis in the background and the ad could appear all over the world. We all know that Greece has a serious economic problem, However, if we make a mockery of its cultural legacy – the greatest source of its income, tourism – with desperate moves, they are going t...

CIA Agents and the Greek-American Community
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:26 AM, January 25, 2012
Three years ago, a journalist from the “New Yorker” paid me a visit and posed an intriguing question: Why do so many Greek-Americans work for the CIA? I must admit that the questions caught me by surprise. I had not realized that this was the case. I had, of course, heard about CIA legend deputy director Tom Karamessines, who was stationmaster in Athens during a difficult period in the history of that country and a liaison to the junta, another legend Gust Avrakotos, and naturally CIA director G...

Commentary Generates Messages and Ideas
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:36 AM, January 24, 2012
I received a lot of messages by phone and e-mail, or through the grapevine, from all over the country and abroad regarding the commentary I sent over the weekend entitled “A Call to Greek-Americans: Many People in Greece Desperately Need Help.” Some people wrote to me that the Greek-American Community is no longer moved by events happening in Greece. F.K. writes me that Greece “ignored us, and looked at us as second-class citizens in the past. Now let them get out of this mess by themselves.” An...

A Call to Greek-Americans: Many People in Greece Desperately Need Help
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:22 PM, January 23, 2012
As the economic crisis in Greece is getting worse – in fact it probably will get much worse yet – the inevitable question is and must be: “what is the Greek-American community doing about it?” This question is certainly appropriate for any ethnic American community whose mother country is in such dire need of help. So what is the answer – what is the community doing? Unfortunately, not much. Sure, there are individual efforts, but there is no cohesive plan on a national level. And it is that la...

And then there were...
Constantine S. Sirigos • 04:45 PM, January 19, 2012
Slowly but surely the Republican candidates are going away. Can we hope that if only Romney is left after the Florida primary, he'll make a deal with Obama for everyone to stop campaigning until the conventions begin? But then there is Ron Paul. Will he take his money and go home too, or is he the latest hope for those who dream of a third party? Of course, the Republicans believe that would be their worst nightmare, but can the Democrats be sure they won't get burned too? ...

A Tip for 2012: Old Habits Die Hard, Learn from Them
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:09 AM, January 19, 2012
The general rule is that we break far more New Year’s resolutions than we keep. We’re lucky if we can even remember most of the goals we set by the time the winter snow starts to melt. Old habits are hard to break, and that is both fortunate and unfortunate – depending on the habit. From a cultural standpoint, the residual nature of our ingrained norms or customs provides at least some empirical proof that Hellenism’s roots still run pretty deep. Study these, and you can learn a lot more about ...

A Conference on Immigration
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:19 AM, January 17, 2012
New information that has been made public, along with my fear that the Greek-American Community is in danger of losing its last chance for rejuvenation - unless there are some people who desire this - lead me to revisit the issue of immigration and propose that a conference be held immediately to tackle this issue. The economic crisis in Europe - not just in Greece and Cyprus - has created the circumstances for a general "exodus." This crisis will not be ephemeral. After three years, t...

Rolling Out the Red Carpet for Immigrants
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:53 PM, January 15, 2012
The surge in immigration to the United States during the 1990s is history. The Census Bureau revealed that the number of both legal and illegal immigrants during this past decade (2000-2009) increased by only half the corresponding amount for the 1990s. Some politicians keep acting as if nothing has changed. They keep calling for "walls" and "fences" to keep out the hordes of immigrants trying to sneak into the country... only there don't seem to be so many immigrants waiting...

Practicing What We Preach
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:22 PM, January 13, 2012
Harvard University and Columbia University released a new study conducted on 1 million students, which proves yet again just how important a role teachers play in their students' lives. A good - or bad - teacher can literally shape the life of his or her student. According to a report it is worth parents' while to give a good teacher a $100,000 bonus to convince them to stay at their child's school, in the event he or she is thinking of leaving, for the good of their child. On the other hand, a ...

Don't Jump to Conclusions
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:16 AM, January 12, 2012
From the beginning, I knew that responsibly covering the Greek economic crisis was a complex matter, which demanded more than just your ordinary journalistic know-how, or even the knowledge that comes with a background in Economics. The reason is that beyond just the issues of national sovereignty, social and political interests, the technical-economic aspect plays a central role in this matter; and this aspect is dominated by international markets - a strange new "fruit" to most of us...

Countryside or Abroad
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:05 AM, January 10, 2012
What a terrible phrase. It is something we never thought we would hear again: "For young people, the only option is to go to the countryside or abroad." These are the bitter words of Alexander Triha, as presented in a lengthy article in the NYT yesterday regarding the desperation experienced by young people in Greece, which is leading them to move to the country and try to make a living as farmers. The NYT's article formalizes a situation that we have been hearing about for some time n...

The Greek-American Grandeur
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:05 PM, January 09, 2012
I wish our brothers in Greece and some Greek-Americans living here would read the article about Mr. John Kambouris, a Greek-American pizza man, which appeared in our Greek language daily on Monday. It is a story that helps build our self-confidence, which has been shaken recently with all that has been happening. So just who is John Kambouris? According to an article in the Daily News, Mr. Kambouris is a model example of a Greek-American: a man who works seven days a week in a pizzeria, an ho...

The Difference Between Figureheads and Leaders
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:56 AM, January 08, 2012
When Andreas Papandreou died, Constantine Karamanlis asked one of his aides to issue a statement on his behalf. The aide hailed the contribution made by the former head of the PASOK party. "Don't write head, write leader," Karamanlis said, correcting him. "No one can deny him that." I cite this true story to emphasize that it is by now common knowledge that our Church has a figurehead, but not a leader. And because this situation has been carrying on for many years now and ca...

Our Vote is our Nuclear Weapon
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:58 AM, January 06, 2012
There are at least eight Greek-Americans who live in Iowa, who could have played the deciding role in shaping the results of this past week's Republican primary, if they worked together. It is just unbelievable that we, as Greek-Americans, have not managed to make use of the "nuclear weapon" in our possession: our vote. It is as if we and our children do not live in this country, or as if we do not care about important national issues. There are many instances when an election for all ...

In Search of a Candidate
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:02 AM, January 05, 2012
Were there enough votes for someone to come out a winner in this week's Republican primary in Iowa? Obviously yes. But was the result not a Pyrrhic victory? The Republican party has a problem with its candidates, if we are to judge from voters' messages in Iowa. And all of this is happening despite the fact that President Barack Obama is vulnerable. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum came out of nowhere and humbled Mitt Romney, who is supposed to be the party favorite. The man did not have the ma...

Nick Stavrou: A Man of Sacrifice
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:27 PM, January 03, 2012
Prof. Nick Stavrou passed away. Yes, it’s true. His earthly life came to an end during the last week of December, at a Washington, D.C. hospital. He was only 76 years old. The news struck the Community during Christmastime like an unexpected bolt of lightning. The first reaction was denial. “It can’t be,” we said to ourselves, implying that he did not have the right to die. That he did not have the right to leave the rest of us alone, without his analysis and the conversations we enjoyed about t...

Do Not Allow Misanthropy to Extinguish Philanthropy
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:31 AM, December 30, 2011
Christmas is fast approaching, with Europe (and the entire world for that matter) resembling a Dickens novel more and more by the day. The holidays present an ideal opportunity for us to ask ourselves if the traditions, customs, and worldview that so touched our forefathers still resonate today. The crisis that is growing by the day also adds to the mix, since one can argue that people’s true character shines when things are the hardest. By the same token, all of us who are “proud to be Greek” ...

The Best Words of 2011
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:20 AM, December 28, 2011
There are awards and honorary titles for practically everyone and everything. One such example is Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" (Turkish Premier Erdogan almost got the award this year). There is also an award for... best groomed dog, and countless others. But there is no award for "Best Words of the Year." If there was, those words would definitely be "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow." You'll understand why in a moment. Peggy Noonan chose those words - the last ones...

Gearing-Up for Elections
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:24 AM, December 27, 2011
Are we to believe that the fight against corruption in Greece is starting with... Mt. Athos and the arrest of Fr. Ephraim, abbot of the Vatopedi Monastery, or is his arrest just an exception to the rule, an example of prosecuting someone to the fullest extent of the law, and an act that was politically motivated? Making an example of politicians or businessmen by punishing them for criminal behavior is definitely needed to restore law and order to the country, as well as a basic demand ofthe pe...

The Message of Hope
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:42 AM, December 24, 2011
Now that Christmas is upon us, I am not going to mention the fear that is growing in our hearts. I am not going to mention all those people laid up on a hospital bed, or the friends and relatives who are taking care of them. I am not going to mention my friend Gus and the thousands of homeless people in New York and Athens. I am not going to mention the soldier who is manning a lonely observation post in Afghanistan, Evros, or Cyprus. I am not going to mention the demonstrators in Cairo, Tripo...

A Solution for Gus
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:48 AM, December 23, 2011
My inbox was practically filled with messages sent by TNH's readers from all over the world - a modern miracle of the Internet - who responded to my commentary yesterday, entitled "My Friend Gus' Nightmare." I wrote about a homeless Greek-American, and wondered what else I could do to help him. Most of the e-mails I managed to read focused on two things: the readers' sentiments over the story and the opinion that the real problem is Gus himself, who refuses to get help. In regards to t...

My Friend Gus' Nightmare
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:45 AM, December 22, 2011
I am haunted by a thought: What more could I have done? I thought long and hard before I wrote these lines. I am doing so in the hopes that maybe a solution can be found this way. I've known Gus (it's not his real name) for quite a number of years now, ever since our offices were located back on Crescent Street. He would come to the printing press when we were getting ready to go to print, grab a couple of papers, hop on his bicycle, and take them to his "customers" with our approval, ...

Astoria's Popularity on the Rise
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:21 AM, December 21, 2011
Over the years, Greeks in America have moved around from neighborhood to neighborhood quite a bit due to financial and demographic reasons. 60 years ago, most of them lived in Brooklyn and Manhattan's West Side, while St. Spyridon Church in the Bronx was the largest parish community in New York. St. Demetrios Cathedral in Astoria and St. Nicholas Church in Flushing hold a similar position today. By the end of the 1950's, Greek-Americans began relocating to Astoria, which they quickly turned int...

The Kim Dynasty
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:40 AM, December 20, 2011
Developments in North Korea are reminiscent of another era, and certainly do not seem like they are taking place in the 21st century. It is an oxymoron that in today's era there are still - albeit only a few - medieval regimes where one leader - in this case the "beloved leader," as he liked to be called - can wield absolute power over the lives of his country's residents, while also being able to pose a threat to human life on the rest of the planet. I remind you that the two most im...

A Message to Prime Minister Papademos and the Minister of Education
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:56 PM, December 18, 2011
This is a story that Greek children should be taught in school. It is a lesson "On Industriousness." This is no Dickens Christmas story, but it shares a lot of the same elements: A widely known, longstanding Greek firm, owned by a family of self-made entrepreneurs with a rich social contribution, was suffering from financial difficulties. At first, it would send its products to New York via air, because they were perishable and had a shelf-life of about 30 days. However, it soon notice...

The Really Important Things in Life
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:50 AM, December 18, 2011
These days, the anxiety of students who have applied to universities and are awaiting responses is reaching a climax. And as is almost always the case in life, disappointment is a more intense feeling than satisfaction. The reason being that people take a favorable response for granted, but consider a negative one as some sort of punishment. Of course, those of us from the older generation know that young people’s future certainly depends on many more things than just whether or not they be acce...

Politicians and Special Interests
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:27 AM, December 16, 2011
Last June, a high-ranking IMF official surprised me during a conversation we were having in Washington, D.C. when he told me that the IMF had not asked the Greek Government to lower the pensions of low-income households. On the contrary, he said that what the government had done was a mistake. Yesterday, as I read the text from the teleconference between IMF chief Christine Lagarde and the members of the troika with reporters in Athens, I saw that she made a similar accusation: "politicians...

Greece Flounders as Diaspora Leaders Remain Silent
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:43 PM, December 15, 2011
The European Union is treading dangerous waters, and thanks to German nationalism rearing its ugly head once again, the Eurozone is teetering on the brink. Instead of focusing on the systemic problems in the Eurozone that threaten the economic viability of weaker states, as the recent months have clearly shown, EU policymakers spent the past two years humiliating Greece and punishing its citizens, while giving in to the whimsies of the glorified mobsters manipulating the markets. The result is t...

Help Your Fellow Greek-Americans in Need
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:47 AM, December 15, 2011
It is truly heartbreaking to see people suffering and in need on the holidays. When someone is lying on a hospital bed, or when there is no money for Christmas dinner or to buy any presents for the children, then loneliness turns to dark despair. We usually close our eyes to this kind of desperation. We tend to focus on the smiling faces of all those people enjoying the holidays, as they go from store to store holding bags and bags of gifts. But this Christmas is going to be especially hard for ...

The Essence of the Crisis
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:43 AM, December 14, 2011
The euro, which once stood as the dream of a united Europe - a dream shared by generations of intellectuals from the Old Continent - is fading away. Day by day, it disintegrates just a little bit more. The dream is being lost in the poverty and misery that millions of people are experiencing because of the euro, especially now around Christmastime. Because of this, an unprecedented clash between the EU nations has arisen, the likes of which has not been seen since the days of WWII. And if you ...

Poverty and the Drachma
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:07 AM, December 13, 2011
I am concerned over the recent calls by some people for Greece to leave the euro zone. And I am not talking about the opinions of people on the fringes of the political spectrum or people who see the drachma as their ticket to salvation. I am talking about the opinions of highly respected individuals, like prominent Greek-American Arianna Stassinopoulos-Huffington, who recently joined in the calls for Greece to drop the euro. "I think that with the right leadership, Greece will be able to b...

Who’s Afraid of the Greek Diaspora
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:30 AM, December 12, 2011
Ted Spyropoulos, U.S. Regional Coordinator of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) wrote an article in this past weekend’s Greek edition of TNH entitled “Ομογένεια, η μεγάλη απούσα” (The Greek Diaspora is the Big Absentee) that deserves special attention. In his article, Mr. Spyropoulos, a Greek-American with progressive ideas, along with lots of successful undertakings to show for himself – including some of the most important initiatives in recent decades regarding our Community issues ...

Greek Voters Looking in the Wrong Direction
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:59 AM, December 11, 2011
The rule of thumb for countries requesting bailouts from the IMF is that their governments change frequently throughout the duration of their economic crisis, and that after the crisis is over, the political landscape ends up looking completely different than it did before the crisis began. Of course, Greece could not be an exception to this rule, as the latest poll results published by Greek daily Kathimerini revealed. There is no surprise that the results show a dramatic drop in the populari...

The Hague's Ruling
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:08 AM, December 06, 2011
The decision of the United Nations Court in the Hague went about as well as could have been expected. Each side came away with a small moral victory. And essentially, despite the celebrations in Skopje, we are back where we started: At a dead end. The court ruled that the Greek side (PM Karamanlis and FM Bakoyannis) should not have blocked FYROM's bid to join NATO, because Greece had agreed to allow Skopje to join NATO back in 2005 under the condition that they be admitted with the name FYROM. ...

On Friendship and Treachery
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:22 AM, December 05, 2011
The issue of the betrayal of friends or a benefactor has been confronting mankind since ancient times. This issue returned to the forefront once again when Steve Russell, the leader of the U.S. forces in the hunt and capture of Saddam Hussein, revealed in his book "We Got Him" that Hussein was betrayed by his "most trusted" friend. History is replete with endless examples of treachery. The best known example is of course the betrayal of Jesus Christ by His disciple Judas Isca...

Standing Up for Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:15 AM, December 04, 2011
Is there a way for someone to defend Greece? It is hard, but not completely impossible. There is not a day that goes by when something insulting is not written or said about Greece and the Greek people. These comments are upsetting, and they cause problems for our children as well, reinforcing a negative image about Greeks and Greece. The damage from this negativity will require a lot of time and effort to undo. I am disheartened by the fact that the government has essentially given up, not to m...

Papademos Must Act While There is Still Time Left
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:17 AM, December 02, 2011
If getting off to a good start is half the battle, then I am afraid that based on the initial indications, the new Greek government formed by prime minister Lucas Papademos is going to crash before it even takes off. Papademos was received with relief on the home front, thanks to his high level of expertise and - primarily - to the favorable way that he compares with the government of his predecessor George Papandreou, which was sub par. But Papademos is not making a good impression on the inter...

EU’s Hubris is Turning Europeans into Europeons
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:11 AM, December 02, 2011
Of all the people who claim to be democratically minded – especially politicians – how many really make good on their word and fight to uphold democratic principles? In today’s day and age, sadly, the number seems to be ever decreasing. Take a look around you and you’ll see that never have so many pains been taken to avoid exercising such a popular notion. There’s no hemisphere, continent, or country that is immune to the growing aversion to democracy. You could point to New York City’s three-t...

Are We Living Here or There?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:15 AM, December 01, 2011
One of the "benefits" of the crisis in Greece - and the developing crisis in Cyprus - is that it will help many of us make our final decision about where we would like our permanent residence to be: the U.S., or Greece and Cyprus. This matter is of tremendous importance, both for our own quality of life and for our countries of origin. To avoid any misunderstanding, I want to clarify that the question has nothing to do with how we identify ourselves, but merely which country we plan on...

A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:29 AM, November 30, 2011
Not too long after the financial crisis hit, historians and researchers have starting taking a look back at tragic events of the 20th century in search of answers to today's problems, as they try to escape the waking nightmare that they seem trapped in. What is coming under their magnifying glass are the mistakes of the past and the lessons that can be learned from them today. A commentary in yesterday's NYT by Joe Nocera caught my attention, in which he compared the excessive demands made the A...

Pro-Junta Slogans by Greek Cadets a Concern
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:33 AM, November 29, 2011
I must admit that I did not initially pay too much attention to the story about Greek cadets singing the anthem of the country's former military dictatorship that ruled from 1967-1974, this past November 17th during the annual events commemorating the anti-junta uprising at the Athens Polytechnic Institute in 1973. In fact, I did not even known that such an anthem existed. But when I thought about this some more, I remembered that the coup orchestrated by the Greek colonels in 1967 started out...

JFK and Andreas Papandreou
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:19 AM, November 28, 2011
We loved them like they were like one of the family. Maybe more. The Kennedys were more than just America's "royal family." They were our royal family as well. We delighted in their joys and shared in their sorrows. And their family suffered so many unbelievable and recurring tragedies. And what did we get back in return, if you will pardon the phrase? The "journey" of course, as Cavafy would have said. We had the chance to steal a few glimmering rays from the limelight of th...

The Surge in Poverty
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:56 AM, November 27, 2011
The number of poor people in the United States has always been a problem, as was evident from the long lines at food banks and shelters on Thanksgiving Day. This number is growing, and unfortunately, it has become a problem that society has come to accept as more or less natural, dismissing it as a consequence of the innate weaknesses in the system. I am glad to say that our Community is gradually showing more sensitivity to the issue of helping the poor. But it is important that this act of phi...

The Spirit of Philanthropy
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:18 AM, November 25, 2011
The word philanthropy - unconditional love for one's fellow man - is a Greek word, of course. So then, it follows that the action behind philanthropy is also Greek in origin. But we must ask ourselves just how philanthropic are the Greeks of today? Unfortunately, the answer is not very much. As a general rule, we Greeks feel sympathy for our fellow man, we empathize, we express feelings of solidarity, but we usually limit ourselves to lip service. Maybe it is because we mistakenly believe tha...

A Greek American in Name Only
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:40 PM, November 23, 2011
It never ceases to amaze me; or to depress and infuriate me. American media reports that “Greek immigrant X was important, or very rich, or that he did something significant… Or, that Greek immigrant X died. He loved his community. He loved Greece. He loved his parents, and his grandparents, who hailed from this particular place in Greece. Have you ever heard of that village?” No argument here. The Greek American media should write something about him as well. It is our duty. And especially cons...

The Irony of Fate
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:29 AM, November 22, 2011
She graduated from the Athens Polytechnic Institute in 1977, and came to the U.S. for further studies in 1979. She earned her Master's Degree and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from one of the top universities in the country. A few years later, Linda Katehi - a brilliant woman who comes from the historic island of Salamina (where the famous battle that saved ancient Greek civilization and allowed it to be spread to the West took place) - became chancellor of the the renowned University of Calif...

The Language Issue on the Forefront Once Again
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:09 AM, November 21, 2011
There is something altogether different about the atmosphere is Washington, DC: there's an air of authority, almost unlimited authority. The people have a particular solemnity about them, an "air" that they are undertaking a noble mission serving the interests of the country and the rest of the world, in contrast to New York, where things are much more relaxed. I found myself in the nation's capital - the new Rome - where I took part in a conference organized by the American Hellenic I...

The Greek American Purse
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:48 AM, November 20, 2011
Once upon a time, General Maritime Corporation's stock shares were worth $30 a piece and the company was valued at $5.35 billion. Once upon a time, Peter Georgiopoulos was billing himself as the next Onassis, and dreaming of owning the largest fleet of container ships in the world. Sadly, his company went bankrupt this past Thursday. It too fell victim to the major economic crisis affecting the entire world. The Financial Times writes that the cargo ship sector has gone bankrupt. "There is ...

What Wasn't Said
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:45 AM, November 18, 2011
Archbishop Demetrios and Vice President Biden had a pretty lengthy discussion at the Archdiocese this past week. But oddly enough, they didn't go in front of the TV cameras to make a statement, as is customary following such an important meeting.Statements issued to the media had more to do with the general exchange of pleasantries, but made no mention of any substantive issues. Judging from Archbishop Demetrios' capacity as head of the Church in America and the make-up of the other parties atte...

On Elytis’ Centennial, Greece Looks to Recapture Glory
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:07 AM, November 18, 2011
Greek Nobel Laureate Odysseas Elytis would have turned 100 this past November 2nd. It’s been a little over 15 years since Elytis left his beloved Aegean for the shores of eternity, so we are bereft of his thoughts on Greece’s current crisis; but not completely. For one thing, it was a long time in the making, so a look at his sublime poetry or didactic essays like “Things Public and Private,” “Carte Blanche,” or “The Open Papers,” to name a few, offers insight into his mentality – a mentality th...

How and Where Will the Crisis End?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:38 PM, November 17, 2011
When the Chancellor Germany herself says that "the crisis in Europe is the worst crisis in the post-WWII era," then we would do well to heed her words. All you have to do is look back on all the has happened until today, and you'll get an idea of just how big this crisis really is. And so we are left asking ourselves: how and where will this crisis end? No one knows for sure. And this is due in large part to the fact that there is no comparable precedent which we could rely on to make ...

Let's Hope Mr. Papademos Succeeds
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:04 PM, November 16, 2011
Call it the post-democracy era or a meritocracy, as Aristotelis may have termed it. Whatever you choose to call it, however, there's no escaping reality: The leaders of the euro zone suspended the democratic process in Greece and Italy and sent in technocrats to govern in order to save the euro from destruction. Will the experiment work? It's hard to say. But a failure may very well likely open the flood gates. Even if elections are held on February 19, 2012, the radical political forces from t...

Beyond the Realm of Fantasy
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:56 AM, November 15, 2011
Would you like to have a car that didn't need a driver? Or a refrigerator that automatically orders all the groceries you need from the supermarket? Or would you like to have a robot that did all your tasks for you while you sit back and read this column? In a few years, all this will be a reality thanks to the technological advancement being made by Google. Or perhaps you'd like to take a ride over to the moon for a cup of coffee? If yes, just hop on the next elevator and hit the... moon button...

When the Leaves Fall
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:49 PM, November 14, 2011
Nature is preparing to welcome old man winter. The sky is turning gray and sad. There's a chill in the air, which is brisk, clean, and makes your every breath noticeable. The moon glows brightly as it comes closer to the earth, daring you to touch it, but at the same time it seems distant - almost cold - and doesn't at all resemble the August moon. But there is nothing that captures the changing of the seasons better than the trees. Nature is getting ready for the winter. But before the curtain ...

New Leader, Same Old Tricks
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:44 AM, November 13, 2011
Here is the (realistic) take on the makeup of the new Greek government. The drama continues. This is a bad start for Lucas Papademos. He should have never agreed to a government with 48 rival ministers and deputy ministers. This mistake will come back to haunt him; and us. The new government was also a win for Evangelos Venizelos over George Panadreou in their battle for supremacy over their party. Andreas Loverdos, Anna Diamandopoulou, and Yannis Ragoussis are still alive, and represent the n...

A Major Victory
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:57 AM, November 11, 2011
Finally! Greece said 'enough already.' The politicians, the media, and public opinion - inside Greece and abroad - all agreed on this. In the face of this outcry, political leaders were forced to do an about face. They spurned George Papandreou's "idea" of making his horse... prime minister, to quote a former Greek monarch, and forced party leaders to stop their childish games and choose the best available name among those under consideration in the recent days. This is an initial vic...

Greece Held Captive
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:56 AM, November 10, 2011
The 'rapacious oligarchs' who make up Greece's economic elite - as they were billed by the FT in a recent article - are fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their unacceptable privileges. As a result, the country's politicians have made a mockery of themselves and the Greek name has been tarnished abroad. To cater to these special interest, Greek politicians are moving to appoint Filippos Petsalnikos as interim premier - a man who wasn't even fit for his current position, Hellenic Parliament...

Attracted to Astoria
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:34 PM, November 09, 2011
The late Theodore Saloutos, an historian who researched the Greek American Community, wrote in his book “They remember America: the story of the repatriated Greek-Americans,” that despite the ease with which we often criticize the United States, this country remains with you, and isn’t easily forgettable, even if an immigrant achieves his or her initial dream of one day returning back to the homeland. This phenomenon of attachment to the adopted country, which goes as far back as immigration it...

The Worst is Yet to Come
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:52 AM, November 08, 2011
I'm not at all underestimating the importance of the power sharing agreement reached between Greece's two main parties, PASOK and New Democracy - if it holds up. On the contrary, I consider it to be a politically self-evident action which should have been taken quite some time ago. At any rate... better late than never. However, I won't join in the celebrations, for a number of reasons: First, I want to point out that they reached an agreement at the very last possible minute - literally. I w...

Greece and the Fish
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:06 AM, November 07, 2011
The creation of a political crisis by calling for a referendum at a time when the country was hanging from a cliff will go down in history as a tragic mistake. In all likelihood, it broke the dam holding back the floodwaters of debt in the wake of the tragic positions adopted by Greece's political leaders. Now, it may not even matter who is the next prime minister of Greece. Nicholas Gage wrote a great piece in The New York Times Magazine recounting a story when Andreas Papandreou once spit on a...

Shining Examples
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:18 AM, November 06, 2011
Let me ask you a question. How many of us would risk our careers and our cushy lifestyles to do what we think best serves the interests of our country? How many of us would be willing to have our good name dragged in the mud by the media, to be slandered by friends, relatives, supporters, and even to be called traitors when we do what we think is our duty to our country? I know that the question I am asking is a difficult one, which can only be answered by someone who has found him or herself i...

Greece Deserves Better
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:07 PM, November 04, 2011
What else is there to write? There is such great disappointment from Greek politicians' irresponsibility and unwillingness to take matters seriously. All the weaknesses of Greece's leaders, which have long since been known to us, have now come to the forefront. What happened on Wednesday night in Cannes was humiliating for all of us. I say all of us, because we are not excluded.What difference does it make if we live abroad? We're all in this together. When Greece's good name goes down the dra...

Technocrats Overlook Greek Institutions’ Economic Effects
Christopher Tripoulas • 08:12 AM, November 04, 2011
There is a great article by Aristos Doxiades entitled “Νοικοκυραίοι, ραντιέρηδες, καιροσκόποι” (landlords/small business owners, rentiers, opportunists), which argues that idiosyncrasies particular to the Greek economy must be taken into account when making policy. For those literate in Greek, the article is definitely worth a read. For English speakers, it is worth dedicating this week’s column to summarizing the article’s profound points. In essence, the author uses neoinstitutional theory to ...

Papandreou Has Lost His Trump Card
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:52 AM, November 03, 2011
In the eyes of the European Union, up until short while ago, the problem with Greece was its "prodigal" citizenry. On the contrary, the country's prime minister was like an oasis in the desert, the lone hope for solving the country's problems. George Papandreou was, up until a short while ago, European leaders' partner - the man who spoke their language, who knew their mentality, the man who served as a guarantee that Greece would do the "right" thing for itself and for the e...

Poor Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:41 PM, November 02, 2011
Politics got placed above the national interest. Of course, this isn't the first time that it's happened. However, there have only been a handful of times that the country has come so close to the edge. And therefore, decisions like the one in the upcoming referendum - if it will end up taking place - may end up proving fateful for the future of the land. George Papandreou may have ended up burying any chances for Greece's future in the eurozone. Why? So that he could be hailed for his "dem...

President Papoulias' Role
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:34 PM, November 01, 2011
The insults hurled by protesters against Greece's President Karolos Papoulias left him very hurt. Especially when they called him a "traitor." And how could he not have been hurt by this? He's human. The Greek Constitution does not give many powers to the President. Andreas Papandreou saw to this (as well). In the eyes of the people, however, the President bears some responsibility for the future of the country.Otherwise, what is the point of all the briefings he keeps receiving from p...

Happy Birthday, Lady Liberty
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:44 AM, October 31, 2011
Robert Morgenthau, the former district attorney of Manhattan and great grandchild of Henry Morgenthau Sr., U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and a Philhellene, wrote an article in the NYT for the Statue of Liberty's 125th birthday, in which he strongly criticizes the inexplicably harsh treatment of illegal immigrants by the government, which runs contrary to everything that Lady Liberty stands for. And all this, at a time when the U.S. is in great need of immigrant workers. The fact that the...

Where Was the President Hiding?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:15 AM, October 30, 2011
"What transpired in Thessaloniki today will serve as an opportunity for us to stop and ask ourselves the following questions. "Are the people who ruin a national holiday really patriots? Are people who insult others really fighters? Is the person who yells the loudest always the one in the right? Are those who act like they own public areas truly democratic individuals? Who expresses the majority, the people who participate in demonstrations or the people who participate in elections -...

From Rev. James Coucouzes to Archbishop Iakovos
Christopher Tripoulas • 03:43 PM, October 27, 2011
During an age when the “what have you done for me lately” mentality reigns supreme, the Annunciation Cathedral of New England is undertaking a very auspicious project that pays tribute to one of its greatest ever memorable benefactors and stands as a very positive example within the Greek-American community. The Cathedral’s decision to adopt a proposal by its dean, V. Rev. Cleopas Strongylis, to: a) compile its history during Archbishop Iakovos’ deanship, b) create a digital archive of the Cathe...

Careful With Your Savings
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:47 AM, October 27, 2011
People in Athens are very nervous with just hours left before the announcement of the decisions made by Germany on how to tackle the euro crisis. And there are still many unanswered questions as well, such as: how do we know that the measures will be effective? My response is that everything depends on the banking sector, since the banks are likely going to get nationalized. The main question, however, is what is going to happen with people's savings? Will they be guaranteed? And if yes, to what...

The People Against the Parliament
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:29 PM, October 21, 2011
A tall uncrossable roadblock made out of police buses was guarding the Hellenic Parliament against the anger of the people yesterday. It sounds like an oxymoron: The people against the Parliament - whose members they elected. That is the event that stood out among all that I say upon my arrival in Athens. I am not overlooking the severity of the dead protester and the others who were injured. These are important events; pebble that gradually form a structure. However, the anger against Parliamen...

With an Eye to the Future
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:31 AM, October 19, 2011
Dear reader from the year... 2050, You will have surely learned in school - or however you call it today - about the Greek default of 2011 and the terrible events that followed. I'm writing this note to help you, to the extend that you're interested, to get the pulse of the present day, because textbooks - or whatever they're called today - don't go into such details: Greece is sinking. It is sinking more and more by the day. We all know this. What we don't know is when it will hit bottom. We ...

Andreas Papandreou and the Lost Opportunity
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:34 AM, October 18, 2011
The curtain that was drawn following Andreas Papandreou's huge election victory 30 years ago, ushering in an era of unrealistic expectations for the nation and the Greek people, is coming to an unceremonious close on the ruins of Greece, with his son George fighting hopelessly to undo everything that his father did. But since there is no black and white in life, we must add that there were several good things that came out of Andreas' long tenure in government, which affected the country's polit...

Nice Words With No Substance
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:47 AM, October 17, 2011
References to the strength and the abilities of the Greek Diaspora are common in the homeland, and have been repeated monotonously for decades now. These references come from practically all of the political parties. However, since deeds do not follow upon words, all this amount to little more than lip service. I happened to have the opportunity to discuss this issue with a member of the Greek American Community who is very well informed of the strength of the Greeks in America. Who is involved ...

Who Are the 'Workers' Kidding?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:32 AM, October 14, 2011
Europe is pressing the banks to raise their capital so they can deal with "the losses from bond that they are holding from countries like Greece," according to the Associated Press. There could be no clearer message that Greece's... "haircut" is approaching than that! Meanwhile in Athens, the so-called workers of the public sector - this is an oxymoron since the only thing they don't do is work - has left the country paralyzed, with the government - another oxymoron, equally ...

Simple Math
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:15 AM, October 13, 2011
The government is curbing expenditures by slashing salaries, pensions, benefits, etc. - and raising its income (taxes). Therefore, the budget deficit should be getting smaller, not rising (for 16.65 billion to 19.2). "The recession is at fault," Venizelos tells the troika. In a small, and foreseeable way, yes that's true. However, where is the rest of the rise in the deficit coming from, Mr. Venizelos? Irrespective of the final "haircut," it seems that Greece is going to need...

Biden's Trip a Political One
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:37 AM, October 12, 2011
A brief announcement from the White House press office late Monday afternoon informed us that Vice-President Joe Biden will be visiting Greece - and Turkey - in the beginning of December. And it added "The vice president will continue his close dialogue and cooperation with the Greek government in Athens." I find the statement regarding "close dialogue and cooperation" rather cryptic. Should I believe that the dialogue and cooperation are related to the financial situation, o...

The People Are Suffering
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:39 AM, October 11, 2011
Americans are renowned for their acceptance of any misfortune - natural or man-made - that may come their way without protest. And so, it is impressive that the "Occupy Wall Street" movement continues to spread. Will it take on greater proportions? Who knows? The essence is that the majority of people - and especially the youth - are suffering. That the people responsible for the crisis of 2008 remain unpunished is dividing the country. That the increase in the increase in the gap bet...

The Important Things in Life
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:07 AM, October 10, 2011
I feel guilty that I haven't written two words about the death of Steve Jobs, that prophet of technology. Not because he'll suffer over his legacy, but because I feel indebted to a visionary whose career - along with those of his predecessors - creates a chain that pulls humanity towards the direction of progress. There's already much ink that has been spilled to point out that this visionary has changed our lives in just a few years. But not much has been written about the philosophical aspect ...

An Air of Patriotism
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:33 AM, October 09, 2011
An air of intense patriotism is once again blowing in the U.S. From businessmen to intellectuals. They feel proud about their country and are concerned that it might miss out on its destiny. That's the feeling I got after visiting Indianapolis to attend a round-table discussion, with a distinguished commentator as the keynote speaker (the terms of the invitation preclude me from making any of the particulars public). Their love for their country was widespread, as was their determination to keep...

A Sense of Relief
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:01 PM, October 07, 2011
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's decision to "exile" Paisios and Vikentios for life saves the standing and contributes to the restoration of our faith in him and the Patriarchate. Paisios, as we all remember, is responsible for the worse scandals - the depravity and proportions of which are hard to believe - in the history of our Church in America. The decision was also just for Vikentios, despite the fact that he somehow displayed some self-criticism at the end. As the months were ...

Greece’s Part-Time Dictators Defaulting on Democracy
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:47 AM, October 07, 2011
One of the most disconcerting things about the current crisis that Greece is facing is the eerie feeling that the citizenry is being taken for a ride by professional politicians and vested interests - namely, banks and investors. For the past two years, the people of Greece have been subjected to a sort of puritanical shunning that seems like something out of a Nathaniel Hawthorne novel. In fact, the only thing that the IMF-EU-ECB Troika hasn't asked the Greek people to do is walk around with a ...

A Rich Uncle and a Cheap Suit a Bad Mix for Greece
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:47 AM, October 07, 2011
{39579} Since the 1980’s, all of the Greek governments have conditioned the Greek people to view the European Union as a kind of rich uncle’who lavishes money upon his unruly nieces and nephews, so long as they wear shirts advertising his businesses and make him feel important. Occasionally, he’ll try to intervene and give some fatherly advice, but his recommendations or even admonitions go unheeded, and he doesn’t really care because he’s too busy running his businesses. When business goes bad,...

Per Capita Cultivation: Greece’s Most Vital Statistic
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:46 AM, October 07, 2011
NEW YORK - In an age when economic statistics and figures dominate current events and are used to justify the ‘shaking down’ of the general populace, one wonders what would happen if an effective assessment tool existed to ascertain a nation’s ‘per capita cultivation.’ What impact would a high or low score of the degree of cultivation or refinement possessed by the people have upon the fate of the country and its leaders? If we are to judge from latest depths that Greek education has sunk to, s...

Technocrats, Greedy Bankers Brought Down Our Houses
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:45 AM, October 07, 2011
{39302} When Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. economy and the White House proceeded to publicly criticize the decision – just as the Greek Government has been doing for 18 months – it became clear that the world economy is turning into the Wild West. Until politicians decide to stop stepping on society to safeguard the interests of the few, it’s worth thinking a little bit about just how warped the economy has become. Economy comes from the Greek word oikonomia, which means distributin...

The Salvific Power of Truth
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:41 AM, October 05, 2011
Besides Pangalos' infamous statement that "we ate the money together" - a statement that has a large dose of truth to it, if we want to be honest with ourselves - the guilty silence of the Greek political caste regarding the causes of the country's default continues to go on. The fact is that something like this can open up a real can of worms. But the country has to enter a catharsis, to analyze and discuss the causes of the latest disaster that has befallen it. Only then will the wo...

Words and Punishment
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:38 AM, October 04, 2011
So-called promises, pledges, guarantees. They're just words to pass the time. Words so people can fool each other. For how long, though? Now they're telling us that the goal of lowering the budget deficit to the targets that were promised is unattainable. Why? Because they aren't implementing the measures upon which their goal was dependent. They assured us that the debt would be 17.1 billion euro. It's going to be 18.69 billion, or 8.5 percent of the GDP. Greece is giving up. Is the government...

The Rape of Democracy
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:42 AM, October 03, 2011
Andreas Papandreou's book "Democracy at Gunpoint" (Sep. 23, 1971) touched the hearts of everyone who thirsted for Democracy and national dignity back then. Today, 40 years later, there is a similar book called "The Rape of Democracy." Here is what I mean. Democracy in Greece today operates in name only. Yes, parties and free, Parliament meets, there is freedom of the press and freedom of assembly. No one is exiled for their political beliefs, nor are they tortured. However, t...

The Humiliation of a Country
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:35 AM, October 02, 2011
When will Greece reach the bottom of the barrel? This is a question that is being widely asked. Because if it doesn't reach the bottom of the barrel, there are many people who believe that it can't begin to make its way up again. One good sign of things turning around would be for the gradual recovery of the principles and values who decay - more than anything else - led the country to its present day state. And so, this should begin from the recovery of the country's trustworthiness. I don't th...

Leadership and Duty
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:35 AM, September 30, 2011
Don't cry for Romanity... Nowadays, when we are living under a cloud of incredibility, something is happening. A new star is rising from Hellenism's limitless sources, and is renewing our hopes for the future of our people. That "something" made its presence felt very evidently - at least for me - in an event held earlier this week called "Success is not an Accident - Success is a Habit," which was organized by several very active organizations in New Jersey - for the third s...

The Final Say
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:57 AM, September 29, 2011
There are two sides to the nightmare Greece is going through: one belongs to the country's creditors and the markets. Those who sit back in their office in Brussels, Bonn, or New York and order Greece to cut this, raise that, etc. if it wants the next loan tranche. And the Greek government, which is operating with a gun to its head, listens to the nation's true bosses. The people are on the other side, playing the role of breakwater, and they are being called on to leave behind comfort for a fut...

Erdogan's Plans
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:53 PM, September 25, 2011
This week could be called the week that Erdogan's revealed himself. It's the week when even the most uninterested observer must have realized that it is a mistake to view the Turkish prime minister's threats with which he is blackmailing Greece and Cyprus - as well as Israel - a (merely) ephemeral policies. On the contrary, one has to view them as part of a strategy for the radical shifting in the balance of powers in the Mediterranean and Mid-East in Turkey's favor. This is a strategy that envi...

Where's the Prime Minister?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:13 PM, September 22, 2011
For over a year, George Papandreou has been shouldering the burden of the country's financial crisis. There were never any serious announcements that were not made by him personally. He would address the people on several occasions to inform them of the latest developments. For many, his biggest pro was that he was a hard worker. He traveled frequently and would use his international standing abroad to help save Greece. Papandreou's supporters would point to all these things when comparing his ...

A Waste of Time?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:54 PM, September 21, 2011
The large Greek delegation visiting New York to participate in the opening session of the UN General Assembly will stay here for a week. Despite the duration of their stay, they have not found even an hour to work in some facetime with the Greek American Community. They probably consider this to be a waste of time! We note this as yet another indication of Greece's leaders' inability to mobilize and utilize the nation's resources - which our Community is a part of. They are spending their time ...

The United Nation is Playing a Positive Role
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:28 AM, September 21, 2011
Over the recent days, all eyes are turning from foreign policy issues to economic issues. The global financial crisis is the new war front. And so, the question is posed yet again about how relative the United Nations is to the world's problems in the year 2011. This is a question being asked by hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers whose lives have been inconvenienced by the hellacious traffic jams caused by the presence of over 100 heads of state and prime ministers in the city, who have come ...

Greece has its Problems, But America Too?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:10 PM, September 19, 2011
When the U.S. Treasury Secretary tried last Friday to tell his colleagues in the eurozone how to handle the crisis, they replied that he "should take care of his mess, and then advise us." They are right. While the U.S. economy is teetering on the verge of a new recession, politicians in America are displaying unprecedented inactivity. There are only rare instances in history when America has seemed so lost, so unable to take decisions. I agree that the war against Mr. Obama is a merci...

The Shield and History
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:16 AM, September 18, 2011
Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan's long political career demonstrates two things: First, that he says whatever he means, and that being headstrong and megalomaniacal, he achieves his goals at any cost. Factor in these things, together with his country's booming economy, the ushering in of a new status quo in the Middle East, and the financial crisis in Greece, and in my opinion, he is dangerous. The fact that that he reached the verge of a crisis with Israel - a country with which Turkey had extremely ...

Israel and Greek Americans
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:04 AM, September 16, 2011
A few days ago, when the Republicans won the special election for a U.S. House District in Queens, NY, which had voted Democratic for years, it came as a great surprise and was seen as a foreshadowing of the results of the 2012 Presidential election. When the votes were analyzed, the results clearly indicated that the issue that was most significant for voters was not the bad economic situation in the U.S., but President Obama's poor relations with the Jewish American Community. The situation i...

All is Flux
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:40 PM, September 09, 2011
Why don't you write about "Kala na Pathoun" (They Deserved It), someone insisted during one of our conversations. There's no way that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 can come and go, and you not mention it. - But how will this help, I asked? There are so many things that have happened since then. Why do you keep dwelling on this? -Because I still can't forget the comments by singer Dalaras, Greek TV stars, and others, that kept yelling left and right that America was attacked with just ...

A Permanent Exhibition for 9/11
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:30 PM, September 08, 2011
What were the losses incurred by the Greek American Community in lives and assets from 9/11? It's not a questions that is without importance, despite the problems that are facing us, and which some may insist deserve priority. The terrorist attack that struck the heart of the U.S. and a worldwide symbol of its predominance is undoubtedly a top historical event. It's something similar to the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Of course, the 9/11 attack did not lead to U.S. involvement in a w...

The Big Absentee on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:21 PM, September 07, 2011
America is now entering the final stretch of the activities commemorating the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. Events, which in my opinion, left much deeper wounds than it seems it has. This anniversary brings to life memories of that day with unbelievable clarity, and unites the country in a way that few other things can. The country will honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 people who died a tragic and unjustifiable death on that day with memorial services and other fitting eve...

What Happened to Obama?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:18 PM, September 05, 2011
President Barack Obama is looking more and more like a one-term president. This brilliant political leader with extensive academic education - a graduate of Harvard Law School and director of the School's Law Review - and an unusually powerful speaker, he has shrunk and turned into an ordinary politician. Even his supporters admit it, and wonder out loud "what happened to Obama?" The short answer is that I think his lack of experience is evident (something similar to what is happening ...

On the Road to Elections?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:33 PM, September 02, 2011
And so, the troika gathered things and left Athens... even if Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos half-denies it. The clash between both sides appears to arise from differing views on the economic policy that should be followed to keep the budget deficit in check, which is estimated at 8% despite the thoughtless forecasts for 7.5%. The Minister of Finance appears to support that this will be accomplished by reducing the recession (now they're saying that it will reach 5%). The troika insists on...

It's not Illegal. Is it Ethical?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:17 PM, August 31, 2011
America was America. It stood out from among the other countries. That's why it attacted hundreds of millions of people from around the world like a magnet. Thanks to the Founding Fathers, America was the only workshop in history where man tried ceaselessly to perfect himself as much as possible in an environment of essential liberty, creativity, equality, religious tolerance, and equal opportunities for all. Relatively speaking, it continues to be a beacon of human hope for a better life. But l...

The Other Side of the Coin
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:17 PM, August 30, 2011
He is the type of person that Greece needs. And he possesses the qualities that are lacking. I am referring to Yiannis Costopoulos, the majority shareholder and chairman of Alpha Bank, and the architect of the merger with Eurobank, which is controlled by the Latsis interests. This merger between the two banks was welcomed with enthusiasm, which caused a boom in the Athens and Nicosia stock markets that was so strong that it even contributed to a rise in European and American markets. The reasons...

Hurricane Irene Comes to Town
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:18 PM, August 29, 2011
(This post was written on Sunday but couldn't be uploaded due to Hurricane Irene) Irene made it in the end, and despite the etymology of her name, she wasn't in a peaceful state of mind. Her weapons - air and rain - spread panic, cut off power to hundreds of thousands of homes, knocked down trees, destroyed boats, and flooded basements. In short, they did their damage. Still, Irene was more merciful that they described her to be. Her anger had somewhat quelled by the time she reached New York. S...

How were you affected by Irene?
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:28 AM, August 29, 2011
The storm that had been Hurricane Irene left millions without power across much of the Eastern Seaboard, left more than two dozen people dead and forced airlines to cancel about 9,000 flights. It never became the big-city nightmare forecasters and public officials had warned about, but it still had the ability to surprise. How were you affected by the storm?...

Markopolos Does Us All an Honor
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:00 PM, August 26, 2011
As of Friday, 'Chasing Madoff' opened in theaters nationwide. The movie is about Harry M. Markopolos, a Greek American who had been warning the government for eight years that Bernie Madoff was a fraud and that his company was a giant Ponzi scheme. Sadly, no one listened. When Madoff was finally caught, offers from Hollywood to make a film about the story started pouring in. Markopolos ended up receiving 30 offers. Meanwhile, he also wrote a book entitled 'No one would listen,' which is currentl...

Kicking the Can
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:32 PM, August 25, 2011
Greece's borrowing costs reached astronomical heights on Thursday out of fear - justified or not - that the agreement of July 21st to save Greece will not be implemented in time because of the way that Finland mishandled the situation. In the meanwhile, the German economy is showing signs of slowing down because its exports, which represent the basis of its economy, are down due to the general state of the global economy. Naturally, this only serves to further complicate the Greek crisis. In the...

The Black Swan Effect is Taking a Toll on Our Nerves
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:40 PM, August 24, 2011
I had stopped at a red light in front of Neptune Diner in Astoria when my car started to shake. What a strange thing, I thought. Maybe I'm on the bridge and I didn't notice until now, I said, even though I pass by that road every day. But the car in front of me was shaking as well. Again, I didn't pay much attention to it. At that moment, the announcer on the radio station I was listening to started to report that there was an earthquake. It's such a strange occurrence on the East Coast that we ...

Who's Being Naive
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:34 PM, August 23, 2011
Are we "Americans" truly naive for coming here with just a suitcase in hand and making a new productive life for ourselves here or are we purposely pretending to be naive in our relations with our brethren in Greece during the summer, either out of love for them and nostalgia for the past, or because we refuse to allow their wily ways - plainly evident to us anyhow - to ruin our mood? The sure thing is that Greeks in Greece don't know how to deal with Greek Americans. Is the "Amer...

Harry Did His Duty
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:14 PM, August 22, 2011
All is flux. Especially in today's fast-paced world. So many things happened while I was away on my "working vacation" in the Greek homeland! Of course, justifiably so, there's only one issue dominating the news in Greece - the major financial crisis. Wherever I had an Internet connection, I would follow what was happening in the world from our newspaper's website. I had to return to my base to find out about everything else. What happened while I was away? The U.S. was downgraded, and...

Friedman Said So
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:24 AM, July 18, 2011
Suddenly, Tom L. Friedman, a star columnist for the New York Times, reappeared in Athens. It's his second visit to the Greek capital since the crisis appeared. As usual, his column has plenty of newsworthy items, but I will limit myself to one paragraph that I think contains messages and conclusions directed towards the Greek political establishment. He writes that another similiarity between the U.S. and Greece is that the baby boomers - those born 50 or 60 years before the Twitter era - are no...

Parallel Lives
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:52 AM, July 16, 2011
"The Greek American Community has caught Greece's disease," a respected friend of mine from the community told me. "Look around you. Tell me what you see that is healthy. What is standing on its own? Just think about how many people took on leadership roles within the Community with the intention of cashing in on them later, under the belief that they would be given a position in Greece later on. They were just dying to dip their hand in the honey. Don't tell me that the mentality...

Greece Should Embrace the Truth
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:00 PM, July 15, 2011
A healthy dose of truth always serves as a great elixir. The truth helps us stay grounded, and sometimes, even when it’s unpleasant, it is far more beneficial than a lie. Of course, what exactly constitutes truth is a lengthy (maybe endless) discussion, and certainly exceeds the scope of this column. It’s interesting to note that the Greek word for truth (αλήθεια) “alitheia” comes from the prefix “a” (un) and the word “lithi,” which means to forget. In other words, the truth is something that is...

A Parent's Nightmare
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:59 AM, July 15, 2011
He was just an eight-year-old boy. He led a happy life with his family in Brooklyn. He wanted to feel grown up, as is common at that age. He asked his parents to let him go outside alone and walk from summer camp to his home, just a few block away. The neighborhood was very safe. It is a Hassidic Jew enclave with strict enforcement of the law by residents and police together. There was nothing to be afraid of. Here is where a parent's nightmare begins. The child got lost since it was the first t...

The Mirror for Greeks of Constantinople
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:29 PM, July 14, 2011
The media is the mirror of society, as the saying goes. And so, the newspaper 'Apogevmatini' in Constantinople is is the mirror of the Greek Community located there. And what you see in that mirror is the reflection of a tragedy: the once flourishing, cosmopolitan, and progressive Greek Community of Constantinople has been decimated after the Turkish pogrom against its members. Hardly more than 2,000 people remain there, and most are advanced in age. This, of course, creates a survival issue for...

Cyprus' Slippery Slope
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:31 PM, July 12, 2011
I've been worried over the situation in Cyprus for some time now. I'm afraid that it is sliding increasingly towards a nouveau rich lifestyle, and to simple and temporary solutions. It is following in Greece's footsteps, despite the fact that it still has open wounds from the Turkish occupation of its land. This is a matter that didn't get the coverage it should have had in the international press. Instead of proposing solutions on its own, Cyprus is being dragged into a solution that is tailor ...

The Invisible Murdoch
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:26 PM, July 11, 2011
The game of cat and mouse being played in London these days is certainly being followed very closely around many capitals across the world. Every country has a Murdoch of its own, visible or invisible. However, there's only one Rupert Murdoch: the first media baron on a worldwide scale. Fortunately, there is still divine justice, which intervenes even at the last moment. In this case, perhaps just a few hours before Murdoch was about to buy British Sky Broadcasting for $12 billion and form an un...

Uncertainty Everywhere
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:42 PM, July 10, 2011
A feeling of uncertainty has seized American consumers, who are the economy's driving force. The result is that the economy is taking one step forward and two steps back. Unemployment figures for June - the second straight month - are discouraging. The private sector produced only 57,000 new jobs, while 150,000 are needed to keep up with the natural rise in inflation. The unemployment rate for May rose from 9.1 percent to 9.2 percent. What's going on? The deep crisis of 2008 left intense psycho...

Kicking the Can on Greek Education in America
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:23 AM, July 10, 2011
Thucydides argues in his History of the Peloponnesian War that it is preferable to have a thriving City-State where citizens are willing to set aside personal interest than to have wealthy citizens bringing them down. The strength of a community can save the people in it, but it is much more difficult for them to save an entire community. It’s worth thinking about this argument when analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of Greek society – including the Diaspora. The past few decades have seen a...

Milton Friedman's Prophecy
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:38 AM, July 08, 2011
Nothing evidences Greece's inability to tackle the crisis it is facing better than the European Central Bank's decision to raise interest rates from 1.25 percent to 1.50 percent during its annual board meeting this past week. Greece needs to follow the exact opposite fiscal policy and drastically slash its interest rates to near zero percentages. But the ECB, which takes orders from the Germans, who are obsessed with fighting inflation (they attribute Hitler's rise to power to the hyperinflatio...

Life is an Uphill Battle
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:39 PM, July 07, 2011
If you are getting the feeling that the only thing certain for Greece is that it is heading for a restructuring of its debt, then you are not alone. There are many plans out there, each tailored to suit special interests - essentially the interests of banks. There are also a lot of editorials being run in leading newspapers across the world - yesterday in the NYT and FT - containing various pieces of advice or negative forecasts. One thing remains clear, however: the only thing they've managed t...

Mea Culpa
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:07 PM, July 04, 2011
The turn of events surrounding the case against former IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn holds a lot of lessons for all of us - including the undersigned. In my column on May 16, 2011 I wrote that he should be grateful to the American justice system for putting him out of his misery, because in what other country would two police officers come to arrest the head of the IMF just before he made his getaway. Fortunately, it is proven yet again that a man's character is his fate. However, we have ...

The Other Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:25 PM, July 01, 2011
Yet again, Greeks of the Diaspora shine brightly and shed light upon the path for progress for all of Greece. They are the other Greece, the Greece of capability, of genuine love for the homeland, of measure, of modesty. They are proof of what Greece could be and what it ought to be. The day before yesterday, while, Syntagma Square turned into a battleground while MPs were practically being held hostage inside Parliament, the Stavros Niarchos Foundations unveiled a model of its cultural center, ...

Same-Sex Marriage
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:06 PM, June 30, 2011
We find the idea intensely repulsive. Our families taught us to think this way. So did our schools and the Church. That's what we learned growing up in our society. This is standard for us. It doesn't even warrant a second thought. That's how things operated until today. For countless centuries. But homosexuals have been fighting for their rights for decades now. And they have been continuously increasing their efforts. Sometimes, at great personal risk. They have demanded that we change, that w...

Enough Already!
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:32 PM, June 29, 2011
Greece is now on the headlines of every American news medium you can find. Greece is everywhere. The MPs of the ruling Socialist party were terrified at the thought that the country would default while they were in power, and so they obeyed their orders. The five-year austerity program guaranteed to tighten people's belts until they pass out is now law!!! The markets breathed a sigh of relief, and kicked the can a little further down the road. The euro made some gains, and bought itself some mo...

Banks Get the Money, Greeks Get the Gas
Andy Dabilis • 11:42 AM, June 29, 2011
ATHENS - As Greeks, amidst clouds of tear gas, battled for their economic lives in the streets – aided ignobly by hooded anarchists who just like to mix it up and take on the establishment – members of the Greek Parliament were sitting in air-conditioned chambers callously passing another $40 billion in pay cuts for workers and tax hikes that will lead to a deeper recession, the closing of thousands more businesses (65,000 already gone) and do nothing except protect banks who’ve lent Greece $155...

New Camps?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:47 PM, June 28, 2011
For years, months would go by without even a word appearing about Greece in the U.S. media. When there was a story, it was published in the back pages, unless the story was about November 17th or the Olympic Games. Over the past year, however, I spend over an hour a day reading what is being written about Greece in some of the nation's most prominent newspapers. What a change! The media has smelled blood, and now they are running to cover the story. That's how things go. As I was heading to work...

The Real Gypsies in the Streets
Andy Dabilis • 08:01 AM, June 28, 2011
Gypsies - or, Roma - as they call themselves, are a sight so common on the streets of Athens as they sit on well chosen street corners, picking their favorite spots like prostitutes in another part of the city center, or other key spots for their moaning act, such as church steps. They often have a baby or young child passed out like a drug addict and which they've been said to borrow or rent from others in the Gypsy Scam to take the money of sucker tourists and passersby who believe they are in...

Leave the Acropolis Alone
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:28 PM, June 27, 2011
For a second time, the Acropolis - the most valuable legacy possessed by the country and humanity in general - was profaned. Two major posters were hung by the Greek Communist party-affiliated union PAME on the sacred rock, which contained nearly unintelligible slogans - one in Greek and another in English - for the likely purpose of declaring their opposition to the Memorandum that will be voted on in Parliament this week. The Acropolis is not place for demonstrations. They should stop profanin...

Turkish Stratejik Derinlik and Greeks’ Never-Ending Nap
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:04 PM, June 26, 2011
Recently, the New York Times ran a lengthy article about the astounding development of Turkish charter school across the United States. There are 120 of these schools, believed to be linked to Fethullah Gulen, whom the Times describes as “a charismatic Turkish preacher of a moderate brand of Islam whose devotees have built a worldwide religious, social and nationalistic movement in his name.” The sheer number of schools he’s managed to build since his arrival to the U.S. in 1999 shows his effici...

Greek Americans and Money Under the Table
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:03 PM, June 26, 2011
Wikileaks has published a telegraph from the then U.S. Ambassador in Athens Charles P. Ries, which appeared in TNH's Greek edition this past weekend. The contents of the telegraph state that Greek Americans that the embassy has been in contact with - which are estimated at over 70,000 - unanimously agree that the Greek system is unacceptable, adding that they cannot get their work done or even build homes in their villages, if they don't give money under the table to various employees... . Unfor...

I'm Not All That Confident
Andy Dabilis • 09:31 AM, June 24, 2011
ATHENS - There's a funny commercial on Greek television in which a guy who looks like a young professor says, in Greek, "Coincidence? I think not?" That pretty much describes Prime Minister George Papandreou's expected vote of confidence from the 300-member Parliament he controls with 155 members from his PASOK alleged Socialist party. He got 155 votes of support. Coincidence? I think not. Someone has to explain how it's new if a Prime Minister who controls Parliament gets a vote of co...

The Message to Samaras
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:01 PM, June 19, 2011
As the latest developments have shown, right or wrong, Antonis Samaras' voice is not coming across clearly to the citizens/news recipient. Perhaps because it lacks clarity. Maybe because it runs contrary to the prevalent view on the fiscal policy that is necessary to help the country exit the crisis. The result of this and other things is that Samaras in not - yet at least - considered as a trustworthy alternative to Papandreou by the European and U.S. financial system. And this opinion is not l...

An Inter-PASOK Government
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:50 PM, June 17, 2011
Here's my opinion of the cabinet reshuffle: I would have preferred someone like Alekos Papadopoulos, Lucas Papademos, or Stefanos Manos at the helm of the finance ministry. I accept that Evangelos Venizelos is the second best solution under the following reasoning: the makeup of the new cabinet is important to the degree that it is able to facilitate in the approval of the new, much more austere Memorandum by Parliament, so that Greece can secure the next tranche of its loan money. The temporary...

Where are We Headed?
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:44 PM, June 16, 2011
As a Greek American who lives and breathes Greece, I am now deeply concerned over the developments in the homeland. Everything that was built in the last 36 years is crumbling before our very eyes. And we - all of us - are powerless to protect it. We are spectators in a tragedy that we know beforehand is going to end badly, but the only thing that we can do is to stand idly by in the bleachers and watch with baited breath. Back when I was a university student, in the summer in 1974 I kept up wit...

A Historic Day
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:37 PM, June 15, 2011
All signs are pointing to the direction that June 15th will become a historic day for Greece. It is a day during which the foundation for a brighter future will be laid or the country will head back to the decade of the 1960's... Creditors living outside Greece are having difficulty agreeing on the form that the restructuring of Greece's debt should take, and as a result the markets are driving up the country's yield spread to new heights while stock markets are tumbling. The political system in...

Look What They've Reduced the Country to
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:46 PM, June 14, 2011
Standard & Poor's put the nail in Greece's coffin with its latest credit downgrade on Monday, placing it last among the 124 nations that it monitors. That's lower that... Ghana. What a shame! What an embarrassment! These are moments that will shape Greece's future. There is no room for double-talk. Greece, our homeland, is sinking into bankruptcy. The markets have already rendered their verdict. The credit agencies are announcing it. Maybe default can be avoided now, but then again, maybe n...

Greek Tales of The Strange, The Bizarre, the Upsetting
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:20 AM, June 14, 2011
The world is filled with strange things – and strange leaders. The house in Thessaloniki (today a museum) where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk – the founder of modern Turkey – was born in 1881 was designated a historical monument, following a unanimous decision by a Greek Ministry of Culture directorate. On May 19, Greece commemorated the Pontian Genocide (1914-1923,) during which an estimated 350,000 Pontian Greeks died at the hands of the Ottoman Empire and the Young Turks Movement that led the way to ...

Erdogan's Election Victory and Us
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:36 PM, June 13, 2011
It's a political phenomenon. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan won his third national election with nearly 50 percent of the vote. Do you know many politicians that can boast of such accomplishments in recent years? What do the developments in Turkey mean for us? First the bad news: The financial crisis in Greece could not have come at a worst moment. While Greece is mired in an economic crisis, Erdogan's Turkey keeps growing stronger, which means that is becoming an even greater danger to Greece ...

The National Herald's Role
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:31 AM, June 13, 2011
There are few stories over the years that have provoked the religious sentiments of the Greek American Community more than the accusations against Rev. Demetrios Recachinas, which were printed in THN's Greek language weekend edition. Even fewer stories brought about any greater feelings of shame over what this clergyman is being accused of, as well as the statements made by Archdiocesan Chancellor Bishop Andonios of Phasiane. Theodore Kalmoukos, my close aide for over three decades, undertook an...

The Other Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:22 PM, June 10, 2011
These days, we are in need of positive, happy news before we all are overcome with mass depression. We need news that lifts our spirits, and reinforces what we already know: that Greeks are no less capable than anyone else. All they need is an opportunity and the right work conditions. Three Greek Americans who made news today stand as proof of this: Phaedon Avouris, an IBM researcher, chemical physicist and a leading figure in this colossal organizations has gone one to make a revolutionary dis...

Bad Signs
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:31 PM, June 07, 2011
You would think that there would be dozens - even hundreds - of people of all ages holding bouquets and wearing their Greek colors lined up at the arrivals building in JFK to welcome the Greek national soccer team during their arrival to New York earlier this week. First, because they are Greece's national team. Second, because they don't often come to New York. The last time they were here was 1994 - seventeen years ago. And third, because most of us are big soccer fans. And there's plenty of u...

Historic Moments
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:45 PM, June 06, 2011
In October 1981, I looked out from the balcony of a central Athens hotel and watched the legions of PASOK supporters pour into Syntagma Square and form a sea of people as they walked in unison holding their party's flags, and carrying on with an air of moral superiority as they blasted the song "we will surely get the sun drunk; surely we will." When the late Andreas Papandreou came out on the balcony, the entire square gave of a cry that reached as high as the heavens. And when they h...

The Prince's Advice
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:51 PM, June 05, 2011
A prince of a country that was in the midst of turmoil once asked his wisest counselor: Wise counselor, I have an important question task you, perhaps the most important of all. When will I know that the time has come for me to resign and head to a monastery to live out the rest of my life? - Glorious prince, that is very easy to figure out, he responded: As soon as you see that during your visits throughout the country its leaders begin to openly question you, then you'll know that the time has...

Coming Back to America
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:30 PM, June 03, 2011
By now it's a fact that the number of Greeks immigrating to the U.S. is growing by the day. In fact, many even believe that due to the state of the Greek economy, this new influx may take the form of a new immigration wave. Most of those coming back are children of Greek Americans who were born here and whose parents returned to Greece with their families when their children were still young. And so, now that they are adults, they won't have any problem entering the U.S. and staying here because...

Don't Lose Hope
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:44 PM, June 02, 2011
Our school graduations are the Greek American Community's greatest hope. So long as their are schools out there that instill pride in our children over their heritage, for their modelst but hardworking parents who work hard to make a home and teach them the Greek language, history, and religion, don't lose hope. We all know about how serious the problems facing our schools are. We all know just how many schools out there are hanging from a limb. But, don't lose hope. Let's give it all we've got...

The Essence of the Matter
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:43 PM, June 01, 2011
Reading the May edition of the Orthodox Observer (only six photos of the Archbishop this time), I saw a quote by Archbishop Demetrios that said "This (the issue with St. George Church in Lynn) has nothing to do with money," (the additional $20,000 that the Metropolis of Boston and the Archdiocese are demanding from this parish)... Certainly not. Nor would it be possible for such damage to have taken place over $20,000. Big deal... The essence behind the matter is that the $20 million t...

And Now Cyprus...
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:39 PM, May 31, 2011
The crisis in Greece is bad enough, but now it has spread to Cyprus, which up until now could - if nothing else - at least boast that it had a flourishing economy. One bad thing leads to another... and another... and another. A.H.D....

Crisis Plan: Ditch the Troika, Send Greece the Maid
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:32 AM, May 31, 2011
When the dust over the scandal surrounding ex-IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn settles and a decision reached over the accusations he’s facing, we’ll be left to ponder how someone so powerful could be in such a precarious position. The circumstances surrounding DSK’s rise and fall are as bizarre as his outlook on politics. What kind of a Socialist decides to head the IMF – an organization infamous for force-feeding the most cutthroat and anti-social brand of capitalism to the countries it suppos...

Why the Silence Over the Corruption
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:55 PM, May 30, 2011
On Dec. 10, 2009, two months after national elections in Greece, the leaders of the EU relented under the pressure of the markets and were forced to discuss the Greek problem. Days before, the spreads for Greek bonds had reached 1,94%, which was considered dangerously high. (Today, they are at 14%!!!). After leaving the EU summit meeting, Greece's newly elected prime minister George Papandreou said: "we have such widespread corruption, that we have reached the point that we consider it norm...

A Poll About Methodios
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:48 PM, May 27, 2011
91 percent of the people who answered a poll in our English website thought that the Greek Government should fire public sector workers. 89 percent answered that Metropolitan Methodios should be removed from his position. 89 percent. Of course, these polls are not scientifically designed. But when the percentage of responses come so close to uniformity, well then it would be hard for someone to deny that the results reflect the will of the English speaking population in the Greek American Commun...

When Will They Ever Learn
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:59 PM, May 26, 2011
It's been proven many times that there is no worse choice for a finance minister than an economist who comes from the circles of academia. Unfortunately, Greece's prime ministers have insisted on such unfortunate choices and of course, they - and the nation - are paying the consequences. George Papandreou is going to pay for this mistake the same way that Costas Karamanlis did. A.H.D....

The Essence of the Problem
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:59 PM, May 25, 2011
Competitiveness: That's the key word for Greece's exit from this crisis. Competitiveness. A word that every Greek must repeat 10,000 times a day. Competitiveness: No matter what else gets fixed, if this doesn't change for the better, we won't achieve a thing. Let's look in a bit more detail at what it means for someone to be competitive in relation to someone else. It means that a unit can produce a product or service at least at the same quality and cost that the competition can. First example:...

The Power of Vested Interests
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:50 AM, May 24, 2011
The Greek Government has decided to "immediately" sell off some of the corporations that have been burdening the public sector with costs reaching hundreds of millions of euros per year. That was the right move. Better late than never. The only difference is that the reorganization of the Greek economy should have begun from this point one year ago, since the greatest waste lies there, not in the pension system. Why didn't it? For the simple reason that this is a hard task. Behind thes...

What the Word Shame Means
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:58 PM, May 23, 2011
In the past, we published a poem by Georgios Souris (1853-1919) called "Romios." The poem which is as pertinent today as when Souris first published it, is often resent to us by various friends, who lament the fact that history is repeating itself in Greece with amazing precision. That's nice of them. " 'Whatever' and 'oh, who cares' as your bread and butter, and your coffee." "like an enslaved Ottoman subject when you're a citizen, but like a local chieftain as soon as ...

A Missed Opportunity
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:23 PM, May 22, 2011
Unfortunately President Barack Obama won't be visiting Greece during his trip to Europe next week. This translates to a huge missed opportunity for the U.S. to show its support to the Greek people. I understand the difficulties of such a trip. I realize that there's probably many people in Washington, DC who remember... this childish misbehaviors of years past. I also realize that he would have had to bring along gifts... Both these things are small obstacles. During this difficult moment for th...

The Jews' Dilemma
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:33 PM, May 20, 2011
How much power does the Jewish Community wield in America and how is it measured? These questions - which are usually posed with an intent to exercise criticism - often generate less than precise answers. What's the truth? It's a fact that the Jewish Community exercise a disproportionate amount of influence in American foreign policy regarding Israel compared to its population - 2 percent of the total population - and that is quite an accomplishment. And they achieve this, despite the fact that ...

America and Guyana
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:58 PM, May 19, 2011
I don't know how much truth lies behind the things that Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being accused of, nor can I speak on behalf of the woman alleging the crimes he is being charged with. If these charges are true, then they will have exposed a very sick individual, who should have never achieved the success that he did. What I do know - something that some of our online readers, especially in Greece, don't realize - is that the question is not "what's America up to with Strauss-Kahn's arrest,...

The Rise of Cretinism, the Tyranny of Political Correctness
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:52 AM, May 19, 2011
Christos Anesti(!)… even if Athens’ new Mayor, George Kaminis, doesn’t like hearing it. Media reports stated that Kaminis forbade Athens’ municipal radio station 98.3 FM from responding to the traditional Greek Paschal wish so as not to offend any of the stations’ non-Christian listeners. In a feigned attempt to “safeguard” the rights of the city’s minority residents (mostly illegals) he has no problem trampling on the Christian majority’s right to freedom of expression, for the sake of a pseudo...

In order to save the EU - and Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:45 PM, May 18, 2011
This crisis has gone from a question of whether Greece can continue to remain in the eurozone to a question of whether the eurozone continue to remain intact. That's how fast things are happening. And it's not just Greece that has created this conundrum, but this other peripheral nations (Portugal, Spain, Italy) that also find themselves in a difficult financial situation. This is a question being posed by some of the most prestigious magazines worldwide, including Foreign Affairs (May-June). Th...

Graduation
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:45 PM, May 17, 2011
America is an empire of knowledge, universities, and state-of-the-art technology. That's where its superiority lies. A superiority that springs up and blossoms only in countries like this one, because it responds well to the political and cultural climate. That's what I was thinking about over the weekend, as I watched with indescribable joy and great emotion the graduation of the class of 2011 at one of the top universities in the U.S. After endless years of difficult preparation, these graduat...

It's a Matter of Character Above All
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:55 PM, May 15, 2011
They said that Dominique Strauss-Kahn was going to save Greece... but in the end, he couldn't even same himself from his own doings. He should be grateful to the American justice system - in what other country would two police officers arrest the head of the International Monetary Fund while seated first class just before his getaway - for putting him out of his misery... Fortunately... it was proven yet again that a man's fate is his character. A.H.D....

A Matter of Leadership
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:46 PM, May 13, 2011
Among the so many unbelievable things taking place around us and in Greece, during the previous week, we had a piece of new that gave us strength because it renewed our hope for the future of Hellenism in the U.S. And this is something that should not pass unrecognized. I am talking about the story regarding the near completion of the efforts to set up an all-day bilingual Pre-K program at the St. George Church in Trenton, NJ. That's right. And this will serve as the groundwork for the subsequen...

Immigrants and Politics
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:37 PM, May 12, 2011
During financially difficult times, immigrants become society's sacrificial lambs. Take the anti-immigration steam building up in America due to the crisis we are going through, which is very likely due to the fact that most people don't know that this nation was built, supported, and continues to be supported by immigrants. These days, we're witnessing the immigration problem facing Greece has been spiking. When I was visiting Athens last week, a top political figure told me that the immigratio...

"I don't trust them"
Antonis H. Diamataris • 09:35 AM, May 12, 2011
When Walter Cronkite vehemently spoke out against the Vietnam War back in 1967, President Lyndon Johnson was rumored to have said "since I lost Cronkite, I lost the average American," and decided against seeking another term. That's what I remembered as I was reading the interview that Greek American businessman Nontas Lagonakis gave to our newspaper regarding the situation erupting in the St. George Community in Lynn, Mass. Ever since Metropolitan Methodios lost the support of Mr. Lag...

Messages from the Protest
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:12 PM, May 11, 2011
It’s not evident what protesters have to gain from Wednesday’s big protest in Athens, since the country’s course has been plotted out by its foreign creditors. The most likely scenario is that the protest’s organizers want to hold the demonstration for honor’s sake, so that they won’t be considered a sure thing and totally apathetic, and to justify their presence, so that they can always point to the fact that there will always be some sort of reaction from unions to the measures being imposed b...

Phase Two
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:52 PM, May 10, 2011
Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Following the anxiety over the failure of a large percentage of the population and public officials in Athens to understand the reality of things, I was in store for an even harsher reality upon my arrival back in New York. The financial crisis in Greece is once again front page news. The Wall Street Journal once again had it as its top story. What a tragedy! I selected two articles from the many out there, as they are somewhat intertwined. The ...

One bad thing leads to another
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:40 AM, May 09, 2011
It's tragic that 44 years after the junta by the Greek colonels, there are young people in Greece who consider a junta as the solution to the crisis facing the nation. I took a cab on Sunday afternoon, and the driver was a young man - just 23 - with a goatee and an earring. - How's work going, I asked him. He looked at me as if I had just come from another planet. Before I managed to figure out what was going on, the young taxi driver began a tirade against the politicians who have looted the n...

The Nightmarish Scene of the "Titanic"
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:02 PM, May 08, 2011
For a week now, here in Athens, I've taken my lantern, like Diogenes, and have begun asking whoever I meet - especially taxi drivers - to answer the following question: Does the average Greek citizen understand the critical juncture that the nation's economy is in? As I was leaving New York, I thought that the answer to this question would be a resounding yes by far. And yet, I was wrong. There is a large portion of Athenians who still consider this crisis temporary, and who believe that ... som...

Correspondence
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:10 PM, May 05, 2011
Dr. Katsetos writes to me "...please continue with resolve to encourage TNH's readers to continue our timeless traditions, the legacies of our people and Romanity. This is especially significant because we are are going through a very sorrowful period of national withering that has made the Greek American Community susceptible to furtive ideologies regarding "ancestor worship" and "polytheism," which causes an essential confusion regarding the concept and acceptance of H...

Pascha With Papadiamantis: Lessons from a Panegyrist
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:54 PM, May 04, 2011
There are few opportunities like Holy Week to gain empirical knowledge and partake in the Philokalic (love of beauty) Hellenic tradition that masterfully comes to life each year in Greek Orthodox churches and homes all over the world. The Orthodox Christian mentality is expressed in our persistent focus on the Resurrection. While various creeds follow the Passion, and even honor it, they view it within the narrow prism of “The satisfaction of God's divine anger,” and their churches remain silent...

Crocodile Tears
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:53 PM, May 04, 2011
Before the world managed to breath a sigh of relief from the elimination of the greatest terrorist of our day, who is responsible for the deaths of 3,000 people, the would-be humanistic questions have begun popping up, with first among them: Why did they kill poor bin Laden if he was unarmed? Let's set aside hypocrisy and speak plainly. Of course U.S. navy seals went and killed their country's most wanted man. If they could have avoided doing so, fine, if not, it didn't really matter to them. An...

Truman's Statue
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:42 PM, May 03, 2011
On Vasileos Konstantinou Ave. and Kleanthous Street, a little bit past the Athens Hilton, there is a very nicely decorated area where an imposing statue of Harry Truman stands. The area is further beautified by a large row of very tall cypress trees and two small wishing wells, along either side of the statue. It was late and night when I happened to pass by the area, recently. I approached. A small sign gave me all the info that I needed: It was a donation by AHEPA to the "Leader, humanist...

America Back in the Spotlight
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:04 PM, May 02, 2011
The U.S. relived moments of its prior glory in Athens yesterday, following the killing of Osama bin Laden. It once again turned into a country than can achieve victory, that sticks to its mission until it is accomplished, and that punishes its enemies, despite how many years have passed and how many sacrifices are needed. The U.S. just went up a couple of notches in the eyes of the Greeks. It became the America of old. Who knows for how long? Although something tells me that the combination of t...

First Impressions from Athens
Antonis H. Diamataris • 06:36 PM, May 01, 2011
I'm writing the following text from Athens, to give you my first impressions: Over half of the giant ad billboards from the airport en route to the city are empty. And not just that, but they have a worn out color, as if they have been abandoned for a very long time. This is the first negative sign that the visitor sees. On Saturday night, I tried to book a reservation at a taverna. It was full until 11 at night. Then I tried to make a booking at a somewhat more upscale one near midtown. No prob...

A Chanter's Questions...
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:30 PM, April 29, 2011
Paisios...had asked for a permanent transfer from the U.S. with the following unbelievable statement in a letter to the Patriarch. "Allow me, Your All Holiness, to reside outside of America, so I may dust it off of my shoes." And so it happened. Soon afterwards, a scandal broke out - one of the worse in the history of the Community - and then we all realized why he was overtaken with a desire to leave America, which he suddenly grew to hate. Paisios now lives in Athens, where he is car...

Menios and Akis
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:33 PM, April 28, 2011
20 years ago, Greece was mired in a major scandal caused by a Greek American, George Koskotas. (For historical purposes, I note here that TNH's Greek sister edition had played a leading role in bringing to light the scandal surrounding Koskotas, who was originally imprisoned in Salem, Mass. I remember that Koskotas was particularly appreciative of the fact that TNH was the only newspaper at the time that did not write him off as a conman, as everyone else was doing at the time. TNH remained fait...

Unfortunately...it's time to restructure
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:01 PM, April 26, 2011
Pascha is over. Celebrations have come and gone. Only a tenth of the cars that had left Athens for the countryside had returned as of yesterday. The other travelers are likely waiting to celebrate May Day and then head home. Good habits are harder to break than bad ones. But the bells signaling the imminent restructuring of Greece's debt aren't waiting for May Day. They have already begun to toll in Athens. The markets have made up their minds. The numbers have essentially made it a necessity. G...

Traditions, traditions
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:14 PM, April 25, 2011
Christos Anesti to all. The Greek people have included many of their traditions in the religious rites they follow, thus identifying the historical and social aspect of their lives with the religious aspect, throughout the centuries. And nowhere is there a feast with as rich an array of traditions as Pascha. These days serve as a wonderful opportunity to immerse our children in our traditions so they may come to know them better, to remember them, and to one day pass them on to their own familie...

"He is not here: for He is risen."
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:09 AM, April 22, 2011
And so, we have come to the end of Christ's Passion, after first passing through the golden rule of Christian life, the revenge of the system, the struggle with temptation, and the gift of treachery. We have also arrived to the beginning of life: The Resurrection. At the start of Holy Week, when I first began to contemplate some of the most essential chapters in Christ's road to Golgotha, I had forewarned the reader that I am not a theologian or a priest, just a simple Orthodox Christian believe...

The Battle With Temptation
Antonis H. Diamataris • 01:40 PM, April 21, 2011
Christ struggled very much, through His presence here on earth, to reach the Cross and from there unto eternity. "But there," Nikos Kazantzakis writes in his book "The Last Temptation" "His work did not end. Temptation waited for Him upon the Cross." For a moment, He went weak. He grew complacent. St. Mark the Evangelist tells us that after walking for a little while, he fell down and began to pray. Abba, Father, take this cup away from me." But He immediately...

Lackluster Leadership Leaves The Community at a Loss
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:27 PM, April 21, 2011
Standing on the doorstep of the feast of Pascha that is the quintessential embodiment of the meaning of sacrifice – “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) – one cannot help but distress over the self-serving anti-social behavior exhibited by community institutions and their leaders. One is the systematic marginalization of children at the annual Greek Independence Day Parade in New York City, and the other is the recent decision of the Metrop...

The Gift of Treachery
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:27 PM, April 20, 2011
The betrayal of Christ is a great gift to mankind, even if this sounds a bit like an oxymoron. When speaking of betrayal, our mind always goes to Judas. But it wasn't only Judas that betrayed Him. Others did as well. Look at the list: His fellow countrymen. His friend (Peter). His relatives. The people. And in the end, the 11 of His disciples that remained betrayed Him as well. I call this betrayal of Christ a gift, because how else could we stand betrayal - which to one degree or other we have...

The Revenge of the System
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:32 PM, April 19, 2011
Christ's path to the Cross was predestined. Without the Cross, there would be no Resurrection. And without the Resurrection, there would be no Christianity. The event that suddenly turned Christ into a public figure was his decision to throw out the money changers from the temple. St. Mark the Evangelist writes that: " And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those ...

The Golden Rule
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:57 PM, April 18, 2011
The real story these days - despite any signs pointing to the contrary - is not the imminent restructuring of Greece's debt, the United States' debt, how Gaddhafi is fairing in the war, or any other glitzy piece that catches the eye. These are insignificant in the face of the real story: the life, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Christ, which we are reliving during Holy Week, and what these mean for humanity today and throughout eternity. Let me clarify that I am not a theologian, priest, or ev...

I Want to Go to Heaven...
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:44 PM, April 17, 2011
This is a scary piece of news. The Archdiocese has dealings with businessmen involved in... Bingo. And when they started to divy up the profits, either the Archdiocese or the Queens DA (it's not clear which of the two) forced them to pay the Archdiocese restitution in the amount of $830,000 for the period 2007-2010. (See our full story in our Greek language edition of Apr. 15) This case may likely run much deeper than what we are presently aware of: A large hall in Jackson Heights, Queens which...

The Diaspora's Love for the Homeland
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:56 PM, April 15, 2011
The Wednesday issue of TNH's Greek edition hosts an article by Nikos Xydakis on the homeland and the Diaspora. It's a must read. Often times, our discussion revolves around the positive and negative impressions we have about the way that our brothers and sisters in Greece think and act - as we are evidently influenced by our way of life here. However, it is really rare when the shoe is on the other foot and we have a chance to catch a glimpse of how they see us; to see ourselves mirrored in Gree...

Nightmares of the Past
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:17 PM, April 13, 2011
Takis Michas, a journalist and Democratic Alliance party member, wrote a commentary in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal arguing that the Greek government is losing control of the country. Most of what Mr. Michas writes is old news to us. There are, however, two points in his commentary that stand out because they describe the situation in Greece with an exceptional degree of overstatement. Mr. Michas notes that "does it surprise you that there are now areas in Greece that are out of the hand...

Dictatorships and Default
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:46 PM, April 12, 2011
What stands out in my mind in regards to the 3 nations that have fallen into the "debt trap" - as economist call it when a country that borrows cannot service its debt, unless it devalues its currency, attains major economic growth rates, or ends up opting for some kind of default - two of them had military dictatorships during their recent history, while Spain, the fourth country expected by many to fall into this trap, also was governed many years by the dictator Franco. Is this a co...

A Terrible Dilemma
Antonis H. Diamataris • 04:20 PM, April 11, 2011
There are many times in life when we are confronted with terrible dilemmas. But there are certain times that these dilemmas test our every fiber .They bring us face to face with who we really are, and show us what we are made of, what our spiritual world is like, and what our real boundaries are. The Wall Street Journal ran a story on just such a dilemma - which I hope none of us ever encounters. It is as follows: The mayor of Rizokentakata, a small town in Japan that was destroyed by the recent...

An Explosive Combination
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:42 PM, April 10, 2011
For a year and a half, the constant flow of negative publicity generated by Greece's financial crisis has gotten mentally exhausting. Each day we look for a few crumbs of optimism and encouragement, but unfortunately, things are getting worse instead of better. This past weekend, two articles in the NYT and Economist added two new factors to the equation, which make things look even bleaker for Greece. This first is that the medicine prescribed by the IMF/EU/ECB troika to help Greece overcome th...

A Very Good Proposal
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:50 PM, April 08, 2011
Truth be told, the leader of the New Democracy party Antonis Samaras made a very important proposal that ought to be supported by all of us. During a press conference earlier this week, he spoke about the need for "separation of executive and legislative powers, which in reality means that a parliament deputy elected by popular vote cannot also serve as a government minister." We all know that Greece's governments end up with cabinet members who have no prior experience with their port...

To Win Back the Philhellenes, Root Out the Vassals
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:38 AM, April 08, 2011
One of the most interesting aspects of the Greek War of Independence is the role played by the Philhellenes – a wonderfully romantic and astoundingly brave group, who were so enthralled with the struggle of the Greek people to regain their freedom that they exposed themselves to all kinds of peril, sacrificed wealth, prominence, health, - sometimes even their lives – to help Greece achieve its long-awaited liberty. Among them stood a group who came from the United States. The role that American ...

SNF Saves Our Good Name
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:27 PM, April 07, 2011
Most of us have already forgotten about the disaster of epic proportions that has hit Japan; but not the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which saved Hellenism's good name yet again through the donation they made for the victims who were struck by the earthquake and tsunami. It's not only the size of the contribution - $500,000 - that counts, even though this is a sizable amount. It's the fact that somebody care, aid this major effort to help the country return to normalcy, to the degree which that ...

The Cost of Xenophobia
Antonis H. Diamataris • 12:27 PM, April 06, 2011
The fact that George Papandreou meets with top foreign leaders is one of his strong points. He gets Greece's messages out to them, while also gathering useful information and opinions that help him do his job. One such meeting was the one he had ealier this week with George Soros - a world renowned investor who is very influential. Usually, this sort of a meeting between Papandreou and a man like Soros would hardly make news, if such meetings occurred frequently or received positive coverage. Un...

The Greek American Community and Greek Media
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:44 PM, April 05, 2011
The Greek journalists' union announced that it will be holding several days of strikes at the end of the week. Evidently, they are seeking an end to the layoffs that are decimating the sector, the reduction of salaries, etc. And so, for a couple days, whatever semi-open portal of information there was in the country will be shut. It goes without saying that the journalists have a right to fight to protect their interests. However, this brings up two issues. First, an ethical one. Is it possible ...

Leaders' Duties
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:49 AM, April 04, 2011
Leaders' Duties The movie "The King's Speech" is stuck in my mind, even if I saw it quite a while ago. In England back in the 1930's, the Duke of York - a man with a severe stuttering problem - is forced to ascend to the throne of England when his brother quits the throne to marry his beloved, an American woman twice divorced. As king and head of the Church, he had to choose between the woman he loved and his throne. Britain was at risk. Hitler's forces had set out to conquer Europe....

A new Greek phenomenon
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:37 PM, April 03, 2011
Arianna Huffington-Stassinopoulos is a dynamic Greek woman with major influence on public opinion, who has become the new Greek phenomenon in the American scene. Ariana is everywhere: television, the press, magazines, a guest speaker at all kinds of events. On Sunday she gave an interview to the New York Times' magazine (and got upset on several occasions over the questions...). Thanks to her recognizable Greek accent and her frequent references to her Greek heritage, she gives a new radiance to...

Our Founding Anniversary
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:47 PM, April 01, 2011
On Thursday April 1, 1915, on the third floor at 140 West 26 Street in Manhattan, a controlled chaos broke out. Editor-in-chief, journalists, typesetters, accountants, advertising personnel, delivery department, and visitors were running around like madmen to make sure that the first edition of the newspaper they were working on was perfect. Petros Tatanis, founder and publisher of this new newspaper, paced up and down the hallways nervously, made his way down to the basement where the offset pr...

A Government at its Limits
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:09 AM, March 31, 2011
The political situation in Athens has reached its limits, as expected. The government is lagging, showing signs of exhaustion. Prime Minister George Papandreou is running all over the place and can't keep up. Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou has reached the limits of his endurance. The same holds true for Health Minister Andreas Loverdos. Most of the other government ministers don't notice a thing, don't understand a thing, nor do they care much about anything. The main opposition party...

Common Points Between the Greek American Community and Greece
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:55 PM, March 30, 2011
It’s unbelievable how many things in common there are between the Greek American Community and Greece. And if we weren’t influenced by the American way of life, I am afraid that we’d have even more. One of these things in common is the power vacuum that exists within the Greek American Community. It’s something that is evident to all of us; even those who won’t admit it. The encouraging news is that this issue has gone so far that it is now an area of concern to many Greek Americans, who are try...

Words of Truth
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:36 PM, March 29, 2011
As a rule, I don't believe in newly found saviors. Besides, we've tried them too - military men and politicians - and the results speak for themselves. I believe in institutions as a system of authority with checks and balances. Likewise, I believe that the quality of leadership is a matter of critical importance for a nation. A leader is someone who leads the way for his people, who speaks the language of truth, who convinces the people to head towards the desired direction; even when the peopl...

An Honor That Was Due
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:19 AM, March 28, 2011
An Honor That Was Due Yet another member of the media was honored on Sunday's Greek Independence Day Parade in New York: Demetris Kastanas, the founder and owner of Greek television station NGTV. What Demetris accomplished is no small feat, nor can his contribution over the past 36 years be overlooked. And so, he was deserving of the honor given to him by the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater NY and I congratulate him. * * * And since we're on the subject of TV personalities: TNH wo...

The Evzones
Antonis H. Diamataris • 08:13 PM, March 27, 2011
The Evzones' participation in the Greek Parade in NYC gives it a sense of grandeur, pride, and sentimentality. They are the true representatives of our homeland, which breeds proud young men and women. It would be a wonderful thing if they could go to the other Greek Parades across America - even if it were just a few of them. We thank them. Four Minutes President Obama stayed at Friday's White House reception honoring Greek Independence Day for four minutes. Four minutes. Four. And duri...

What General Makryiannis Said: It's About Us
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:17 PM, March 25, 2011
The small excerpts from General Makryiannis that I cite this week in honor of Greek Independence Day can in no way do full justice to the brilliance of his work. However, they did succeed in informing us about the state of affairs in 1829, which eerily resemble what is happening today. The last excerpt I have chosen goes like this: "All those who have our country's fate in their hand today, all those who govern us - great and small, ministers and parliamentarians - consider it glory, or an...

History Repeats Itself in Greece Again
Christopher Tripoulas • 03:41 PM, March 24, 2011
Picture this: the Greek Prime Minister gets news the country’s treasury has been depleted by overspending and systemic corruption, mostly because of political campaigns that promised massive spending programs. The price of Greek bonds rises exorbitantly, manipulated by speculators. The burden of hosting the Olympic Games in Athens leaves the country further in debt. Greece becomes embroiled in a diplomatic row with Turkey over the status of a large island in the southern Mediterranean, leading t...

What General Makryiannis Said About Corruption
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:40 PM, March 24, 2011
I am depressed at the thought that modern Greece is repeating the same cycle that recurs every 30-50 years. Usually, the reason for this downwards spiral and all the terrible things that go along with it is the corruption that eats away at the very fabric of society, and makes the people susceptible to dissension and extremism. Let's go back to 1829 to see what the unrivaled General Ioannis Makryiannis had to say about this: "These sort of folks want to gain riches when it isn't time to ge...

Greece's Best Interest
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:33 AM, March 22, 2011
Greece plays a much more important military role in developments in the Mediterranean region, i.e. Libya, than the Greek authorities would have us believe. The same was true in the past: they hid the truth in order not to incite a small, but vocal, minority. However, in doing so, they ensured that they would not have a share in the benefits from their participation in these operations. I ask myself: Does Greece only have claims from the alliances to which it belongs, or does it have duties as we...

Makryiannis - Part II
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:59 AM, March 21, 2011
Part II! The memoirs of Greek Revolutionary War General Ioannis Makryiannis are true treasures of Greek language, despite the fact that he was "uneducated," as he himself notes in several instances of his memoirs: "And so I won't run around to coffee houses and other such places, as is not my habit," he notes that "I only knew how to write a little, because I had not gone to school... I asked a few friends and they taught me a little more here in Argos, where I am prese...

Thoughts on the Future of the Greek Parade
Antonis H. Diamataris • 10:39 AM, March 19, 2011
I'm not making the following proposal with the hope that it will be adopted this year. Besides, it's too late. I'm making it to provoke some thought. The annual Greek Independence Day Parade - a very significant event for the Community - needs new ideas and new organization. In fact, there are a lot of people who say that this year's parades should have been canceled and the funds that would have been allocated for them should be sent directly to Greece to support the impoverished. After this...

Bridge of Memories
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:12 AM, March 16, 2011
I was having lunch at a nice restaurant in Manhattan - a Greek restaurant of course - together with a fellow Greek American who has a high-level (non political) position in Washington, DC. We discussed a lot of things, from the significant progress being achieved by Turkey and its impact on Greece, to the state of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the... Archdiocesan Cathedral in Manhattan, as well as top stories in the U.S. and worldwide. I was impressed by his mind, the depth and breadth of hi...

Correspondence
Antonis H. Diamataris • 02:40 PM, March 15, 2011
Unfortunately, it isn't possible for me to answer all the comments made by our readers regarding my postings. From time to time, however, I will choose a few a few readers made by readers that I believe contribute to public dialogue. After my commentary regarding anonymous letters (TNH Greek edition, Mar 9), I received an... anonymous letter in which the writer asks, among other things, that: "would you run an anonymous letter in your newspaper that made allegations against leading figur...

Same Problems, Different Reactions
Antonis H. Diamataris • 03:41 PM, March 14, 2011
I spent a few hours over the weekend reading Michael Lewis’ article in Vanity Fair’s March issue, entitled: ‘When Irish Eyes Are Crying.’ You may remember that Lewis wrote a lengthy piece in the same magazine on a similar issue, regarding the situation in Greece. The article was perhaps the most in-depth, analytical, and – for many – accurate piece that was ever written on the situation. That article has two main points. First, that the new Prime Minister of Iceland is a “lesbian,” and that t...

A Matter of Trust
Antonis H. Diamataris • 05:41 PM, March 13, 2011
The matter of trust (or lack thereof) between a people and their governments is evidence of a nation's development, according to the UN handbook of political and social indicators. With this in mind, let us look at two examples. First example: The sympathy and admiration the entire world has shown for Japan following the recent tragedy it suffered. There is sympathy for its dead and the disaster of biblical proportions caused by the earthquake, and especially the tsunami. There is also admirat...

Trouble, Not Tea, Brewing for Archdiocese
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:21 AM, March 11, 2011
The word euphemism comes from the Greek word ευφημία, whose roots mean good and speaking. Euphemisms may be used to hide unpleasant or disturbing ideas, even when the literal term is not necessarily offensive. This type of euphemism is used in public relations and politics, where it is sometimes called doublespeak, a language deliberately constructed to disguise or distort its meaning, often resulting in a communication bypass. Doublespeak may be in the form of bald euphemisms such as “downsizin...

George Douris
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:44 PM, March 10, 2011
George was a dynamic and active member of the Greek American Community, who had phenomenal connections with New York City politicians. He started his career as a journalist for the newspaper Long Island Press, and covered City Hall. When this paper closed down, George Douris worked for other newspapers, including TNH's Greek language sister edition, back when it was owned by Gene Rossides. He collaborated with Archie Mavromatis and Lee Goulandris to publish a two-page English language insert, w...

The Archdiocesan Cathedral's Financial Woes
Antonis H. Diamataris • 07:20 PM, March 09, 2011
When our Archdiocese's own Cathedral has financial problems, then what can the other parish communities say? But, the Cathedral should not be having these problems. Here's why: The Cathedral collects $600,000 a year in rent monies from a land lease deal for the property located adjacent to it. It was people like Michael Sotirhos and others who saw to it that this land was utilized. Moreover, it collects another $200,000 - $250,000 from an endowment fund bestowed by the Kallinikeion Foundation, s...

Thoughts on Anonymous Letters
Antonis H. Diamataris • 06:02 PM, March 08, 2011
A big part of the intense discussion surrounding the crisis that has broken out at the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cathedral in Manhattan has nothing to do with the substance of the contents contained in the letter, but the fact that the letter sent to the Cathedral members and The National Herald is anonymous and signed only by “the Cathedral Seer.” The majority of the members on the parish council - along with everyday church members representing both rivaling factions – whom this column has co...

A True Greek Defender Invited to Attend NYC's Greek Parade
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:06 AM, March 03, 2011
It would be remiss not to congratulate the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York for its decision to schedule this year’s Greek Independence Parade on Fifth Avenue on Sunday March 27, 2011 - so close to the actual date of Greek Independence (March 25th) which could create a carryover of the pride, excitement, and leftover patriotic sentiment from the holiday. A risk of inclement weather is a small price to pay for a parade with gusto … something that couldn’t always be said for th...

The Mis-education of Greek Pols Dampens Diaspora
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:17 AM, February 11, 2011
{33460}Shortly before the commemoration of Three Hierarchs Day on Jan. 30th, which also marks the celebration of the Greek Letters, the Greek Education Ministry hit us with the latest bit of grim news, refusing to discount the possibility of further cutbacks in the number of teachers dispatched to Greek schools operating abroad – including Greek parochial and charter schools in the United States. These teachers have served as a financial lifeline for local schools, overwhelmed with continually ...

Sophocles Helps N.Y. Students Stand Up to Bullies
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:33 AM, January 25, 2011
Over the past month, a very interesting story unfolded in a local New York City high school that is most worthy of Hellenism’s attention. A group of inner city youths were inspired by their teacher while studying the ancient Greek tragedy Antigone, and applied the immense power of theater to tackle their own problem. According to reports from the New York Daily News, students from Jamaica High School and Queens Collegiate – which share the same school building - wrote a play after reading Sophoc...

Holidays Headline Hellenism’s Hope
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:46 AM, January 14, 2011
For most Americans and other Westerners, the Christmas season ends at midnight December 24th. Santa Claus finds his way to each of our homes (leaving St. Basil “empty-handed” on New Year’s Day), stores have tallied their sales and pocketed their profits. December 26th is typically the day for returning unwanted/poorly fitting gifts. In some parts of the world, it’s called Boxing Day, but here in America we don’t even deem it worthy of a name. And so ends nearly two months worth of hype, over a h...

Barba Non Facit Philosophum
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:52 AM, January 07, 2011
“A beard does not constitute a philosopher,” is how it’s put in Latin, and one of the most demoralizing things about the administrative end of local parish-Archdiocese relations is the major disconnect that exists between those running the show at headquarters and practically everyone else, as if there is some invisible force field keeping those on the inside hermetically cut off from everyone and everything else, and the chasm between the real world and the Archdiocese’s perception of it seems ...

Theodorakis Has the Spark to Rekindle Greece
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:44 AM, December 16, 2010
The euro is in trouble again. What a surprise. After Greece was subjected to the international ridicule of a modern-day battle of the Caudine Forks, a 321 B.C. non-battle in which Roman soldiers surrendered because they were trapped in a waterless place, it turns out that Greek statistics is not the worst of the Eurozone’s problems. Ireland’s bankers gave ample proof of this last month, as the once affluent Celtic Tiger ended up rubbing up against the legs of the International Monetary Fund/Euro...

Money Can’t Always Buy an Election… Or Can It?
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:01 AM, November 12, 2010
A recent e-mail exchange with an acquaintance stood as an opportunity for some thought on the democratic process. On election day, he sent a mass message calling on undecided voters to "please vote for New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli," citing him as "a public servant with ethics, integrity and fortitude." I couldn't resist the opportunity to respond that his opponent Harry Wilson seemed just as good, picked up endorsements from all the major NY papers, and happe...

Trading the Satrapy for the Agora of Philotimo
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:00 AM, November 06, 2010
Harry Wilson of Johnstown, N.Y., the son of Greek immigrants, became the first member of his family to graduate college (Harvard) and went on to make millions as an executive and partner at some of the world’s biggest investment firms. Now he’s running for the office of New York State Comptroller. Over the last month, Wilson has earned the endorsements of New York City’s big three: the New York Times, Daily News, and Post. What makes this accomplishment all the more intriguing is that Wilson, wh...

Oaths Are The Fossils of Piety
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:18 PM, October 22, 2010
Although Pietism began as a religious movement in Protestant countries, it began to spread throughout many cultures and religions, leaving its mark even in Greece. Emphasizing the Puritan emphasis on individual piety, it affected the thinking of prominent of 19th and 20th Century Greek Orthodox theologians, but was fortunately overcome in the 1960’s with a rediscovery of traditional Orthodox teaching and a rebirth in Mt. Athos, with many new theologians who clashed with the foreign elements of t...

Yannaras’ Food For Thought Nourishes the Mind
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:57 PM, October 07, 2010
Whenever a personality such as renowned Greek philosopher and academician Christos Yannaras comes to town, it’s always special. Those familiar with this thinker’s voluminous writings feel like they are welcoming back an old friend, while those who are not have an opportunity to broaden their horizons in a most profound way. Prof. Yannaras gave two lectures in New York, one at the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York in Astoria on Mon. Sep. 13 and one at St. Vladimir’s Seminary in...

Pass on Partisanship, Get Behind Greek-Americans in Elections
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:45 AM, September 24, 2010
s Greek Americans, we often justifiably criticize Greeks in the homeland for being overly partisan. Despite the major differences that once separated the right from the left in the Greek political spectrum, for the past three decades the major parties in Greece pretty much are on the same page. The only thing that changes are the party’s colors and the interest groups that have the most to benefit from an election victory. The same can be said about American politics. The differences between Dem...

Saving the Rep of Philanthropic Organizations
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:07 PM, September 07, 2010
The latest scandal to rock the Greek American Community – an illegal bingo operation using a non-existent church as a front – highlights yet again the pressing need to overhaul the system of administration in place in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. According to the Queens County DA, three people were able to swindle the Archdiocese out of nearly $850,000 by holding bingo games under the auspices of the Church and pocketing the winnings. This latest case exposes yet again a major pro...

Recovering a Lost Ethos Through an August Feast
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:06 PM, September 07, 2010
For many people in Greece, the quiet days of summer are something like the silence ahead of the impending storm. With summer in its last leg and the carefree lazy August days leading to the insecurity of an autumn sure to bring new austerity measures to an already cash strapped citizenry, August 15th stands as the last bright spot before the fall gauntlet. August 15th – the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos – is not only a major religious holiday, but the pinnacle of the Greek summer. Know...

The Stage is Set for a New Greek Tragedy
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:05 PM, September 07, 2010
Michael Lewis is a widely published American stockbroker turned novelist. He’s written a lot about how the inner workings of the international market, the backroom deals that take place, and the hidden agendas that exist. Christos Yannaras is a voluminous Greek philosopher who writes regularly on the modern Greek political reality. These men have probably never met. However, the Sunday edition of the Greek newspaper Kathimerini (07/18/10) printed two separate pieces by each – Yannaras’ weekly co...

Faith is More Than Just Language
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:04 PM, September 07, 2010
Some of the rhetoric from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s 40th Clergy-Laity Congress was a bit disturbing, both from a theological and linguistic standpoint. During the Congress, Archdiocesan Council VP Michael Jaharis proposed conducting more services in English to “be sensitive to the fact that our services need to be accessible to all of our parishioners.” The fact that Mr. Jaharis’ argument is logical and seems to makes sense may be what’s most wrong with it. It appears to be go...

Clergy-Laity Congress: Save the Pleasantries, Plenty of Problems to Tackle
Christopher Tripoulas • 09:25 AM, July 09, 2010
Frankly, most Clergy-Laity Congresses seem more like a forum for schmoozing and PR than anything else. There was probably some mention of the First Episcopal Assembly of Orthodox Hierarchs in America (which sounds a lot like SCOBA, without the acronym), a bit of sunshine blown in the direction of self-important donors, and a lot of feel-good stuff that inherently limits any essential dialogue. It’s hard to say whether these congresses really bring anyone together. That’s accomplished by celebra...

Sortition: The Lost Element in the Democratic Equation
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:30 AM, June 25, 2010
Does luck have a place in democracy? Our first thought would be to instinctively say no. After all, democracy is supposed to be about freedom of choice, allowing for the “best” man or woman to win, enabling the majority to rule, etc. A simple attempt to assign responsibilities to a group – whether it be school-aged children or older adults – through the act of drawing straws or holding a lottery is certainly likely to draw their ire and be met with charges of “undemocratic” behavior. After all, ...

Greece's Financial Crisis Equals Our Education Crisis
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:29 PM, June 12, 2010
The Greek government’s decision to suspend the dispatch of teachers to schools of the Diaspora next year and to recall half of the teachers currently fulfilling their 3-year stints was very disappointing, albeit somewhat expected. Judging from the hits the stories received on our Greek and English websites, the issue seems to have quickly spread across the Community, catching the attention of many. With this decision, the financial crisis in Greece has struck right the Greek American Community r...

Greece is the EU's Iphigenia
Christopher Tripoulas • 09:14 AM, May 14, 2010
The disastrous path that the economic crisis in Greece (and soon to be the rest of Europe) is taking is not as surprising as the ease with which the citizenry seems to believe their elected officials’ doublespeak. EU governments have spent the past seven months dithering and flip-flopping. Especially if you're Greek, you cannot ignore the tragedy of the situation. And since tragedy was first created in Greece, we might as well be the ones to point out the similarities. Greece is the EU's Iphigen...

St. George to the rescue for the Greek economy
Christopher Tripoulas • 10:52 AM, May 03, 2010
If you believe in symbolism - and it certainly holds a high place in the Hellenic mindset - then there have been some pretty ominous "coincidences" taking place during Greece's economic tragedy unraveling before us. As if to add insult to injury, the Greek Government and its "partners" (sic) have chosen some interesting dates to make news regarding economic policy. First there was the vaguely worded rescue plan announced in Brussels on March 25th(!), which earned Greece no ...

Classrooms: Means to an End, or End of the Road?
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:35 AM, April 19, 2010
It's always nice to attend an event celebrating Hellenic Culture - especially when the organizers are the up-and-coming members of the Community- its future. The 6th Annual Hellenic Cultural Evening at St. John's University, put together by the SJU Hellenic Society on April 8, served as a reassuring sign that ethnic vitality and cultural pride run strong in tomorrow's Greek American leaders. And it wasn't just the sounds of Greek language being spoken fluently by so many of the young collegians ...

The Pascha of the Hellenes is at Hand
Christopher Tripoulas • 08:56 AM, April 07, 2010
All this talk of Greece's debt and the yield spread for Greek securities has grown tiring. It's no wonder that Aristotle lambasts the practice of usury in his work Politics (Book I, Part X), calling it "unnatural" and "the most hated sort," because "money was intended to be used in exchange, but not to increase at interest." Imagine that...lending without interest! That which seemed so logical for Aristotle centuries before or which was preached by St. Cosmas the A...

Philotimo: Greece's Most Valuable Commodity
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:31 PM, March 20, 2010
Kudos to whoever wrote President Barack Obama's speech at the White House's Greek Independence Day celebration last week. (For video and text of his full remarks, see TNH's website). It was right on the money, so to speak, with the central theme revolving around the Greek virtue of "philotimo." A time honored tradition, philotimo represents a unique characteristic of the Greek mindset. Many of the ills plaguing Greece and the Hellenic Diaspora today could arguably be attributed to a p...

The Greek Crisis and European Disunion
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:30 PM, March 20, 2010
Over the past few months, Greece has been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism by its European peers over its finances. And while its true that a lot of Hellas' economic woes are its own doing, the hypocrisy of ploutocrats and bankers is getting increasingly harder to stomach. An abundance of ink has been wasted on decrying Greece for its excessive deficit and skyrocketing debt. Setting aside the almost daily attacks against Greece by the Financial Times - which have become little more t...

Hellenism and Christianity: Two Halves of a Whole
Christopher Tripoulas • 11:00 AM, February 08, 2010
This past weekend marked the feast of the Three Hierarchs - Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom. Greek Letters, that is, Greek language and culture, are also celebrated on this day. Ever since the institution of the holiday honoring these three saints, around the year 1100 by Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, Greeks worldwide have celebrated the virtues of Hellenic learning. The Three Hierarchs were the most prominent of many Orthodox clerics who proved instrumental in putti...

Modern-Day Heroics Worth Praising
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:21 AM, February 01, 2010
Two weeks ago, three young men in Greece restored pride and dignity to Hellenism with a single heroic act. While on duty guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside Parliament, two members of the Presidential Guard (Evzones) were informed by their commanding officer that a bomb threat was called in and that an explosion in their immediate surroundings was imminent. He then gave them permission to leave their posts due to the impending danger. The soldiers' refused him with a blink of their ...

The Explosive Dynamic of Feasts
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:31 AM, January 19, 2010
Another year has gone by. Christmas gifts have been exchanged, New Year's resolutions made (and broken), calories were counted, scaled are tipping, bills are arriving...all the makings of an American holiday season. For most, the holidays wrapped up on the evening of January 3rd with the reopening of schools, leaving Epiphany all but an afterthought. Only in Greece will the season extend at least into January 6th – and probably the next day as well, with so many people named John and Joanna. Epi...

Emergency Medicine: The Greek Diaspora’s Lifesaving Gift to the Homeland
Christopher Tripoulas • 07:38 PM, December 23, 2009
Christmas is a time of giving, and Greeks of the Diaspora have always felt very strongly about giving back to society - especially their homeland. Some of modern Greece's greatest benefactors were Greeks living abroad, who wanted to share their wealth with their brethren. That's why Eleni Kostopoulos' article “Doctor Works to Improve ERs in Greece” in last week's TNH (19 Dec. 09) was so pertinent. It outlines a visionary project spearheaded by NY Hospital of Queens Emergency Department Research ...

Modern Day Political Alignments: All Talk, No Substance
Christopher Tripoulas • 07:04 PM, December 01, 2009
One of the biggest anarchronisms in the post-Soviet era is the notion of right and left-wing politicians. The terms, which originally derived their meaning from the seating arrangements in the 18th century French parliament, have become practically useless in today’s world of grand coalition parties, where members of the same party may actually hold opposite views on the same issue. This is true both in the U.S. and Europe. In today’s world, it would make just as much sense voting for an MP bas...

The Threat of Modern-Day European Iconoclasm Rears its Ugly Head
Christopher Tripoulas • 07:03 PM, December 01, 2009
As the European Union prepares to implement the Treaty of Lisbon effective December 1, 2009, the occasion is accompanied by a recent controversial decision from the European Court of Human Rights effectively banning the display of crucifixes in Italian schools. The decision is troubling because it could eventually force review of the use of religious symbols in all state-run European schools. The judgment said that having a crucifix in the classroom was a “violation of the right to parents to e...

Baseball’s Lesson to Greek Foreign Policy: “Nice Guys Finish Last”
Christopher Tripoulas • 07:02 PM, December 01, 2009
There are so many issues I’d like to write about, and FYROM Prime Minister and self-proclaimed long lost cousin to Alexander the Great (sic) Nikola Gruevski won’t let me. His recent abrasive statements during an official visit to Australia, where he touted his famous ideas about ‘Macedonians’ of the Vardar, Aegean and Pirin was not only clearly irredentist, it is ridiculous. When a government leader shows continuous disregard for foreign countries’ territorial integrity and lays claim on their c...

Congress Should Leave the ‘Boys of Piraeus’ Alone
Christopher Tripoulas • 06:29 PM, October 24, 2009
This past month was a pretty popular one for Greek sports. Greece’s (second best) basketball team Olympiakos Piraeus was in several American newspapers and magazines…and not just because they visited the US to play against the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers. It seems that a couple of agents and former players are alleging that the Piraeus-based outfit reneged on its contractual obligations to them and are seeking restitution. One agent even went as far as to ask that the team’s unifor...

Breaking the Cycle of Decay in Greek Politics
Christopher Tripoulas • 07:01 PM, October 05, 2009
Elections in Greece are over. The Socialists mounted a landslide victory, just as the Conservatives did in 2004. Little has changed in the past 5 ½ years. Voters punished a clientele party for corruption in 2004, and did the same again now. A new prime minister rose to power promising an end to corruption, just as his rival did in 2004. In the meanwhile, cadres in both parties continued to show themselves poor stewards of Hellenic history, language, and culture. The previous PASOK regime sent a...

New Acropolis Museum: A Tale of Two Modalities
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:29 AM, October 01, 2009
My relative lack of expertise in the area of archaeology was pretty much evident from the rather indiscreet way I trailed the impassioned guide conducting a tour of the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, as I tried to listen in on some useful tidbits of information. Nevertheless, the need to devote a few words to the new museum seems to me a necessity, primarily because it is probably the most important happening in Greece since the 2004 Olympics, and secondly, because one of the characteristics of...

Enculture Greek Fests and the World Will Beat a Path to our Door
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:24 AM, October 01, 2009
A conversation with Queens College’s Director of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies Dr. Christos Ioannides is always a wise investment of time. Whether it’s listening to his expertise on Greek studies, discussing the needs of Greek Education and its future here in the United States, or talking about Greek national issues and international affairs, there is always a lot to be gained. One of the very valid points that Dr. Ioannides brought up (see the article “Queens College Greek Studies Center ...

The Diplomatic Potential of Romanity in the 21st Century
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:23 AM, October 01, 2009
In a recent interview with TNH (June 19, 2009), Thea Halo stressed the importance of the Christian genocide that took place in Asia Minor. Ms. Halo called for a concerted effort by all the ethnicities affected by the massacre (Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians) – the first genocide of the 20th century – as opposed to the go-at-it-alone approach presently being undertaken by individual ethnic groups. In doing so, she expresses the characteristic perspective of “Romanity” – which has been overshadowed ...

Discovering a Hellenic Modality of Being in an Astoria Summer Concert
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:20 AM, October 01, 2009
Kudos to the Athenian Society of NY and the Committee for Athens Square in Astoria for the wonderful concert they organized on July 7th featuring singer Grigoris Maninakis and the “Microcosmos” Orchestra, and dance performances by the Greek Folklore Society of New York. Aside from the wonderful performances and promotion of Greece's rich musical heritage, the event gave spectators a “taste” of their Greek homeland, and that’s a nice gift for Greek Americans who won't have the opportunity to vis...

Factions and the Nightmare of Greek Wildfires
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:19 AM, October 01, 2009
As the news of the 80 some-odd wildfires raging throughout Attica and other parts of Greece this past weekend enrages Hellenes living in Greece and abroad, the one question that comes to mind time and time again is “why?” How could someone bring themselves to cause such destruction to the land, personal and state property, and worst of all human life? Sure enough, judging from the disastrous aftermath of the 2007 wildfires that ravaged Western Greece and killed dozens, we’ll have to consider our...

Modern Greek Politics: It doesn’t get more foreign than this
Christopher Tripoulas • 01:18 AM, October 01, 2009
With less than two weeks to go before the Greek people go to the polls to vote for a new government for the third time in five years, it is rather obvious that no matter who wins on October 4th, the real victor is materialism. In fact, for the ruling conservatives, the entire issue in the election – the only issue – boils down to choosing the best economic policy for Greece to follow. The main opposition socialists have not done anything to challenge that notion. Rather, both parties, which pret...

That ever-elusive unity
Evan C. Lambrou • 07:09 AM, June 20, 2009
I welcome your feedback. Please e-mail your responses to english.edition@thenationalherald.com, and please be sure to include your full name, city/state of residence and phone number. 06.20.09. For the last two weeks, I have been busy writing about out-going AHEPA President Ike Gulas’ call for a unity forum at the upcoming AHEPA Convention in San Francisco. Ike started talking to me about this late last fall, and we picked up the subject again in the winter. The problem, as I understood if fr...

Pride in one's heritage
Evan C. Lambrou • 07:29 PM, June 19, 2009
I welcome your feedback. Please e-mail your responses to english.edition@thenationalherald.com, and please be sure to include your full name, city/state of residence and phone number. 06.19.09. Pete Peterson, cofounder of the Blackstone Group, was on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this past Tuesday morning, July 16, talking up his new book, “Education of an American Dreamer.” Mr. Peterson spent time discussing his concerns about America’s unfunded liabilities, public debt and over-reliance on fo...

The Fall of Constantinople and the Metaphysical Sanctity of Hellenism’s Ideals
Christopher Tripoulas • 06:09 PM, June 02, 2009
May 29, 2009 marked the 556th anniversary of the fall of Constantinople. The infamous anniversary did not received too much coverage. The Greek media was occupied with the upcoming European Parliament elections on June 7th. Moreover, a protest organized by 1,000-plus Muslims in the center of Athens that same day actually drew greater coverage than the anniversary of the fall of the great city. In fact, the Associated Press merely mentioned the historic occurrence as a side note in its feature s...

A Rubric for Hellenism: Words of Advice from Prof. Christos Yannaras
Christopher Tripoulas • 02:10 PM, May 15, 2009
There was much to be gained in Professor Christos Yannaras' visit to New York this past April. His two lectures, organized courtesy of the Pan-Arcadian Federation of America, the “Geros tou Moria Society” of Arcadians, the New York Society of Athenians, the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Cultural Center, NEO Magazine, and the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York were a tremendous benefit to the public dialogue taking place in the Community. Dr. Yannaras, who is Professor Emeritus at A...

When organizations overcome self-interest the Community is truly served
Christopher Tripoulas • 08:51 AM, April 26, 2009
Academician Christos Yannaras will be in New York on the week of April 26th to give two very important lectures; one on the Greek Orthodox faith as a cultural or religious identity, and the second on the two different visions that collided during the Greek War of Independence. The arrival of such an esteemed guest during is a happy occasion for two reasons: one, because it will give Greek Americans a chance to meet Prof. Yannaras up close, and two because it proves that every once in a while an ...

President Obama's Turkish Tryst Will Inevitably Turn into a Tempest
Christopher Tripoulas • 05:44 PM, April 06, 2009
You've got to hand it to those wily Turks. They certainly know how to play their hand. It would not be unreasonable to equate Turkey to the rather mediocre-looking neighborhood girl, who is always surrounded by suitors, and nobody really knows why. Maybe it's her convenient location or the fact that she can belly dance, but this “plain Jane” always seems to outdo the nicer, prettier girls... And so, Turkey has managed to dupe everyone into thinking she's the Marilyn Monroe of the Mediterranean, ...

Three jeers to New York for not holding the Greek Parade earlier
Christopher Tripoulas • 12:58 AM, March 23, 2009
This week marks the 188th anniversary of Greek Independence. Greeks across the Diaspora will celebrate the double holiday of March 25th – commemorating the feast of the Annunciation and the official commencement of the Greek War of Independence in 1821. And what better day for the glad tidings of Greece’s rebirth from Ottoman rule to be proclaimed than on the feast when the Theotokos received the most joyous of all tidings? In fact, despite that Alexander Ypsilantis crossed the River Prut severa...

Standing on the Shoulders of True Giants
Evan C. Lambrou • 05:10 PM, March 21, 2009
Please e-mail your responses to english.edition@thenationalherald.com. Be sure to include your full name, city/state of residence and phone number. 03.21.09. AHI hosted its 34th annual awards gala at the Capitol Hilton in Washington last Saturday, March 14. It was a splendid affair, and the National Herald published a story about the event, like it does every year, but it was great to actually be in DC for a change, and to have a direct presence at the event. The story gives a rundown of the a...

Reforming university asylum in Greece is the only solution to reigning in hoodlums
Christopher Tripoulas • 03:56 PM, March 18, 2009
After last week’s latest raid on the upscale Athens district of Kolonaki by hooded youths armed with clubs, crowbars, and other weapons, the citizenry of Athens has been in an uproar. Shopkeepers and everyday citizens are up in arms over damages inflicted to their personal property and livelihood by insolent “rebels without a cause” – or clue I might add. The inability to capture and make an example of at least one of these masked marauders has led to widespread criticism against the police forc...

What's on my mind
Antonis H. Diamataris • 11:49 PM, March 17, 2009
Last week, I spent several hours interviewing Eugene Rossides. Eugene is the founder and driving force behind the American Hellenic Institute, and one of the most distinguished Greek Americans in our Community, with a longstanding history contribution to issues involving Greece and the Greek American Community. Aside, however, from this role, which I respect and honor, Eugene played an important role – perhaps even the deciding factor – in my professional life. He was the publisher of The Nat...

Eurovision 09: Greek music will be better represented by Spain and Sweden, than Greece and Cyprus
Christopher Tripoulas • 03:45 PM, March 13, 2009
If I were to tell you that there will be at least one Greek song in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, it would not come as a surprise; both Greece and Cyprus are participating. However, the surprising news is that the song belongs to neither of these countries. This year, Greek music will best be represented by…Spain! (and maybe Sweden, depending on the outcome of the final on March 14). Audiences worldwide will hear Spain’s Soraya Arnelas sing "La noche es para mi" at the 2009 Eur...

Reasonable Discussions and Hellenic Perspectives
Evan C. Lambrou • 03:01 PM, March 13, 2009
Please e-mail your responses to english.edition@thenationalherald.com. Be sure to include your full name, city/state of residence and phone number. 03.13.09. This blog is intended to serve as a forum for reasonable and intelligent discussion with our readers, who are invited to enter into a conversation online. All responders are welcome, though perhaps not all responses will be appropriate for posting on our website. Here, I will invoke my editorial privilege and judgment. If I think a respon...

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