Changing image
It is heartening to see how quickly the international image of Greece has changed. Just two years ago, the center of Athens was depicted as a battlefield with daily protests often turning violent and Greece was seen as a chaotic country in a state of collapse and on the brink of civil strife. Just two years ago, tourists arriving on cruises did not know whether they could disembark at Piraeus Port.
So much has changed since then.
The international press is increasingly lauding Greece and Athens in particular as an ideal tourist destination and writing about the ingenuity of young Greeks in business and other areas.
Of course the champions of hate, violence and bankruptcy continue to spout their usual diatribes even though developments have proven them wrong.
The last thing Greeks want is to self-destruct. After all, it is there hard work and perseverance that have kept Greece on its feet.
We can only hope that we never go back to those dark days, when the country was teetering on the brink of the abyss, and that we continue on the path of stability and growth.
