Opinion
. ..Globalization is neither good nor bad. It is a genuine fact. It takes place like the sunrise takes place every morning. One cannot claim that the sunrise is good or bad… Adapting, however, to globalization is not an easy task. It requires a great effort, decisive actions, patience and, above all, the will to overcome the original difficulties. And this is a very useful message for our adaptation to this reality. The question that we should answer here in Greece is not whether we are in favor of or against globalization, as it was wrongly put in the wake of the Genoa protests, but rather how can we exploit globalization to our benefit? How can we adapt in the smoothest possible fashion and how can we, gradually, shape structures and institutions that can withstand the important challenges such as the rapid technological progress… And as for those who claim that globalization will alienate us and unmake our identity, there can only be one answer. The convergence toward certain common cultural models is a likely prospect. Besides, every new civilization has always been a blend of previous ones. But this does not mean that we have to lose our identity. Eating sushi, watching Kurosawa movies or dressing up in kimonos does not make us Japanese… Partaking in the logic of other cultures does not mean we are assimilated by them. The Education Ministry is invoking the fact that the necessary expropriation procedures for the construction of school buildings are time consuming. This, of course, is no adequate excuse and causes indignation, as it is related to the crucial issue of education. When the government implements extraordinary legislative measures to speed up the construction of admittedly single-use, Olympics-related projects, then the government’s reluctance to display similar vigilance on education and social issues inevitably causes rightful indignation.
