OPINION

A deeply divided Greece has now lost its patriotism

Most of us agree with Mr Iordanidis’s closing statement in his article «No sense of mission» (Nov. 16). I would like to add that the last vestiges of a (patriotically thinking) Greek elite were destroyed by the Nazi occupation. The ensuing civil war proved it but most importantly, the acts of the right wing after that cemented the situation. Think of it: Even Franco’s regime sought national reconciliation after Spain’s civil war as he buried opponents in common graves. Fifty years later, in a world that is changing rapidly, Greece remains deeply divided and Greek intellectuals, especially those of the leftist persuasion, conceptualize the world in terms of shallow, recycled ideological generalities, expertly supplied by outsiders who are more politically sophisticated. Those of us who follow events in Greece are saddened by the deep erosion in patriotism. Worse, regarding Turkey, most «progressive» journalists essentially call for wholesale surrender, justifying and covering it up with European or internationalist ideas. It is sad, really. NIKOS PAPANIKOLAOU, Columbia University, New York.

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