Letters to the Editor
As a Greek-born citizen of Canada, I have watched with dismay the deterioration of the Greek environment over the years and the lack of interest shown by the average citizen in what is happening around them. This beautiful land has the potential to be the jewel of Europe but many of its citizens seem oblivious to the degradation to which they contribute every day. It is never «what can I do for my country» but always «what’s in it for me right now.» Greece’s most valuable asset is its landscape and the seas that surround it. The goal should be to act as hosts to world citizens who are willing to pay for a superior destination, not as a cheap vacation for visitors who come on charters and purchase rude T-shirts. This summer’s devastating fires may yet serve as a catalyst for change, raising awareness of what was lost and an appreciation of its true value. The political elite finally appear to have acknowledged the need for certain structural changes, but we can’t blame politicians for everything; there needs to be more understanding by citizens of the part they have to play. How about starting by not throwing your empty cigarette packets and coffee cups out of your car? When you go to the beach how about taking your garbage back home with you, not pushing it into a nearby bush, and thinking that it’s gone! How about teaching courtesy and respect for your fellow citizens at school (many of the kids don’t seem to learn it at home). Also, how about a well paid, less corpulent, better trained and more efficiently run police force which makes efforts to ensure that those wishing to cover buildings with graffiti, fire-bomb banks and burn forests get less opportunity to do so. PETER KIRKIS Canada
Most Greeks, wherever they reside in the world, have seen the devastating destruction caused by recent fires in Greece. What many of us want to know is who is to blame for this carnage? Who has been arrested by the Greek police and what was their motive for starting these fires? This would certainly answer a lot of questions. Was it their dislike for the current government? Was it sheer anarchist behavior? Were certain individuals paid by land developers to set fires? Why haven’t the police, public prosecutors and psychologists given us an insight into these important questions. Maybe then we could all begin to understand their warped mentality. When a state such as Greece allows a few dozen self-styled anarchists to continuously run riot in downtown Athens and Thessaloniki, torching cars and destroying anything in sight, while the police sit back and watch, then Greece is in a sad state. Law and order is urgently required in order to discipline soccer hooligans, arsonists and anarchists with hefty punishments and serious jail time, rather than the revolving-door policy of letting these culprits go free as soon as the dust settles. Greece needs to get tougher on crime. GEORGE SALAMOURAS Melbourne, Australia
As a foreigner living in Greece, it seems to me that although ancient Greece was the birthplace of democracy, many modern Greeks do not have a clear concept of what democracy really means. I would suggest that many people’s approach to the political process is based more on principles of feudalism rather than anything approaching a modern functioning democracy. This is not a recent phenomenon, but in fact a culture which has been fostered for years. When elections are held, the main issue for many is not the economy or the environment, it is whether their local representative can secure a public service job for their children. How many times, when faced with difficulties such as accessing prompt specialist medical attention, or delays in receiving the pension to which they are entitled, do the public seek out someone locally who can expedite their case in exchange for support at the next local or national election. Let’s be honest, life would be very difficult for the citizen if their local representative refused to help in this way and likewise, how would a politician ever get elected if he refused to perform the favors his supporters expect. In order for society to function, this feudalistic practice prevails but the ultimate cost is the proper democratic process. This leads to the neglect of issues that affect us all nationally and even more acutely, locally. Another aspect of these feudalistic ties between the public and their local representative is the polarization of Greek society along lines of party political support. These divisions cause supporters of each side to sabotage or, at very least, wilfully fail to cooperate with their political opposition. A policy which has cost the country so much in recent weeks. Realistically, these feudalistic principles are far too ingrained in the public consciousness to be eradicated overnight. Those who demand an immediate elimination of ‘corruption’ fail to appreciate that this is not a system enforced on the population by its leaders but rather a collusion between citizen and politician in a system dedicated to individual gain over corporate advantage. So how can this system ever be changed? I believe we have already begun. The most effective way to reduce feudalistic practices in Greece is to reduce the size of the ‘state.’ By privatizing public industries, elected officials lose the ability to place people in employment. The private sector is by nature more competitive and meritocratic. Economic development, leading to increased wages and reduced unemployment is equally important as greater availability of better paid employment will reduce people’s desire for a public sector placement. The final step is to reduce public sector pay, conditions and pension rights. Only by nurturing a thriving private sector economy can the country finally free itself of the feudalistic practices which have held back progress in public life for so long. MIMI BOOTH Rafina
When I was a young boy I visited Greece with my parents. The year was 1974. I recall the village of my parents’ birthplace fondly. Cobblestone streets, houses made of stone and wood, animals working the fields. Since 1974 I have returned on several occasions and Greece has moved on. The village no longer has any houses built of wood. Wood-fired ovens and heating have all but disappeared and the last animals working the fields disappeared many years ago. The net effect of millions of people collecting and using timber from their environment every day of their lives was to create a balance in the environment that retarded the spread of forest fires. This practice has in all likelihood continued for thousands of years. Over the years, as this practice has been abandoned, the volume of fuel on the forest floor has increased and I suspect it has done so manifold over the last 30 years so that forest fires are now inevitable. I also recall in 1996 driving through the Peloponnese with my wife and as I looked skyward at the trees I wondered if I was indeed back in Australia. I was staring up at eucalyptus trees. The eucalyptus tree is prone to forest fires. It is well adapted to fire as it has a remarkable capacity to regenerate. However, it may well be inappropriate in the Greek landscape where its presence would be nothing less than incendiary. I suspect that if Greece is to prevent further calamitous fires in the future it will need to look at its past and drastically alter how it manages its forests and the forestry surrounds. Perhaps reviving a renewable energy industry by recycling timber from forests would be a good start to reduce fuel loads in forest environments. Sending eucalyptus plants back to where they belong would also be a good start. TIMOTHY PAPAMICHOS Sydney, Australia
Congratulations for finally saying what is really going on. For so many Greeks living abroad, we have been saddened for years at the apathetic state of the Greek people, the institutions and the corruption. It is a disgrace and beyond an embarrassment. It is a shame and an insult to the generations of thinkers, artists and ancestors. Two years ago, I came to Greece with an eye to opening a business. I can very honestly say that the business concept was new to Greece and had many spin-off’s for other industries and jobs and could have created a mini-industrial base. On further investigation, I decided to put my money somewhere else where I would not have to bribe officials and where the rule of law prevailed. Please take a look around you at other successful societies. They do things right, maybe not perfectly, but certainly better that we do. You cut off your own hand to make a point. How pointless. I wish you could see it and you are responsible. GEORGE BARBAS Toronto, Canada
