History of Greece
Final Words on Greek History

The establishment has always pointed to Greece's external enemies, the Turks to the east, Bulgarians and Albanians to the north and the Americans and other exploitive powers as dangers. But this is just distracting the people from the real problem. The problem is a society that is corrupt at many levels, from the minister who takes kickbacks or changes zoning laws to favor his real estate holdings, all the way down to the village official who issues illegal building permits for a fee. The ancient Greeks brought us Democracy. With a new generation of progressive leaders there is no reason these modern Greeks can't unchain themselves from the corruption, animosity and self interest that has marred their politics, and show the world what true democracy in a fair and free society can be.

I began this website as a general time-line and introduction to the history of Greece, written for people who knew nothing of its history and politics. As I wrote the last section on the Olympics I was filled with admiration that once again the Greeks, or the Hellenes, had defied expectations and pulled off another miracle. They had defeated the Persians twice. They had thrown off the yoke of the Ottomans (with some help I admit). They had sent the Italian army to a miserable frozen holiday in Albania at a time when victories against the original Axis-of-evil seemed impossible. And in one summer they had won the Euro cup at 100 to 1 odds and pulled off the best Olympics ever, while turning a city with the reputation of being a smog filled concrete jungle into one of the most enjoyable and livable in Europe. Yes the economic crisis which began in 2010 has made parts of the city somewhat less enjoyable and a little more unlivable, but most people who come to Greece as tourists are still surprised at how beautiful the old center is and most Athenians would not trade Athens for New York, Paris or any city in the world.

After reading this history you might come to the conclusion that the problems in Greece were all created by external forces. From the rule of the Ottomans, to the monarchy installed by the great powers after Greece's independence, to the Nazi occupation and then the years of American influence, it seems that the people of Greece have always had to adjust what their view of their country is to suit those who are really in power, which they did while fighting amongst themselves. But that was then and this is now, right? Well actually the problem with Greece is that you still have an establishment that enriches itself while below it are the average people who have to improvise in order to survive. Businesses are shaken down by corrupt tax officials in a system more suited to a feudal society or an occupation. EU money disappears before it reaches the projects it is meant for. In some million euro projects money is skimmed off by everyone who touches it and in the end maybe there is enough left to hire three Albanians and a donkey. You don't have to be a communist to say that in Greece the people with power and money do whatever they want or that the government collects a lot of money that goes right into their pockets. In the words of a Greek businessman "I would not mind paying taxes if I received something in return. But the government takes our money and then it disappears. The government that steals from its people forces the people to become like criminals to protect themselves ." The people are at war with the government, fighting over their money.

The establishment has always pointed to Greece's external enemies, the Turks to the east, Bulgarians and Albanians to the north and the Americans and other exploitive powers, but this is just distracting the crowd from the real problem. The problem is a society that is corrupt at many levels, from the minister who takes kickbacks or changes zoning laws to favor his real estate holdings all the way down to the village official who issues illegal building permits for a fee. It is considered acceptable to hide money from those above you while taking money from those below. Corruption breeds more corruption. It's every man for himself. There are exceptional people in Greek government but they are overwhelmed by a system where honesty is punished and if you follow the rules you are a sucker. As a taxi driver once told me "When you see that a policeman or an official has been busted for taking a bribe, most likely he is innocent. He was  accused because he was not taking bribes and was a threat to everyone who was. He was probably the only one who was not corrupt." Whether or not this is accurate is not the point. The point is that if this is the perception then you have a level of cynicism and mistrust that can't be healthy for a society. So whose fault is it? Human nature I guess. Power corrupts and when you are on the outside looking in you make sure that when you finally get in, you get your share too. Greece is probably no different from any other country and no society is perfect. I suppose if you have to pick your poison Greece would come up as a very favorable one. Yes there is widespread corruption but it is unlikely that you will be robbed, beaten or killed in your home or on the street and beyond everything else it is a magical and beautiful place. Still, things have to change and they will when those who truly want change eventually become the leaders. When that happens a second Golden age of Greece is possible.

There is a saying that when God made the earth he saved the best for the land that is now Greece. There are few places on the planet that have more beauty, more spectacular scenery, from mountains to islands to rivers and canyons, than the land of Greece. And when God made Greece he gave the responsibility to the people of this land to be caretakers, and to protect it from those who would exploit and destroy its natural beauty. When the people of Greece all come together to accept this responsibility and put it above their own self-interest, they will realize that it is in their best interest. When the people of Greece begin to work together like they did to make Athens ready for the Olympics then there will be no place for the pettiness and the corruption and those who practice it will have to conform or find somewhere else to go. Greece is a land blessed not only by natural beauty but also a spirit and intelligence that may be unique on the planet. When they are all working against each other it is chaos. But when they combine their resources and work together in a common purpose, in Marathon, Salamis, against Mussolini and in Athens and Portugal during the summer of 2004 they are capable of miracles.

The Greeks must have a higher purpose. It is obvious from studying their history that few other countries have been attacked by their enemies, betrayed by their friends and fought amongst themselves, as much as the Greeks. The pattern of  blame, mistrust, hatred and reprisals has done nothing to improve the lives of the average Greeks, on the contrary it has just made life more difficult and kept their society a step or two behind the rest of Europe. In the life of any individual, forgiveness is the key to moving on, whether it is forgiving your enemies, your parents, your ex-wife or husband and even your children. The more one forgives the better he feels and the more he is able to progress and mature, being released from the bonds of the past. Few countries have as long a list of people to forgive as the Greeks. From the Turks to the Nazis, the British and the Americans, the collaborators and the rich, the communists and the royalists, and the Junta, to the individuals who still use power to enrich themselves. Like any nation Greece has problems. The best way to face these problems is to forgive and forget the issues that divided us in the past and work together to deal with the problems of the present to create a better future. Whether from the far-right or the far-left or the vast middle, in a true democracy every point of view is useful. When the people of Greece work together they can move mountains and in this next century there will be plenty of mountains to move. Greece, a land of individuals, though only a small corner of Europe, has spread its influence around the world. When these Hellenes forgive and forget their differences and realize that the crimes against them were not done from evil or malice, but were mistakes in judgment made in ignorance, they will be taking a giant step into the future and leaving the past where it belongs: in the past.

As for the USA and its relationship with Greece what can you say? The mistakes they made in Greece were repeated countless times in other countries through the cold war and into the current war on terrorism. Just as the USA supported some unsavory characters because they were anti-communist you could make a list of leaders we support in the war on terrorism who are as bad or worse. It was said in an earlier chapter that had the US just given the Greek communists money instead of  giving the government weapons to fight them, they could have turned them all into capitalists. If you address the causes of terrorism, which are poverty and injustice, instead of trying to wipe them out by killing them all, there will still be terrorists, but they will be an isolated fringe that won't be able to attract recruits as easily as they are now with America's foreign policy which creates more terrorists than it kills. If the US government put as much money into education, fighting poverty, and curing disease in the world as it did into defense and war they would have a lot more real friends. The history of Greece shows us that America squandered one of these real friendships and it will take a lot to get it back.

As for Greece, to blame the United States for everything while at the same time embracing the worst aspects of that culture is hypocritical. The strength of the Greek people is their character and their individuality. To mimic American style and culture is easy. To embrace the best aspects of your own culture and build on that enables you to be comfortable with yourself instead of insecure about your ability to measure up to standards set by Hollywood, Madison Avenue or Washington DC. There are no chosen people. Americans were not chosen by God to lead the world. Neither have the Greeks been chosen by God or fate for some divine purpose, any more than any other group of people have. That does not mean the Greeks can't choose for themselves to have a higher purpose, to bring about a more just society in their country and to be an example to others. It could be the answer to America's Democracy imposed by military might. The ancient Greeks brought us Democracy. With a new generation of progressive leaders there is no reason these modern Greeks can't unchain themselves from the corruption, animosity and self interest that has marred their politics and show the world what true democracy in a fair and free society can be.