Too often over the past decade, the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations have chosen to look the other way in Albanian-populated areas of the Balkans, willfully giving free rein to corrupt political and military officials in the vain hope of gaining local support for international efforts to strengthen “regional stability.”

This “see-no-evil” policy has yielded precious little stability. And it has allowed Kosovo, Albania, and the FYROM to linger on the crumbling edge of the “failed state” abyss. These countries – not to mention their Balkan neighbors, Greece included – need to be Europeanized.

What Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code did for the Holy Grail, could this book do the same for Aphrodite and Cyprus?

No one doubts the power of the media anymore and once the wheels start turning and the press and the promotional people kick-in the inevitable publicity ball starts to roll. The sensationalism that rocked the world in the Da Vinci Code proved to be the key to open a whole new industry for Dan Brown and his readers.

Spawned by the book, came the movie and subsequent novels as well as a whole plethora of merchandising.

After the recent developments in Greece, we read a lot about the situation from the media, but how much it really pictures the situation there? Is Greece just a corrupt failed country, that struggles to keep its economy in order, or what is happening in Greece today, is a well orchestrated attack, a financial war against our nation, that could spread to the rest of Europe, and the world?
　　
Make no mistake, Greek politics are full of corruption, but one needs to look at the modern history and geographic position of the country to realize how this came into place. Apart from the troubled and violent history of our country, its strategic geopolitical location also played a huge role. Greece has often been caught up in the conflict of interests of the known superpowers of each era, as it lies in an area of huge interest and importance, the Balkans. And it is known that they meddled with our internal affairs and politics. That helped a corrupt elite to be established, many times supported by external factors. The Ottoman and Byzantine remnants are also very crucial, as our political system is inevitably influenced by them. So we are caught in a situation that is being perpetuated and supported by corruption, and global political games.
　　

Greece in Ireland: Irish News & Events
of Special Greek  Interest

by Catherine Mack
The Irish Times, November 7, 2009

Instead of being out to make a fast tourist buck, the people Catherine Mack met on a family holiday on the Greek island were keen to show their hospitality and share their culture

CRETANS CONSIDER themselves to be one big family. Just as we can’t confuse the origins of anyone whose surname begins with O’, they can spot a fellow islander anywhere, as most Cretan family names end in “akis”. Locals say this dates from the 250-year Turkish rule of Crete, which finished in 1898; the occupiers forced islanders to add the insulting “akis”, or “little”, to their names. Cretans now consider the suffix a badge of honour.

Greece in Ireland: Irish News &
Events of Special Greek Interest


“We returned home relaxed and perhaps a bit more thoughtful. We had made new friends, and we promised to meet up again next year. Where? Greece, of course.”
 

In Plato's homeland by Eileen Pearson
The Irish Times, October 31, 2009

Go reader EILEEN PEARSON was one of a group of philosophy students who paid homage to their Greek hero

WE WERE a group of 70 from all over the world, and we had come to Delphi, a place once known as the centre of the universe. We had one thing in common: a love of Plato.

My choice of a study holiday might seem unusual – hard work, even. A fortnight on a Greek beach would be a welcome escape from talk of recession and Nama, you might imagine. But for me a fortnight learning about the great Greek philosopher on his home ground – which also happens to have a balmy climate – and exploring archaeological sites is the perfect tonic.