Light at End of Tunnel?

ב"ה                                                                                                                                    

 9 Cheshvan 5772                                                                                 November 6, 2011

                                              That Was the Week That Was:

Sad Days for Greece in Paris and Athens

            The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, is a Paris-headquartered 195-member affiliate of the United Nations Organization constellation, which promotes itself as "building peace in the minds of men and women."  Yet, last Monday, Halloween, the unit's perennial animus toward the United States and Israel was in ample display as 107 nations, including, depressingly, Greece (with Arab and most African support, including a divided Europe), unmasked themselves as opponents of direct Israel-Palestine peace negotiations to prematurely support entry of an unformed Palestine into their counsels. While 52 countries abstained, a fabulous collection of 14 nations (including Canada, Germany, Holland, Israel, Sweden, and the USA), opposed this provocative step! The United States, as required by law, promptly withdrew its financial support, leaving UNESCO in limbo to contemplate the considerable, sustained error of its ways, as it continues to be captive of our planet's most aggressively repressive, reactionary, anti-democratic movements.

            This development, as serious as any United Nations misstep in recent years, was clearly overshadowed later in the day by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's ill-considered announcement that a referendum on the recently-concluded bailout deal with Europe will be put to his electorate for an up or down vote. Further, he proposed a Friday eve vote of confidence in parliament that put his leadership of his PASOK Party and premiership in jeopardy, even as the jittery world markets began a tumble, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared miffed, demanding a direct explanation, summoning the Greek leader to Cannes ahead of the planned G-20 summit.

            Under intense pressure, Papandreou relented, cancelling the plebiscite, while nervous opposition leaders, foremost his New Democracy chief rival Antonis Samaras, hastily agreeing to support the bailout plan --- a condition of the lenders for writing off 50% of the Greek debt --- even contemplating a coalition governing formation, but without the incumbent heading it! With such scenarios in the offing the global financial burses rebounded, including my personal IRA with UBS! Then, forty-eight hours ago, well after closing time in the critical New York Stock Exchange, and in cliffhanger that the world was monitoring, BBC broadcast an affirmative vote of 153 for Papandreou, all his PASOK deputies, in the unicameral legislature of 300, staving off an early election.

            Immediately, the republic's President Karolos Papoulias was informed by party leaders of contradictory messages: Papandreou is willing to contemplate enlargement of the government under his leadership; Samaras is ready to enter government, but only on condition of the premier's withdrawal from leadership. Thus, this Greek drama, a tragedy, really, on many fronts, is still unfolding.

            Was the Greek premier's ploy a stratagem to get the necessary wide consensus required by his European backers for the release of the next installment of funds? Did the fear, imminent threat, of financial and political isolation for Greece cause its political class to come to their senses? For too long, both the bailouts, and the inevitable austerity that came along as the condition to induce long-standing social reforms, were burdens carried unilaterally by PASOK, even though much of the blame for the immediate dire economic trouble was the irresponsible proverbial cooking of books by the previous administration.

            Finally, the taboo of the future of the Euro has been broached, even the thought contemplated that Greece may be expelled or withdraw from the Euro Zone, prospects not covered by the enabling instruments of membership. And, if Greece is left to fall from the precipice, can the third largest European economy, Italy, be far behind? How about Spain, Portugal, Ireland? Could one eventually see the Euro Zone contract to just France and Germany? And, Europe remains in the wings, ready to become dependent on nominal Communist China for more than a trillion dollars? Does economics trump political arrangements, after all? Stay tuned …   

            As late night ushers a much-expectant meeting of Papandreou-Samaras with President Papoulias, a glimmer of hope protrudes as agreement is reached on a unity government for the next several months --- until new elections early next year --- without the incumbent premier at the helm, but with tomorrow's European-imposed deadline for a Greek crisis resolution plan met, as the duo promise to flesh out the new Cabinet early in the new week.

            There remain some lasting impressions from this week of experienced trauma for my native land: more than ever, reality has established the notion that the road to economic recovery will be protracted, perhaps the result of a lost decade of recessionary activity; unemployment, hovering around 16% will continue to plague the country, causing its best and brightest to flee in search of opportunity; despair has already seen a steep rise in suicides, a heretofore rare phenomenon for a perennially optimistic, singing, outgoing populace; the nation remains underdeveloped, a third-world country, politically immature, and socially pathetically searching for scapegoats, instead of confronting its own pathologies.

            The role of expatriates, especially in the key region of the United States, leaves much to be desired. One need only to look at the Greek-American community's lack of effective leadership in its Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, repeatedly having failed to forthrightly condemn endemic anti-Semitism. The airwaves, whether the 36-year-old NGTV of Dimitris Kastanas, or the 28-year-old weekend radio Aktina-91.5FM by host Elena Marouleti, are filled with fundamentalist gibberish, stressing unfounded attractions of life in the old country, including Cyprus --- one may wonder why those founder-producers live here --- stunting the progress of Greek-American youth with their diatribes. A recent segment at Aktina-FM fanned the ambers of religious intolerance as an ignorant and unprepared Marouleti, effecting you knows, right heres, and other clichés, employing British diction and style that our cousins across the pond have discarded, sought to engage Tricia Erickson, author of the new book, Can Mitt Romney Serve Two Masters? In contrast, we feel giddy celebrating the daily Cosmos-FM at the same frequency!

            By far more egregious is the Internet www.hellasfm.us, whose 24/7 relentless anti-Semitism, anti-Americanism, anti-Israel, anti-Papandreou, never introspective broadcasting under such lesser lights as station manager Ekaterini Livanis, and hosts Yorgos Hadjicostas, the unfortunate returned pseudonym-user Iapetos, Manolis Kouroupakis, Dr. Nikos Papavlasopoulos, imminently to be rejoined by Eleni Gioka regularly dispense ruminations and opinions to make decent people blush with embarrassment, while making us feel the pity and shame visited upon Greece by these exported voices of unvarnished hate.

            In comparison, we hail the bilingual 96-year-old National Herald, as well as the http://www.greekamerciannewsagency.com/ whose unsparing reportage lifts our spirits, keeps a balanced perspective, and regularly feature contrasting views, even warmly, and eagerly seeking this writer's views! Together, with good will, employing the 1940 OXI-NO of dictator Ioannis Metaxas to stop the advance of another dictator, Ile Duce Benito Mussolini of Italy, let us not glorify coercion, or yearn for a junta to set Greece aright; rather, let us gain greater understanding from the proposed grand coalition to realistically face Greece's immediate challenges to forestall our common catastrophe!

            Sincerely, and with fraternal affection,

                       Asher  

            Prof. Asher J. Matathias

           312

Longacre Avenue, Woodmere, NY 11598-2530

                                                                     

           516-374-2958 Mobile: 369-5799 AsherJmat@Aol.com