| The Nest of the Hellenic Mind ANTI-AMERICANISM IN GREECE- -AN APOLOGIA- BY: Costas Miliotis Is there anti-Americanism in Hellas today? You bet there is! However, why should we attempt to deceive ourselves? Where can one not find anti-Americanism? Even the most aligned nations in the world have a large anti-American sentiment, e.g., England, France, Germany, Italy, just to mention a couple! You might say, it is envy. This may, partially, be so! Even here in the United States, there is an increasingly large percentage of Americans who strongly disagree with our Government’s policies towards the world! And, this is the key. Although the media use the cliché term: “anti-Americanism,” the Hellenes and the world over are not anti-American. Assuredly, Hellenes and the world have serious grievances with the policies of the United States and not its people. To the contrary, Americans are well liked all over and to a large extent in Hellas. Hellenes have migrated to the United States in large numbers. There can be no denying that a substantial number of Hellenes breed antipathy towards the United States’ foreign policies. Naturally, this antipathy is placed in areas that affect Hellenic- American issues. This expression of negative sentiment is shown in demonstrations, towards positions taken by the Hellenic news media commentary and the official foreign policy support or lack of during international disputes. The American Embassy in Athens clearly has been in a combatant mode and the American news media at times depicts and reports on some of the Hellenic antipathies or lack of support of American wishes and/or demands. During a recent conference in the United States, I stated before the United States Ambassador to Greece Thoma Miller that subsequent to WW II: “the United States Embassy in Athens had been a very powerful Office and exerted power even greater than that of some Prime Ministers at times. It called many ‘shots’ .” The Ambassador agreed! Ambassadors: -Nicholas Burns- -Thomas Miller- Bewildered? There is more coming! Our meetings with United States Ambassadors to Greece over the years has convinced us that the United States expects more of Hellas in support of the United States’ positions. A major and visible thorn to the United States side is the demonstrations in Hellas-- at times, by “anarchist” or “communist” elements. The author adores the United States and kisses its turf and more so New York City. The latter gave him the ultimate gift of life: higher learning and gratis. But, the author has serious reservations about the structure, foundation, and implementation of United States foreign policies, as does most of the world. It would be naive to believe that it is the United States Government alone that shapes its foreign policies. Ideology is but a small part of foreign policy. It is rather pragmatism that shapes such policies. Cold cut, hard calculated points are assigned to each country on the basis of relative pragmatic value to the Pentagon. Consider the forces involved towards the formation of the said pragmatic elements: A. The multitude of interest groups commonly known as lobbies, e.g., the Oil Companies, the energy, the gun, the tobacco, the Jewish, the AARP, the AMA, Pharmaceuticals, the ABA, the construction, the defense industry, the foreign, the... B. Various think tanks groups dealing with geopolitical issues. C. The Pentagon. The Hellenes and the world’s resentment ferments from the fact that it is money which drives the United States foreign policy and geopolitical goals. The entire United States government is elected through money-- soft or hard. Consider that in the 2000 Presidential elections, the Republican candidate(G.W.Bush) spent the obscene sum of $750,000,000 for his campaign. His counterpart for the Democratic Party (Al Gore) spent an almost equally sinful amount of $650,000,000. Or, one New York State senate seat cost the two candidates an amount exceeding $200,000,000. We are not referring to peanuts here. We are referring to billions of US dollars in order to fulfill “democratic” goals, or paying back “loans” or contributions to major donors, or “lenders”. In December 2003, The United States Supreme Court showed their disdain for “pervasive money-for-access system of politics”. So, it upheld campaign finance laws. The United States Supreme Court Justices intended:" to protect America’s process from the actual and perceived corruption caused by large donations", as reported by the Wire News Services. Is this the Democracy that the United States wishes to instill upon the world? Did these candidates have or earn that kind of money? Clearly not; simply, it was donated. But, such donations are give and take; in fact, they are equivalent to loans. As all loans must be repaid sooner or later, this repayment to the lobbyists form to a great extent the sinister aspects of the United States foreign policy. Aside from the above referenced lobbies and many more, the Pentagon seems to exert a large portion of influence. The Pentagon is a think tank which has no emotion and where arete or virtue is of unknown genus (species). To the extent the reader’s logic questions this concept, one can attempt to rationalize in futility as to why the United States has gone militarily to the Persian Gulf to free peoples and not to Cyprus-the island of Aphrodite! For more on this, please see a pertinent write up in these web pages, under “Articles.” The answer? Simple and clear, Iraq, et al, have petrodollars, Cyprus does not! Hellas has been accused in the media of anti-Americanism. Often demonstrations are depicted to be a small part of a hard core anarchistic, “communist” group. However, here are some questions to ponder: 1. How is it known that those "in the small group" who improperly interfere with American diplomats’ activities are a) hard core and b) communists? 2. Are there any current, objective, scientific polls on how the average Greek citizen feels towards the United States policies? (Not its people). The United States Embassy in Greece has clearly stated to us that: “yes, there are polls, but are unavailable to the public.” Are these studies/statistics doctored by the CIA? Good point! The latter is of paramount importance! If we have clear cut data, then we can assist the United States State Department and impact the United States foreign policy towards Greece. To wit: the United States State Department is led to believe that there is Anti-Americanism in only a tiny fraction and acts accordingly. Conversely, if the State Department knows the truth about the good size of Anti-American sentiment it could possibly direct the US Govern- ment to be more equitable on Greek-Turkish disputes. Furthermore, Greeks are accused by the United States that they have a long memory. Although the 42nd President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton apologized formally to Greece during his visit there in 1998, one wonders whether a mere apology or ”lip service” can right all the wrongs committed by the United States over the last half a century against Greece. The actions of the United States Administrations in Greece in the past 50 years have played a major role is forming Greek perceptions about the United States: I. The collapse of the George Papandreou Government, elected in a landslide victory of 59% of the popular vote, in 1965. George Papndreou on a lapel pin in 1965. The letter Delta signifies DEMOCRACY! - Pictured above, from left to right, Prime Minister of Hellas, George Papandreou, Spiros Skouras, CEO of 20th Century Fox, Margaret Papandreou, former Prime Minister's Andreas Papandreou wife and mother of current Prime Minister. To the right is Costas Miliotis,the author. Note: This picture was taken at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel during the Prime Minister's official visit to Washington in 1965. It was at that time that the US's CIA bribed numerous Cabinet Ministers of the Papandreou Government and several of them resigned en mass. This resulted in a brutal Dictatorship by Greek apostates who preferred US money to their mother Country. Don't we wish that yesteryear's Solon of Athens made a comeback? One of the leading dissenters of the 1965 Government was the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Costas Mitsotakis, who later became Prime Minister under the opposition party! Evidently, George Papandreou was more of a true patriot than United States money could buy. The payoffs were intended for domination of Greece by the United States! The Greek word for domination is an eloquent word =hegemony! George Papandreou, current Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic! II. The support of the Junta from 1967 to 1974 and the damage it caused to the nation. The Greek military Junta was on the CIA payroll. III. The use of U.S. Arms in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. This was in violation of US Congressional laws about using United States military weapons by one ally (Turkey) against another (Cyprus/Greece). But, United States policies say: “leave Turkey alone. We need them more than the Greeks.” Ethos? Ha! IV. The double standards in the invasions of Kuwait vis-a-vis Cyprus. V. The unwillingness to take a stand on Turkey's questioning of the legal status of the Aegean. VI. The deaf ear on Turkey’s questioning Greek sovereignty over hundreds of islands. VII. Turkey’s ongoing violations of Greek airspace in the Aegean , as well as the bombing of Yugoslavia. Most Americans today do not know why the US bombed Yugoslavia-never you mind that the Yugoslavs were committing atrocities to the atrocities perpetrated to them by the Al Queda Muslim influenced forces-Thus, the blundering “cowboy image”! More on this below and see photo! DefenceNet reports that in October 2009, 14 Turkish Air Force jets violated Greek airspace. This comes on the first working day after the visit of Greek PM Papandreou to Turkey. Specifically in the morning 6 jets entered the Athens FIR in the Northern and Central Aegean and also entered Greek airspace once. In the afternoon 8 more jets flew in the same general area and entered Greek airspace on four separate occasions. (above) KILLING MACHINES! (for DEFENSE!) Ha! VIII. The bombing of Yugoslavia, proving the fallacious motto that two wrongs make a right, i.e., killing Yugoslavs for their killing Muslims. NOTE: The author in an effort to substantiate stated views on Yugoslavia's bombing, has conducted interviews with average Americans and by intent, well informed Americans. The basis question asked was: "Why did the US bomb Yugoslavia?" Not one could come close to the real reasons as stated clearly herein! IX. The $1 billion annual deficit to Greece in the balance of payments, the majority of which is for defense purchases-this is more than double that of other European nations- against the nemesis Turkey, and the support of armament manufacturers in the United States! The latter is a delicate issue. To wit: had the United States pursued and insisted on friendly, neighborly relations between Greece and Turkey, the United States would not have two good armament customers in these two countries. United States employment needs are paramount to world peace! Ditto for our policy towards China and Taiwan. L O N G LI V E U. S. K I L L I N G M A C H I N E $!! Of CRITICAL importance, the following point MUST be made: The author's corporate, manufacturing experience in cost factors has revealed that by and large, a manufactured product's price doubles every time it changes hands. Thus, when the Boeing or Lockheed Corporations produce 100 aircraft which are invoiced to the purchasing country at say, $60 billion, it must be outrightly understood that the manufacturing cost or value or worth of the fighter planes was $15 billion. How did the invoice price get to $60 billion? Simply, the cost was doubled to $30 billion representing profit. The balance of $30 billion represents under the table monies, or off the books or kickbacks or commissions to a myriad of middle "men!" So that we can better understand what type, or characters these middle men are, here is a brief description:
and please forgive us to dare say; con artists. -From the buying country's side: various levels of politicians, former and current, Govern- ment officials, from Cabinet Ministers to undersecretaries, directors, managers, clerks, various military attachés, high ranking military officials and generals. We will not exclude from this list back room wheelers and dealers. All constituting the mafia or commonly called the "organized crime" family otherwise known as "the cosa nostra" of the international arms dealers. A due reminder is appropriate and necessary; all the money exchanged as though it is a part of the business transactions is paid by honest, hard working people of the purchasing countries. In this scenario, the poor Greeks and Turks are paying blindly their sweat to sustain BIG TIME "business interests! How sad and indeed SHAMEFUL! ive people well being, from health care to education to the improvement of the quality of life of these "condemned" peoples. (These might appear as advanced studies. Yet, they are common and daily;year after year). X. Lastly, but not least, the Greeks’ sharing of the universal antipathy towards an America obsessed with money and profits. This obsession for profits by nearly any means breeds grandiose thirst for world domination by my America. But, it has brought about a most severe recession during 2008-09-10. All the rationale stated above, has contributed to Greek perceptions towards the United States and are not limited to the left, but are also found in the conservative camp. If the United States policies of today support its "mea culpa”, as admitted to by President Clinton during his visit to Athens in 1998, and pursues policies that address Greece's concerns and sensitivities in a fair and evenhanded manner, without necessarily harming U.S. relations with Turkey, then it would help greatly in changing Greek perceptions towards the United States. If this were unmistakably clear, how can the United States then reach out to those who are deeply concerned about Greek-American relations? Can the foreign policy makers of the United States earnestly attempt and right (correct) its foreign policy? It is the right thing to do? Can the United States institute a legacy of "good" Greek-American relations? Σφαγής της Χίου, Can the United States find its moral compass and seize its "divide and conquer" foreign policies? It is high time for the United States to treat Greece, the cradle of Western civilization, with parity, respect, dignity and not DUPLICITY; today, not only at a time of need! Complicity with geopolitical goals with emphasis on money and global domination where ethos is lacking is plain wrong! It is time that the United States foreign policies are based on the universal truth for ethos and not just in triumphalism! It is indeed triumphalism-- the view of the world upon the United States today! Now, you know both sides of the coin, or as Paul Harvey used to say: “now you know the rest of the story.” By: Costas Miliotis, the Hellenic Apologist! Post Scriptum: Common people like the writer and reader, when elevated to powerful offices, forget their swaddling clothing. Power breeds arrogance and corruption. As a consequence, the term kill for money and real estate is substituted for "defense!" Or better yet, "human rights!" We demonstrate our human rights and defense commitment with exotic technology of exterminating one another! Now, go figure why the US will go and chase the Iraqis and Yugoslavians, but not the Turks. Is it then, Anti-Americanism or pragmatism without ethos? You have been listening to harmonious music, which relaxes our human spirit! By: Vangellis! LONG LIVE THE HUMAN SPIRIT- ΖΗΤΩ ΤΟ ΑΝΘΡΩΠΙΝΟ ΠΝΕΥΜΑ! RETURN TO MAIN PAGE PLEASE! |
