From: pef@dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Panayotis Fouliras)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.greek
Subject: Re: A German in Greece
Date: 6 Oct 92 10:26:35 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept, QMW, University of London

In <1992Oct6.005328.29128@u.washington.edu> teoman@carson.u.washington.edu (Teoman Smith) writes:
[..]
>>Simple. Greeks live there. Tourists don't. It is quite normal
>>that you don't remember/know what has happened in the area
>>during the last 100 years. Quite natural. It is like a Greek not knowing
>>of any Chech fear about the old Sudettenland. So my friend, why bother?
>>Have fun, while it lasts!
>>

>so a place and the people's attitudes don't change in your eyes...
>what happened in the past will always occur.. Is that how your logic
>works? :)

>Teo

My logic about the past works as follows: The past is a good
indication for the near future; especially when conditions are
there to repeat the past.

If your question is about the example I mentioned above, my
answer is: Chechs *do* have the fear mentioned above (BBC
mentioned it, some newspapers mentioned it and it makes sense
that it does exist). However, I beleive that although some
Germans may have such old-style ideas about the territories
lost after the two world wars, most can see that it is much
better to pursue economic domination (in the good sense) and be
peaceful. The opposite could happen, but would be sensless.

This does not change the fears of other peoples in the area.
The reason? Wounds are still too fresh. Time, with new
generations (=hope), good will and peace for a *long* time can
gradually change all this. And the EEC seems to be the way forward.

If your question is about Greece, my (personal) opinion is
again that it is on the weaker side (compared to Turkey).
Memories (long and short) are hardly nice and suspision is
there to stay, since two things occur:

        1. Cyprus and the threat against the Aegean

        2. The blessing or curse for Greece, that it is neither
too weak, nor too strong for a successful defence against
Turkey. By 'blessing' take the example of Luxemburg during the
second world war: it didn't even attempt to do anything (for it
couldn't) against Wehrmacht. This means that it never
attempts to spend anything on defence (good during peace).
'Curse' is exactly the opposite. Greece fought a dignifying war
against Italy and later Germany, but half a million died during
the war and the tripple occupation. My father was 12 years old
in 1941 and can tell what he experienced quite vividly.

Conclusion:

There is (and should) always be hope for a better day. However,
forgetting the past would mean that we stop being taught by our
mistakes (or those of past generations). Fear, caution, etc are
part of the human nature and it takes time to change attitudes.
I sincerely hope the EEC succeeds, for the benefits could well
outweigh the problems.

With all due respect

Panayotis
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