Pride in ancestors

Abalinx 4 February 2018 Peter Adamis

PREAMBLE.              Great to see your average Greek travel to the capital to demonstrate their passion about retaining ancient Macedonia within its borders. Every nation has the sovereign right to safe guard its interests no matter what they are. The politicians of all political parties in Greece have let down their own people and the people can only but display their point of view by demonstrating in the streets. A copy of the complete article may be downloaded by clicking on: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE GREEK TO BE PROUD OF YOUR ANCESTORS

AUSTRALIA.             Let that be a lesson to the Diaspora and all organisations that represent their members. If the leaders do not sit up and take notice they should step aside.  I am of the belief that Australians of Greek origin will put aside their political ideological philosophies and unite on the 4 March 2018 Rally. I envisage much cooperation between Left Centre and Right Wing groups united under the same banner. 

I must confess that like all nations faced with difficult situations that have the propensity to wreak havoc and create chaos; unite against a common foe. Such is the way of nations and their people.   We as Australians are no different. Just look at our history how we became united during WW1 and WW2 against aggressive nations eager to stifle freedom and our way of life.  If the Greeks can do it so can we here in Australia emulate their passion for a cause that is found deeply embedded within their culture?

Channel Nine News in Australia lost their credibility and integrity by misreporting the Athens Greek rally of Sunday 4 February 2018 .They wrote, Quote: “Greece protests over Macedonia name. Well over 100,000 protesters from across Greece converged on Athens mains square to protest a potential Greek compromise in a dispute with neighbouring Macedonia over the former Yugoslav republics official name”. Unquote. To make it even worse they do not indicate who the reporter was and what their sources are.  This is poor reporting at best and the images within this article destroy any credibility Channel Nine News may have had.

THE GOOD FIGHT.              It is the same with the Greeks in Greece. They fighting not just for their sovereignty but also against those nations who are stifling freedom, destroying an ancient culture and reducing the Greeks to nothing more than “modern serfs” on their own land.

RISE OF THE CONSERVATIVE RIGHT.               I see a rise of Right Wing and Conservative organisations in Greece united under one nation, One Flag, One People and One Faith. History will unveil itself in due course, but until then, much needs to be said and actions taken to unite a people so bitterly divided by extremist on all sides.

FYROM FALSIFICATION OF HISTORY.              The FYROM Skopje Slavs who have attempted to create a pseudo nation, have been foolish enough to teach a false history to their own people, install monuments and steal names of ancient Greeks. Other nations involved know the truth and yet have their own agendas at the expense of Greece.

ATHENS RALLY.                 The image below is but a demonstration of more things to come. It has been estimated that 1.5 million Greeks attended the tally in Athens. By the live coverage, it appeared that these passionate Greeks were orderly, voicing their mistrust of negotiations behind closed doors. Something for the current Greek government to think about.

The other matter that is not being mentioned is the financial gain for the Thessaloniki and Athens rallies.  People need to eat, sleep, entertainment, required transport, utilities and amenities. They will need access to Wi-Fi, use public transport, mobiles, ATM machines, access to banks, shops, restaurants, cafes, taverns and all manner of day to day living requirements.  One would think that this would boost the local economy even for a short while. One could rightly say that holding demonstrations is good for the Greek economy!

SKOPJE ONLINE INTERCEPTORS.                     During the live broadcast, thousands cast their comments supporting the rally with the following Slav interceptors making derogatory remarks which enraged others online:   Robert Kostadinov, Ivica Davidovski, Joska Bitola Nikolce, Marijan Milenmovski, Tom Srbinovski, Marija Borce Tracjebski, Josif Spirou, and Makedonia Ksaousti. Names which also appear to be pseudonyms to hide and mask their true identities.

EXTERNAL MANIPULATION.        First they apply austerity measures which has brought misery and grief and now the EU, NATO and it appears other unnamed nations are forcing themselves on a country that deserves better. History once again will the judge and giving the name of “Macedonia” to FRYOM is nothing but an insult. The demonstration is also a message to Brussels, Skopje and other nations that you can push people only so far before they retaliate. Resolve the name issue and bring peace to the Balkans once and for all.

DEADLY CONSEQUENCES.          This insult should it become a reality will only create a very bitter and twisted environment with deadly consequences. Governments of both nations will require their most competent and skilled negotiators to steer through stormy diplomatic challenges. The UN negotiator has failed and his bias towards FYROM is noticeable. Whether this is as a direct US influence or unknown manipulators remains to be seen. Whatever the case may be, the nation currently called FYROM has no right at all to use the name Macedonia.

“THE GREEK PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. THEIR ANCIENT GREEK ANCESTORS WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF THEM”.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.     Thank you to all those who contributed to the wonderful images of the demonstration in Greece. Special thanks to my cousin Nick Bakis, an Aussie now living in Greece.  In addition I would like to thank Peter Vlahos and other contributors for their points of view on line. (See below)

Peter Adamis is a Journalist/Social Media Commentator and writer. He is a retired Australian military serviceman and an Industry organisational & Occupational (OHS) & Training Consultant whose interests are within the parameters of domestic and international political spectrum.  He is an avid blogger and contributes to domestic and international community news media outlets as well as to local and Ethnic News.  He holds a Bachelor   of Adult Learning & Development (Monash), Grad Dip Occupational Health & Safety, (Monash), and Dip. Training & Assessment, Dip Public Administration, and Dip Frontline Management. Website: abalinx.com Contact via Email: [email protected] or via Mobile: 0481 342 791

GREECE – A FOREIGN POLICY DICTATED FROM
THE STREETS AND A POLITICAL SYSTEM IN TATTERS

Peter Vlahos   5 February 2018

Well well well….1.5 million angry Greeks on the streets of Athens. Democracy at work – Greek style.   Well, when those you voted into office don’t do what you want ignore them ….  Don’t listen to them even if they are trying to solve a major foreign policy issue….just go out in the streets and shout….so much……. may be the government might fall….    The government will not fall….and the King as some have said (but with the best intentions in mind) will not return….but the government will not be the same nor will the other parties which share the political stage be the same.

What we witnessed yesterday in ATHENS was the rise of the ‘other’. What do l mean? A large and significant portion of the Greek people which have lost faith in all things political and institutional.   I would say that the message from Athens was directed at Brussels. GREEKS and others within the EU are rebelling against a system of superstate government which denies local peoples their cultural heritage and sense of identity.

The European ideal or to be first European and then your ethnicity….is under serious question! People are thinking twice about the European ideal….what does Europe offers (some think) except austerity….unemployment and uncontrolled migration and a mass disenfranchising of the national popular vote on national issues!

Europe after Maastricht is not the ideal Europe which people wanted or it has not turned out to be…..They want alternatives and greater autonomy given to national governments than more power to Brussels (What the late Margaret Thatcher loved to warn us about.) It can be said that the Athens mass demonstration told Europe ….”you Brussels will not tell us what we want for our country when it involves our culture and history!” It also told the Greek political elite that they are on borrowed time if you ignore us.

How (the political elite) deals with this οργή λαου (anger of the people) one does not know but one thing is certain ….it cannot ignore it or manipulate it as it did the Referendum….  The government must take this οργή λαού into serious account in foreign policy as well in domestic policy….or tender its resign….  I go as far as that….but….

It might also consider (which it will not) the formation of a national government to handle the Macedonia name dispute and other foreign policy issues as well as the transition of Greece out of the memorandums which is to occur in late August of this year…  Presenting a national unity to the world….  Well ….that is wishful thinking…Greeks are passionate in their politics but never calculating or rational….except in War….and thank God we don’t have that headache. So l again pose my question….where does Greece go from here?  Are we to stay in Europe or is this the beginning of a break with Europe….and the foreshadowing of GREXIT?  We need that question decided! 

As for the Macedonia name dispute…well who knows…may be FYROM might provide a workable solution or one might be imposed by Brussels and NATO…..(which is very likely but l hope not)….  I do feel sorry for Prime Minister Tsipras on the issue of the Macedonia name dispute. HE is genuine in his attempts to resolve a problem all previous governments played politics with.

But he made a mistake in his approach…  HE did not choose to first address his intentions to the Greek people. HE should have told them his plans and aims and then while he was doing that instruct his foreign minister and diplomats to engage in constructive dialogues on the issues which concerned Greece with Skopje….   HE did not do that…and now HE has a great dilemma before him…and the people do not trust him or his benefactors in Brussels…any more…

And the poor Greeks in the Streets ….in their thousands well….they are searching like the Jews of the Bible in the wilderness for a great Greece and a ‘Messiah’…who would deliver them from their present dilemmas and what did they have on the stage addressing them…an old man in a wheel chair….trying his best …..a shadow of his former glories ….and few others who were too insignificant to make a lasting impression…  And one cleric….representing a divided Church hierarchy.  Not even the President of the Hellenic Republic was to be seen.  Why?    Ελλαδα ιδού το Μεγαλείο σου…..   (GREECE IS THIS IS YOUR GREATNESS?)

Peter Vlahos
Solicitor, Academic and Author
Former Lord Mayor of Monash City

GREECE – WHO ARE THE TRAITORS?

Peter Vlahos   3 February 2018

I am disappointed reading the many posts on Facebook by many Greeks both in Greece and in the diaspora….who are denouncing the present Prime Minister and government as “traitors”.  Why are they “traitors” (προδότες)? Why are some calling for the government to resign or want pressures placed on it in order to force its resignation?

What will be the benefit gained? Or Who will benefit?  Yes, there is a some concerns about the government’s negotiations with FYROM over the Macedonia name dispute but is it the only issue that is driving Greeks to the streets?  May be the dispute is being used by elements within GREECE to bring about the government’s collapse ….this is very much a possibility…if one reads carefully the modern political history of Greece.  At critical moments…Greeks go off the deep end …people in power are “traitors” others know better and Greeks turn on Greeks… 

When will we learn…when will we understand you don’t go nationalist when you are trying seriously to negotiate important national issues!  We are only decided for a fight…to see Greek against Greek…all for what?  Answer: NOTHING!

I have read completely stupid and irresponsible posts on Facebook on the Macedonia name dispute….the most disturbing was a group of patriots…..parrots l would call them calling for the people to take hold of Article 120 of the Greek Constitution….  If l recall that ARTICLE states that the maintenance of the Constitution depends on the “patriotism of Greeks…” so what do our contemporary κλέφτες….στους δρόμους….want to do use ARTICLE 120 to bring down a government that was democratically elected and is trying to resolve an issue of foreign policy which governments previously did nothing to resolve? 

One Facebook κλέφτης….called for a people’s revolution ….a επανάσταση…. really….l thought we had a “People’s Government” in office already?  I think some elements of the wider Greek Community have been totally irresponsible in their discussions and in the information they are publishing on this medium…of social media….    I believe by calling for revolution and denouncing an elected government as “traitors” is a disgusting display of misplaced jingoism which will only achieve the division of Greeks everywhere…..

This government on what it is trying to do on this issue ..an issue which was neglected by all other governments for 25 years….is not a government of Traitors nor are they  traitorous… in what they are doing…..  I end with this question…..when will we learn…..?  Answer: Never…..  Και ιδού το ερώτημα-  Ποτε θα μάθουμε επιτέλους το μαθημα που μας εχει διδάξει η ιστορια μας…  Απαντηση: Ποτέ!


Peter Vlahos
Solicitor, Academic and Author
Former Lord Mayor of Monash City

 ATHENS RALLY ALBUM  SUNDAY 4 FEBRUARY 2018

 

 



 

 

 



 


 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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