Dear Liberty,
I am a Greek man born and living in Greece.
I am really sad reading all this very low level arguments that are written in this topic. It's a pitty to see Greeks from wherever arguing... FOR NOTHING.
If we want to be strong, we have to be united. If we want to be united, we have to communicate and understand each other. If we have to understand each other, we have to talk kindly, with respect and understanding to each other.
Well, I am not Greek-American, but I am pround and touched knowing what the Greek-Americans try in order to keep our culture, our language and our religion. It's lack of respect for them, we the Greeks from Greece to accuse them e.g. because a part of them don't speak Greek well. Greek-Americans particularly in past decades had to live wherever they could have a job or setup their bussiness. In many of these places there were not Greek schools, or no Greek community at all because there Greeks were just few families. The most common is, as I know, that Greek-American parents after working hard, had to drive long away to go with their children to the nearest Greek school. And for their kids the Greek school was an extra school after their American school. So it's unfair to accuse these co-patriots. We have to be PROUND of them for their passion to keep our culture as much as they could and as I see they have done GREAT JOB. Keep on, patriotes.
It's unfair, (and stupid to my opinion) to accuse Greek-Americans because they are not exactly the same as we, Greeks in Greece, are. The Greek-Americans grew up in a different country, schools, society. They are in everyday touch with various other cultures that exist in US. And they are citizens of an other country that they love and respect. It's absolutely normal.
From the other hand many (not all) Greek-Americans accuse modern Greece very easily, accuse Greece for whatever simple thing they don't like here. But, do they like everything in US ? Of course not. When they see something in US they don't like, do they accuse US so easily ? Of course not. So why they do it against their fathersland ? In many cases the fact that they don't like something in Greece is just a misunderstanding. It's a matter of lack of deeper info on the issue because they are far away. In this cases, we, the Greeks born and living in Greece, have to explain kindly, giving all the details that will help our Greek-American co-patriots to have a better knowledge on the issue. And the Greek-Americans before accusing Greece have to ASK and TALK with us kindly too.
I will never forget, just before Iraq war, a Greek-American talking (screaming to be precise) to Greek media and accusing Greece because Greece didn't want to send Greek army to fight with Americans in Iraq. At the end he said:
"I wish US to bombardise Greece, to destroy you, to not exist any more..."
yes it was a wish of a Greek-American... and all we Greeks in Greece listening were shocked.
Sometimes some Greek-Americans seem they want Greece to be a [censored]-cat of US. They don't want Greece to be a good friend and partner of US. You know partners talk, listen to each other and deside together. They prefer US to be the boss of Greece, Greece to be a US colony. Would Greek-American realy be pround of a Greece like that? I think they wouldn't.
Try to understand us. For US administration, in the soul of every Greek there is one thing. We proved in action our friendship to US. During WW2 750.000 (10% of Greeks) died fighting on the side of US and England. It's the highest blood bill paid by a nation as a percentage of the total population. The same time Turkey was neutral.... doing nothing to help US. Since then, all last decades how US says a "thank you" to Greece ? Supporting Turkey against Greece. In Greek language the word is "AXARISTIA". Would you love a friend of you treating you in this way ? So, today why Greece has to send its sons to die helping US again?
"To dis examartein ouk andros sofou" meaning
"When doing the same mistake twice, you are not wise"
Ancient Greek phrase
In this topic Liberty cann't understand why Turkish military planes invade in our skies, and why Greece does not shoot them down. She wrote the topic because SHE CARES about Greece. She feels Turkish invade in something belonging also to her as it belongs to all of us in Greece. And it's true. Loving Greece so much and thinking Greece could, but don't, react she gets ungry. She gets ungry because SHE LOVES GREECE. All what she needs is info. We the Greeks from Greece let's see the glass half fiiled, not half empty.
I am not a specialist on the issue but I can write few things.
Whenever Turkish military planes invade in our skies, in few minutes they face Greek military planes who kick them out. Sometimes Turkish deny to leave and then we have dog-fights over the Aegean sea. Then it's sure they escape back to Turkey ...being pissed off. It's a real war over there.
We, Greeks in Greece LIVE this unofficial war 30 years. And it happens almost every day. Greek pilots flying and fighting every day and sometimes and night they are the best (in reality, not in Hollywood way). Add to them and the... well known Greek madness and you can understand what guys they are...
One day Turkish were invading from everywhere in the Aegean with many planes in each formation, all modern F-16. Greece had F-16, but almost half of the number Turkish had. So we had to use and older planes F-4 which are not so fast and flexible for dog-fights. A formation of Greek old F4 faced modern Turkish F-16 somewhere in North Aegean between Limnos island and Agios Efstratios island. A Turkish F-16 was trying to come on the back of an old Greek F4. This is so rare that Greek pilots feel shame of it. The young Greek pilot prefered to crash his plane in the sea and die than to let the Turkish win the dog-fight. Our pilot was never found. He is very deep in the Aegean. Now on a rock in Agios Efstratios island there is a statue of him looking to the sea and sky he defended.
This is what Greece is doing.....
This is just one of many many stories that happen over there.
Many Greek pilots have died during very tough exercises they do day and night.
Why we don't shoot the Turkish ? Here is an answer I could find.
In the Aegean the islands are many but small. Military planes fly with tremendous speed. Turkish can pass over a Greek island in few seconds. If we shoot them we have to be sure that their plane will crash on the island or close to the coasts. If it will crash elsewhere, in the open sea, then we can not prove that he was an invader. Turkey will say we shoot them for no reason and it will be a reason for war.
This is why Turkish NEVER invade in the mainland... because "tha doune ta radikia apo tin anapodi". :-)
(It's very modern Greek slang. Meaning they will see the grass from below).
Since some years ago, Greece decided to send real time picture of our radars monitors to NATO headquarters in Italy just to show to our.... friends there (US, British etc) who invades, when, how, how many planes etc. so to be more than clear who creates the trouble. What US is doing since then ?? NOTHING !!! ..... They wink their eye to Turkish to keep on.
If you were born and living in a small Greek island working in peace and looking Turkish invading over your island every day, and your powerfull friends, that you stood beside them in the hard times, support the invaders how would you feel ???
Would you keep on loving the "axaristos filos" ?
Liberty, we (Greeks and Greek-Americans) are not enemies. We have common roots 3.000 years, and different roots just 3-4 decades. We all love Greece. Each one in his own way. Let's minimize and bridge our few differences and let's focus on so many common things we have.
If you want to ask whatever else, or to talk about various Greek - GreekAmerican issues I would love to reply.
This message is not only for you. It's for all co-patriots who participated in this topic.
Today is the day Greek football national team will face Portugal for the Euro 2004 cup. I found something in a Greek paper that I want to share with all of you. It's a statement of Stelios Gianakopoulos player of our national team.
He said
"PALEYOYME O ENAS GIA TON ALLON
KAI PAIZOUME O ENAS GIA TON ALLON.
AYTO MAS PIGE PSILA"
in free translation
"WE FIGHT AND PLAY ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR THE ONE. THIS IS WHAT BROUGHT US HIGH"
Take care co-patriots
wherever you are
A next door Greek
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