Kommentare
Alexis Thanasoulas am 03.05.2012 um 20:59:
Lieber Fabian,
You do have a point indeed. Let´s focus on the optimism and on what works, on the goodwill, and the new generation.
My concern is that I do not even see the beginning of self-introspection. The IMF, Germany, foreign enemies are still blamed. How about ourselves? It is like medecine. We are gravely ill. But if we do not first make a diagnosis, how can we cure?
Germany in 1945 had to start a major and much more difficult introspection but it has done so with a lot of courage and humility. Germany also has corruption problems but overall, there is a sense of a stable and mature democracy.
In any case, your journey is a breath of fresh air. Thank you. Just like my January trip in Tyrol
ravwerner am 01.05.2012 um 17:31:
Schade, dass der Blog jetzt fast aus ist, zumindest die täglichen EInträge haben mir jeden Tag viel,Freude bereitet. Ebenso hab ich versucht für den Blog Reklame zu machen. Mein Eindruck ist leider der, dass es fast niemanden interessiert. Das Jahrmarktgeschrei unserer Politiker ist leider zu laut und auch die polnische Angst (kann ruhig übersetzt werden – nicht wundern schürt “Namensgerecht” den Fremden/Europahass. Dass sich Politiker nur mehr ihre Schäfchen sichern ist auch nichts neues mehr. Ich finde es überhaupt arg, dass bei einer Umfrage herauskam, dass die Grünen die am wenigst korrupteste Partei ist und unsere lieben Wähler lieber kriminelle Parteien wählen, den laut Umfrage sind alle anderen Parteien mehr als 50 % korrupt angeführt. Sowas darf wählen gehen denk ich dabei, ist aber demokratiepolitisch nicht richtig:-) Trotzdem wählt die Mehrheit lieber Verbrecher – auch rechtskräftig verurteilte!
Ich hoffe sehr darauf dass sich bald was zum positiven ändert und unterstütze weiterhin Euren Blog auf meine Weise.Grüsse
Wernerp.s. ich hab mich mit Euch gefreut als ich sah, dass es eine Hallberg Rassy war, mit der Ihr unterwegs wart. schönes stabiles Schiff Ja – kein Neid eigentlich nur Freude über Eure Wahl – ja …. und auch a bissl rechthab
Aikaterini Petraki am 01.05.2012 um 10:29:
It was so electrifying the whole journey of the new Odysseus , the way he approached people and the land of my country, that it is like bringing the outdoors indoors. I personnaly feel evoked everytime I am surfing in these pages sharing ´´the greek way´´ and the courage of the greeks against the economic disaster. . The sirens have nowadays other face, but they remain always tricky! Thanks and hugs for sharing the glow, the hospitality, the impulsiveness and the capacity of the people to respond against all odds!!!greatfully!!!
Petruschki am 01.05.2012 um 08:46:
ihr habt einen stein ins rollen gebracht und eine kleine lawine ausgelöst, eine, die es voranzutreiben lohnt und die wir in unser europa tragen müssen, um es blühen zu lassen, so wie du lieber fabian die hoffnung, dass man nur losstiefeln muss mit einer idee und viel leidenschaft im herzen – und einer großartigen frau und freunden an seiner seite – um in kleinen schritten unsere welt zum positiven verändern zu können. mit liebe und ganz ohne gewalt! danke für jede sekunde, die du uns das in den letzten wochen gezeigt hast. in liebe deine petra
Silvia Lazzari am 01.05.2012 um 06:53:
tears in my eyes…..
Alexis Thanasoulas am 30.04.2012 um 21:33:
It feels good to see some focus on optimism and it is always pleasant to see a positive light on my home country. However, you are missing some important points. Did you ask each and every one of the people you met if they never cheated their taxes? Did you ask if they have a relative employed in a fake job by some political connection? The problem is that the vast majority Greeks, however passionate and welcoming they are, however beautiful the country is, have been cheating all these years.
Now, this severe crisis is an opportunity for catharsis, the same word Greeks use today to do some house cleaning (katharizo). Enough with the plethora of employees in the railway system earning ON AVERAGE 80,000 euros per year (source: New York Times). Enough of the biggest number per capita of Porsche Cayenne for lawyers or doctors claiming to earn less than 12,000 euros per year. Enough of the overall corruption, from the smallest citizen to the most high-profile politician.
Greece will not get out of the hole unless it takes a hard look at itself and starts applying some northern Europe discipline, like in Austria, where you come from.
Yes, the portraits are great. Yes, your journey must have been unbelievably pleasant with some of the most beautiful areas of Greece. Unfortunately, it gives the idea that the “poor Greeks” (I am one) are innocent and victims.
In any case, I think that your journey and your initiative are great. However, I can not help cringe because we Greeks, are so guilty, even the passionate artists or idealist students or poor retirees who never saved a euro of the money they cheated to their own community all these years…
Kal taxidi and danke schon.
![Unterstützer:en]Supporters](/wp-content/uploads/supporters4.png "Unterstützer:en]Supporters")
Well done, everyone! Bravo!
That being said, I feel like reminding mr. Thanasoulas that not everyone in this country has been cheating, for sure not those under 30. Therefore there are a lot of people out there who would rather this “collective fault” , they should be agnowledging, go take a good look in the mirror.
What is trully unfortunate is that for every intelligent, young, creative Greek, there are two of his/her parents.
Who either have cheated or they have failed to prevail. ( with the second being the reason why greek society has been so numb, throughout the crisis.)
We shall do neither.
We have no reason to be numb.
We are reclaiming Europe.
Now.
Very nice, very warm, very sweet way of creating a documentary throughout Greece, talking with simple people of every class, age & geographic area. Personally i was quite moved from the film, even if i m living and working in Greece-Athens and i can feel the everyday atmosphere, the everyday vibes of people & i wanna thank all the people who were involved in this project.
In addition, I want to answer to mr “Alexis Thanasoulas ” comments : you judge everyone in this place, as if u know all of them!! Who are you sir to judge like a potential God, people of less of 35 years old who just never actually participated in the formation of this kind of corrupted society that u describe? Also, what u describe is not Greece….it is the lobbies of Greece, the small amount of those who brought this country in this situation. Those who deliberately mixed politics with private companies, investors, rich industry owners and ship owners and generally those who deliberately mixed capital with politics.
But for the corruption of our society is it only our mistake? Have u ever wondered how is it possible that the 90% of huge amounts of money aimed for development works all over Greece, military supplies, shipyards, and new technology infrastracture were “given” to German-French-Duch companies?Siemens, Thyssen Group, Hoechtief, Krauss-Maffei (military group), Lidl, Carrefour, Matra, Aerospaciale etc are some of these NON-GREEK companies that deliberately corrupted the polititians that u & I voted the previous years, in order to start their planned destruction of our beautiful country…Why? To have free access in everything valuable…and believe me Greece has high geologic and geographic value!
Anyway, i can right pages to prove to this fakely introspection-guy that what he wants to point out here is so immature and so shallow that it is not even worth mentionning!!! This kind of Greeks(like Alexis Thanasoulas) is the problem of Greece. People that know half, but they claim they know it all!! Just for the end of my comment i wanna make a small lesson to Alexis Thanasoulas by showing him his half-knowledge and half-perception of problems that Germany (which u so much admire for his democracy!!!) whenever had power, it started blood-slaughtering all Europe (1912-13 & 1945). Great cultural asset for a country!! I really admire history of Germany and its culture!BMWs are great but they are not culture! In addition when Germany lost twice, it had to pay out “war compensations to all countries and the highest one to the US! However, US agreeded not to accept this huge amount of money, just gave a friendship present to the new-start of a destroyed Germany! So how do u dare to say “Germany in 1945 had to start a major and much more difficult introspection but it has done so with a lot of courage and humility”…they started destroyed but without any credit!!!! We- in Greece- are close to destruction and we are still credited…Germany easily forget the past and how it recovered as a country when Americans never claimed their money, and 3 generations away from the 2nd world war it is too early too soon for Germans to change minds…before it was imperialism with the force of weapons, now it is with the force of credit!!! So cut these funny comments and try to learn more and think deeper in a way!!!
Dear makers of ‘Greece in Bloom’,
You have made an odious piece of propaganda in favor of the global financial elite, and probably you’re not even aware. Let me tell you how. The whole film is based on the false assumption of a “Greek Crisis”, completely unrelated to the Global Financial Crisis and the Euro Crisis, let alone the political response (deflationary austerity). Your trip is made on the assumption that this “Greek Crisis” is rooted in the Greek national character. Are you going to travel to Spain next and collect local peculiarities that caused the “Spanish crisis”? Then Ireland? Hungary? The US?
You also feature a bunch of Greeks that confirm your assumption, each repeating the familiar press clichés of lazy and corrupt Greeks, especially common Greeks, and a class of overly democratic politicians who have spent all the state’s money on social welfare, placating their irresponsible population to get re-elected. Apart from endless repetition in the media, there is no *factual* evidence to support this, nor is this the majority view in Greece. How did you find and select these people?
Then, you obtain “expert” confirmation for the party line from Alexakis Panagiotis, whom you rightly call an economics professor, while forgetting to mention that he was president and CEO of the Athens stock exchange and an avid supporter and deregulator of derivatives. You could’ve asked Yanis Varoufakis or any other intelligent Greek economist. But no, you get one of the neoliberal arsonists, and to be sure, he blames the fire on the rabble.
I deeply sympathise with your admiration for mediterranean ars vivendi and the simple brilliance of Greek foods and songs. Yet, what is their connection to the economic crisis? I’m afraid it is to make your propaganda line palatable to an educated, humanistic northern-European audience, who are normally not inclined to rant against other nations. Poor folks! Next time they are drawn into a debate with their chauvinistic neighbor or colleague, they will remember your film and counter his Anti-Grecism with references to Hellenic cuisine and culture. And their opponent will have the answer ready: “Precisely! If they hadn’t concentrated on wine, woman and song, if they had done their homework, like we did, there would be no crisis and no whining.”