Επιστολή στο περιοδικό The Economist

Dear Editor
 
The current dire circumstance facing the global financial system rightly justifies the fear of an apocalyptic scenario as inscribed by St. John in Patmos, a Greek island. But bestowing it only to the Acropolis of Athens may be proven a rather narrow view and unjust to the Greeks, who began to show signs of tightening their belts, ready to face austerity in the context of one of the most demanding IMF programs ever designed. The implementation of the program could be facilitated not by apocalyptic scenarios on the cover of your esteem journal, but by covers such as the one of LIFE’s December 16, 1940 picturing the Greek Evzone (see attached picture and caption by LIFE’s Editor). Unless you rise to the same circumstances as Churchill did I am afraid that we cannot’ repeat the “From now on we will not say that the Greeks fight as heroes, but that the heroes fight like Greeks”.

Thank you.
 
Panayiotis Ifestos, Professor, International Relations – Strategic Studies
UNIVERSITY OF PIRAEUS, Department of International – European Studies
www.ifestosedu.gr  – info@ifestosedu.gr

LIFE’S COVER, December 16, 1940.The skirted soldier on the cover is a Greek Evzone (which means literally “well-girdled”). The five Greek regiments of Evzones specializing in mountain fighting have in six weeks made a name of themselves that ranks with the Finnish ski troops. Fighting against similar odds, they had last fought driven the overwhelming Italian Army out of Greece and up the Albanian coast. This was against all rules, for the Greeks were supposed to lose the war in jig-time. When they last fought, in 1922, they were badly beaten by the Turks. In a battle the Evzone wear khaki skirts.

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