European Expansion and the Current Debt Crisis: Their Negative Effects on Greece

Dr.
Ioannis N. Kallianiotis

Economics/Finance
Department

The Arthur J.
Kania School
of Management

University
of Scranton

Scranton, PA 18510-4602

U.S.A.

Tel.
(570) 941-7577

Fax
(570) 941-4825

E-Mail:
jnk353@scranton.edu

 

 

 

 

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March
2011

European Expansion and the
Current Debt Crisis:

Their Negative Effects on Greece

 

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

This paper explores the recent political economy of Greece, as a
member of the European Union and some of the problems that the European
expansion and the latest global and European debt crises have created to Greek
and to most of the European citizens. The nation’s problems are the
relationships with its neighbors and the domestic social chaos, which is
increasing every day, due to the current financial crisis and the worst
recession since the frightful 1940s, the economic and political corruption,
which are underrated by the officials, and the tremendous uncertainty that this
artificial and controlled “creature” (the European Union) has generated to its
member-nations and their citizens. Europe has
a seven thousand years old history, which comes from ancient Greek civilization
and is complemented by Christianity (“The Christendom”). Greece
experienced many difficulties, conflicts, and invasions by barbarians and other
neighboring countries, which had and continue to have tremendous negative
effects on her economy. But at the same time, many good periods with tremendous
contribution to the global scene are recorded. Even though that Greece started
the war of independence from Turks in 1821, major parts of the country are
still under occupation. These wars continued during the 19^th and 20^th
century and she participated in the two world wars and after WW II, she fought another
five years war against communists until 1949. After that time the nation and
citizens enjoyed a huge growth, a stable development, a multiple improvement,
and a preservation of their traditional social values. Lately, the European
integration and its erroneous expansion to Asia have destroyed the sovereign
nation-states and it is ruling undemocratically an entire continent and Greece, as a
member of the EU and EMU. European Union’s economic and social policies cannot
satisfy any welfare functions for the Europeans, like justice, fairness,
allocation, equity, stability, distribution, efficiency, full employment,
homogeneity, security, sovereignty, independence, self-sufficiency, certainty, and
democracy.

 

 

I. FROM THE GREEK REVOLUTION TO
THE PRESENT EUROPEAN UNION

 

            After 368
years of oppressive slavery, on March 25, 1821, the revolution against Turkish
rule broke out in Greece.
Brutal fighting continued for several years between the unarmed Greeks and the
barbarian conquerors, where Greece
showed many heroes and martyrs to this just cause for her liberation.
Unfortunately, by 1825, the Turks had almost crushed the revolt. In Western Europe, sympathy for the Greeks (from the
Philhellenes, like Lord Byron)^[1]
mounted, in large part because of a sentimental regard for the contribution of
the ancient Greeks to the development of Western civilization.^[2]
Unfortunately for Greece,
the Ancient Greek treasures have been looted by the European invaders
(crusaders) and during the period of Greece’s occupation by Turks. An
example is the “Elgin Marbles”^[3]
and many other antiquities that “adorn” the foreign museums and testify the
character of these “civilized” nations. Great
Britain, France,
and Russia agreed in the
Treaty of London of 1827 to demand that the Ottoman Empire
recognize Greek independence and to use force, if necessary, to end the
fighting. An allied fleet defeated a Turkish and Egyptian force at Navarino in
October 1827. After the liberation of Greece (only a small part of her
territory because the 2/3 of the country are still under occupation), the first
governor was Ioannis Kapodistrias (1776-1831), from January 1828 to September
27, 1831, who was assassinated by a British conspiracy because he wanted the
new nation to be independent from Western protectors and to be an Orthodox
state in her faith.^[4]  Under the terms of the Treaty of Adrianople
(1829), the Danubian provinces gained autonomy, as did Serbia, and only Greece (Eastern
Thrace, Eastern Rumelia,^[5]
Constantinople, Asia Minor, and Northern Cyprus) is even today under
Turkish occupation. The Turks agreed to permit Russia,
France, and Great Britain to determine the future of Greece. In the
Treaty of London (1830), the three powers recognized Greek Independence.

 

            In 1863,
the Ionian Islands were liberated from British and were given to Greece. In
1881, Thessaly was liberated. Many years
later, in 1913, Epirus, Macedonia, eastern Aegean, and Crete
were liberated. In 1919, Western Thrace was
liberated, too. In 1945, Dodecanese islands were given to Greece from Italy. Greece
tried to liberate Asia Minor, but
unfortunately, lost the war in 1922 and the Greek population of the region, who
was there since the 11^th century B.C., faced an awful genocide by
the Turks. Unfortunately, Cyprus
has not joined Greece yet
(it became an independent Republic in 1960) and in 1974, the Northern
Cyprus was invaded by the barbarian Turks (their atrocities were
unique in human history) and it is still under Turkish occupation. North
Epirus, North Macedonia, East Rumelia, East Thrace, Constantinople, and Asia Minor are still under foreign occupation. Then, Greece was
involved in the Second World War, which was truly a global conflict. The Italians
invaded Greece and Egypt, the Germans sent Rommel’s Afrika Korps to
North Africa, Germans overrun Yugoslavia
and Greece
after 40 days of resistance by the Greeks. In 1944, the western Allies launched
the invasion of Normandy and in 1945,
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at Yalta
in the Soviet Crimea in the most important of the wartime conferences. This
Second World War had far-reaching consequences. In Europe, the defeat of Germany created a power vacuum in Central Europe that made possible a great westward
expansion of Soviet power. The growth of Soviet power, in turn, evoked an
American response. The result was the dreadful Cold War, which tortured the
world for 40 years.

           

In conclusion, unfortunately, in the 20^th
century, we have the change of the European civilization, from the western to
the world civilization (lost of identity and indigenous cultures) and to
today’s crisis, the extinction of the European classical-Christian
civilization. Material technology and computers took over the power from
humans.^[6]
Authorities lost the control of large corporations and multinationals satisfy
their anti-social objectives, which are “value maximization” and labor cost
minimization to please the corrupted financial market.^[7]
The previous century started with a tremendous moral collapse and divisions
within the West led to World War I, which was a civil war within Western
civilization. Later, came World War II and Europe
lost its global leadership. Human casualties numbered about 40 million killed
and twice that many seriously wounded.^[8]
The cost of this war cannot be measured. Industrial technology became
increasingly scientific, so did military technology. A number of new and
destructive weapons were developed from the “new science” and the “new
industrial technology”.^[9]
 Submarine, tank, military
aircraft, heavy artillery, the machine gun, chemistry played a spectacular part
with the development of toxic gases, the wireless radio, propaganda (convincing
its own people and the neutral nations that they were right and the opponents
were not only wrong, but committed all sorts of atrocities), spread of false
rumors about the enemies, psychological battle, etc.,^[10]
were the innovations of this inhumane “science”.       

 

            The
failure of the League of Nations to prevent
World War II disillusioned many persons who had expected much from
international organization and cooperation. On April 25, 1945, in a conference
including representatives of fifty-one nations convened in San Francisco and drafted a charter for the
permanent structure of the United Nations.^[11]
In April of 1948, the U.S. Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act,
establishing the European Recovery Program or “Marshall Plan”, and authorized an initial sum
of $5.3 billion to be distributed as loans and grants by the newly created
Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA). The recipient nations formed the
Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC) to administer the aid in Europe and pledged themselves to a long-term program of
mutual assistance and cooperation.

 

            A number
of structural changes made a deep impression on social attitudes. The “Welfare
State”, which provided a wide range of services such as Britain’s National Health Service (1948), West Germany’s model pension scheme, or France’s
massive HLM projects for cheap housing, removed many of the traditional
anxieties about ill health, unemployment, homelessness, and old age. Ioannis
Metaxas introduced many of these social programs to Greece, too. Rising wages turned
the masses into “consumers”, pressured to become big spenders by aggressive
advertising, social emulation, and lines of credit by banks. Consumerism
certainty fuelled our market oriented capitalistic system, but it turned
material advancement into the only goal, not the means to advance personally
and spiritually. It threatened to reduce politics to a debate about the economy
and nothing else. It taught young people that possessions alone brought
fulfillment. Since it put a dazzling supply of desirable, but unnecessary goods
before peoples’ eyes, they buy them without even paying for them, they just
sign their names (credit cards). This secularism came to Greece after
1970s by diluting the traditional Hellenic-Orthodox value oriented educational
system.

 

            Another
problem was the immorality, the “sexual revolution”, the family planning, the
disrespect towards the elders, and the undermining of all the values of the
1960s, which led us to today’s crises in all aspects of our life. In a few
years all conventional mores were destroyed and our young people have serious
psychological problems today. It eliminated the social shame of extramarital
relationships, children borne without knowing their father, others keeled by
their parents before their birth, homosexuality, divorces, unmarried cohabitations,
and numerous other perversions.^[12]
In most countries it was accompanied by the liberal laws on obscenity, on
toleration, on “liberty”, on “democracy”, on “human rights”, on abortion, and
many others.^[13] The church
and the conservatives, after their marginalization, have no voice any more;
liberals, socialists, globalists, psychologists, and pseudo-scientists know
everything and they are the decision makers. Of course, what they hate most are
the fundamental values of Faith, Country, Family, marriage, education,
tradition, and all the other virtues that led humanity for thousands of years.
For the first time, Christianity in Europe has become a minority belief and
with its ecumenism,^[14]
illegal migration (mostly, Muslims), and globalization will lose its purpose
and this virus is affecting deeply Greece, too. Different
denominations, heterodox, and allodox can not be united because what will come
out from this mixture will be a New Babylon, as evil politicians have already
dreamed it and are working for its creation.^[15]          

  

            Further, following
World War II, the idea of economic integration was promoted in Western Europe. Who were these people and what was their
ultimate objective of this experiment were unknown.^[16]
The world is waiting to see the conclusion of this union of nations,
peoples, cultures, dogmas, histories, economies, politics, and civilizations.^[17]
The majority of Europeans are very skeptical and anxious for the future of
their continent and of their nations. In 1950, Jean Monnet (1888-1979)
convinced Premier Robert Schuman (1886-1963) to support a plan for the
integration of the coal and steel industries of France
and West Germany.^[18]
Negotiations on the Schuman Plan led to the establishment in 1951 of the
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). The ECSC included France, West
Germany, Italy,
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The success of the ECSC
helped advance an even bolder proposal developed by Monnet. In 1957,^[19]
the six members of the ECSC signed the Treaty of Rome establishing the European
Economic Community (EEC), known as the Common Market. The members of this
Common Market committed themselves to eliminate trade barriers and to promote
free movement of capital and labor.

 

            The Common
Market treaty took effect on January 1, 1958 and on July 1, 1968, all tariffs
between member nations were completely eliminated, several years earlier than
the date originally foreseen. In 1961, Britain
signified its willingness to enter the Common Market if certain conditions
could be met, but in January 1963, president de Gaulle of France in effect vetoed Britain’s
membership, an action he repeated in 1967 and 1969. The accession of Britain, Ireland,
and Denmark
took effect on January 1, 1973. Greece
acceded to the Community on January 1, 1981, without a referendum,^[20]
and Spain and Portugal
on January 1, 1986. On January 1, 1995, the EU-12 became EU-15, with the
accession of Austria, Finland, and Sweden.^[21]
On May 1, 2004 ten new members joined the Union: Poland,
Hungary, the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia,
Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus,
and Malta.
Lately, on January 1, 2007, Romania
and Bulgaria
became EU members, reaching the implausible number of EU-27 (more than 500
million souls).

           

The Maastricht Treaty was signed in February
1992, but it, then, had to be ratified by all the member states. This process
went “well” because the state governments did not hold a referendum for
ratification of the treaty by their citizens.^[22]
 Nevertheless, in 1999, according
to the treaty, EMU would commence for those countries, which had converged
(however it looked, they were only very few, actually, Luxembourg and France), but eleven of them had
been confirmed by the European Commission. The twelfth country (Greece)
joined a little later in 2001. The thirteenth one (Slovenia)
became an EMU member on January 1, 2007; the fourteenth and fifteenth (Cyprus and Malta)
on January 1, 2008; the sixteenth (Slovakia)
on January 1, 2009; and the seventeenth one (Estonia) on January 1, 2011.

 

The European Union had
to have developed a “social dimension” together with the “social
free market” model, because of
the Maastricht
treaty and its serious unemployment and inflation problem and the expected
uncertainties of the future. During the 1960-73 periods up until the first oil
price shock, the average annual level of unemployment was around 2.6% with an
economic growth rate of 4.8%. Between 1974 and 1985 the unemployment rate rose
to 10.8% by 1985, while economic growth dropped back to 2%. In the period
1989-90, with an increase in economic growth to 3.2%, the unemployment rate
dropped to 8.3% in 1990.^[23]
In the meantime, it can hardly be said that there have been dramatic
improvements in the EU unemployment situation because in 2003 it was over 9%
with an economic growth of 0.5% for the Euro Area.^[24]
In Fall 2007, the unemployment was 9% and the real GDP growth 2.2%.^[25]
Now, (end of 2010), due to the global financial crisis, the unemployment became
double digits (over 10% on the average) and the growth negative (recessions). Greece has an
unemployment rate of 14% and a growth of -6.6% (deep recession) at the 4^th
quarter of 2010. The integration has increased unemployment further
as Roberts (1996, p. 205) had said, “Coincident with these worrying labour
market changes, a real push was under way from the mid-1980s onwards to
complete the Internal Market of the EU by abolishing the barriers to trade and
commerce between the Member States. In addition to the labour market problems
arising from developments in the international economy, the Internal Market
transition was estimated as likely to create around 5,000,000 unemployed.”
Also, the reduction of National Debt, through privatization of public
enterprises and the current austerity measures, will contribute to the growth
of unemployment and the deepening of recession. The uncontrolled illegal
migration has caused unemployment, too^[26]
and it would be worse in the future. Ljungqvist and Sargent (2006)
considered the high unemployment benefits as a factor causing EU unemployment.
These benefits do not exist anymore since 2010, with the “help” of Troika.^[27]

 

Today, the 27-nation EU, with more than 501
million people and 330 million in Euro-zone (EU-17), is the world’s largest
economic area, but it is insignificant politically and noncompetitive in trade,
except Germany. On November 8, 2006 the Commission approved the Strategy Paper
and the candidate countries’ (Croatia,
Skopje,^[28]
Turkey) and potential
candidate countries’ (Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and Kosovo) progress
reports on their road towards the EU.^[29]
 Of course, “the number of other nations
now approaching or knocking at the entry door of the Community was at the very
least evidence of the material advantages outsiders could see in membership.”^[30]

 

 

II. EUROPEAN EXPANSION AND ITS
NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON GREECE

 

European Union has
been forced by the U.S. and
other “powers” to invite a Muslim and Asian nation, Turkey, and to join a Christian
union with complete different social and economic structure, culture, and
identity.^[31]
Europeans are all against this admission. From a few polls, we can see that in France 67% of the people said “no” (fears fueled
by France’s problems
integrating its six million Muslims, they fear the Turkey issue will lead to defeat of
EU constitution). In Germany,
62% responded “no” (funding Turkey’s
infrastructure would cost the EU too much, advocate a more limited partnership
to keep Turkey
tied to EU). In Austria the
nays were 62%, too (Muslim Turkey is not compatible with largely Christian
bloc, adding Turkey
would make EU cumbersome).^[32]
In Greece 85% of the people
are against Turkey’s
acceptance to the EU.^[33]
Britain strongly favor Turkey’s entry because it has a major interest on Cyprus
for its bases and Turkey’s occupation of the island satisfies this interest and
the sales of the occupied land to Britons, even to members of the British
Parliament.^[34]
Also, Turkey’s accession
would be a radical departure from the EU founding fathers’ vision of a
geographically unified Europe. Turkey
is an Asian and Muslim country and not a European one. The small area that it has
in Europe belongs to Greece
and it is still under Turkish occupation. Turkey
can become the “wooden horse” of Muslim terrorists in Europe.^[35]
 A German well-known historian,
Hans-Ulrich Wehler, sounded another alarm for Europe:
“Would they ever assimilate?”^[36]

 

            This
amazing (and the second most strange) country on earth, Turkey, does not recognize the sovereignty of
another member of the EU, the Republic
of Cyprus. Of course, to
be fair and just according to international law and the resolutions of the
U.N., Turkey has, first, to take out its army from Cyprus that occupies since
Summer of 1974,^[37]
then to recognize Cyprus, and finally, to say “thanks” to European leaders for
their effort to accept it, but because of the existing differences this
integration is impossible. A European skepticism is the fear that Turkey’s EU membership will result in the mass
migration of poor Turks across EU borders and create an unsustainable economic
strain on the EU and especially on Greece, as its neighbor. But, the
majority of Europeans fear a clash of civilization between Christians and
Muslims, two opposite cultures and faiths.^[38]
 These fears have been reinforced,
even to the naïve Western Europeans, by terrorist attacks in the U.S., in Madrid,
in London, in Holland (the killing of the filmmaker) and
many other places; Greeks know very well the Muslim culture since the 7^th
century and the barbaric Ottoman one since the 11^th century. The
arrogant attitude of Turkey’s
Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is unique in world’s politics. He is
threatening EU from now, if it would say “no” to them; then, someone can figure
out what he will do when they would become members. Former French President,
Valery Giscard d’ Estaing argued that the European constitution will be
unworkable if Turkey joins the EU, since it gives countries voting rights
according to their population. Then, Turkey a Muslim and non-European
country with 75 million people would become the dominant country in the EU
decision-making process. Something must be absolutely wrong with Britons and
especially Tony Blair (the ex British prime minister) who want to accept Turkey
as a member to the EU. Historically, Britain
has created major problems to Europe (and to the rest of the world);^[39]
we hope that the other 26 EU member-states will say “no” (will veto) to Turkey’s acceptance and to Britain’s suspicious
expediency.         

 

The illegal immigrants who have been imposed in EU exceed any
limits.^[40]
For example, Italy has
received a proportion of 1.15% of its population and Greece has received without her
will a proportion of 20% of her population.^[41]  In EU countries, 10% of the elementary
and high school students are children of illegal immigrants; in Greece
80% of the foreign students are Albanians.^[42]
 European politicians, after their
Americans counterparts, have been submitted to the “dark powers” and carry out
their orders in their own countries and citizens, and these submissions are
obvious not only in migration, but in any decision (as the Turkish negotiations
for its accession). The media are controlled and confined and their propaganda^[43]
is only in covering all these wrong doings by the obscure
authorities.  EU must have borders, which
must be guarded by a European army. Neither of these exists today in EU. The
first stop of illegal immigrants is Greece and there remain the
majority of foreign immigrants. EU does not assist Greece to this serious national
security issue of illegal immigrants. 
Consequently, EU does not want (or cannot have the power) to check
European borders.^[44]
Cyprus has a similar
problem; during the invasion of Lebanon
by Israelis (Summer 2006) hundreds of thousands refugees went to this small
island. This is an Israeli plan since 1902 A.D.^[45] 

 

In addition, EU on
October 3, 2005 (“The Black Monday”) “agreed” to start talks with Turkey, the invader of an EU member-nation (Cyprus).
In 1996, Turks created a major crisis in Imia island (against Greece), they murdered two
Cypriots, Solomou and Isaak. As the media and EU citizens are saying, Washington and London are
responsible for this unmeasured crisis in Europe.
Greece and Cyprus were betrayed by their
allies and partners in NATO and EU.^[46]
 Europeans are saying that Turkey is in
the EU with the pressure from uncle Sum, in the face (mask) of Condoleezza Rice
(the ex-Secretary of the State).  To
different Europeans, they promised different “gifts”, some were threatened, and
some others were bought with money. Austria
was benefited by pushing for Croatia
to start accretion talks. The then-prime minister of Greece
(Kostas Karamanlis) gave his directions to the Cypriot president (Tassos
Papadopoulos) that he had received from Washington.
Now Turkey
can legally (with the EU approval) continue to do what it is doing for a
thousand years:

(1)  
To violate daily the Greek air space with its armed warplanes.

(2)  
To harass Greek ships in the Aegean Sea
6 miles from the land.

(3)  
To face the Ecumenical Patriarchate (which is in the Greek Constantinople
since 325 A.D.) as an association and not as the Highest Institution for
Christian Orthodox world.

(4)  
To keep closed the School
of Chalki (the
theological school of the Patriarchate).

(5)  
To keep confiscated the Greek properties in Constantinople
(more than 11,900 cases).

(6)  
To drive out completely Greeks from the islands of Imvros and Tenedos
(who are there before the 11 century B. C.) even though that this is against
the Lausanne Treaty.

(7)  
To arouse Muslims in Thrace
against Greece
(their host country) with the Turkish Consulate (of special mission) and their
imams.[47]

(8)  
To keep in force the CASUS BELLI^[48]
against Greece, when Greece will apply the International Law for the Aegean Sea (12 nautical miles).

(9)  
To continue with its illegal migration from Turkey
to Greece.

(10)To keep the
occupational army in North Cyprus (Israelis
left Sinai, but Turks did not

 leave Cyprus and many other areas, which
are under their occupation).

(11)To prohibit
Cypriot planes and ships to approach any airport or seaport in Turkey.

(12) To forbid the
entrance of Cyprus
to any international organization and to NATO.

(13) To block Cyprus
from the European Defense and Security (i.e., the European Army).

(14) To avoid
undertaking the enchaining to localize 1,600 missing people from the invasion

of Attila in Cyprus.^[49]

(15) To prohibit to
the refugees to return to their homes, which are under Turkish occupation

and are sold to
British citizens, even to members of the British Parliament (Tony Blair’s wife
was the lawyer for these illegal trampling of Cypriots real assets).

(16) To keep the
Turkish settlers who illegally have been settled to the occupied North

Cyprus.

(17) To avoid
delivering the assassins of Isaak and Solomou to Interpol and from there to

Cyprus to be tried for their
crimes and many other events that the entire international community knows, but
none has the courage to mention them.^[50]

       (18) To avoid the punishment from the
International Court of Justice after all these thousands of assassinations of POWs
and rapes of girls and women, during the 1974 invasion in Cyprus.^[51] 

        (19) To create the gray areas (like the
Greek island of Imia).^[52]

        (20) To impede Greece to utilize the oil, natural gas, and
other resources that she has in the Aegean Sea
(the Greek Economic Zone).         

 

            For all the above and for many other
facts, Turkey
cannot become a member of the EU.^[53]
The two major Greek parties (PASOK and N.D.) are responsible for their retreats
and concessions to this European comedy against European citizens and
especially Greeks and the Hellenic culture, which has advanced humanity for
seven thousand years. Unfortunately, the global trend today is back to
barbarism and there is no a single person to stand up and say “NO”.  Turkey is composed by a mixture of
tribes and races, which have been forced to become Turkish and Muslims with the
well known Turkish methods.^[54]
 There are in Turkey today even with all these
persecutions, expulsions, and genocides over ten million Greeks
(crypto-Christians). Turkey,
as an EU candidate, said that Pope could not visit Constantinople
on November 29, 2005, that he had planned; he must go next year. Italy
responded to this by saying that it was “a Turkish impropriety” to indicate
Pope’s schedule.^[55]
Pope Benedict said that Mohammed imposed his religion by force and Turkey
wanted him to apologize publically for this announcement. They had said that he
would be arrested when he would visit Constantinople
in November 2006.^[56]
 

 

            The haughty Turkish Prime Minister,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan^[57]
addressed the Europeans by saying that “If the EU wants to be a global player,
its road has to pass through Turkey
and Turkey’s
time has finally come”. At the streets of Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and other
cities, opposition has been intensifying^[58]
to admitting a country of more than 75 million, where its average wealth
is about 1/3 of the EU average, with only 3% of its land geographically a part
of Europe (which actually belongs to Greece and it is still under Turkish
occupation). France has a
major problem to integrate its 6 millions Muslims and it fears that Turkey’s
issue will lead to defeat the EU Constitution, as it actually happened with
both. The constitution was defeated and the Muslims aroused against the local
value-system. Germany said
that funding Turkey’s
infrastructure would cost the EU too much. Austria said that Muslim Turkey is
not compatible with Christian Europe, etc. Dutch made their intention very
clear by voting (62%) “No” for the Constitution.^[59]
EU was pushing Turkey to be
required to recognize the sovereignty (which it is right and an obligation for
all members of the same union) of the Republic of Cyprus
(this island is under Turkish occupation since the summer of 1974) despite the
two countries’ argument over the division of the island and its occupation by
Turks. Turkey must withdraw
its army (40,000 soldiers) from North Cyprus
and return this part of the island back to Greeks; otherwise we cannot talk
about joining a free and democratic union. Turkey
cannot become a member with the EU, even that it is strongly backed by the U.S. and other “powers”, because it will make
Europe having the same problems as the Middle East.
Turkey’s accession would be
a radical departure from the EU founding fathers’ vision of a geographically,
culturally, religiously unified Europe.

 

The controlled west has also created other problems through the
creation of three Muslim nations in Europe; Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and
“almighty” Albania.
Also, they have created another artificial nation “Skopje”,
between Greece and Serbia.
What is its purpose and its role in the future of the region? To this nation
(which is a mixture of Slavs, Albanians, Bulgarians, Greeks, and Gypsies)^[60]
 they have the audacity to give the
name “Democracy of Macedonia”. They have no right to confiscate Greek names and
symbols, and counterfeit the History. The truth is above the current
corruption, distortion, and apostasy. The ex-President of the U.S. (George Bush) recognized this artificial
nation, the same night that he won for the second term the election (November
2004), as “Macedonia”.
Greece had reacted to this
injustice from her best ally and had said that she would veto Skopje’s entrance to NATO and EU. Nicholas
Burns, the ex-U.S. ambassador in Greece
and undersecretary of foreign affairs, had the great insolence to say that “it
would be shame for Greece to
provide a veto for Macedonia”.^[61]
These declarations by Mr. Burns were unacceptable and Greek leader stood up and
defended their country’s and citizens’ rights and their seven thousand-year old
true history. The rest absurdities from wherever they come have no value.

 

Unfortunately, United States
is against Muslims allover the world, except the Muslim Albanians in Kosovo, in
Albania, and in Skopje. Amazing politics!
The EU was split, with Rumania,
Cyprus, Spain, and several other EU
countries condemning Kosovo’s secession as illegal. Unfortunately, 17 of the
EU’s 27 nations, including Germany,
France, Britain, and Italy, said they would recognize
Kosovo.^[62]
Also, Croatia, Hungary, and Bulgaria said they would accept
Kosovo independence.^[63]
The amazing is that a U.N. court acquitted Kosovo’s ex-premier of war crimes
during the 1998 battle to take over Kosovo, the cradle of Serbia, from Serbs, where it
belongs.^[64]
The worst so far was that, Kosovo Serbs were kidnapped in 1999 and taken to Albania to have their organs harvested, a former
chief prosecutor said at The Hague.^[65]
Where are the justice and the international law that these international
institutions must preserve? Everything is subjective and unjust in this falling
world of politically correctness.^[66]
Americans, already, have started advertising vacations in Kosovo as, “Europe’s unlikely charmer, for travelers willing to forgo
some luxuries, newly independent Kosovo offers breathtaking mountains,
unspoiled medieval architecture and stunning monasteries”.^[67]
Actually, nothing is Albanian and Muslim, there. Then, how the “democratic”,
“fair”, and “just” west committed this crime against Serbs? The traditional Europe is disappearing day by day with all these
anti-humane actions. For example, two brothers from Kosovo were convicted of
running a drug ring that supplied half of Western Europe’s
heroin.^[68]
The next major problem with Albanians will be Greece
and Skopje.
This artificial state (Skopje) has almost been
occupied by Albanians and the Great Albania (the dream of Austria and of the rest of the
west) is a reality. Greece
has so far received more than one and a half (1,500,000) millions, illegal
mostly Albanians, who create daily problems (robberies, assassinations, rapes,
drugs, mafia, and others) and the government is doing nothing. A report from
CIA states that “the continuing migration of Albanians to Greece creates serious problem to
the country”.^[69]    

 

 

III. THE LATEST INDETEDNESS PROBLEMS

 

            The global
financial crisis of 2008 affected negatively Greece and the government tried to
reduce this effect on the real sector of the economy by offering a package of €28 billion to the banks. This crisis
brought to the surface the structural weaknesses of the Greek economy (a mercantilistic,
pseudo-capitalistic economy based on governmental favoritism and a few European
subsidies). The governmental debt from €172
billion in 2002, reached €252 billion in 2008
(a +47% growth), and exceeded €350 billion in 2010 (a +39% growth),
which is 147% of GDP. The trade deficit from –€27 billion in 2005, became –€42 billion in 2007 (+55% growth). The gross external dent was €533
billion on June 30, 2010. The budget was in deficit of
€19 billion in the first half of the 2008.^[70]
The country has, currently, very high unemployment (over 14%), is in deep
recession (-4.5% growth in 2010), and experiences high inflation (5.2%).

 

The Greek government gives to China €45 million for the sewing of
the Greek army clothes, €10 million for the police clothes, and €5 million for
the clothes of hospital personnel. More than ten Greek small firms that were
producing this work before went out of business.^[71]
This is the social policy of the country towards her owns businesses and
citizens. Recently, when mistakenly a policeman killed a 15 years old boy in Athens, riots (communisto-anarchists) burned and destroyed
cars, stores, and properties of innocent people in all big cities in Greece.
Their objective was to pitch out the government of N.D.^[72]
From the economic side; Greece’s
debt was downgraded by Standard&Poor’s, which increased the cost of
borrowing by the government.^[73]
   

 

On November 24, 2008, the Chinese President made
an official visit in Greece.
He signed an agreement to lease for 30 years the seaport of Piraeus
(the harbor of Athens).^[74]
Greece
is selling everything to foreigners and soon will be in major socio-economic
crisis.^[75]
 Started in 2009, EU is cutting by 50% the subsidies to tobacco growers (farmers).^[76]  This will have a tremendous negative effect
on the Greek economy because tobacco is the main agricultural product in many
poor regions of the country. EU will cut all subsidies, very soon.

 

            The
unemployment is a very serious problem for the country and has been caused by
the austerity measures imposed on Greece by the Troika, due to the
enormous debts (127% of GDP) and deficits (15.4% of GDP). Farmers in Thessaly,
Crete, and other parts of Greece
were participating in demonstrations closing roads with their tractors, due to
the low prices and their unsold products.^[77]
 Of course, one major fiscal
problem of the country is the tax evasion by the wealthy people and
professionals. The minister of finance said that homes bigger than 150 m²
will be taxed (so far homes above 200 m² were taxed).^[78]

 

            Tourism
has declined drastically (more than 40% in the winter resorts), due to the
global financial crisis and the high prices from the overvalued euro. Even
Greeks are going abroad for their vacations, where the cost is lower.^[79]
Even though that the country is struck by everyone, it tries to continue with
her “competitive advantage”, her education (paideia), civilization, and
culture. Greece opened a Center of Hellenic Studies
in Alexandria, Egypt.^[80]
  

 

            The
agricultural problems in Greece
are many and require immediate solutions. Globalization plans to reduce the
agricultural sector and increase dependency of individuals and thus, it will be
easier to control them. EU tries with its policies to satisfy this objective
and with its policies and directives plans to reduce the Greek agricultural
population below 5% and unfortunately for Greece the two parties in power
(PASOK and N.D.) agree to this destruction of our villages, towns, and the
foundations of the Hellenic nation. The public sector accounts for about 40% of GDP. The service sector
contributes 78.5% of total GDP, industry 17.6% and agriculture 4%. Greek citizens must react to this planned
catastrophe of their sovereign nation from the dark powers and their followers.^[81]
 Greece
had national elections on October 4, 2009, and the PASOK party won and became
government, which means new troubles for Greece from those anti-Greek and
anti-Orthodox members of this party.^[82]

 

Greek
Prime Minister George Papandreou began trying to persuade labor unions to
accept further austerity measures as the European Union said it’s close to
agreeing on a bailout that will stave off a default. As Papandreou started his
pitch, Greek bonds jumped on optimism a package amounting to €110 billion ($140 billion) would help the government
meet debt obligations over the next three years. Greek officials concluded
talks with the EU and International Monetary Fund in April 2010 after a bond
market rout pushed the country’s two-year borrowing costs to 24%. The crisis
worsened after Standard&Poor’s cut Greece’s rating to junk and
investors started to shun the bonds of other countries struggling to cut their
deficits. As part of the agreement hammered out with the EU and the IMF, the
government might cut two of the 14 monthly salaries paid to civil servants and
increase value-added tax rates.

Under the plan
backed by the ECB, Greece
pledged €30 billion in budget cuts to bring a deficit of 13.6% of GDP within
the EU limit of 3% in 2014. The ECB is a key player in the rescue package
designed to help Greece
and it is clearly buying insurance against the likelihood of further multiple
downgrades of the Greek debt, something that might lead to a halt of ECB
financing to the Greek banks. Further downgrades from credit-rating companies
had threatened to render Greek bonds ineligible for collateral for ECB loans
after Standard & Poor’s at the end of April 2010 cut the nation to junk
status.

The evolution of the Greek economy during the 19th
century (a period that transformed a large part of the world due to the
Industrial Revolution) has been very small because Greece was trying to be liberated
from the horrible Turkish occupation. Recently, Greece had a gradual development of
industry and further development of shipping in a predominantly agricultural
economy, calculating an average rate of per capita GDP growth between 1833 and
1911 that was only slightly lower than that of the other Western European
nations. Other studies support this view, providing comparative measures of
standard of living. The per capita income (in purchasing power terms) of Greece was 65% that of France in 1850, 56% in 1890, 62% in 1938, 75% in
1980, 90% in 2007, 96.4% in 2008, 97.9% in 2009 and larger than countries such
as South Korea, Italy, and Israel. The country’s post-WW II
development has largely been connected with the so-called Greek economic
miracle. Greece
has a very large underground economy, otherwise these figures would be higher. Greece is a
poor country with rich people!

Greece is historically the oldest country in Europe and a developed country, with a high standard of
living and “very high” Human Development Index, ranking 22^nd
in the world in 2010, and 22nd on The Economist’s 2005 worldwide
quality-of-life index. According to Eurostat data, GDP per inhabitant in
purchasing power standards (PPS) stood at 95 per cent of the EU average in
2008. Greece’s
main industries are tourism, shipping, industrial products, food and tobacco
processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products, mining and petroleum. Greece’s
GDP growth has also, as an average, since the early 1990s been higher than the
EU average. However, the Greek economy also faces significant problems,
including rising unemployment levels (13.9% in November 2010), inefficient
bureaucracy, tax evasion and corruption.

The country suffers from high levels of political
and economic corruption and low global competitiveness compared to its EU
partners. Although remaining above the euro area average, economic growth
turned negative in 2009 (-6.6% growth in the 4^th quarter of 2010) for
the first time since 1993. An indication of the trend of over-borrowing in
recent years is the fact that the ratio of loans to savings exceeded 100%
during the first half of 2009. By the end of 2009, the Greek economy faced the 2^nd
highest budget deficit after Ireland
(32% of GDP) and the highest government debt to GDP ratios in the EU. The 2009
budget deficit stood at 15.4% of GDP. This and the rising debt levels (127% of
GDP in 2009) led to rising borrowing costs, resulting in a severe economic
crisis. Greece
has been accused of trying to cover up the extent of its massive budget deficit
in the wake of the global financial crisis. This resulted from the massive
revision of the 2009 budget deficit forecast by the new Socialist government
elected in October 2009, from “6-8%” (estimated by the previous
government) to 12.7% (later revised to 15.4%).

The Greek maritime fleet is the largest in the
world, and the shipping industry is a key element of Greek economic activity
dating back to ancient times. Today, shipping is one of the country’s most
important industries. It accounts for 4.5% of GDP, employs about 160,000 people
(4% of the workforce). During the 1960s, the size of the Greek fleet nearly
doubled, primarily through the investment undertaken by the shipping magnates Onassis
and Niarchos. The basis of the Modern Greek maritime industry was formed after WW
II when Greek shipping businessmen were able to amass surplus ships sold to
them by the United States Government through the Ship Sales Act of the 1940s.
According to the Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS), the Greek-owned maritime fleet is today
the largest in the world, with 3,079 vessels accounting for 18% of the world’s
fleet capacity (making it the largest of any other country) with a total deadweight tonnage (dwt) of 141,931
thousand. In terms of ship categories, Greece ranks first in both tankers
and dry bulk carriers, fourth in the number of container ships, and fourth in
other ships. However, today’s fleet roster is smaller than an all-time high of
5,000 ships in the late 1970s.

In addition,
another industry that is suffering from the global financial crisis, the credit
crunch, and the recession, is the Shipping. In 2007, the basic price of
shipping a large container of goods from Asia to Europe
was $2,800. In October 2008, with demand plunging, that price was an
unprofitable $700. The container shippers during boom times ordered fleets of
new vessels for as much as $50 million apiece that are getting delivered only
now. Companies will try to cancel their orders, sell the ships, or even convert
them to tankers or cruise vessels. EU countries with huge shipping industries
will face high risk in this sector of their economies.^[83]
Further, Greece attracts
more than 16 million tourists each year, thus contributing 15% to the nation’s
Gross Domestic Product. In 2008, the country welcomed over 16.5 million
tourists. The number of jobs, directly or indirectly related to the tourism sector,
were 659,719 and represented 16.5% of the country’s total employment for 2004.

On March 11, 2011, at the European Summit meeting in
Brussels, Greece got an extension by 7.5
years of her loan from Troika. This €110 billion loan will be paid off in 2023,
instead of 2017 that was before (this will increase the interest cost of the
country). Also, the interest rate was reduced (the variable rate to 4.02% and
the fixed to 4.2%). These new agreements, the reduction of interest rate by 1%,
will save for Greece
€6 billion in interest cost. Thus, Greece will avoid bankruptcy until
2023. But, there will be more severe austerity measures by the lenders. Also, Greece
has to generate €50 billion in revenues through privatizations and the sales of
public property.^[84]
Greece
has lost her independence and the nation its sovereignty.

 

IV. CONCLUDING REMARKS

 

            The European expansion and the
current debt crisis have affected negatively all the member-nations of the
Euro-zone. The economic and social indicators reveal that Greece from a moral, ethical, and
just society, after the political changeover and her European integration is
becoming less and less competitive and more and more contaminated from all
these foreign influences; and EU is becoming less friendly with its members
(especially the small ones). ^[85]
 European Union (the forced integration
of 27 nations, without referenda) is the worst “innovation” in human history.
It is a mixture of twenty seven nations without domestic public policies,
without self-determination, without sovereignty, with huge but declining European
subsidies, with enormous debts and deficits, and of course, without any future^[86]
and with different present. All these strange evolutions coupled with the
global financial crisis, have increase the global uncertainty and the European
crisis, have caused unemployment and recessions in EU^[87]
and in Greece.
The free-market system has failed and needs more government regulation and
better corporate governance. Then, what are the social benefits? Why we need
these global changes and “evolutions”, which are against humanity? What are the
social benefits of the European Union and the EMU?

 

            The introduction of the euro in 1999
is a mismatch between the EU’s advanced economic and monetary union and the
poorer countries and at the same time, this is an incomplete political union.
The Euro-zone has a single monetary policy, but 17 separate national fiscal
policies. This unique arrangement is prone to problems and imbalances that
threaten the viability of having a common currency for distinctive and
completely different countries, like from Germany
to Malta.^[88]
The EU tries to create a European Monetary Fund (EMF), which will respond more
smoothly to financial crises within individual member-states, operating like
the IMF on a regional basis.^[89]
Also, discussions are made regarding the issue of Euro-bonds in the future. Greece’s and
the other Euro-zone’s nations crises have brought to light imbalances within
the Euro-zone. Some Northern European and industrial countries, such as
Germany, have relied on exports for economic growth and pursued policies that
aim to promote such export-led growth (as wage moderation, keep cost of
production low, increase competition, use of conservative fiscal policies,
promote high levels of savings, and large current account surpluses). The
Southern European and non-industrial countries, like Greece, have relied on
agriculture and tourism, but the euro has negatively affected both these
sectors (their products became expensive, due to an overvalued euro; as more
socially oriented nations, they have had higher levels of wage growth and more
expansionary fiscal policies, leading to less competitive exports and lower
levels of savings; have run large current account deficits; and another problem
that they have is the high levels of corruption; for all these, they have to
borrow to finance these deficits, the economic and the ethical one).     

           

The character of political, economic and monetary
unions is deeply influenced and depend on the density of associational life in
the union, the level of social trust, the confidence towards the free-market
system, the education, the language, the history, the culture, the tradition,
the religion, and a variety of other socio-cultural factors that lead countries
and individuals into closer social relations within the union. Now, on matters
of policy; the future of the common agricultural policy (CAP), the Union’s external trade relations, co-operation on defense,
enlargement, the Euro-constitution (=Treaty of Lisbon), etc.; the voices of the
small nations must be heard. Further ambitions for European integration need to
be balanced by an understanding of the gains and loses that countries have had
from the European projects. Security is also a serious issue and especially for
Greece.
Trade with the EU and the rest of the world (China, etc.) is another major
problem together with inward investment and the high unemployment^[90]
and foreclosures in the housing market, and promoting healthy competition
rather than oligopolies and monopolies, as at present. People must be encouraged
to save instead of borrowing, over-consuming, and wasting their resources.

 

National sovereignty
was formally indisputable and undisputed, and was even aggravated by the deeper
involvement of both governments and public opinion in economic, social,
educational, and political matters. Lately, national sovereignty is
increasingly eroded by growing economic and political interdependence, huge
loans (mortgaging of the public wealth) and lack of respect from the more
powerful to the less ones. Such contradictions cannot and will not last for
very long and the oppositions are observed every day, not only in EU, but all
over the world, even though that our “democracies” are using special well
trained police forces to suppress such voices and reactions and a very advanced
high tech spying system. A necessary improvement and adjustment must be made in
the system of international economic and political co-operation and to regulate
the financial markets; otherwise there will be a severe deterioration of
commercial, financial, political, cultural and other relations.

           

Finally, the two world wars of the 20^th
century, with their accompanying horrors, and the planned financial crisis of
the 21^st century show the weaknesses, the poverty, and the malice of
our leaders, who have accepted some inferior philosophies of heresies^[91]
and try to impose them on peoples and sovereign nations through integrations
and globalization. All these will fail because above their actions is a Divine
Providence, who guides humanity. These pseudo-leaders did and unfortunately
continue to do, much to undermine the faith, the hope, and the progress of
Greeks and all Europeans. Furthermore, while advances in science, increases in
material wealth and goods, and progresses in technology greatly improved the
material quality of life, they also increased the uncertainties, the
unhappiness, and the threats confronting humanity and they become worse day
after day. As a consequence of these experiences of the 20^th and the
new 21^st century, people and especially young are completely
disoriented, without traditional values, misinformed, and without true models.
Of course, every logical individual must be optimistic and work hard to become
a true person, independently of what the rest of the world is doing. The same
must hold for Greece, as a
sovereign nation, it must work hard by using its recourses, its civilization,
and its peoples to reach the highest welfare, according to its value system and
independently from this forced integration of Europe.
         

 

 

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