If we had any doubt that Greece is still a mess and public anger runs high, it was quickly dispelled in a talk on recent Greek history and Greece today given by our resident local guides, Stella and Smaro. The Greeks threw out their Ottoman occupiers of 400 years back in 1832 and over the next several decades through the end of the First World War, the country took on the geographical shape that it is today including several islands (among which Crete) and the northern regions bordering Albania, FYRoM (the country that officially goes by the delightful name of the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” - we just call them assholes explained one of our guides) and Bulgaria. A disastrous war with Turkey, political assasinations, a brutal occupation by the Nazis, an especially nasty civil war, a military coup, rampant corruption and an economic meltdown fairly succinctly describes Greece through the 20th and into the 21st Centuries. The country had unwanted and unloved monarchs imposed on them by Britain, Germany and Russia. The last monarch - part Danish, part German) was deposed in the military coup of 1967 and when offered the chance of monarchical restoration in the mid-‘70’s, the Greeks voted decisively “no” in a referendum.

The current mess that Greece finds itself in, dates back to 2009 when the then Prime Minister negotiated the first of several loans from international financial institutions based on falsified economic data which resulted in a downward spiral which according to Smaro, Greece is never going to be able to escape from. As soon became apparent, the Greek government also used falsified economic data to gain admittance to the Euro, a disastrous error which makes it even more difficult for Greece to escape from the downward economic spiral that it’s trapped in.

However, while acknowledging Greece’s underlying problems - corruption, poor governance, massive youth unemployment, an over-stuffed public service bureaucracy, a brain drain, tax avoidance - Smaro placed the blame for Greece’s predicament fairly and squarely on Germany - “the third time in 100 years”.....oh and also Goldman, Sachs! They should never have forced loans on us we can never repay. They should never have forced austerity on us. They should forgive all our debts like They forgave Germany’s debts in the 1950’s....They, They, They.....



The added irony which seemed to have escaped Stella and Smaro is that their diatribe was delivered on a German-owned vessel with a predominantly German crew. Many young Greeks emigrate as soon as they complete their education - mainly to Germany. Much of the archeological excavation showcasing Greece’s glorious heyday (which by the way was 2000 years ago) and which is the cornerstone of Greece’s biggest industry - tourism - has been carried out by German archeologists. 

Many economists point will point out that Germany is not blameless in the mess in which Greece now finds itself. There can be little doubt though that populist resentment is alive and thriving in Greece today. But until Greece and its populist, rabble-rousing politicians face up to and tackle their underlying chronic problems, the country will remain Europe’s number 1 basket case.....