Hello everyone, this is the first edition of a hopefully recurring series of short essays that I will write while I am in Greece. The topics will differ radically, and there will not be any particular theme. I will simply write about whatever I notice during my travels, or I will be commenting on various current events as they arise.
These essays won’t really be academic in nature; they are meant to be more conversational and casual, similar to a blog. So, without further ado, here is my first topic in a series that will be cleverly titled: Alexandros’ Greek Blog.
I wanted to discuss the state of the Greek youth and their relationship with politics here in Greece. Unfortunately, Greece has been a politically inept state since the fall of the junta in 1974. Scandals, patronage politics, bribery, and corruption seem to be synonymous with the Greek political system, especially in the era following the financial crisis. With low confidence in the system, most young Greeks have turned to anti-establishment parties, which often focus on political messaging and protest, rather than actual political action.
Despite the prevalence of political extremism within Greece, these parties seem to be permanently relegated to the opposition, with the notable exception of SYRIZA in 2015. The result is interesting: disaffected youth flock to these anti-establishment parties with little to no political future, and their political life (along with the party itself) seems to never result in anything more than a permanent protest against the system.
Unfortunately, pragmatism means the sacrifice of their political ideals, and cooperation is paramount to being a sellout. So, these small political parties, and the youth that support them, tend to fizzle out and never ascend to power.
This is especially true with the Right Wing and the Far Left. The youth scene for nationalists essentially means that you will forever be associated with hooliganism and political violence, you become a social pariah, and your ideals, however laudable, are tainted by the recent political history surrounding Golden Dawn. The Left, although politically inverted, has a similar fate. Anarchism and hardline Communism will never again be relevant political ideologies, so the steadfast supporters tend to grow up as hippies and beatniks who are generally dismissed as unserious.
Anyone familiar with my organization and my writings will know that there is no love lost between me and the Left. I consider myself to be very patriotic and loyal to the cause of the Hellenic people worldwide, which is why I am especially interested in the Right-Wing youth in Greece. The association with violence and hooliganism in the aftermath of Golden Dawn has culminated in the unfortunate association of patriotism with political violence and corruption.
Similarly, the Leftist criticisms of capitalism do have some foundation in reality. However, the socialist or anarchist alternative has been categorically rejected by the world after the collapse of the USSR. Nevertheless, labor politics tend to have a distinctly Leftist flavor to them, which deserves a fair shake in the political arena.
This is essentially the purpose of KTE. Due to the history of the diaspora and the patriotic inclinations of Greek-Americans, the disconnect between Greek society and the diaspora is quite palpable. I always arrive in Greece, my ancestral land, hoping to find a party or a group that can combine the patriotic fervor that I feel so intensely with a pragmatic attitude and solid political aspirations.
There needs to be a reliable place for the Greek youth to express itself politically. Likewise, there needs to be a serious and reliable place for political expressions of Orthodoxy and Christianity, and there needs to be a serious assessment of both criticisms of capitalism and the application of patriotic thought to governance.
The Greek youth lack quality political representation on so many levels – this is one of the many reasons behind political apathy and emigration away from Greece. Although Greece may have a broken political system, it is still OUR country, and we have a responsibility to give the Greek youth the future it deserves.
The conclusion? Well, it’s hard to pinpoint a single one; the criticisms of the political system aren’t new, but I believe my solution is. It begins with the serious, concentrated, and legitimate inclusion of the Greek Diaspora into Greek politics. This would bring the patriotism in our communities abroad back to the political battleground in a meaningful way. It would also serve to rejuvenate the country through robust political debate and economic opportunities, something sorely missing after the financial crisis. Similarly, the commitment to political convention and corruption would change overnight in a country that now has a significant population raised in the West, where the tolerance of such actions is much lower.
Of course, the issue with the youth is more spiritual than political. While church attendance in Greece is relatively low, especially among young people, the Church in America and the West is experiencing a renaissance of youth involvement and mass conversions. While Orthodoxy appears to be a social faux pas in Greece, the attitude is much different in the diaspora. A religious Greece is a strong Greece, because ultimately, God allows for all things to happen, good or bad.
It has become my personal mission to “save Greece,” and although I realize that my contributions as a mere political commentator with a small Instagram following are minor at most, I believe that the collective effort of Greek society and the Greek Diaspora can revolutionize Greece and alter its course.
-Alexandros