Cyprus-Forum.com

[Nikitas]

The Greeks harnessing the power of the Greek lobbies overseas needs at least two things: Greeks to stop treating the emigrants as idiots because they do not speak good Greek. I will get to that in a minute, and to concede some local knowledge and expertise to those emigrant Greeks.

There is the Ministry department of Emigrant Greeks that supposedly maintains and cultivates contacts with emigrants. I know that some friends who work therein have enjoyed sumptuous holidays in USA and Australia en famille, at government expense, because it is regarded as unfair to send an employee alone overseas on a work mission, the family should go along.

As to the language thing. Some years back a young Greek Australian medical researcher who made international news with a breakthrough in cancer diagnostics was invited to Greece. It was shameful to see local professors, most of whom inherited their seats, treat her like an idiot because she did not speak good Greek. I wanted to go to that meeting and address them in Cypriot terms, starting with gamo ton kapile sas pezevenghides.

I can understand George Stephanopoulos, the former Clinton aide and current TV newsman, refusing to speak Greek in interviews with the Greek press. He listens to the question in Greek and responds in English. He knows the ridicule he would receive if he got a word wrong despite being recognised as one of the most brilliant minds in the USA.

The same problem is faced by current finance minister Tsakalotos, an Oxford qualified economics professor, who labors a little with his Greek. But he manages to write the comments on his testicles as they say here, good for him.

[Paphitis]

Nikitas,

I can identify with you're above post from my experiences in Greece.

My Greek is also a little labored much like Tsakolotos (an Oxford Graduate if I am not mistaken). The guy is no idiot, and neither are many high achiever like Stephanopoulos.

But I have managed the art of writing them on my Arhidthia as they say in Greece. They don't bother me at all and I just go about my business. The same ridicule for someone in the USA or AUS who might labour with their English is a lot less prevalent I must admit. They actually might find the accent charismatic and intrigueing.

There are some really great Greek minds in AUS and USA. Many are now 3rd or even 4th generation and don't speak Greek at all but they still go to the mandatory Greek Church surfaces twice a year to keep the old folk happy so they are not completely detached from their roots and most go on holidays in Greece.

They are all people who I believe are willing to assist Greece in whatever is required but most feel Greece is not interested which is highly stupid inmho.

The sad thing is, there is a certain arrogance that is detected by foreign countries and that is very harmful.

[Pyrpolizer]

Schäuble himself proposed them to return to drachma. They straggled assisted by the French to remain in the EZ.
So how are the people of Greece going to revolt and burn everything down? Why should they burn the German embassy in particular anyway??
Greek politicians just bough 3 years of time. They will have no other option after these 3 years than return to drachma.
When this happens Government jobs will be worthless.The big state will have to shrink because it will have nowhere to borrow from and not enough working citizens in the real economy to sustain such a huge state.
That will be the time the politicians will loose power and that's when the whole system will be overhauled.

[Oceanside50]

The Greeks harnessing the power of the Greek lobbies overseas needs at least two things: Greeks to stop treating the emigrants as idiots because they do not speak good Greek. I will get to that in a minute, and to concede some local knowledge and expertise to those emigrant Greeks.

There is the Ministry department of Emigrant Greeks that supposedly maintains and cultivates contacts with emigrants. I know that some friends who work therein have enjoyed sumptuous holidays in USA and Australia en famille, at government expense, because it is regarded as unfair to send an employee alone overseas on a work mission, the family should go along.

As to the language thing. Some years back a young Greek Australian medical researcher who made international news with a breakthrough in cancer diagnostics was invited to Greece. It was shameful to see local professors, most of whom inherited their seats, treat her like an idiot because she did not speak good Greek. I wanted to go to that meeting and address them in Cypriot terms, starting with gamo ton kapile sas pezevenghides.

I can understand George Stephanopoulos, the former Clinton aide and current TV newsman, refusing to speak Greek in interviews with the Greek press. He listens to the question in Greek and responds in English. He knows the ridicule he would receive if he got a word wrong despite being recognised as one of the most brilliant minds in the USA.

The same problem is faced by current finance minister Tsakalotos, an Oxford qualified economics professor, who labors a little with his Greek. But he manages to write the comments on his testicles as they say here, good for him.

i think they want attention when they Cypriot/Greek act up to diaspora Greeks..I think this thing started in the 70's because of Greek American involvement in supporting the junta and the Greek parties took that and turned it against all Americans etc....The things that could be achieved if these two could come together and organize would be extraordinary..someone mentioned that the Greek lobby is only second to the Jews, it once was but now its only a myth...If it wasn't for the Cyprus invasion in 74 there wouldn't even be a Greek lobby in the USA...

[Nikitas]

Paphitis said: "most feel Greece is not interested which is highly stupid inmho.


Ocean: "The things that could be achieved if these two could come together and organize would be extraordinary."

EXACTLY to both statements. When you think of just one Greek mind, Nicholas Negreponte, the IT genius of MIT, and what he could contribute if they let him. And all the other thousands of experts in almost every field who are willing to contribute.

But the local intelligentsia managed to read a bad translation of Marx, who peaked in 1848, and they think the got the pope by the balls.

[Pyrpolizer]

There is no doubt the mainland Greeks are highly intelligent people. Imo that's the source of their problem. When everybody is highly intelligent then he opts for high ranking position. Imagine a society in which everybody is a genius and everybody becomes academic PhD holder. Who is going to do productive work to support all those academics? The "normal" for a society to progress is to have 20 idiots for every smart guy of the population. That's what happens in the USA and all other advanced countries. And that's the reason the Greeks become successful when they get out of Greece. Even their political system with all that corruption is a result of their complicated and elevated brains.

In Cyprus we are closer to the normal of dumb Vs genius ratio, that's why we do much better than them, although we are not as smart (on the average) as the mainland Greeks.

In Turkey of course the ratio is 1:100 so here's a great chance for the mainland Greeks. As soon as Turkey enters the EU I have no doubt the mainland Greeks will hold the strings of everything of importance in Turkey.

[Get Real!]

There is no doubt the mainland Greeks are highly intelligent people.

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

Nobody has emerged from the entire Balkans (let alone Greece) in the last 100-200 years with a worthwhile discovery or anything that could be even remotely called “genius”!



It’s like we live in two different planets Pyro…

[Pyrpolizer]

There is no doubt the mainland Greeks are highly intelligent people.

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

Nobody has emerged from the entire Balkans (let alone Greece) in the last 100-200 years with a worthwhile discovery or anything that could be even remotely called “genius”!



It’s like we live in two different planets Pyro…

If you are looking for names read previous posts. Who invented the Pap test?

[Paphitis]

There is no doubt the mainland Greeks are highly intelligent people. Imo that's the source of their problem. When everybody is highly intelligent then he opts for high ranking position. Imagine a society in which everybody is a genius and everybody becomes academic PhD holder. Who is going to do productive work to support all those academics? The "normal" for a society to progress is to have 20 idiots for every smart guy of the population. That's what happens in the USA and all other advanced countries. And that's the reason the Greeks become successful when they get out of Greece. Even their political system with all that corruption is a result of their complicated and elevated brains.

In Cyprus we are closer to the normal of dumb Vs genius ratio, that's why we do much better than them, although we are not as smart (on the average) as the mainland Greeks.

In Turkey of course the ratio is 1:100 so here's a great chance for the mainland Greeks. As soon as Turkey enters the EU I have no doubt the mainland Greeks will hold the strings of everything of importance in Turkey.

Are you serious?

[Paphitis]

There is no doubt the mainland Greeks are highly intelligent people.

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

Nobody has emerged from the entire Balkans (let alone Greece) in the last 100-200 years with a worthwhile discovery or anything that could be even remotely called “genius”!



It’s like we live in two different planets Pyro…

If you are looking for names read previous posts. Who invented the Pap test?

Sorry Pyro but the Pap test might be ok but when a country has a Space Program and is building things like the 787 Dreamliner, then I think Greece is way out of its depth!

The differences between Greece and countries like the USA is stark - like night and day.

Firstly, the Anglo Saxons/Germans/Irish have a different character to what we see in Southern Europe. They don't rock the boat for starters, work as a united team, and when the shit hits the fan they roll up their sleeves.

You just have to look at all the innovation, important discoveries coming from these countries, inventions, technology etc. there is a reason why they are at the top and why the Germans nearly took over the world some 70 years ago.