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	<title>Love of History &#187; economy</title>
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	<link>http://loveofhistory.com</link>
	<description>A historical perspective of current events</description>
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		<title>Economic Reality and Greek Culture</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/economic-reality-and-greek-culture/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/economic-reality-and-greek-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:12:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[archaeology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tourism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://loveofhistory.com/?p=2582</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You all know how modern Greece became bankrupt, how its population lives under extreme economic conditions, how the government is trying to pay off the debts (though, not that successfully). The IMF process demanded that the entire economy deflated, that the salaries and the prices were reduced, so that Greece became competitive again. Competitive in what, though? Since the euro entered our lives, most Greeks have been living on borrowed money and time. They neither created products nor offered services. Now they have to go back to their roots and find new entrepreneurial ways of survival. One of the avenues they have chosen was to go back to the land and cultivate specialised crops. The other one was tourism. Tourism has a long history in Greece that actually predates the birth of Jesus Christ. In modern post-bankruptchy Greece it has taken a new meaning. Several local and international organisations are trying to profit from Greece&#8217;s long tradition and history. The worst of them put up a banner close to archaeological sites and sell souvenirs. The best of them are devising elaborate schemes. Among them, archaeological theme parks are probably the most promising ones. Recreating antiquity will probably be the best way to attract people like you and me, lovers of history. The feasibility of these parks will not rely entirely on the entrepreneurial spirit of the businessman, though. The state should also give its permission and define the regulations for organising such ventures. In these cases, I sincerely hope that Greek administrative officials will leave behind them old practices and that they will embrace the new and the unknown. If anything, I expect the Greek state to enhance its touristic infrastructure and provide some funds to starving museums (and archaeologists). People in my profession may be idealistic but they still need to eat!]]></description>
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		<title>Greek Archaeology in Crisis</title>
		<link>http://loveofhistory.com/greek-archaeology-in-crisis/</link>
		<comments>http://loveofhistory.com/greek-archaeology-in-crisis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 07:56:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[constantinakatsari]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[archaeology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greek cirsis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PhD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salamis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://constantinakatsari.wordpress.com/?p=218</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For the past few months the Greeks have been the target of many demeaning jokes across the European Union. The near-bankruptcy of Greece caused the indignation of our European ‘Allies’, because of the fear that they will have to pay for my country’s alleged bailout. We have been called many things: disorganized, irresponsible, crooks, swindlers, fraudsters, cheaters. The image they forged for us hurts! My new identity as a fraudster is impossible to swallow or accept without protest. I have been abroad for the good part of the past fourteen years in an attempt to serve the discipline of history to the best of my abilities. I consider myself in voluntary exile, as I reside away from the people I love the most. Whether I was in Ireland, Italy, England or Germany, I always longed for the strong Greek sun, the unpredictability of our seas, the understanding of my family. And yet, I chose to stay away, not because I wanted to build an illustrious career but because I wanted to live with some dignity. I knew what my fate would have been, if I stayed in Athens. Apart from a few lucky exceptions, most of my friends have been suffering a life of extreme poverty, even by academic standards. Do not get me wrong. They are all highly educated, as they speak 3-4 languages, they hold MAs or PhDs from the best universities, they publish their own research and they have a general knowledge that many would be jealous of. Despite their qualifications, they do not have a stable job. Many work as private tutors for high school kids. Others get the occasional 6-month archaeology contract to work hundreds of miles away from home. In the meantime, they stay with their parents (even though they approach their fortieth birthday), since they cannot afford to pay for their own rent. In view of the latest developments in the Greek economy, I started wondering how many of them swindled the Greek State or the European Union for profit. Obviously, none! Where are the culprits, then? Who spent the money? Who led the country into bankruptcy? Last night I have been watching a Chardavellas documentary. For those who do not know him, he is a journalist, who specializes on paranormal phenomena (!). Unlike his usual topics of astral projections, psychic abilities and life after death, he surprised us all by uncovering the truth for the condition of the tombs of the warriors of Salamis. As most of you know, Salamis is the island where the Greek city-states stopped the Asian forces, before they managed to conquer the entire Europe in 480 BC. Effectively, they altered the route of history. The modern Greek government initially declared the site, where the tombs of the Salaminomachoi lie, as a protected archaeological area. In theory, this is a sacred place. In practice, for the past twenty years it became the theater of a new battle; a battle between the local citizens and the powerful shipbuilding companies, one of which belonged to the family of Karamanli (politicians who defined Greek politics from the end of the civil war until today). Chardavellas last night presented us with a grim picture of decaying boats, rubbish and polluted waters on the archaeological site. Then, he unveiled the web of corruption and bribery that underlines the situation. Apparently, the Greek State spent millions of the taxpayers’ money in order to sustain and promote the use of the site as a shipbuilding yard, despite the protests of the locals. At another time, the Ministry of Culture even ordered the police forces to demolish the (90,000 euro) monument that celebrated the battle of Salamis. The locals, in vain, clashed with the police. With this example I would like to set things straight. You should not look among the majority of Greek citizens for the culprits of the current economic crisis. The perpetrators are the politicians and the affluent who took advantage of the dysfunctional system in order to achieve unprecedented profits. The Greek citizens never consented to this situation. In fact, Konstantinos Karamanlis (Greece’s prime minister until last October) was voted into power 6 years ago because he claimed that he would fight against corruption. The results of his policies are only too obvious!]]></description>
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