The beginning of the end

 

                                                                                    Anastassios D. Retzios

The current situation in Greece ranges from tragic to comic and back.  The government hardly functions, the various ministers are more interested in the “assessment” of the troika than in governing the place, and many of the same ministers find it convenient to accuse others.  The whole situation is more reminiscent of a nut house than of a functioning government.

“Europeanizing” Greeks are a reflection in time of the “Romanizing” Greeks,

By Anastassios D. Retzios

Many of you have heard of the theater of Herod Atticus near the Acropolis of Athens. But, you may not know who Herod Atticus actually was.  Before I go on and give you a brief biographical note for Herod Atticus, let me preface it by stating that he was as close to the model of a “Europeanizing” Greek as one could get in antiquity.  He was born at the end of the 1^st century CE, a scion of a prominent Athenian family with substantial connections to the Roman administration.  He was a very good friend of Emperor Hadrian, who actually appointed him governor of the Roman province of Asia (western Anatolia).  Eventually, he got married into the imperial family.  He moved to Rome for a period of time and acquired a lot of property in the Italian peninsula.  He was appointed consul of the Roman Empire (one of the two holding office annually) by emperor Antoninus Pius, in 143. This was the highest office in the Empire one could aspire to (if one did not lead a rebellion). It was a major honor, achieved only by a few members of the Senatorial class (of which, Herod Atticus was a member).

Retzios: The Eurozone is leading Greece to ruin

 It is easily discernible that the Euro and the Eurozone regulations (and its current leadership) are a poor fit for Greece that needs its own monetary policy to be successful.  Our adherence to the Eurozone is thus leading the country to ruin.  But we cannot drop our “European-ness” and our adherence to the Euro for dear life.  We are led to ruin because we cannot adapt to the changing circumstances and take our chances in a new paradigm.

Our adherence to the Eurozone is thus leading the country to ruin.

 By Anastassios D. Retzios, Ph.D.

San Ramon, California, USA

It is easily discernible that the Euro and the Eurozone regulations (and its current leadership) are a poor fit for Greece that needs its own monetary policy to be successful.  Our adherence to the Eurozone is thus leading the country to ruin.  But we cannot drop our “European-ness” and our adherence to the Euro for dear life.  We are led to ruin because we cannot adapt to the changing circumstances and take our chances in a new paradigm.