Exploring the Riots in Greece

New York.- From the Editorʼs Desk
Greek News in order to help our readers to understand the recent events in Greece, offers a series of editorials from various sources. Starting with an analysis written for the Greek News, by Dr. Anna Karpathakis, Associate Professor of Sociology at Kingsborough College, few comments sent to us by John Sitilides, chairman of the Southeast Europe Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center and chairman of the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute Advanced Area Studies Program for Greece & Cyprus, as well as few news analysis and commentaries from main international media, as the Wall Street Journal, Associated Press and Reuters. (Pages 35, 36 & 37)

Greek Americans are shocked at the events unfolding for more than a week now in our motherland. The police killing of an innocent 15 year old boy has proven to be only the drop that made the water spilled over. What we see in Greece is absence of rule of law. A country where a policeman takes the law in his own hands, like a cowboy. A country where the anarchists enjoy immunity from prosecution and freedom to destroy private and public properties, while the police is busy chasing 15year olds.

As a result of the above our motherland is on the headlines of every media of the world, making it impossible for investors, or even tourists, to come to Greece.

Greece had faced similar problems with riots in the past, even acts of terrorism. We thought that we have put them behind, especially after 2004, with the Olympics and the countryʼs image has been improved. Unfortunately, this government has proven us all wrong. Not only because it was unable to control its police forces and protect its citizens lives and properties, but also because of the political climate it created in the country, with scandals and corruption.

Greek Youth enjoys the fate of the rest of Europeʼs young people, with high rate of unemployment. While Greece’s economy has expanded rapidly, about 25% of young people are unemployed. The lucky ones that find employment receive low wages, making their university degrees look worthless. Thatʼs why the main concern of western political analysts is the possibility of the crisis to spill all over Europe.