In a case of another political philosophy being pulled from the rotting garbage dump of history, Golden Dawn, modern fascists and antagonists to the KKE are the third most popular political party in Greece. Their presence is less prominent in the streets of Athens. However, reactions to them are everywhere. Anti-fascist and anti-Nazi symbolism is easy to find. Once again communists and fascists are having at it.
There are lots of people to be seen during the day in Athens not engaged in any productive capacity. It’s hard for me to say what portion of these people are unemployed and what portion are simply taking a break. I’m curious, but enough to go around asking random people on the street their employment status so I can post about it on my blog.
There are obvious homeless on the streets. It’s not a shock. Any large city in America has this problem. Like a lot things, locals just say it existed before and has just gotten worse with the crisis. Homelessness has exploded in Athens lately and created more issues for the system to handle.
Another Crisis
Coming to and from Kalymnos I had a few hours in Kos as I waited to change ferries. Kos is quite a bit larger than Kalymnos and more heavily trafficked. There are a few signs of the economic situation, but another crisis is what grabs attention on Kos.
While Greece has been weathering their economic crisis an overflow of migrants has simultaneously appeared. They come from Syria, Iraq, Libya, and beyond. Greece has become the top destination in Europe for refugees.
Groups of these immigrants gather near the ferry port in Kos. Having escaped physical dangers in their homelands they still face incredible insecurity in their new locales. Greece does not know how to handle the influx of people. Even if it did, there remains the issue of them having the means to handle it. Their presence is very visible. Walking to Nerantzia Castle, built by the Knights Hospitaller to protect Kos from outsiders, the refugees line the street and park. There is the unmistakable smell of human shit in the shadow of the tree beneath which Hippocrates once taught medicine. There is no ignoring it. These people do not choose to come to Greece like I do, at leisure and with little concern. They come from some of the most horrific conditions currently found on earth.
The problem is long term one too. So much of Aleppo, where the Silk Road ended, has been turned to dust. Why return home when there is nothing to return to?
Greece is not alone in facing this. For most, Greece is only a transit. A pit stop before Germany or elsewhere. Italy too has been overwhelmed with people coming from the sea.
I do not have solutions to this refugee problems. Not now. Not yet. Maybe not ever. At least I can say I observed it and in some small measure documented it.
On the Way Forward
Greeks seem to have mixed feelings about the future. The near- and medium- terms are going to be painful. How painful is anyone’s guess. Still, the long-term leaves room for optimism. A shop owner on Kalymnos insisted to me that what Greece was facing wasn’t even really a crisis. Greece had faced those before. Greece was dealing with “problems”. Nevertheless, he was insistent that the Greek spirit would overcome the problems and the economy would be prosperous once again. It’s tough to have the kind of optimism he had, but it might have worked to convince that Greece will survive and thrive again. It’s going to be a while, but for their sake, I hope the Greek spirit does triumph.
