Monday 5 June 2006

The day Greece entered the West

Today is one of these days that people will remember with a bitter smile pinned on their faces. While having my morning coffee the Sunday newspapers brought me the news that Greece finally became a true country of the Western civilazation. There would have been nothing wrong with this of course had it been due to economic development, infrastructure, great cultural achivements, important inventions.

The day that Greece became a true member of the Western Civilazation is the day four teenagers, children really aged 11 to 14, were accused for the murder of their class mate.

Greek always felt shocked when such a murder was in the news. But it has always been somewhere far, somewhere where the greek family values and the religious faith were not dominating. Greeks felt safe that although they were enjoying all the good aspects of the "west" they did not suffer any of its consequenses. The reason for that as they thought was their balanced view of the world and the strong family bonds. The traditional greek values.

So as USA had Superman to save them from evil Greece had its values. But as superman never appeared to save any of the victims of teenage violence, Greek values have proven to be insufficient if not just fictionary. So now that Greeks don't feel safe anymore not even from their own children maybe they will start wondering why only the shiny cover of the greek values stayed with them and the essential core has left them long ago.