Category: political

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”

This is an excerpt from an executive order that came down from the White House. What this is saying is that boys in school who consider themselves to be girls should have access to the girls room, the girls locker room, and should be able to participate in girls sports. This is exactly what many of us feared was going to happen in the event of a democratic victory in Presidential elections. Without defending the attack on the Capital, one can honestly say that Donald Trump has already been missed.

From a conservative-libertarian standpoint, all consenting adults should be free to live as they like. This includes the right to have whatever surgery they like. The problem here is that this radical agenda is being imposed on the rest of society including children. It is an established fact of reality that a man cannot become a woman, and a woman cannot become a man.

If some people believe otherwise that is their right and it is their right to “transition” if they so desire. But they do not have the right to force the rest of us to abandon reality. They most certainly do not have the right to impose this agenda on children. Some years back the Democrats used to accuse the Republicans of waging a “war on women”.

That was amusing then considering that accusation was coming from the party of Bill Clinton and the Kennedys. That accusation is even more bizarre and hypocritical coming from a party that has supported permitting men to use the ladies room. Not being content with permitting men to use the ladies room, they are now ready to send boys into girls restrooms and locker rooms.

This is why it is difficult from a Greek Orthodox standpoint not to view the Democrats as a threat to freedom of worship. Christians believe that God has made man in his own image. Male and female he created them, as the Book of Genesis tells us. Any believing Christian (or Muslim or Jew) that objects to this madness is going to be considered a “transphobe”. Public life for Christians (and non Christians) has just gotten more difficult.

With the coming to power of the Biden administration, voices from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in New York have responded with great enthusiasm. One does not not need to elaborate any further on this particular fact.

One recalls reading an issue of Time Magazine in 2016 to read about the Russian Presidents visit to Mount Athos. Another article in that same magazine had an article from a woman who wrote about her “pregnant brother”. The article was accompanied by a picture of a bearded woman breastfeeding an infant.

That is when the secularists and “social progressives” completely lost their minds. Normal people whether they are Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or atheists have always recognized a reality common to all. That it is impossible for men to get pregnant and to give birth.

Normal people recognize that an individual who can get pregnant and give birth is a woman! This fact should have confirmed the trans movement as farce. A woman who “transitions” into a man and gives birth is ultimately a woman because MEN DO NOT GIVE BIRTH!!!

Rather than bowing to reality, the political left chose to declare war on reality by insisting that men can in fact give birth. Furthermore, the political left and the lunatics who now control the Democratic Party consider people who live in reality to be “transphobic” because we do not believe men can give birth or that men and boys should be using female restrooms and locker rooms.

The Biden administration has just taken a shot at those who adhere to the Christian faith. The pagan agenda of the Democratic Party is being unveiled.

Postscript

Message to Donald Trump. All is forgiven. Fight Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats, stay healthy, and run again in 2024.

President elect Joe Biden has been embraced by many Greeks and even media in Greece seem to have embraced the myth that Biden will conduct a pro Greek foreign policy. The problem here is that very few have actually done a real analysis of Biden’s foreign policy advocacy and the past record of the Democratic Party on Greek issues. There are serious obstacles facing Greek-American relations under the incoming Biden administration.

In the past, Democratic administrations have not been good for Greece. For example, the Carter administration despite proclaiming a pro human rights foreign policy lifted the arms embargo on Turkey that Congress imposed after the Turkish invasions of Cyprus during the summer of 1974. Furthermore, Bill Clinton promised he would not recognize the former Yugoslav Republic of Skopje with the name of Macedonia (more on the significance of this below).

The Clinton administration had the chance to demonstrate its friendly stance toward Greece on January 31, 1996 when Turkey claimed the islet of Imia in the Aegean Sea. Treaties and maps showed that this islet was Greek. However, Turkey’s strategic position outweighed Greece’s territorial rights in the eyes of the foreign policy established and Greece was forced to stand down against Turkish aggression. In August 1996, Cypriot protesters Tasos Isaac and Solomos Solomou were murdered in cold blood by Turkish occupation forces and no effort was ever made to bring their murderers to trial.

Like Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Barack Obama made promises to the Greeks. In early 2009, Obama travelled to Turkey and met with Patriarch Bartholomew but he met with the Patriarch in a hotel room away from media. Furthermore, Obama insulted Greece by comparing the treatment of Greek Christians in Turkey with the Muslims of west Thrace who are prospering. Then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insulted Greece by saying the same thing to Archbishop Demetrios of America.

Returning to Clinton’s recognition of Skopje with the name of Macedonia. Greek interests were subordinated to the perceived greater interests of the Balkans at that particular time. The Clinton administration was intent on supporting Croatia and Bosnia against Serbia. The anti-Serbian foreign policy meant a pro Turkish foreign policy as Ankara was supporting Bosnia and shared the Clinton administrations foreign policy.

Therefore, Greek interests over the name of Macedonia were not considered important. In addition, Serbia was Greece’s closest ally in the region having fought with the Greeks in the Balkan Wars and both World Wars. The Clinton administration wanted Greece to be anti Serbian and was not interested in hearing about Turkey. Sound familiar?

The anti Russian hysteria today is similar to the anti Serbian hysteria of the 1990’s. Joe Biden has always been and remains a supporter of the foreign policy establishment because he follows what others tell him unlike Donald Trump who formulated his own foreign policy. Biden was a supporter of going to war with Serbia during the 1990’s, supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and is a supporter of provoking tensions with Russia.

Biden is considered an expert on foreign policy and once sat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Despite this, he is not a foreign policy expert. He is a politician with no historical knowledge or understanding of other countries. In this, he shares the ignorance and lack of sophistication of George W. Bush.

The American foreign policy establishment with the full support of the Democratic Party, the dominant left wing media, and others is fully intent on pursuing an anti Russian foreign policy. The problems that Greece and Cyprus face from an aggressive Turkey will be subordinated to the Biden administration’s anti Russian policies.

The intervention of the State Department in Church affairs in Ukraine is an example of what is ahead for Greece. Greece and Cyprus are intended to be on board for Washington’s anti Russian agenda. As with with the case of Serbia during the 1990’s, Turkey is going to be considered an ally against the Russians.

Historically, Turkey has always been a beneficiary of anti Russian hysteria. This can be seen by the outbreak of anti Russian hysteria in Great Britain at the outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853 in which the British and French backed the Ottoman Empire over Russia. During the Cold War, Turkey was considered an important ally against the Soviet Union and so in all likelihood the Biden administration will at least attempt to improve relations with Turkey in pursuit of an anti Russian coalition.

Whether the Erdogan government is willing to change its foreign policy to take part in such a coalition is uncertain. Perhaps the Erdogan government will refuse which will be a good thing for Greece and Cyprus. However, in the short term it can be reasonably asserted that Joe Biden is no friend of Greece.

Based on the present set of facts that we have before us and following historical precedents there is no reason for Greeks to put any trust in Joe Biden. Greeks have the terrible tendency of listening to rhetoric and ignoring and forgetting actual facts.

January 31 will be the twenty fifth anniversary of the notorious Imia affair. Imia is the name of a Greek islet in the Aegean Sea that Turkey claimed. The Treaty of Peace with Italy that was signed in 1947 gave the Dodecanese islands along with all islets in the Aegean Sea to Greece. There is no question that Imia is a Greek islet.

Despite historic treaties and maps affirming Imia as Greek, Athens was pressured by the United States government to withdraw the Greek flag from Imia. This was a major defeat and setback for Greece and a victory for Turkey. It should be remembered that it was the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton that neutralized Greek sovereignty over Imia.

Over the past half a year or so, Turkish aggression has been manifested against Greece and Cyprus. Turkey challenges Greek sovereignty in the eastern mediterranean and claims outright several Greek islands that belong to Athens according to international treaties and are populated by ethnic Greeks. There are two factors in the year 2020 that were different from 1996.

The first difference was that the internationalist Prime Minister Costas Simitis and his PASOK party are gone from the political scene. Simitis was an anti Greek Prime Minister that was more interested in being European. Greece today is led by New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis who has proven to be more of a nationalist and is more committed to the defense of Greece than Simitis was.

The second difference between 2020 and 1996 is the difference between the Trump and the Clinton administrations. In 1996, Undersecretary of State Richard Holbrooke “negotiated” between Greece and Turkey. In reality, he pressured Greece to back down and the Greek flag came down from Imia.

In 2020, the Greek Government under the leadership of Mitsotakis stood up to the Turks and has refused to give away Greece’s sovereign rights. There is no evidence that the Trump administration in any way attempted to bully Greece into making concessions to the Turks.

Just something for Greeks to consider carefully before the inauguration of Joe Biden.

Homer’s “The Odyssey” has apparently been removed from a school curriculum in Massachusetts because of its alleged racism and sexism. Also being targeted by other leftists is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” and the works of Shakespeare. The stupidity of political correctness ends the year that saw the eruption of violence throughout America and the destruction of statues of historical figures (including abolitionists).

Ideological lunatics control both the Universities as well as the public schools and it appears the time has come for the classics to take a beating. I happen to have received a membership card to join the Republican Party. I have hesitated to make a decision on the grounds that there is much about the Republican Party that I do not agree with. Neo-conservatives and “Christian” Zionists are elements of the Party that are not trustworthy.

Yet, the stupidity of political correctness and the insanity of the political left leaves one with no sensible choice other than to join and support the Republican Party. The Democratic Party is the party of the neo-pagans who support the gay, lesbian, and transgender ideology. It is also the party whose constituency believes in defunding (or outright abolishing) the Police.

The Trump administration was great because for the most part it stood in opposition to both the political correctness of the Democrats and to the worst elements of the Republicans (neo-cons). Now a decision has to be made. At least for the short term, I will be going along with the Republicans with the hope and possibility that the America first agenda of Donald Trump will have taken hold in the Republican Party and that the neocons can be kept in check.

The political left is completely insane and its agenda is aimed directly at the overthrow of Christianity, democracy, and all aspects of culture. Let it not be forgotten that the 2020 elections were conducted under the threat of riots and mass disturbances. The Democratic Party is the party of Marxism, neo-paganism, and censorship.

There is a teacher in that school in Massachusetts that is actually taking credit for being responsible for the removal of Homer’s “The Odyssey” from her school. She openly said that she is proud of this deed. Does anyone really need to guess her party affiliation or which political candidate she voted for in the 2020 Presidential elections?

The spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova has publicly criticized outgoing American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The Russian Foreign Ministry has accurately assessed the dominating role of Washington in Greek internal affairs. The Russian Spokeswoman pointed out that Washington demands that Greece and Cyprus not cooperate with Russia.

Furthermore, the Russian spokeswoman referred to the crisis in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine that was precipitated by American officials such as Mike Pompeo. The Russians have a firm grasp of the domineering attitude toward Greece and Cyprus by Washington. On the other hand, there are still issues to be ironed out between Athens and Moscow as well.

Russia has in recent months made many pro Greek statements such as condemning the Turkish opening of the beach of Varosha in the Turkish occupied territories and has endorsed Greece’s right to extend its territory in the Aegean Sea to twelve nautical miles. At the same time Russia maintains a friendly attitude toward Turkey.

Greek-Russian brotherhood based on Orthodoxy is desirable and Athens should pursue a pro Russian foreign policy. However, Athens and Moscow can and should discuss the problem of Turkey. Greece and Cyprus are in a struggle for survival. Turkey is a jihadist state that represents a menace to all, including Russia.

Greek-Russian relations have the potential to flourish. But at the same time Greece faces a threat from Turkey. As such, Athens needs to also maintain friendly ties with Washington as well. Ties with Washington are complicated by the latter’s dominating influence over Greece.

Greece has come far under Prime Minister Mitsotakis and his aggressive defense against Turkish aggression is admirable. Now the Greek government needs to also assert its sovereignty against its alleged “allies” in the west. Athens must pursue an independent foreign policy based on Hellenic interests above all.

There is a good deal that unites Greece with Russia. Russian-Turkish ties have been strained by Ankara’s support for international jihadism (mainly Syrian) and it is unlikely that these ties will hold indefinitely for a long period of time. Greece needs to negotiate seriously with the Russians on the matter of Turkey.

The Church issue in Ukraine has needlessly complicated Greek relations with Russia. Athens must distance itself from the actions of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and elements within the Church of Greece. It is important for Greece to maintain close ties with Russia for spiritual, historic, cultural, and national reasons.

Being close with Russia does not necessitate closing the door to Washington. Washington is sabotaging itself in Greece by interfering in ecclesiastical matters and seeking to dictate the formation of Greek foreign policy. Ultimately, the direction in Greek foreign policy depends on the national interests of Athens, Washington, and Moscow.

If the incoming Biden administration pursues a rabidly anti Russian foreign policy, Athens should not cooperate with Washington. Greece has one deadly enemy and that is Turkey. If Washington is interested in cooperation against Turkey then Greece can and should cooperate with Washington

The issue of Turkey is the complicating factor in relations between Athens and Moscow. But then again Moscow has expressed support for Cyprus (Varosha) and Greece (twelve nautical miles) as mentioned above. In any case, Greeks must behave with a sense of national honor and as an independent state.

All foreign relations should be based on the principles of Greek national interests and aspirations. Unfortunately, this is hindered by the overbearing policies of the United States and NATO toward Greece. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman is correct in expressing Russian criticism of western policy in Greece.

The groundwork toward Greek-Russian relations should begin but such relations will take off when Russia’s friendship with Turkey ends. In the meantime, Greece must be cautious in its relations with Washington. Washington is more interested for now in going after Moscow than Ankara.

This is intolerable from a Hellenic standpoint.

The Hagia Sophia diaries is a series of entries with commentaries pertaining to the latest developments on the matter of the Great Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

It appears that UNESCO has sent a request to the Turkish government asking to examine the Churches of Hagia Sophia and the Saviour of Chora. UNESCO officials claim that that they are asking to examine the former Churches because of rumors they have heard “regarding the Christian elements in the building”.

This is actually a positive move because Turkish President Erdogan in the face of international criticism in response to his government’s action in converting Hagia Sophia into a Mosque gave strict assurances that Hagia Sophia would be protected. It will be very good if the experts sent by UNESCO were to actually make an inspection of Hagia Sophia and the Church of the saviour at Chora. It is unlikely that Turkey will not change the Christian character of Hagia Sophia assuming they have not done so already.

There is more hope to be put in the efforts of individuals working for UNESCO who have an expertise on Byzantine art and architecture than on the bureaucrats of UNESCO who failed to protest Turkish actions until it was too late. Putting people in the field who are serious academics and experts is a slight improvement over the efforts that were made by many supporters of Hagia Sophia and Chora toward UNESCO’s diplomats and political representatives who failed miserably to protect Hagia Sophia’s status as a world heritage site.

One one can only hope and pray that the struggle for Hagia Sophia is not over. We will wait and see if UNESCO has any backbone at this late date to actually send real experts on Hagia Sophia into the field to document what has been done.

On December 18, the New York Times published an op ed by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that talked about foreign policy challenges for the incoming Biden administration. Secretary Gates supported the sanctions that were imposed on Turkey for purchasing defensive weaponry from Russia.

Secretary Gates made an indirect reference to Greece and Cyprus. There is a link in the op-ed regarding the “eastern mediterranean” that takes readers to an article on Turkish aggression against Greece and Cyprus. Overall, the analysis by Gates is not bad.

But something more is needed regarding Turkish aggression against Greece and Turkey. The United States needs to be pressed by Athens to impose direct sanctions on Turkey specifically for its aggressive designs on Greek and Cypriot territorial rights. Furthermore, the United States needs to step up on behalf of the Armenians.

Turkey supports the genocidal regime of Azerbaijan which started a war with the peaceful Armenian community of Artsakh. Artsakh is part of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh which has an overwhelming Armenian majority. Turkey supports Azerbaijan which claims it as part of its own territory. Historically, Nagorno-Karabakh has been Armenian and was part of Armenia until the communists in the former Soviet Union stupidly gave the territory to Azerbaijan.

The Armenians fought a war this year for their survival against the lunatic government of Baku which threatened to attack nuclear reactors in Armenia. The United States needs to step up to impose sanctions on Turkey for its acts of aggression against Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia. Azerbaijan should also be subject to serious punishment as should Israel which has inexplicably been supporting Azerbaijan.

There was a time when sanctions of any kind and for any reason against Turkey would have been unheard of. Sanctions against Turkey for the Russian purchases are good (as a beginning) but not good enough. Further sanctions must be imposed with direct linkage to Turkey’s aggressive and genocidal ambitions against Greece, Armenia, and Cyprus.

German chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Greek demands that a ban be imposed on weapons sales to Turkey. The Germans pointed out that Turkey bought from Russia because Ankara could not buy from the United States. Again, Greek national security interests have been completely ignored.

This is a major indignity for the Government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Turkey has changed dramatically in recent decades with the rise of Islamic fundamentalism. Greece itself has changed and for the better with the election of Prime Minister Mitsotakis.

What has not changed is the west’s slavish devotion to Turkey. The Europeans (and the Americans to a lesser extent) simply do not care about Greece and Cyprus. NATO has refused to intercede on behalf of Greece and Cyprus even as Turkey has become increasingly aggressive and claims outright several Greek islands.

Germany is without question the most contemptible of European countries. The one European country that will never change no matter what kind of government it has. Under the Kaiser during the first world war, Germany armed the Young Turks and abetted the Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocide. During the second world war, Hitler’s Germany robbed Greece of its wealth while massacring many Greeks and leaving much of the population to starve.

During the economic crisis, Greeks witnessed the self righteous arrogance of the Germans who maintained a hard line on Greeks suffering economic hardships. In 1952, the western world bestowed mercy on Germany when the Germans argued they could not pay the reparations to the whole of Europe for the crimes against humanity committed against all occupied countries. Still, the Greeks had to endure the overbearing lectures emanating from Hitler’s people.

It really is time for the Greeks to snap out of it and wake up. European countries are not friends of Greece. At present, it could be said that France, Austria, and Slovakia support Greece against Turkey. The rest of the Europeans remain friendly to Turkey.

Europe would be unfriendly toward Greece and Cyprus even without the influence of the Germans. The German domination of Europe makes the European Union evil. It should not be forgotten that Germany helped to ignite the wars of Yugoslavia in 1991 when it pursued its traditional anti Serb policies and recognized Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia.

The Germans now fear that Turkey will flood Europe with Muslims. Perhaps the Germans and the European Union generally should not have enthusiastically supported the Syrian war which led to the refugee crisis which has flooded Turkey, the Greek islands, and much of Europe. Greece is now going to be expected to eat shit as usual.

Europeans are not friends or allies of Greece. Germany has always been and will always be one of Greece’s greatest enemies right up there with Turkey.

Members of the Turkish speaking Muslim community of Thrace have apparently colluded with the Turkish consulate in Rhodes to provide Turkey with Greek state secrets. Those Greek citizens involved in this collusion should be prosecuted for treason and the Turkish consulate in Rhodes should be permanently closed and its diplomats expelled from Greece.

This is reminiscent of the activities of some members of the Muslim community in Thrace in the run up to the anti Greek pogroms in Constantinople in 1955. Some members of that community colluded with the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki to bomb the birthplace of Mustafa Kemal. Kemal’s house is on property that belongs to the Turkish consulate.

The news in Turkey that Kemal’s house was bombed contributed to the rage of Turkish mobs who attacked Greeks and their Churches, homes, and businesses. Although members of the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki were investigated, no arrests were made. Nor were the Muslims who were Greek citizens held accountable for their treasonous actions.

We will see if Greece has changed in the past sixty five years by the manner in which the Mitsotakis government responds to treason by Greek citizens and by espionage by the enemy. By all rights, the Greek citizens should be given life sentences in prison and the Turkish consulate should be closed.

Further Turkish hostility toward Hellenism can be ascertained by the comments of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Kavusoglu who said that Turkey only supports a two state solution for Cyprus. In fairness, it has been clear for decades that Turkey had no intention of ever withdrawing from the territories that Ankara seized through its invasions in 1974. Greece and Cyprus never took the Turks seriously.

Since Turkish officials are openly affirming that they have no intention of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus, Athens and Nicosia should begin to see reality. Both Greece and Cyprus should declare to the European Union that failure to impose sanctions on Turkey over Ankara’s aggression against both Hellenic states will be seen as a hostile act.

Greece and Cyprus should cease cooperating with the European Union on other matters and should focus on relations with Russia. Greece and Russia are on the same side in Libya while Turkey is supporting a rival faction and has signed a bogus agreement to divide the Mediterranean with Libya. Greece has restored diplomatic relations with Syria which further demonstrates that Greece and Russia have many things in common.

Turkish aggression against Greece and Cyprus, and espionage in Greece by Turkey demonstrate that Greece cannot depend on its “partners” in the European Union. Whether Greece and Cyprus can depend on the United States remains to be seen, but Washington has other priorities and Turkey could very well take a back seat to the Biden administration’s anti Russian stance.

The National Herald has reported that France is among the European Union member states that voted against imposing sanctions on Turkey. Italy and Spain also went along with Germany in refusing to impose sanctions on Turkey. The Turks will realize correctly that Greece is alone and has no friends.

Greece and Cyprus are being threatened by Turkey. Cyprus has been under Turkish occupation since 1974 and Turkey is challenging its sovereign rights over oil in Cypriot waters. Turkey is openly challenging rights to Greek islands which were ceded to Athens by international treaties in 1947. In theory, Greek and Cypriot borders are the borders of the European Union.

In reality, Greek borders are not European borders. The Europeans do not care about Greece and they never will. Turkey has always had greater strategic value than Greece. That will never change. Greece’s strong position would come from Turkey’s Islamism.

Europe does not care about Turkish Islamism because the European Union ultimately is a bloc of secular left wing countries that are terrified of Islamic extremists. Several years ago, France, England, and Belgium were the targets of attacks by the Islamic State. The Europeans were completely defenseless and completely paralyzed by the fear that more terrorists would attack.

It is therefore not entirely surprising that Europe would seek to appease Turkey. For the Germans sacrificing Greece and Cyprus is a small price to pay in order to prevent Ankara from flooding Europe with millions of Muslim refugees. The Greeks have stupidly placed their faith and their hopes in the utterly pathetic and useless European Union.

We can now begin to see the utter madness of the Church crisis that Patriarch Bartholomew provoked. Greece has far more in common historically, culturally, and spiritually with Russia than with western Europe. Yet, much of the Greek speaking world has stupidly chosen to back Patriarch Bartholomew in his war against the Russian Church.

The Greeks need to revive their relationship with Russia. Greece needs to cut off all money to the Ecumenical Patriarchate. One of the stupider things that the Mitsotakis government has done is to give two million Euros to the Holy Cross Seminary in Brookline, Massachusetts. Did the Prime Minister ask the Greek people if they wanted their money to go to the wreckage that is the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America?

The Greeks need to revive their relationship with Russia. Russian-Turkish relations will not be maintained long term. At the end of the day, Greece is being used by the United States for a possible confrontation with Russia, and possibly Iran. Greece has no conflicts with either of those countries and should not assist the west against either of those countries.

The European Union’s treachery against Greece should be a wake up call. Greece has to take control of its own sovereignty and behave like an independent country. There is no question that American and European interests dictate policies in Greece. This has to stop.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis has the option of liberating Greece from its failed pro western policies that have been pursued for centuries going back to the late Byzantine Empire. If he does not he will be another in a long line of Greek stooges who sold the nation out going back to Emperor Michael Paleologos.