Category: political

https://www.thenationalherald.com/greece_economy/arthro/aimed_at_turkey_greece_uae_signed_mutal_defense_pact-1269412/

The Greek government has signed a defense pact with the United Arab Emirates which is directed against Turkey. This is yet another example of the assertive and bold foreign policy being conducted by the Mitsotakis government. Turkish President Erdogan has made many enemies through his arrogance and aggressive designs. Athens has wisely been establishing closer ties with those countries who perceive Turkey as a threat.

The Mitsotakis government is the best government Greece has had in a long time. It has built real and genuine alliances with countries that share Greece’s interests. The alliances with France, Egypt, and now the United Arab Emirates are real and genuine as they share Greece’s interests in resisting Turkish aggression. This is in contrast with NATO which is a fake alliance and which does not support or share Greek interests.

Germany is a perfect example which is in theory an ally of Greece. In fact, Germany is no friend of Greece and Berlin is interested only in appeasing the Turkish aggressor at the expense of Greece and Cyprus. The Mitsotakis foreign policy is a demonstration of Greek sovereignty which is coming alive.

The Russian Embassy in Athens has recently condemned the reopening of the beach of Varosha in the Turkish occupied territories of Cyprus. Russia has likewise expressed support for the right of Greece to extend its territory to twelve nautical miles in the Aegean Sea. Closer ties with Russia look promising.

In any case, Mitsotakis has done much to liberate Greek foreign policy from the traditional constraints imposed upon it by the United States and NATO. Greek policy is headed in the right direction but the danger of an American intervention in Greek affairs should not be ruled out. Greeks should remember the downfall of the Karamanlis government in the final stage of the Bush administration.

The Karamanlis government had concluded an agreement with Russia to build an oil pipeline that would carry oil through Bulgaria into Greece. Washington bullied Prime Minister Karamanlis and brought down his government. The major beneficiary of that coup was the internationalist George Papandreou who won the elections that took place soon after.

Part of the reason for recent Greek success in deterring Turkish aggression has been the Trump administration’s absence from the scene. Traditionally, in all cases of Greek-Turkish conflict all administrations applied pressure on Athens to appease Ankara. The Trump administration should be seen as pro Greek simply on the grounds that if refrained from getting involved. The Trump administration was the first administration that did not bully Greece into submission.

Greece may very well come to rue the downfall of President Donald Trump. In addition, Russophobia could become a serious problem for Greece. The Democrats being motivated by a hysterical anti Russian hatred could seek to embrace Turkey as a counter to what they perceive as the “Russian threat”. Historically, the Ottoman Empire was the beneficiary of British and French Russophobia and was backed in its wars with Russia.

Turkey was a beneficiary of the Cold War in which the Soviet Union was the prime enemy of the western world. If the Biden administration targets Russia as a threat the “Deep State” could very well look to embrace Turkey as a counter. This would not be to the interests of Greece, Cyprus, and Armenia all of whom have traditionally suffered as a result of the west’s pro-Turkish policies.

The Erdogan government is led by a fanatic and an extremist so it may very well be that Ankara will not be inclined to cooperate with the United States. Still, as long as Russophobia remains entrenched within the American foreign policy establishment the danger will remain that the US will attempt to revive the traditional pro Turkish policies.

The Mitsotakis government has been doing well in foreign policy but needs to be very careful and should do nothing to alienate the Russians especially at a time when Russia has been publicly expressing support for Greece and Cyprus.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. The purpose of the visit was to discuss religious freedom. Basically, the Patriarchate finds itself in the same position it has been in for decades. It still faces an existential crisis.

Without the theological school of Halki reopening, the Patriarchate will not have future priests and bishops. The prospects of the reopening of Halki are just as dire as they have ever been. The collaboration of the Patriarchate with the American government on the Church issue in Ukraine has in fact left the Patriarchate in a far more catastrophic position than before.

Notwithstanding nice words from the State Department the theological school of Halki remains closed. In addition, Hagia Sophia has become a Mosque as has the Church of the Saviour of Chora. These are disastrous setbacks for the Patriarchate.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate would have been much better off establishing closer ties with the Russian government and should have stayed out of Ukraine. All Orthodox agree that Patriarch Bartholomew is “First Among Equals”. This however may not be for too much longer considering the disaster that has spread throughout the Orthodox Church.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Patriarch Bartholomew is the leader of the Orthodox. Such a vague statement does not describe in any way, shape, or form the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch. Going by the book, the Ecumenical Patriarch is “First Among Equals” with a “Primacy of Honor”. The Patriarch is not a Pope like figure and this misconception has contributed to the chaos in the Orthodox world.

In 1439, Emperor John Palaeologos of Constantinople and many Bishops travelled to Florence where they signed the notorious union with the Papacy. However desperate the Greeks were to avoid falling to the Turks, that Union did not save them in the end. Nor could it have saved them considering that Christians do not improve their status in the here and now by sacrificing their souls and their salvation.

There are still many things unclear about what transpired in 2018 that led to Constantinople’s invasion of the Russian Church’s territory in Ukraine. Theories abound that promises were made or that threats were made. Although it is clear the United States foreign policy apparatus was behind this the specifics are still unclear.

What is inherently clear and what the Greek speaking world continues to ignore is that the theological school of Halki remains closed and the Patriarchate’s position in Turkey is just as precarious as it has ever been. The losses of Hagia Sophia and the Savior Church of Chora could be construed as a sign from heaven that the Patriarchate is on the wrong track.

The United States has provided nothing for the Ecumenical Patriarchate in terms of its future. Even if the US had provided substantive results for the Patriarchate’s standing in Turkey , its intervention in Ukraine would still be wrong. In any case, Patriarch Bartholomew has gained nothing and lost virtually everything.

He has gained nothing from the Turks but he has lost Hagia Sophia and the Church of Chora. He has destroyed whatever standing the Patriarchate had among the Orthodox Churches. It is becoming increasingly unthinkable to suggest that the Patriarch could be “first among equals” with the right of initiatives to convene Pan Orthodox gatherings in the future after the destruction that has been caused by his Ukrainian intervention.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate runs on blindness and fails to see that in addition to damaging Orthodox unity it has badly damaged itself in the eyes of the Orthodox world. Having placed the Ecumenical Patriarchate in American hands, Patriarch Bartholomew may have set the stage for its final demise.

Monday is the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising that was ruthlessly crushed by dictator George Papadopoulos in which dozens of students were killed or injured. It was a tragedy and a dark day to be sure. Every year, the extreme left in Greece gathers outside the American embassy for loud and aggressive demonstrations.

This is their anniversary. The anniversary of the Greek left. They do not commemorate national days such as Greek Independence day or OHI Day. They do not not commemorate the twin anniversaries of September in which Smyrna was burned to the ground by the Turks and the days of the anti Greek pogroms in Turkey in 1955. They commemorate a day they associate with their own ideology.

The Greek Colonels are long gone. Papadopoulos fell from power in November 1973 and the regime from which he was displaced collapsed in July 1974 following the anti Makarios coup and the first Turkish invasion in Cyprus. The junta issue ceased to be an issue and there is no need for the fanatical behavior of Greek leftists who act as if the junta is still ruling Greece.

There are other issues to be dealt with. Notably, the Turkish aggression in the Aegean against Greece. Also, the current meddling in the affairs of the Orthodox Church by Washington. These mass gatherings that take place every November 17 are a manifestation of cultism that do not make any sort of sense in today’s political realities .

In the last national elections, Greece liberated itself from the extreme right when Golden Dawn failed to win enough seats to enter the Greek Parliament. Just as the extreme right has been repudiated, Greece must also rise to the occasion to tame the extreme left as well.

It appears Russian President Vladimir Putin will be visiting Greece on the anniversary of the two hundredth anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. This is an excellent opportunity for Greece to get closer to Russia. The Russians as of late have openly expressed support for Greece’s territorial rights in the Aegean Sea and have condemned the Turkish reopening of the Cypriot town of Varosha.

Russian-Turkish relations are a matter of temporary diplomacy. The strain on these relations can be seen through Turkey’s links to and support for Syrian jihadists. The Russians fought against the very same jihadists that Turkey now supports in Libya and Artsakh. Add to the fact that Turkish President Erdogan is emerging as the jihadist successor to the Islamic State which was being supported by Ankara at the height of its power.

The Russian maneuvering can be interpreted as a sign that Moscow sees its “alliance” with Turkey as temporary and that its cooperation with Ankara will be concluding at some point. The defeat of President Donald Trump in the American elections complicates matters because Trump favored cooperation with Russia. The Russophobia of the Democrats may very well complicate Greece’s interests.

The Democrats see Russia as a major threat having blamed Moscow for Hillary’s election loss in 2016 as well as the riots in American cities. The possibility exists that the Democrats will focus on Russia as a national security threat. On that basis, Turkish strategic value for the United States could be reestablished.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Great Britain and France favored the Ottoman Empire over the Russian Empire. This western backing enabled the Ottoman Empire to survive into the twentieth century. The Turkish Republic emerged as a strategic “asset” to counter the Soviet Union, and later Iran, Iraq, and Syria.

As such, both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union were the targets of western hostility and Turkey was a beneficiary in so far as the Russians were considered an adversary. Therefore, if the Democrats target Russia as as enemy they may very well embrace Turkey in the some way as both their American and British and French predecessors did.

It is of extreme importance for Greece for America and Russia to have friendly relations as Turkey would not be able to benefit from such a scenario. It is too early to tell, but the election of the Democrats could possibly revive old strategic considerations regarding Turkey and could convince Ankara to restore the old ties between Turkey and the west.

In any case, Greece is doing the right thing by remaining friendly with Russia and America. The Mitsotakis government has worked hard to build a wide anti Turkish coalition that includes Egypt, France, and the United Arab Emirates. May it come to pass that Russia joins this coalition.

The old bright side to the Democratic victory is the downfall of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Hopefully, American Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt will be reassigned. These two men have done enormous damage to the Orthodox Church as a result of the Ukrainian schism.

In any case, there is reason for cautious optimism regarding Greece and Russia.

At this point it is clear that Joe Biden won the elections of 2020. President Trump should be more gracious than the Democrats were four years ago when he was elected President. The President should congratulate the President elect and move on.

It it is true that their was fraud in the elections, it would not be the first time. Richard Nixon was aware of the fact that JFK stole the elections of 1960 but accepted the results anyway for the good of the country. President elect Biden spoke well as did Vice President elect Harris. But then again politicians speak well and they read speeches written by others. Let us wait and see if they put their nice words into practice.

President Donald Trump was a President of substance and not empty rhetoric. We shall not see another President like this in our life time. An outsider who spent his life in the private sector who went straight to the Presidency rather than being a career politician. Trump was not particularly articulate but he governed well and was effective in the formulation of policy.

As the Trump administration exits, so does this bloggers purpose for voting. Even if Donald Trump has won the election this would have been the farewell vote for this blogger. With the exit of Donald Trump, a genuine independent, the Republican party will likely be retaken by the neoconservatives

Therefore, there is no reason to support either party in the future. This blog has criticized the Democrats and will criticize the pre and post Trump Republican Party. Before Donald Trump, the Republican Party was the party of the war criminals George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, John McCain, and Mitt Romney. I expect the parasitical neoconservatives to reclaim the Republican Party.

Greek American organizations endorsed Joe Biden. It should be remembered that American foreign policy began tilting away from Turkey toward Greece under the Trump administration. Greece found new life and assertiveness under Prime Minister Mitsotakis and credit should be given to the Presidency of Donald Trump. All previous administrations of both parties have supported Turkey and always bullied Greece.

The Trump administration never exerted pressure on Greece to appease Turkey and this has shown itself as Athens has stood up to Turkish bullying. The Trump administration adopted a sane policy toward Russia and removed the United States from Syria. There was the danger of instigating war with Iran but the Trump administration reversed itself after the mistake in killing Iranian General Soleimani.

We have now an incoming administration talking about “science”. Both the President and Vice President elect mentioned science in their speeches. Do they think that the idea that a man can get pregnant is scientific? Do they think that there are sixty three genders? We shall see what kind of social agenda they pursue.

Hopefully, the election of an African American Vice President will contribute to easing tensions in America. This should contribute to killing the idea that America is racist. It should not be forgotten that the elections of 2020 were conducted under the threat of civil unrest and political violence mainly from the Democratic side.

In any case, it is time to wait and see. In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to pray during the divine liturgy and in private prayers for the head of country. Throughout history, the Church has prayed for Christian and non Christian rulers alike. For Byzantine Emperors and Ottoman Sultans. For Russian Tsars and Communist leaders.

The President elect and the Democratic Party cannot be considered Christian. But they are not the Ottomans and Communists either. We will pray for them in our Orthodox prayers as we have for all previous Presidents. Let us hope that they will be enlightened and respectful of the right of Christians and others to profess their faith and dissent from the new radicalism that the Democratic Party embraces.

For four years, the Democrats and their media (CNN, MSCNBC, The New York Times, and all the rest) declared war on democracy. They did not like the outcome of the 2016 elections and so they dragged a foreign country (Russia) into American domestic politics. The Russians were to blame. It could not possibly be that the American voter did not want Queen Hillary for President.

From the get go, the Democrats showed how incapable of rational thought they were. In 2017, Democratic Party official and former Bill Clinton advisor Paul Begala openly called for the bombing of Russia. Think of this, a prominent Democrat called for the bombing of a nuclear armed country and the media did not think this was worthy of universal condemnation.

Many Americans are unaware of the Begala comments because the media has not publicized them. Americans are also not aware of the scandals involving Joe Biden and his son Hunter which the media ignored. The media is an active participant in the political process not an objective critic and observer.

The farce that is now playing out in America in the aftermath of the elections began in 2016 when the Democrats and the media refused to accept Donald Trump’s victory. We are being lectured on Covid-19 but it has been forgotten that when this disease was coming to America and spreading the Democrats distracted the country with their attempted Coup against the President. The month of February where time should have been used to protect the country from Covid 19 was wasted because the Democrats sought to impeach the President for something that Joe Biden did!

That’s right, they tried to impeach the President for something that Joe Biden did. Joe Biden can be found on Youtube openly admitting that as Vice President he threatened to kill a $100 billion aid package to Ukraine if that government did not fire the prosecutor that was investigating the gas company that Hunter Biden was on the board of. All Donald Trump did was congratulate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on his election victory and merely asked if his government could supply evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden.

The impeachment was garbage and was simply an attempt by the Democrats to reverse the outcome of the 2016 elections. Democrats and their media friends should not be surprised that the President has his suspicions regarding the electoral process. They have been trying to bring him down for four years.

It is the story of the boy who cried wolf. Tell too many lies and no one believes you. The Democrats and the media have whipped up anti Trump hysteria to such an extent who can now take them seriously?

Let us look at where we are at the present time. We are enduring the repressive conditions created by Covid 19. Exactly how are the Democrats going to make things better? The Democrats and their followers are more concerned about abortions for pregnant men (Julian Castro), supporting the murder of live babies (Governor Ralph Nordham), and promoting sex changes for children.

Yeah, let’s have a political party whose supporters believe there are sixty three genders have a shot at ruling America. The Democrats who have maligned Russia repeatedly because the Russians objected to the LGBTQ agenda being taught in their schools. China runs concentration camps that have incarcerated over one million Ughyur Muslims and not a word about China. Nor is there any condemnation of China’s attack on Hong Kong democracy.

It appears as of this writing that Trump has lost the elections. In that case, Trump should be gracious and step aside. On the other hand, it is entirely understandable why Trump is fighting considering four years of unceasing attempts to discredit and undermine his administration. It is time to move on and get on with the business of finding a vaccine and moving as quickly as possible to restore normal living conditions to the entire world.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has written a letter to Greek Foreign Minister Dendias expressing support for Greece’s stances in the Aegean. It is abundantly clear that relations between Turkey and the United States continue to deteriorate. There is no question that Greek and American future relations look good at this point.

Erdogan under Turkey is an Islamic dictatorship becoming ever increasingly authoritarian domestically and aggressive externally. The Secretary of State however is undoing his pro Greek stance by the actions he has taken toward the Orthodox Church and must still be removed owing to these actions. Greece and Cyprus need national unity at this point in time and as a result of the Ukrainian Church situation serious religious divisions exist in the Greek Churches.

The prospects for Greece and Cyprus look good. They would look even better without the Church schisms that appear to be escalating. The Russian Embassy in Athens has been putting forward pro Greek positions and support Greece’s right to extend its territory to twelve nautical miles. Greek-Russian relations could be put at risk owing to the Church dispute.

On top of this, American elections could complicate matters much more. It is at best unclear how a Biden administration will approach Greece and Turkey. Despite the image of Biden as a friend of Hellenism, the reality is he has never done much for Greece and Cyprus. Things are moving in the right direction for Greece and so the maintenance of the status quo (minus Pompeo) would seem to be best for Greece and Cyprus.

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis continues performing well in his duties as an international statesman. The Prime Minister hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Greece. The two agreed that Greek membership in NATO and the European Union would not be an obstacle to Greek-Russian relations.

Foreign Minister Lavrov affirmed Russian support for Greece’s right under international law to extend its territory in the Aegean Sea to twelve nautical miles. Russia is coming down firmly on Greece’s side against Turkey. This is welcome as Greece is also gaining the support of the United States. In addition, Turkish President Erdogan has mocked the Trump administration by daring Washington to impose sanctions on Turkey.

Greece faces a challenge in attempting to win over both Washington and Moscow. Washington seeks to impose sanctions on Turkey because it purchased an s-400 defensive system from Russia. It is true that America is very staunchly anti Russian at this point.

However, American and Russian interests may conceivably merge with regard to Turkey. For centuries, Great Britain and France loathed the Russians and their foreign policies were directed againt the Russian Empire. Despite this traditional hostility both London and Paris made common cause with Russia during the First World War against Germany.

During the Second World War, London and Washington made common cause with Stalin against Hitler’s Germany. It is not inconceivable that Washington and Moscow could come to see Turkey as a common threat. For this reason, it is better for Donald Trump to be reelected President than for Joe Biden to be elected President.

The Russians and the Turks are on opposite sides in Libya as they were in Syria. Turkey is sponsoring Syrian jihadists in Azerbaijan and Libya, the same elements that fought Russia and the Asaad government in Syria. There can be no question that over the long term Russian and Turkish interests are completely incompatible.

The Trump administration’s friendly attitude to Russia is welcome on the grounds that in the event of a Russian-Turkish conflict (as nearly occurred in 2015), Washington will stay out of it. Joe Biden and the Democrats have become so anti Russian that they will not be able to be responsible in the event of a Russian and Turkish clash in the future. Greek interests necessitate depriving Turkey of both American and Russian support.

Prime Minister Mitsotakis is doing very well in defending Greek national interests. He is keeping all options open by maintaining friendly ties to both Washington and Moscow. The Erdogan government in Turkey is bound at some point to trigger a confrontation with with either one or both of these countries.

With some serious diplomatic activity, Greece can win the support of both America and Russia. The fact that American and Russian diplomatic officials have been visiting Athens lately demonstrates that Greece is rising as an important regional player. The opportunities are endless.

An interview with an Italian Admiral (comments further down) at this link with full interview

Russian warning to the Turks at this link

“There is no doubt that in the absence of an agreement, such measures will have to be taken. The only thing that is holding back Europe right now is Greece’s unwillingness to find honorable compromises. As long as Athens remains on intractable positions, the EU will have difficulty in supporting it.”

Italian Admiral on Greece

Regarding the comments from this Italian Admiral. The mind of any Greek is not far from the treachery that was perpetrated by the Italians, French, British, Americans, and Soviet Communists in 1922. It can be said that Greeks should not be prisoners of the past and we should see things within the context of today’s realities. This is true, but at the same time we should be cognizant of past wrongs and injustices.

These insulting comments from the Admiral bring to mind the Italian arming of the Turks in Asia Minor from 1919 to 1922. It also recalls the Italian support for Albania and the undermining of the Greek effort to liberate Northern Epirus. We can also go back to the Fourth Crusade in 1204 when the Italians and the French invaded and destroyed Constantinople.

Hopefully, this Admiral speaks for himself and and his stance is not that of the Italian Government. At this time, Greece has allies and supporters in France and Austria. For now there is no reason to doubt their sincerity. However, Greece should be careful in the event of a potential betrayal by her allies as has happened many times in history.

The Russians have reminded the Turks of the Battle of Navarino (see second link above) in 1828 which consolidated the liberation of Greece. The Russians have also affirmed Greece’s territorial rights that are being infringed upon by the Turks. Greece is presently conducting a strong foreign policy but Athens should be careful to maintain warm ties with Russia as well as America.

Russian and Turkish proxies are fighting on opposite sides in Libya. Syrian jihadists sponsored by Turkey are fighting in Libya and against the Armenians in the Caucuses. The same jihadists the Russians helped the Syrian government defeat. The new pro Greek statements coming from Russia could very well indicate that the Russians anticipate that Turkey is going to be an enemy.

Athens needs to act wisely and prudently and act according to Greek national interests which are based on the right of self defense against Turkish aggression. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Washington and Moscow could both come to view Turkey as a jihadist threat. This would be the best case scenario for Greece.

Greece must act wisely and avoid being entangled in the tensions between Washington and Moscow. Athens should maintain friendly relations with both as they both seem to be moving away from Turkey. Time will tell what will happen as Greece faces potential dangers as well as great opportunities.