National issues, as well as the fundamental questions that accompany the cataclysmic coming economic crisis, are hiding under the communicative veil of “normality”. Everything that happens is natural and controlled, claim those in governmental power, or even the “opposition” waiting for its turn. In any case, the God of Greece is awake! For without him...
This God, like any God, is unable to provide solutions to the current problems of people on Earth. These have been entrusted to the worldly powers, the government and the various “elites”, the ruling classes that rule this land. The latter have celebrated, in the threatening manner they have recently adopted, the 40th anniversary of Greece's entry into the “European family”. They celebrated by warning those who object to the course of our “European” affairs, the “damned” Eurosceptics.
A national leadership, perhaps troubled by the fact that in the context of this “European” course, the country has lost its productive base, has de-industrialised, is exporting people (as it used to do in leap years) and has seen its economy shrink by 25% in the last ten years, plus 10-15% due to the current new immersion. But here we are talking about national leadership, not about the troupes of officials who implement whatever Brussels, Berlin or Washington (and maybe tomorrow Ankara) order.
“Normality” and the “Cesme” investigations!
“Normalcy” is also advancing in matters of national sovereignty. In this case, the specifications have been dictated by the long dominant presence of the Oruc Rice and the escort fleet in the south-eastern maritime zones, six miles across from the Greek coast. Based on these specifications, the Turkish navy's research vessel “Cesme” started several days of research in the central Aegean Sea, accompanied by a frigate, in order to make its presence more “legal” and more “peaceful”.
Turkey has stated that the ship's activity is legal and in line with international law. The Greek side has made an appeal and probably aligned then with the Turkish statement. In case something of what was happening would not be fully understood, the Turkish side was quick to supplement the movement on the ground with minimal diplomatic, official and unofficial, “explanations”. The islands, which «illegally militarized», was something to be expected.
What was new was the questioning of Greece's right to conduct underwater activities between its land territory and the islands, including Crete. The laying of telecommunication cables or energy transmission networks at any point in the Aegean Sea was declared «illegal activity» from Ankara! The obvious logic behind this argument is that either the Aegean is under a regime of co-sovereignty, or it is under Turkish sovereignty. There is no third version.
Bliss for what is happening in the Aegean
What is happening has not in the least disturbed the bliss of the Greek side. The famous exploratory talks were not interrupted, as March is approaching, while there was no reaction to the Turkish “enlightening” announcement that the talks between Greece and Turkey on the «decompression of tension» in the Aegean, within the framework of NATO mechanisms.
The “normality” was and is emphasized and is emphasized daily in Athens, with a number of movements. The Minister of Defence departed for the distant Abu Dhabi, at the head of a large delegation in a military plane. One of the best frigates of the Greek fleet is sailing towards the Persian Gulf. Officials and semi-officials alike are committing military assets, from C-130s to helicopters, for any public or private movement.
Talks to transfer one of the country's few air defence units (a Patriot missile squadron) to Saudi Arabia have resumed. The expected French defence synergy and assistance was discussed only as regards the part of the mission of Greek special forces in Mali, Africa! The powerful opposition did not deign to officially question the government, not even about the content and decisions of the discussions on “decompression” within NATO.
At the same time, a storm of disinformation deceives -by design- the Greek people: now with Biden's “philhellenism”, now with the imminent collapse of Erdogan, now with the arrival of “Charles de Gaulle”, now with the “magical properties” of Rafal fighters and Scalp missiles. Plan zero! Elementary honesty towards the Greek people zero! Determination below zero! Defeatism, with the corresponding mixture of idiocy, at its zenith! I think that the resignation of the much-hidden “God of Greece” is imminent!
By George Margaritis
