2015 MAIN ARTICLES IN ENGLISH

IS MILITANCY REQUIRED IN A TIME OF PEACE

It has been scientifically proven that the physical layout of an area influences social customs. It has also been scientifically proven that long-term social customs influence the genetic characteristics of individuals. These characteristics are passed down from one generation to the next and create a special “data base” for each person. Under these influences, the militancy of Maniots was gradually formed, becoming more prominent during the centuries that preceded the “national awakening” and the creation of the modern Greek state.

Militancy was formed as a conscious group goal, as an extension to the instinct for survival. It came as a response to the need for defense to attacks by outsiders, so that the settled area could be protected. Militancy was also used as a means of supplementing the meager income that was generated by the cultivation of infertile soil and the rearing of small numbers of animals. Maniot militancy was very efficient because of the physical layout of the area, that is, the inaccessible Taygetos and the steep coastline. Because of these circumstances,a new source of income had to be found: from robbery andmainly piracy. It was because of this new income that the area could now support a relatively large population. This need for additional income was even more urgent in the more infertile and rocky areas. This is why piracy flourished in the southern endof the peninsula (in Inner Mani during the 17th century the population density was 33 inhabitants per square kilometre!) We need to clarify that robbery and piracy were not frowned upon at that time, the way they were during the last Renaissance centuries, with the safeguarding of individual and civil rights in the various charters of rights of the national states that were formed then.

Almost two centuries have gone by since the creation of the modern Greek state. During the first years of the new independent state and until recently, the general militancy of the Maniots found an application in the employment of our compatriots in the GreekArmed Forces. This shift of militancy resulted in many successful careers and acts of valour, particularly in those military actionsthat resulted in our country doublingin size about a century ago. However, some of the external expressions of this militancy remained in our area, such as the possession of firearms and a kind ofnon-justified  belligerency. These expressions were based on the family traditions of previous generations. In our time, such cases seem to constitutesimplyfollowingmodels that no longer exist.

Extensive scientific research is probably needed in order for us to be able to determine how much time is needed for the changing social customs to alter the genetic characteristics of individuals. However, it is certain that the changing social customs during our time lead to a gradualdistancing from militancy and shift to nonviolence and peace. The education of the young generations, based on real contemporary data, definitely plays an important role in the acceleration of this transition.  However, the determining factor here is the need for finding an alternative source of income and employment that guarantees sufficient means of survival.

As it happened before, when the geography of Mani helped build militancy in Maniots, in the same way today, in our times of peace, these same characteristics can still help us. Thephysical layout and the micro-climate of our area are attracting many visitors. These characteristics, as well as the cultural background  that was formed during the centuries of militancy, render Mani unique. We can tap on this uniqueness, and find new sources of income, sufficient not only for the needs of the permanent residents, but also for Greeks who choose to repatriate and even for new inhabitants.

The main reason that these ideas can lead to positive results can also be found in the genetic background of militancy: it is unity in action.The militancy of the Maniots in order to face enemies and invaders was based on unity in action, and on this unity were based rogue activities such as piracy. It is possible that the tapering of unity in action during the last two centuries of Greek independence is due to the fact that there has not been a visible enemy.  There is, however, at the present time a need for unity in action.In order to face globalisation,(a characteristic of contemporary socio-economic circumstances) effectively, in a way that is beneficial to Mani and its inhabitants, we need again unity in action.

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DIFFICULT POST-ELECTION PERIOD

The post-election landscape in Greece is the same as it was during the pre-election period.It is a reflection of us, the citizens of the Hellenic Republic. The MP’s that we have elected reflect the Greek society. We don’t need to wait, in order to see how our elected representatives will act.It is a priori certain that they will act the way the average Greek citizen would:  he/she will try to maximise the profit and minimise the cost. What remains to be seen is which of the three following groups will reap benefits and which ones will incur losses: the politicians who make the decisions, the parties and the special interest groups who helped the politiciansget elected or the society as a whole?

If we examine impartially the political history of the modern Greek state, from its foundation to the present time, we can see that few were the periods in which our politicians acted guided by the common good and not by their own interests.We are all proud of these periods,which were the excepion to the rule,but we tend to forget the catastrophic events that followed them. Presently, as the government is planning its course for the next four years, it is timely to refer to three such peak periods in modern Greek history:

  1. a) the glorious uprising of 1821, which was followed by the National Division of 1824-25;it was only because of theensuing naval battle of Navarinoin 1827 that the Greek revolution was revived and that Greece was saved from annihilation
  2. b) the victorious Balcan Wars of 1912-13, which were followed by the National Division of 1914-17 that brought the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922
  3. c) the Greek epic of 1940-41 against the Italians on the Albanian front, which was followed by theNational Resistance of the Greek people against the occupation forces of 1941-44 and the catastrophic Civil War of 1946-50

   The cause of all three ethnic catastrophes mentioned above was the pursue of personal interests by individuals, groups and political parties. We could mention many more such examples. As a rule, in Greek politics personal interests take priority over the interests of the society and the nation as a whole.

We need to understand that again our nation is faced with great danger. Our country, the Greek state and its people, could revert to the same economic situation of 30 or 40 years ago; this would have very adverse effects on the everyday life of each one of us, as everyone of us, those who are responsible for the current situation and those who are not, will all regress and sink in poverty. However, as has happened many times in the past inGreece, adversity brings solidarity, and if we unite again this time before the danger and accept some simple facts, we might overcome the present difficulties.

One fact that we need to accept is that the Greek state has borrowed a lot of money. It should be understood that the Greek debt is not to be written off, it is to be repaid. There coud be special agreements to make repayment easier (i.e. restructuring of the debt, paying it back in instalments and at special low interest rates), but the borrowed capital must eventually be paid back. Another fact is that not all Greeks benefitted to the same degree by the over-borrowing of the state; neither are all Greeks equally responsible for the current situation. The average Greek citizen is responsible only insofar as he/she voted for politicians who made poor decisions that led to the grim present and uncertain future of the nation.

However, if at this crucial time, we start pointing fingers and asking for revenge for things that happened in the past, we will lose this battle as well.This is the time for solidarity, responsibility and productivity. It is the time to unite, work hard, contribute to the development of οur country and help build a better future. As far as our politicians (past, present and future) are concerned, let us for the time being only assess whether they are willing to assume responsibility for their decisions and actions; let us judge them according to whether they act for the common good and the interests of the society and the nation as a whole.

   We, Maniots,are characterised by some self-conflicting traits: we have a self-centered nature, but we also display solidarity when faced by danger. We need to understand that the present circumstances require solidarity. With solidarity we can overcome the present dire economic situation; if we are united, we can be more effective in claiming the needed state funds for Mani, which unfortunately never gets its fair share, because of our low population.

POLITICS IN ANCIENT AND MODERN GREECE

Since most European nations adopted and made good use of the ancient Greek ideas about governance, it is always timely to refer to Ancient Greece.European nations used the ancient Greek political philosophy effectively and, as a result, their progress in technology and in cultureas a whole during the centuries since Renaissance has been impressive. All this progress is based on the transfer of knowledge, which affects all fields of human activity, and results in the effective governance of a nation.

The Europeans studied the works of Plato and Aristotle in depth,and they understood and incorporated the key elements of the ancient Greek political philosophy from the “golden centuries of Greece”,i.e.the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. In this editorial, we will only refer to one element of political thought during the classical years:  Plato had defined the ideal form of governance in his “Republic”. However, when he was invited to Sicily,in order to apply his political philosophy in Syracuse, he understood that there is a big difference between political theory and practice.Later in life,in his last book, the “Laws”,without renouncing his original political philosophy, he revised further his political ideas.In this book, he concludes that in practice the best form of government is the one that legislates stable laws, which are consistently adhered to. This is what the Western Europeans are doing, and as result they enjoy increased standard of living and major progress in Science and Civilisation. But how about the Greeks?

            Some people think that Greeks learned to evade the law during the centuries of Turkish occupation, because the laws then were imposed by the occupier and it was therefore believed that they were a priori unfavourable to the subjugated Greeks. This is how we developed the long-term negative attitude towards all legislated rules,attitude which continues until today, almost two hundred years after independence. This, in spite of the fact that todaythe country that legislates these laws is own own, and that the legislators are people who were elected by us! This kind of mentality hinders us, and as a result we cannot keep up with the the pace of advance of the other European nations, although we have decided out of our own free will that we belong to the same political and cultural family of nations as them,and most Greek citizens wish to remain in this family. The defiance of the Greek people towards the legislated rules is also reflected in the attitude of the politicians that we ourselves elect, resulting in frequent change of legislation,so that it better meets the interests of the big “target” groups. On top of the indignation of most Greek citizens towards the implementation of the laws, we also have a multitude of laws and frequent modifications of these extremely complex and fragmented laws, resulting in an even larger negativity towards legislation.

This negative attitude of the Greek people towads the laws is even more pronounced in cases where the legislation is imposed by European Union institutions, and the defiance is bigger towards the European treaties. In this case, it is as if we forget that belonging to the EUentails not only rights, but also obligations.It is dishonest to usurp the benefits and at the same time refuse to fulfill our obligations, as defined by the treaties, which we have co-decided and co-signed. The comments that are made now, during a pre-election period, by the Greek party representatives who voted against the recent Third Memorandum (on which we agreed together with our European counterparts) are laughable. One Greek politician said “I do not consider that I am bound by the regulations of the Third Memorandum, since I am not part of this government” and another Greek politician said “I will vote against the law for the taxation of the farmers”. It seems that we are still a long way from accepting something that should be very clear and self-understood: politics is serious business, and what our politicians say and do, has an immediate and serious impact on the country and the life of the Greek people. When our representatives lose their credibility because of populistelectioneering, then they also lose credibility in the negotiations with the representatives of other European countries and the institutions of transnational organisations. This loss of credibility by our politicians is not without serious impact on Greece and its people.

            It would be useful, at this time, to think again of the “Laws” of Plato and to learn from this great Greek philosopher a key lesson: how to apply and obey to our laws.

Here, in Mani, our native region, our ancestors had learned to apply the local natural justice, which included not only stable regulations, but also a process of immediate application. We lived with those stable regulations for centuries. These rules were pivotal in rendering our area an islet of freedom and social balance,andthese features were the main departure points for the heroic Maniot exploits, of which we, their descendants, are very proud. We should consider the compliance to the rules legislated by the modern Greek state, for the independence of which we,the Maniots, sacrificed so much, as a self-evident obligation.

DANGERS THREATENING THE UNITY OF OUR NATION

The existence of the Greek nation and the Greek state is a fundamental truth that all Greeks accept a priori.However, this acceptance alone is not enough. It is necessary that we behave in our everyday lives in a way as to support this principle. Unfortunately, many of our actions severely undermine our desire for the continuation of the existence of both the Greek nation and the Greek state, and this is the main cause for the prolonged political and economic crisis in which we have been mired for so many years.We believe that in order to get out of the present crisis, we need to support our desire for the continuation of the existence of Greece, both as a nation and as a state,with real actionsand not just with words.This can ony happen if we all accept that our state is not a separate entity, but it is really us, each and everyone of us.The biggest difficulty is that our politicians need to accept this principle first, yet until now, it is obvious that they have had no such intent.

Accepting the principle that our state is each one of us is easy in theory, but very difficult in practice. This has been particularly true during the last 30 years. It is obvious that the biggest gap between theory and practice characterizes the pseudo-nationalists,those who on the one hand always refer (and often out of context) to our nation and to our national goals,while on the other hand have actions that do not correspond to what they preach.There are two areas where every citizen can prove his/her support for the viabilityof the Greek nation:the financial and the social.

On the financial level:

Accepting that the Greek state has financial obligations and that every Greek citizen must participate in the repayment of the national debt by paying in full his/her own taxes constitutes a duty for each one of us. We need to accept that the state debt was created by wrong political actions by politicians that we ourselves elected democratically. Since we elected them as our representatives, we are also partially responsible for thedisastrous present state of affairs.By not paying in full the taxes that correspond to each one of us and by not applying the appropriate legal procedures, so that everyone contributes according to his/her ability through taxation, not only we contravene the law, we also undermine the very foundations of our existence as a nation and as a state. A country that carries a disproportionately large debtloses credibility and is subject to many external dangers, as we havelearnedtime and again frompast experience.

On the social level:

While payment of all due taxesby the citizens of a country ensures the unity of a nation and the viability of a state,mutual support strengthens the bonds between the people of a country, preparing them for defending the interests that state.There are many bodies which provide social services: they vary from government social services towards people who have fallen into hard times, to social services provided by private organisations to special groups of individuals, to support provided by individuals to other individuals who are in need. There are also many ways in which social solidarity is manifested;the most common ways aregovernmentbenefits and tax alleviations, in addition, of course, to the provision of the most basic needs, such as food and shelter.

In the past,corrupt Greek politicians have manipulated the financial and socialsectors described above,two sectors on which the existence of every nation and statedepends, for their own benefit. The manipulation was made easier by vague taxation laws, which corrupt politicians used in order to reduce the taxes of specific groups of people, which in turn voted for them. Corrupt politicians also provided government social funding to selected groups, giving them the impression that they were not really entitled to this funding as per state laws, but that it was given as a personal favour for their support in the elections. This kind of behaviour, which has happened many times in the past, has created the image of the untrustworthy Greek politician; this is very obvious in the poll results, particularly now, at a time of a deep economic crisis. Only a radical change in the mentality and the actions of the Greek politicians can bring back two things that are absolutely necessary at these very difficult times:the trust of the Greek people towards their elected representatives and the unity of our nation.

ΝΕW MENTALITY NEEDED FOR ΤΗΕ NEW ERA

The events of the past month have been so dramatic and have had such an impact, that they do not allow just apartial or local approach. They have created anew social and political landscape, completely different from the one that we have been used to for the past 50 years. We will now be forced to revise many elements that had so far defined our way of life. Other elements of the “time of innocence” that were lost,will need to reappear and be applied anew. It is no longer possible to live in ambivalent and conflicting situations. It is no longer possible to disconnect the general from the individual interest.

The exhaustion of the money of the Greek banks, the vagueness of the referendum questions of July 5th and the deal with our EU partners of July 13th regarding the new memorandum(that is, the new debt and our obligation to undertake deep reforms) are events that rarely happen in a lifetime. The fact that all three happened at the same time, prove that the background on which our social and political life was based for the past 50 to 60 years was shaky at best.Because a group of citizens in authority wereexclusively promoting their personal interests, we created a state that no longer knows how much money it owes. We thought that this promoting of self-interests could be perpetuated forever, but we have now reached an impasse. Now that we have reached the edge of the cliff, we claim that we have decided to get serious. The future will show if this was a real intent or just a pretense. One thing is certain, the cliff is not going to go away. It is gaping and is waiting to swallow us, if we do not change our mentality.

It is certain that the new memorandum will mean less income for all of us and will bring a more austere way of life.The first thing to do, is to care about and stand by those who will find themselves below the poverty line. At this difficult time, we need to remember that philanthropy is one of our character traits. Let us all remember, particularly our politicians, that philanthropy is exercised with money from…our own pockets. Let the older ones of us reminisce, and the younger ones learn about, the difficult situations that we went through in the middle of the last century. After ten years of war, half of them spent in civil war, we managed to stand again on our own feet, and we displayed philanthropyand true solidarity, another of our qualities,for our neighbours who had fallen into hard times.

Ιt seems that as time goes by, Greek people realize that in the past,many of our elected representatives,even if they did not promote  the goals of special interest groups,focused their efforts primarily on the re-election of themselves or of their party. They achieved that by creating relations of inter-dependence with their electorate, using not only their power, but also state money.This way of running politics brought the country at the verge of destruction. If, after the shock that we have all felt following the dramatic events of the past few weeks, we,  the Greek people and our politicians, return to the old way of functioning, it is certain that our complete destruction is very near. In this case, we will not talk about austerity, but about destitution.

We need to rethink the ancient Greek concepts “ to appear” (τόφαίνεσθαι) and  “to be” (τόεἶναι). Let us not forget that democracy was founded on the analysis of these two concepts and their extensions in society. After having lived through decades of “appearances”,now that we are forced by necessity, it is time to return to the essence of the events and the essence of life. We can be helped by the experience we gained during the difficult times that our nation went through in the past, particularly in Mani, where austerity was a centuries-long tradition.If we return to the essence of things (τόεἶναι), solidarity and support for each other will reappear. Return to the essence of things will eliminate the recent cases of nouveau-riche and vain arrogance that have recentlystartedto appear. Now that the new situation forces us to become competitive, let us think of the advantages that we have because of the beautiful landscape and the good climate of our area. These advantages, combined with a strong work ethic, give us reasons to be optimistic that we will be successful in our endeavours in the new competitive environment that will be formed.

CRISIS CREATED BY DISTORTION OF INSTITUTIONAL GOALS

 In this editorial we will try to analyze the causes of the socio-economic crisis, which has resulted in deep suffering for most Greeks in the past five years,and which in our opinion is being dealt with in a sketchy and superficial way.We will provide below three examples that support our views.

We believe that measures such as curtailing fiscal expenses and increasing taxation income, can only be applied in the short term. These measures are required only for the time needed for the Greek citizens to become profoundly conscious of the problem and how it affects their everyday life. The next phase, the long-term one, that will result in the necessary social conditions and will generate sufficient funds to gradually pay off the country’s debt, requires a radical change in mentality. It is the politicians that need to change their mentality first, so that this change will become a model for ordinary citizens. This change in mentality will be extremely difficult. If we take the example of biological evolution,i.e. that the improvement of species is achievedafter a series of mutations, then something similar can be achieved with politicians. 

The previous ideas might include difficult concepts, and this is why we will try to give three examples that come from the main sectors of the central administration:

A.National Security

The function of national security should be the preservation of all Greek territory and the

protection from external threats.How does this work in practice? If we look at the way that the Greek national defense sector operates, we realise that it is mainly preoccupied with granting favours for and self-promotion of politicians. Some examples are the following:favourable transfers of members of the armed force to choice locations, placement of military camps to serve ulterior motives instead of practical considerations, and grandiose official visits to army units and areas. We also notice the opposite of self-promotion by grandiose visits, i.e.obscure deals for the purchase of military supplies, which are usually unnecessary or exorbitantly expensive, for the personal benefit and wealth of military men of all ranks at the expense of public funds. Is this kind of governance institutionally acceptable?

B.Education

The continuation of a nation from one generation to the next and its improvement happens through education. This is why the education sector belongs to the jurisdiction of the central government and it is being funded by the state. However, what happens in our country is that every new government launches a new “educational reform”.As a result of these reforms, the performance of Greek students, as measured by impartial international examining bodies such as PISA etc., proves that every year our education system sinks deeper and deeper. Our European counterparts are convinced from their past experiences that the cultural and economic bridging of gaps between member states of the EEC can be achieved by improving the efficiency of the different education systems. This is why EEC generously subsidises the education programs that were submitted by Greece in the five or six packages that have materialised so far. However, this generous funding was mostly used to serve the personal goals of various politicians.We will name a few ways in which these funds were misused: politicians “appointed” unnecessary personnel, built colleges and universities in areas which were unsuitable, but where they could reap personal benefits,they drafted and delivered mediocre courses which produced a poorly-educated “elite”, which in turn got important state jobs due to nepotism and they transferred their own inadequacy to public administration.

  1. Health

The health sector is extremely important in every country. Good health means good quality of life and increased productivity. In Greece,however,the average person feels overwhelmed by the inefficiency of the public health sector and the unscrupulousness of the private health sector. Unfortunately both of them are funded by exorbitantly high public funds,and yet they are extremely inefficient, when compared to any other EEC country. In this dark picture, the only reason for optimism comes from the dry, healthy climate that protects us from diseases!

Instead of waiting for a miracle which will bring about the necessary changes, so that we no longer see any of the distorted way of governance that we described above, let us hope that the average Greek citizen will develop the necessary self-conscience, which in turn may result in the necessary change in the mentalityof our elected representatives!

GUILDS  AGAINST SOCIETY 

The word guild means “an association of people for mutual aid or the pursuit of a common goal”. Guilds appeared a few centuries ago, before early urbanisation, and they contributed greatly to societal and economic progress. It is mainly because of guilds, that societies changed from feudalism and absolute monarchy to an urban system of governance, in which, to a certain degree, all social classes were represented. The bonds between the members of each guild were strong and the internal rules were rigid. These elements were important towards the gradual shift to democracy and the right of all citizens to vote.

Today, the relation between special interest groups and society in general is not the same in all parts of the world. In some countries, this relation is harmonious, which means that the interests and the goals of special interest groupscoincide with the goals and aspirations of the society as a whole, and the result is general progress and well-being. Research has shown that this happens in advanced countries, where citizens believe that when their personal interests are in conflict with the goals and the obligations of the society as a whole, they should defer to the societal goals. Unfortunately, in countries such as Greece, we see disproportionately large initiatives undertaken by certain “guilds” and we observe “guild-like” behaviour of thepressure group members. The excessive involvement of special interest groupshappens because of one-sided and narrow-minded opportunism, regardless of the high price that society as a whole has to pay for such action. This kind of behaviour stifles any hope of progress in society, and it brings stagnation or even regression.

A good example of alternate ways, in which certain special interest groups function, would be a comparison of the way that financial crises were dealt with in Germany and in Greece. At the beginning of the 21st century, Germans noticed that their economic development was low. This was due to the high cost of subsidising the development programs in East Germany, which had joined West Germany in the previous decade. In order for the coalition Social Democrats (SPD)/Greens  government to boost economic growth, they implemented “Agenda 2010”. One of the measures of “Agenda 2010” was that there would be no medium-term salary increases,a measure which was embraced not only by those groups that were affected, but also by all opposition parties. The application of this measure (no salary increases) led to increased productivity, particularly in export goods, and the creation of new wealth for the country. This new wealth benefitted everyone, including those societal groups, which had shown restraint in their demands during the previous years. In Greece, the economic crisis started in 1999, strangely enough with the application of subsidy programs! The fact that, a few months later,Greece had to go to IMF to borrow money, did not seem to worry the government at the time. In Greece, when someone talks about the necessity of adopting new policies that will result in increased productivity, he/she becomes very unpopular, because this premise goes against every societal group that only cares about improving their own position, regardless of the resulting damage to the society as a whole.

This kind of behaviour is predominant not only in the central system of goverment.It has affected every facet of the public sector, including municipal governments. We see “guilds”, which do not consist only of groups of people belonging to the same profession, but also of various municipal groups, with each group trying to usurp the largest partof the municipal budget.

We can briefly describe the situation as follows: special interest groups that are against the well-being of the society as a whole are an obstacle to the economic recovery.Because of them,economic recovery is delayed, which results in despair, because peoplefatalistically accept the premise that there is no way for the economy to rebound. This comes as a result of the mentality according to which each pressure group is looking for a solution,which will not entail any personal sacrifices; however,achieving the common good without any personal sacrificesis impossible. The only solution is for the various “guilds” to stop quarreling and to substantially curtail their demands,so that we can ALL TOGETHER look for a solution that will benefit not only one particular special interest group, but society as a whole. This is the only solution that will help us get out of the present economic crisis. Let us hope that we will embrace it and that we will work towards

DEVELOPMENT IS DEFINITELY POSSIBLETHROUGH SAVINGS

Τhe science of Economics is divided into two branches,microeconomics and macroeconomics, so that it can be studied more accurately.Microeconomics studies the economic behaviour of individuals and small organizations that have limited resources. Macroeconomicsstudies the performance, structure and behaviour of the economy as a whole.Conclusions drawn from both microeconomics and macroeconomicsare compared to each other,and final conclusions are reached regarding economic matters. However,the microeconomics analysis is more immediate and it creates the basis for the final macroeconomics analysis. In most instances, the final conclusions of the macroeconomic research coincide with the conclusions of the microeconomic research.

The introductory paragraph above supports the statement “Development is definitely possiblethrough savings”, which is the title of our editorial, and which is very relevant to the present economic situation of our country. By “development” we mean “economic development”, that is the process that leads to an increase inproductivity and services.  Development is what a weak economy needs, because a) it creates jobs and b) increased productivity leads to increased market activity. Development leads to a healthier state economy through increased tax revenue, which in turn makes it easier for the state to meet its financial responsibilities. In a few words, regional development leads to better state finances.

Development can also happen through investments by foreign capital. It seems that due to thepolitical instability that Greece has been experiencing for a prolonged period of time, this source of development has become very limited. We are therefore left to rely on the development of our own small-scale economy.By “small-scale economy” we mean the economic behaviour of individuals, families and small organizations.What does the average family do when their income has been curtailed? The answer is simple: they save. First, they limit the expenses that relate to the family’s non-basic needs, and then, once their basic needs have been met, they try to invest any left-over incomein the best possible way.For these small amounts to produce the highest possible revenue, it is important that various options and scenarios are explored beforehand, so that funds can be invested in the most productive way, and a new source of income can thus be generated.

An “individual”economic behaviour, like the one of the family that was described above, can be a way of responding to the economic crisis through “internally” funded development (microeconomics).We are certain that this is the way most Greek people think. There is a need for reflection on how these individual behaviours can lead to general economic development. For this to happen, we need the central government to come up with well-sustained and well-coordinated long-term economic policies(macroeconomics). Unfortunately, state economic policies have until now proven to be far from satisfactory, and this fact has negatively affected the effectiveness of “internal” development. It seems that theseineffective state economic policies, which createdthe prolonged economic crisis, continue to exist, in spite of the destruction and the misery that they have caused. Of course, the Greek electorate is also to be blamed, since they arethe ones who elected the central governmentpoliticians. We can, however, be optimistic, because the present economic crisis is,very slowly, but surely,being dealtwith in a more realistic approach.

The possibility of economic development through savings has not yet been fully understood by the policy-makers of the central government;it seems that it is easier for municipal politicians to apply the principle of “economic development through savings” to small areas, such as Mani.In municipal governments, the elected politicians have wider horizons, and their way of dealing with the economic crisis is healthier and closer to the one favoured by the average Greek,as described above: limiting the expenses for non-essential needs, creating a small surplus and using it for investments that will benefit more people.This framework (savings by individuals and municipal governments, combined with strong, well-sustained and well-coordinated action by the central government) can result in significant economic development. This kind of process on the municipal level could serve as a model for the central government, so that the effectiveness of political actions can be improved and create the necessary conditions for promotingeffective financial policies.

DO CITIZENS WANT AN AUTONOMOUS MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION?

Independence in an institution with financial responsibilities can only exist if this institution has the right to set its revenue and to allocate it to different expense categories. These expense categories should be determined through internal decision-making. Municipal administration is one such institutionthat could be autonomous. Since municipal politicians are democratically elected, they should conform to the principles of “direct democracy”, which means gradually granting increased rights to the constituents.

When municipal administration was first introduced in the years following the Greek independence, some elements of municipal autonomy were already present. These elements were gradually curtailed, and became almost non-existent during the last 50 years. The central government, in order to control the municipal politicians, imposed financial dependency on local governments. If municipalities were to be financially independent, it would undermine the political system and the politicians of the central government, since constituents would then elect the most competent municipal administrators for posts in the central government.

Recently, the creation of financially independent municipal governments, which have the right to establish property taxes, without input from the central government and collected directly by the local authorities,is something that has been talked about in the press. It is also something that the previous prime-minister talked about last year,and it was mentioned again this year by a minister.The collection of the property tax ENΦΙΑ is obviously something that is hated by the constituents, who try to find ways to avoid paying it. However, all this negativity could initiate the drive for an independent, self-reliant and self-directed municipal administration, even though some municipal politicians are against it. In Europe property taxes are collected by the municipal authorities and are directed towards paying for local initiatives. The European experience has proven the advantages of such a policy. In our country, the first step has already happened, as the data base for real estate already exists and it can be used as the foundation for further regulations.

We believe that by having the municipal administration collect property taxes, local governments will become more independent  and more cohesive. History has proven that this is true. During the Ottoman occupation, taxation was handled by the municipalities.  Municipalities were responsible for establishing the criteria, according to which each family would pay their taxes. Municipalities also had the right to spend a portion of this money for the necessary public works in their area. A similar system was in place during the first century after the creation of the modern Greek state. In both cases, during the Ottoman occupation and during the hundred years after independence from the Turks, this cohesiveness led to solidarity and sociability and created a strong foundation for building not only national pride, but also a common mentality on the municipal level.

However, problems could arise if there are instances/incidents of populism and ulterior motives, not so much in determining, as in enforcing the tax collecting regulations in an equitable way. There, in the opaqueness of the tax payer lists, deliberate “looking the other way” could occur, so that municipal politicians can get the votes of those to whom they granted tax breaks. We have seen this happening with water and electricity bills. This kind of favouritism and corruption could be controlled through establishing transparent tax regulations and controls according to “direct democracy” principles. Since funds allocated to municipalities by the central government (KAΠ, the so-called “central independent taxes”, and ΣATA, the decentralized funds for state investments, as defined by ministry decisions) are constantly diminishing,development projects are also constantly being curtailed.

If the municipal government is given the right to determine and collect the property taxes, every municipality will be able to decide which projects are the most needed in that patricular region, and to what extent these expenses will be covered through local property taxes. Then it will become obvious which municipalities foster development and better prospects, and which will continue the stagnation that we have seen in the past. Then it will also be obvious which elected municipal politicians are worthy of the electorate vote and who are not. In conclusion, those municipal leaders who are the most effective, will be able to form an elite pool of competent politicians, who will bring new blood to the central government administration.

MANIOT GROWTH AT CROSSROADS

For the fifth consecutive year, the signs of the economic crisis are obvious in Mani:  stagnation in construction and reduced activity in tourism. It took some time before these signs became obvious in our area, because under the previous favourable conditions we experienced steady growth. This development was due mainly to the landscape and the culture of our region that never fail to attract visitors, the new highway that connects us to Athens,the high frequency of flights to Kalamata airport, and also the many tourism and agrotourism projects that materialised in our area.

We are now searching for a new incentive for growth, a growth that will reach every corner of our area, and will not be monopolised  by a few. It is the only realistic approach to growth, because of what we have observed so far, that is:a) small growth in only a few areas does not result in positive pressure on the decision-makers b) the majority of tourists are interested in Mani as a whole and would like to experience many facets of the area,andc) the investment of public funds always tends to benefit the area from Kalamata to Gytheion first, and then the rest of Mani.

Many positive things happened in our area during the two decades before the economic crisis, and they could serve as a guide for the projects that will lead to new growth. The Growth Association of Mani, which was founded 30 years ago by local Maniot leaders, was the result of common endeavours and frequent meetings;  as a result, it succeeded in funding at least 40 business ventures in the whole area of Mani. Although the next phase of the work of the Growth Association of Mani was not as successful, those 40 investment projects, that were funded by the package “Leader II”, formed the locomotive for the tourist growth in our area. These investments helped the construction sector flourish, contributed to the increase of real estate prices, helped create jobs for Maniots and non-Maniots alike and helped raise our standard of living. Due to the unique characteristics of the area and the high quality of services that our region has to offer, growth intensified, and the inhabitants of the region reaped multiple benefits. Finally, as shown by census results, even demographics changed for the better:  from then onwards, the population of Mani, which had been steadily decreasing, suddenly became stable. There was actually a small increase in population, even though people moved towards the seaside villages and towns, where there were jobs in the tourist sector.

The economic crisis of the last 5 years has caused a decrease in the above-mentioned growth. We all have the obligation to work together against this stagnation. Our main weapon could be our renewed solidarity as members of the larger United Maniot community.  If more and more people become conscious of this emotional connection,then ourobligation will become obvious. It is an obligation that derives from our common ancestry and the common ideals, which our ancestors upheld during the century-long struggles for the maintenance of freedom and the avoidance of subjugation to the big powers of the time,

It is generally accepted that the existence of a emotional connection between us, the members of the larger Maniot community, is the sine qua non for the formation of common goals and the road towards their effective materialisation.This is even more true, if these goals target the growth of the area and a better future for the generations to come.

As we have mentioned in detail in previous editorials, the new Parliament includes even more Maniots, and the possibilities of support for our goals at the ministerial level are increased. But we first need to agree on a common growth plan for the United Mani, and then we should all work to achieve it. The new generations will look critically at our actions one day and they will judge us. Let us hope that these generations, whose future has been compromised because of overborrowing policies of the central government, will find, at least in our region, better living conditions, because of the foresight and the common policies of today’s local leaders.

CENTRAL GOVERNANCE AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE

Elections, the essence of democracy, require reflectionbefore the elections and analysis of the results afterwards. In addition to the soul-searching in regards to which candidate to vote for, and the political parties to which each candidate belongs, it is a good idea for the electorate to examinethe platform of each political party. Preelection platforms are usually vague and there is usually a big gap between what is being promised and what will be delivered. However, there are always some indications as to thegovernance that can be expected. This governing framework will be the basis of cooperation between leaders of local associations, municipal politicians and central government politicians. We will limit ourselves to examining the municipal and central governance. No personal motives are promoted in this column.

We believe that immediately after the announcement of the results of the central elections on January 25th,the municipal politicians have an obligation towards their electorate to define the appropriate actions that will promote the vital needs of the area they represent. These actions need to be coordinated with the central government politicians or at least with the people who have influence on them. The municipal politicians have this obligation, regardless of the platform of their own political party or their personal political beliefs. A municipal politician should represent the people of his/herarea as a whole, since the electorate belongs to several, and not one, political parties. The time is right, because the new central government will come to power at the same time that the new EU 7-year package will be distributed. Since this package has recently been approved,specific individual proposals will soon need to be drafted and actions that can be integrated in this new package will soon need to be specified.

In our times, introversion is the worst enemy of someone holding public office. In an open, interconnected and interdependent world,the course of any action should be precisely defined. Competitiveness and assertion are the principal characteristics of open societies and open economies. In order to achieve favourable results, assertions have to be welldocumented and well-supported, priorities have to be established and individual strengths need to be combined.Under these circumstances and within the appropriate framework, it is possible to effectively draft a realistic plan and meet the individual needs of each area. We need to look at the past and examine the reasons why past actions brought mediocre results or failed alltogether. Such introspection will be very useful in planning a new course in the future.

Although introversion is unfortunatelya principal character trait of Maniots, it is often combined with courage. Introversion is mostly needed in situations where military defense is crucial, and this is why it has been used many times in our local history.However, in our times, at a period of open horizons and global competitiveness, it is self-understood that courage is needed in order to assert the rights for our area. We need courage so that rivalry between small areas will be overcome, as well as likes and dislikes between individuals. If we combine all individual strengths, focusing first on our municipal representatives and second on other local leaders, the right dynamics will be formed, so that we can overcome the stagnation that characterizes the area of public works.This is a principal obligation towards the many investors, Maniots and philoManiots, who during the last decades have been investing capital in the tourist infrastructure, inspired by the beauty of the Maniot landscape and by the Maniot culture. It is also a principal obligation towards the next generations who would like to live and work in the land of their ancestors and contribute to its advancement, now that the circumstances allow it.

We hope that this time these obligations to the electorate will be fulfilled.

IS MILITANCY REQUIRED IN A TIME OF PEACE

It has been scientifically proven that the physical layout of an area influences social customs. It has also been scientifically proven that long-term social customs influence the genetic characteristics of individuals. These characteristics are passed down from one generation to the next and create a special “data base” for each person. Under these influences, the militancy of Maniots was gradually formed, becoming more prominent during the centuries that preceded the “national awakening” and the creation of the modern Greek state.

Militancy was formed as a conscious group goal, as an extension to the instinct for survival. It came as a response to the need for defense to attacks by outsiders, so that the settled area could be protected. Militancy was also used as a means of supplementing the meager income that was generated by the cultivation of infertile soil and the rearing of small numbers of animals. Maniot militancy was very efficient because of the physical layout of the area, that is, the inaccessible Taygetos and the steep coastline. Because of these circumstances,a new source of income had to be found: from robbery andmainly piracy. It was because of this new income that the area could now support a relatively large population. This need for additional income was even more urgent in the more infertile and rocky areas. This is why piracy flourished in the southern endof the peninsula (in Inner Mani during the 17th century the population density was 33 inhabitants per square kilometre!) We need to clarify that robbery and piracy were not frowned upon at that time, the way they were during the last Renaissance centuries, with the safeguarding of individual and civil rights in the various charters of rights of the national states that were formed then.

Almost two centuries have gone by since the creation of the modern Greek state. During the first years of the new independent state and until recently, the general militancy of the Maniots found an application in the employment of our compatriots in the GreekArmed Forces. This shift of militancy resulted in many successful careers and acts of valour, particularly in those military actionsthat resulted in our country doublingin size about a century ago. However, some of the external expressions of this militancy remained in our area, such as the possession of firearms and a kind ofnon-justified  belligerency. These expressions were based on the family traditions of previous generations. In our time, such cases seem to constitutesimplyfollowingmodels that no longer exist.

Extensive scientific research is probably needed in order for us to be able to determine how much time is needed for the changing social customs to alter the genetic characteristics of individuals. However, it is certain that the changing social customs during our time lead to a gradualdistancing from militancy and shift to nonviolence and peace. The education of the young generations, based on real contemporary data, definitely plays an important role in the acceleration of this transition.  However, the determining factor here is the need for finding an alternative source of income and employment that guarantees sufficient means of survival.

As it happened before, when the geography of Mani helped build militancy in Maniots, in the same way today, in our times of peace, these same characteristics can still help us. Thephysical layout and the micro-climate of our area are attracting many visitors. These characteristics, as well as the cultural background  that was formed during the centuries of militancy, render Mani unique. We can tap on this uniqueness, and find new sources of income, sufficient not only for the needs of the permanent residents, but also for Greeks who choose to repatriate and even for new inhabitants.

The main reason that these ideas can lead to positive results can also be found in the genetic background of militancy: it is unity in action.The militancy of the Maniots in order to face enemies and invaders was based on unity in action, and on this unity were based rogue activities such as piracy. It is possible that the tapering of unity in action during the last two centuries of Greek independence is due to the fact that there has not been a visible enemy.  There is, however, at the present time a need for unity in action.In order to face globalisation,(a characteristic of contemporary socio-economic circumstances) effectively, in a way that is beneficial to Mani and its inhabitants, we need again unity in action.