----- Original Message -----
From: Len Cranford
To: apopeeso@comcast.net ; pyrigenes
; Chris
D.
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 5:52 PM
Subject: We just arrived in Athens...Here`s what we saw
{Getting a Communist
to do an "honest" job? It won`t happen;}
We Just Arrived in Athens… Here’s What We Saw
We Hopped on a Plane to
Athens …
ATHENS, Greece – “It’s finished. The euro finished. Greece
finished.”
With this apocalyptic shorthand, our taxi driver described the situation
in Athens. The banks here have been closed for two weeks. To try to prop up the
crumbling banking system, the government has banned Greek citizens – but not
tourists – from withdrawing more than €60 ($67) a day from the ATMs.
The breaking news this morning is that the government and its
creditors have cobbled together a deal to keep Greece in the euro zone.
Prime minister Alexis Tsipras has caved in to creditors’ demands
on economic reforms. Trouble is his countrymen voted to reject almost the same
deal in last weekend’s referendum.
And Tsipras still has to push the reforms through the Greek
parliament on Wednesday. Otherwise all bets are off…
Clinging on to the Euro Train
It is breathtaking… an architectural masterpiece. There is no sign
of such capability here today. Instead, Athens is a washed-out, slightly trashy
Mediterranean burg.
“Hey, can I help you?”
A seedy-looking man approached. We didn’t know what he was offering,
but we didn’t want any.
“No… thanks.”
We turned to walk in the other direction. He followed.
“Hey… what are you looking for? I can help you find it.”
“Well, I’m looking for signs of financial breakdown.”
“Oh, I can help you find drugs… women… gambling. But I don’t know
anything about financial breakdowns.” [Ha HA!]
We gave the man another “thank you” and went off.
Its main achievements were completed more than 2,000 years ago.
You wonder how Ancient Greeks did it. The Parthenon – a temple on the Acropolis
dedicated to the goddess Athena – required huge investment and meticulous
organization.
The
Parthenon: a building from better-organized days …
Photo
credit: Steve
Swayne
Parthenon in Nashville reproduction
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