Oracle wrote:Paphitis wrote:The Greek Diaspora in Australia, had donated some 1 million Euros to Greece to help victims of the Peloponnese fires. When Australia had devastating bush fires in Victoria last year, literally wiping out towns and villages, the Greek Community of Australia asked the Greek Republic to make a token donation to Australia. A figure of 100,000 Euros was mentioned. The Republic of Greece denied this request much to our embarrassment.
You are not comparing like-with-like.
Most of the (many) Greek Diaspora have homes and family, back in their motherland, which were directly affected by the fires. It's common practice by the Diaspora to send money back to the motherland in one form or another. Hence the generous donations collected for Greece, from the Greek community. Don't cheapen it, Paphitis!
Don't be silly Oracle. The Greek Diaspora has no obligation to be sending money to Greece, and the latest undignified act for requesting donations from the Greek Diaspora has been met with overwhelming cynicism. But let's just say they were obligated to send money to Greece, which is no longer their "motherland" btw. Then, by the same token, Greece too is obligated to send money to Australia, because as it so happens, Australia has been good enough to accept thousands of Greek immigrants thus unburdening Greece itself. Australia has also accepted thousands of Cypriot refugees, whereas Greece actually spat in their faces. And let's not forget that Australia lost hundreds of service personell whilst defending Greece in WW11.
So, I would say that Greece most certainly has
many obligations to Australia and the Greek Diaspora. But Australia is most certainly a wealthy nation, and doesn't need any assistance from Greece. Furthermore, it was not Australia that requested any assistance from Greece. It was the Greek Diaspora, which also lost homes in the fires. Yes that's right, Greek Australians also lost everything in those fires, and since the Greek Diaspora donated 1 million Euros to Greece, they were
expecting a token donation of some 100,000 Euros in return. Was Greece obligated? It should have felt so, and donated the money, because apart from the donations from the Greek Diaspora, the Australian Government also sent aid to Greece, although I am not sure how much!
Another Greek Macedonian Association in Melbourne also donated 2 small yachts to Greece, which were specially modified and configured for handicapped kids. The yachts made their way to Greece and were confiscated by the Greek Government because the Greek Macedonian Association did not pay the import duties/taxes. They asked for an exemption. It was denied, and so the Greek Macedonian Association tried desperately to raise the money to pay these import levies, but did not have enough time, and so the boats were confiscated and sold/or destroyed.
I would also like you to address the above Oracle. The Greek Diaspora even sends yachts for handicapped children. So all in all, I would say, Greece could have given a
small token donation to Australia, because I can tell you, that this would have meant a great deal to the Greek Diaspora, and Australian politicians would've recognized that token gesture, resulting in Greece receiving ten fold more assistance from Australia when needed.
You are in fact correct to say that we are not comparing like for like. Greece has a much higher obligation to Australia and the Greek Diaspora than the other way around. But what the Greek Diaspora has proven, is the fact that they and Australia have far more dignity and compassion than Greeks in Greece and the Republic of Greece. What they have proven is that they stand tall, with head up high. What a shame Greece can't say the same thing.
This proves that perhaps Australians have more right to associated with Hellenism than the barbarians of Greece!
