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Quincy Jones, one of America's most inspired
music producers, is with us no more...
 

Τώρα οι αλήτες έγιναν "κύριοι της υψηλής
κοινωνίας" και υπενθυμίζουν στους άλλους
τη σημασία των Συνθηκών και την ανάγκη για
σεβασμό του Διεθνούς Δικαίου. Όταν, όμως,
πηγαινοέρχοναν με οπλοστάσια μέσω των
συνόρων για να δημιουργήσουν αναταραχή
και να βάλουν τη χώρα μας σε μπελάδες,
έκλα*αν και έφτυναν το Διεθνές Δίκαιο και
ποσώς δεν τους ενδιέφερε. Σ*ατόφατσες...


It is disconcerting, to say the least, when a
campaign invites supporters who are racist,
misogynistic, divisive and plain crazy, and,
when, as anticipated, make despicable and
unacceptable statements, those that invited
them say they did not represent the views
of their candidate. So why inviting or why
partnering with such individuals in the first
place? I cannot imagine that the Democratic
Party would have on stage people that uttered
such non-sequitur that headquarters would
have to later deny and distance themselves
from. It is another indication on how the two
campaigns work, who they represent and
whose endorsements they really espouse.
 

At the beginning, I was firmly on the side of
our Secretary of State Blinken because he did
seem to be investing a lot of time and effort
in trying to avert a catastrophe and huma-
nitarian disaster in Gaza and the Middle East.
Unfortunately, in hindsight, I have to withdraw
my support. He did invest the physical effort,
but he failed totally when it came to diplomacy,
pulling the strings available and at our United
States' disposal (budgetary and military) and
making sure that, if the other side did not
cooperate with our vision and align, at least
partially, its interests with ours, we would no
longer provide a blank check. The verdict is
that he has been wasteful and environmentally
unfriendly and diplomatically deficient, with
a lot of money and fuel wasted in going back
and forth and nothing to show for it in exchange.
And, in the end, he left us with an unbearable
sense of, not only an unfinished, but, in fact,
a worsening business, unimaginable casualty
counts and a strategic plan in the region that
seems to revolve not on deescalation, peace
and a fair solution, but on extermination, ethnic
cleansing and reoccupation of parts of the land
that, under our watch, should have been out
of limits to the occupiers.


Some of us are following the developments
in Northern Gaza speechless and in disbelief.
And some of us cannot do anything about it,
other than watch and curse the structures
and the powerful of this world. But there are
others than can do a lot, but, with their silence,
their inaction and their acquiescence, have
become complicit to unimaginable crimes
against Humanity and unimaginable brutality.
I guess, back in the Yugoslav Wars, the World
could not stomach the slaughtering of Muslims
by Christians, but the same powers do not
seem to have any problem whatsoever in
witnessing the extermination and ethnic
cleansing of Muslims by Jews. Let us hope,
at least, that, even if no one of these war
criminals is incarcerated, the International
Criminal Court, nevertheless, tries and
imposes severe penalties on those involved
in these atrocities. It is a moral imperative
and the satisfaction of knowing that appro-
piate judgements have been delivered, even
if it is not possible to enforce the sentences,
would be invaluable.
I CALL ON THE COURT TO DO THE RIGHT
THING. Even if a small step, it is worth the
effort.


I hope that the latest push to refer the
few remaining unresolved bilateral
issues to the Hague bear fruit. If
these issues get resolved, besides
the added immediate benefits, as
tangible contributions to solidifying
Peace, Stability, Brotherhood and
Cooperation between the two States,
the process and its outcome will
provide a strong example, and send
a loud and clear message, to other
parties that, even states who have
not had historically the most stable
and the most cordial bilateral relations
can come together in mutual coope-
ration and agreement and can forge
a path of Peace and close Friendship
for the sake of the well-being of their
populations. Heaven knows how bad
such an example in needed under the
current circumstances in our region
and the war ravaged world around us.


Give, give, give, without asking anything in
return. What kind of a foreign policy is that?
A superpower that does not know how to
pull any strings, does not know how to use
effectively stick and carrot strategies, espe-
cially vis-a-vis cowboyish, genocidal and
murderous regimes, and mutely supports,
and gives silently its consent for, unima-
ginable acts of suffering and destruction.
What are we doing? Are we even thinking at all?


We need everyone, and especially those with
the biggest stakes in the outcome, Women's
Rights Organizations, Teachers' and Workers'
Unions, Immigrant Support Organizations, our
Indigenous Communities, our Fellow African
American Citizens, our Fellow Asian American
Citizens and our Latino Brothers and Sisters
to do their part. Let us Back Unity and Civility,
let us reject vilification, negativity and divisive
rhetoric. We do not need to brand some of
our fellow citizens negatively to feel better.
We can work all together to overcome the
problems we face and to improve our lives.


The gangster state is defying our United
Nations and ignoring Resolutions of the
Security Council, which are binding under
International Law, showing, once more,
that it spits on International Law and that
it is determined to behave as if it had been
both the judge and the executioner in a
"wild west" landscape, unhindered by any
legal rules or restraints. But, History and
Life move in circles and there will come
a time when that same pariah of a state,
when it gets overwhelmed and impotent,
will be pleading with our United Nations to
show Solidarity, Compassion, Determina-
ion and to do the right thing and come to
its aid. Only crazies and wackos think that,
in this life, they will never need the help of
others and that they can get away, despite
behaving in such provocative, scandalous
and outrageous ways.
 

It is shaking and amazing, but perhaps
not entirely surprising, that the best
speech so far in this election was the
one crafted and delivered by Barack
Obama in Pittsburgh, PA, the other
day. One might think that it reflects
badly on the capabilities of running
politicians to motivate and convince.
But, taking the opposite, optimistic
point of view, Barack is an individual
with staggering oratorical skills and
technique, and impeccable in his
structural speech-making style and
delivery. No wonder that the irony
of such an exemplary legal scholar,
orator and politician belonging to
an oppressed, disadvantaged and
brutally discriminated upon minority
has seeped deep into the American
conscious, and that the American
public, having been forced to overcome
decades-old stereotypes and to admit
the obvious, is now ready to elect our
First Black Female and First Indian
American in our History for our next
President.

I understand that, for many of our Fellow
Citizens, the fact that Ms. Harris is part of
an establishment that has provided
unconditional support to a rabid genocidal
machine on the loose, with only lip service
to the contrary and with very feeble to non
existent application of pressure for a long
lasting and fair solution, is severely dama-
ging and condemning, not least because it
makes us accomplices to decisions and
actions that we strongly oppose and that
we do not want any part in. I ask, however,
that we all think about the sum total and
pay also close attention to our domestic
issues and to the civility and togetherness
that we want in our internal affairs and in
the approach taken by our Government.
So echoing Barack, not in his chastisement,
but in his Plea and in his Call, I ask again all
my Fellow Citizens to not sit it out or fall for
the easy, shallow and unsubstantiated pro-
mises that are backed by bad and by divisive
policies and rhetoric. We need everyone, and
especially those with the biggest stakes in
the outcome, Women's Rights Organizations,
Teachers' and Workers' Unions, Immigrant
Support Organizations, our Fellow African
American Citizens, our Fellow Asian American
Citizens and our Latino Brothers and Sisters
to do their part. Let us back Unity and Civility,
let us reject vilification, negativity and divisive
rhetoric. We do not need to brand some of
our fellow citizens negatively to feel better.
We can work all together to overcome the
problems we face and to get, all collectively,
in a better place.


Iran was not left with much choice, since
it has been provoked repeatedly, with clear
knowledge of the consequences. On the
other hand, the provocations had a clear
goal in mind and Iran has to prepare its
air defenses, especially surrounding its
nuclear sites and its air bases. Israel, on
the other hand, if it goes ahead with what
seems to have been on its despicable
leader's mind from the very beginning,
even from before the Trump Admini-
stration era, has to know that a state
acting like a gangster and an out of
control lunatic in a volatile area, and
that has nuclear weapons, has to be
ready to defend them at any moment,
and, hence, has to prepare for and to
anticipate attacks on those sites that
made them, developed them and that
house them. I am afraid that, as the
conflict unfolds and escalates, nothing
can be deemed safe and out of limits any
longer. And wise leaders should have
known and expecting this from the very
start, before embarking on the path of
dangerous acrobatics and of utterly
unfortunate, catastrophic machinations.
 

A Legend of Greek Music, composer
Mimis Plessas, is with us no more...
 

Jimmy Carter, one of the Best American
Presidents and one of the Best of the
Best among us, has turned 100.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mr. PRESIDENT!!
The embodiment of Pure Faith (as
opposed to hypocrisy for gain), of
Kindness from the Heart (as opposed
to words for sale) and of Power with
Balance for Good (as opposed to
unquestioning support for self-
serving friends to the unlawful
destruction, extermination and
annihilation of perceived enemies),
Jimmy Carter represents a U.S.A.
that was rare in his era and that
voters are desperately searching
for as a needle in a haystack in
our own times...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMY CARTER!!


He is unapologetically tying a boulder
around the neck of an entire nation and
taking it with him to the bottom of a deep
swamp and, unless those hypnotized and
tied and dragged to the edge wake up on
time and resist, even at this eleventh hour,
despite the lies and the stories they are
told and the excuses they are given, it
will simply be too late, and this will be a
road of no return.


Country music star Kris Kristofferson
is with us no more...
 

Maggie Smith, a Legend of British Film and Stage,
is with us no more...


It is outrageous, despicable and totally
unacceptable that the "mayor" of the
City of Immigrants has the shamelessness
and the audacity to use the issue of
immigration, and the plight of so many
escaping harsh conditions and poverty
elsewhere, as an excuse to justify his
greed, his avarice, his total incompe-
tence and his insatiable appetite for
pleasure and self-gratification at any
cost. RESIGN NOW. STOP USING A
SERIOUS ISSUE AS AN EXCUSE FOR
YOUR CHARACTER'S DISASTROUS
TRAITS and let someone else, more
decent and responsible, handle our
Nation's Greatest City's affairs.


Zelensky insists that Ukraine is not going
to sign an imposed Peace Accord. We do
believe that International Law is, beyond
the shadow of a doubt, on Ukraine's side.
On the other hand, in Peace Accords, sides
have to give and take and, usually, one side
gives more than it takes. Moreover, a leader
who wants to be counted as successful,
and not disastrous, is a realist, characte-
rized by a compromising spirit and a vision
for his State and Nation that does not involve
annihilation and ruin. I urge Zelensky to think
not only of himself and of the present, but
to imagine the position of his State and
Nation down the road, and of their relation
with its most powerful neighbor. Geography
and those surrounding us do not change,
at least not from one day to the next, and
we have to work hard to live as best we
can in the warmest possible terms and
in friendly compromise.


Every side seems determined, without
thinking and without careful consideration
of the repercussions, to widen further and
further the range of their missiles and of
the weaponry they use. Ask yourselves.
What will that accomplish and will it bring
you closer at all to your stated objectives?
I am afraid that you are getting into an
abyss of more widespread carnage and
destruction, without any light in the end.
A road of no return because, the higher
the number of your Fellow Citizens you
throw into the fire and you sacrifice, the
harder it will be to justify stopping or
negotiating with no gains to show for
the victims and with devastation as the
only reward. THINK CAREFULLY & THINK
TWICE BEFORE ASKING, AND DO NOT
CONSIDER IT AS A BIRTH-RIGHT OR AN
ELECTION RIGHT TO LEAD OTHERS TO
THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE MINDLESSLY.


What did transpire last night? We saw one
candidate that was totally off the hinges
and not quite there. Not that he ever was,
but, now with age, the mental state has
deteriorated and the situation is out
of control. We saw, also a candidate who
had some things to say, but mostly vague
generalities and only a couple of policies
that may affect some groups of citizens
more than others. However, there was
a clear contrast in composure, in vision
and in disposition and this counted a
lot in the final impression. On the other
hand, one would be a liar not to admit
that no Bill Clinton, no Joe Biden (in his
good days), no Hillary Clinton even, and
definitely no BARACK OBAMA, were
on that stage last night. We miss those
Democrats that, even if they finally
accomplished little, they could sway
feeling, stir enthusiasm and motivate
us to get excited and to care, despite all.


Πού ζεις, ωρέ ζατροτσέλιγκα; Για ποια
ενότητα μιλάς που το'χετε σκορπίσει
το ρημάδι με τον εγωισμό, τη ψευτο-
μαγκιά και τη συμπεριφορά σας στους
τέσσερεις ανέμους και στα διαφορετικά
υψόμετρα, και το'χετε κάνει επιοικώς
κω*οχανείο, για να μη πούμε μπο*ρδέλο;
Τί χαμπάρια; Τώρα χέ*τηκες μήπως
χάσεις τον υποκόμο; Αριστερός σιγουρα
δεν είναι, αλλά ούτε και ψευτόμαγκας
δήθεν δεν ειναι, οπότε δίκιο θα έχει
αν ιδρύσει νέο δεξιό παρασκεύασμα.

Εάν ψηφίζετε με προοπτική εκλογικής
πλειοψηφίας, μην εκλέξετε έναν αγενή,
αγύρτη, άξεστο, γλειφτρόνι, ψευτόμαγκα,
οπορτουνιστή του κερατά που κανείς μα
κανείς στη  Ελλάδα δε θα θέλει να δει
ως πρωθυπουγό, αφού δε θέλουμε να
εκπροσωπεί κανείς με τέτοιο χαρακτήρα
τη χώρα μας. Εκλέξετε κάποιον που έχει
την ευγένεια και το χαρακτήρα, τη νηφα-
λιότητα και την εμπειρία να οδηγήσει,
και που θα έχει το θάρρος να διαγράψει
τα πραγματικά βαρύδια και τους πολιτικά
και προσωπικά άξεστους, και να διαπρα-
γματευτεί με τα ιστορικά στελέχη που
διείδαν την καταστροφή και δικαιολο-
γημένα αποχώρησαν για να μη λάβουν
μέρος στην παράστατη του τσίρκου που
ακολούθησε και που όλοι παρακολουθούμε.


Those fellow citizens of ours who are trying
to convince others to vote in a certain way
by concealing the characteristics and views
of their candidate (or any candidate) because
they know they are unsavory, unpalatable or
plain outrageous, are sleeping a dangerous
sleep of ignorance and "bliss". In our system
of Government, the Presidency and the Cabinet,
which consists of individuals selected by the
President and reflecting the President's Values,
form one of the three constituting powers. In
addition, some levels of the Judiciary consist
of Judges and of Justices appointed by the
President. So, attempting (or encouraging
others) to disassociate the personality, the
personal views and opinions, the instability
and volatility of an individual from political
decision making, and pretending that "only
policy positions matter", is tantamount to
urging voters to put the future of our Nation
second, behind electing and worshiping a
certain candidate for his/her own sake.
LET US NOT MAKE THIS TERRIBLE MISTAKE.


On this point, it is sad, but honest, to agree
with the morph in his characterization of
"dick'' as the "King of Endless, Nonsensical
Wars" and with "dick" in his characterization
of the morph as the "greatest threat to our
republic". But frankly, the Democratic Party
does not need, nor does it welcome the
support of people like Dick "dick" Cheney.
Our Party does not endorse, nor does it
seek or welcome the endorsement, of war
criminals, individuals who, if they had any
shame, or any fiber of self-respect, or any
trace of conscience, should be hiding in
dark places rather than making unsolicited
and unasked for public statements.


Being arrested in the Philippines is a joke,
full of smiles, selfies and entertainment for
the few, the rich, the foreign and the well
connected, even the most extreme law
breakers, and a torturous, extrajudicial
hell for the ordinary Filipinos. What a
joke and a pariah this State really is...


Το φασιστόμουτρο δεν ξέρει να μιλάει σωστά,
αλλά λέει: "Έχετε απόλυτο δικιο. Το σύστημα
είναι υπό διάλυση. Αλλά δε μπορεί να γίνει κάτι
παραπάνω διότι έχουν εξαντληθεί οι κρατικοί
πόροι για την Υγεία." Οπότε το σωστό ερώτημα
πέφτει αλλού. Πού βρίσκονται λεφτά για άλλες
αγορές, επιδοτήσεις και μισθούς που δεν είναι
όσο σημαντικά όσο η υγεία και η παιδεία; Και
γιατί δεν αλλάζουμε τις προτεραιότητές μας;
Όταν είσαι σε ένα κυβερνητικό σχήμα, δεν
παίρνεις μόνο ό,τι σου δίνουν και σιωπάς
για να επιβιώσεις εσύ και ο άλλος που σε
χρησιμοποιεί σαν χρήσιμο ηλιθιό του. Είσαι
εκεί για να υπερασπισθείς και για να παλέψεις
για να δοθεί προτεραιότητα στον τομέα που
εκπροσωπείς. Κι αν αυτό δεν αρέσει, τότε,
αντί να γκαρίζεις, να ψεύδεσαι και να εκφεύγεις,
με τιμιότητα παραιτείσαι, αναγνωρίζοντας τη
γενικότερη ανημπόρια και ανικανότητα στον
τομέα σου, και ασχολείσαι με κάτι άλλο που
ούτε ευτελίζεται ούτε εξευτελίζεται.


Welcome to the American Dream...
This time around with a scent of China.


Κυριάκο, δε νομίζεις ότι αυτή η συνήθεια
πρέπει κάποια στιγμή να αλλάξει στην
Ελλάδα ώσε να μη συγκαταλεγόμαστε
στις ακυβέρνητες μπανανίες; Και αν ναι,
τί είναι αυτό που σε κάνει να κλωτσάς
τη μπάλλα στον επόμενο, αντί να το
αντιμετωπίσει η παρούσα κυβέρνηση
με αποφασιστικότητα; Κάποιος πρέπει
με θάρρος να σταματήσει τη νοοτροπία
"σκοτώνω και πληρώνω" και, όταν όλοι
οι Έλληνες καταλάβουν ότι ό,τι καταπα-
τείται επιστρέφεται, τότε ίσως να έχει
κάποια τύχη στη χώρα μας και η κακο-
ρίζικη η φύση και το περιβάλλον μας,
για τα οποία δυστυχώς, συνέχεια μιλάμε
και τίποτα απολύτως δεν κάνουμε.


I hope the Kremlin and its stooges realize
how ironic and ridiculous it is of them to
demand (or even ask) that the West avoid
using persecutions as a political tool. You
are the State par excellence that is teaching
this World, and continually makes it seem
ordinary, to use "criminal investigations"
and persecutions to settle your political
issues, alleviate your political angst and
attempt to settle political disagreements.
So, unless you put your own house and
your own pseudo-judicial system in order
and force them to do the Right Thing, do
not even try to point a finger at others.


Φασιστόμουτρο, αφού σου αρέσει να κάνεις
τον καραγκιόζη και να τουϊτάρεις 24/7, το
υπουργιλίκι και τη "σοβαρή" εργασία τί τα
θέλεις; Δε σου αρκεί να βγαίνεις στα μίντια
να κάνεις τον πολιτικό αναλυτή του κώ*λου;
Η ούτως ή άλλως, απ' ό,τι φαίνεται έτσι
περνάς το χρόνο σου, αντί να ασχολείσαι
με σοβαρότητα μ' αυτά που σου έχουν
αναθέσει. Το ότι δεν εχεις φάει φύσημα,
παρόλο που στερείσαι όρεξη για εργασία
και σοβαρότητα και είσαι 24/7 στο ίντερνετ,
είναι δείγμα ότι έχει χαθεί τελείως η μπάλα
και από τον πρωθυπουργό και από την
κυβέρνηση. Και αφού δεν έχετε το θάρρος
και την τιμιότητα να το παραδεχτείτε, θα
αναγκαστείτε να το κατανοήσετε και να το
εμπεδώσετε στις επόμενες εκλογές.


Τί να παραιτηθεί; Δε βλέπετε; Αγαθοεργίες
με το αζημίωτο. Όπως έχουμε συνηθίσει
δυστυχώς τα τελευταία χρόνια. Ιδίως από
αυτούς που διαχειρίζονται εκαντοντάδες
χιλιάδες ή εκατομμύρια. Διότι έχουμε, ευτυχώς,
από τους ηλικιωμένους με τις δωρεές για τα
ασθενοφόρα και τα κέντρα υγείας και κάποια
παραδείγματα προς μίμηση. Και λίγη ντροπή
δε βλάπτει... Τί άλλο να πει κανείς από το
να κάνει η Πολιτεία το καθήκον της και η
Δικαιοσύνη τη δουλειά της να μη χαθεί
τελείως η εμπιστοσύνη των Πολιτών, διότι
χειρότερη απειλή για τη Δημοκατία και τη
σταθερότητά της απ' αυτή, όπως μαθαίνουμε
και από την πρόσφατη Ιστορία, δεν υπάρχει.
 
 

We, as customers and Responsible and Responsive
Citizens, have a responsibility to "unionize", counter
and combat such irresponsible practices by spoiled
CEOs and inscrutable hypocritical pseudo-personages.
And we DO HAVE THE POWER AND THE MEANS.
Starbucks customers could pledge to refrain from
buying their fixes from their stores for a week or so,
and go shopping during  that period from a competitor.
You'll see how fast this CEO will change and you'll
realize how much power each of us wields, if only
we would put it in good use and cooperate for the
Right Causes and for doing the Right Things.


The way Stefanos Kasselakis is directing SYRIZA
and administering its affairs and finances is a
strong indication that he is lacking elementary
skills and makes one wonder in which way and
under what circumstances he made his fortune
here in the United States before returning to
Greece to engage in politics. It may be that his
wheelings and dealings and prior business life
and entrepreneurial activities here warrant a
closer scrutiny from U.S. financial authorities.
Any help from any sources in revealing who is,
in reality, Stefanos Kasselakis, regardless of
how he is trying to manipulate his image and
to manage and sell himself and inflate his skills,
would be extremely helpful and to the advantage
of transparency in Greek political life and Greek
political affairs. And we have to learn the truth
before it is too late and before the damage is
done.

Policies require consistency to be effective.
And this is, to say the least, rather alarming.
The Nigerian Government has some explaining
to do and it'd better back it up by numbers and
not spread unsubstantiated stories and rumors.

The American Public is just dead tired of people
that do not know when or how to retire. And, since
this Election cycle ended up being so much about
this, it is, indeed, in very bad taste, no mater what
the past contributions are and no matter how good
and progressive one's ideas are, that (the organizers
and) Bernie did not get that elementary message
and he chose to appear as a speaker in Chicago.
I hope that some other people also realize that
not only is it a disgrace to themselves and very
negative and discouraging for potential worthy
successors, but also and, most importantly, very
detrimental to our Country and to our Nation when
they insist to "serve" way past their prime and,
alas, often until a state of semi-senility and semi-
or total decomposition. But we also have to do
our part. We have to be alert and smart enough
to vote them out when it is clear that they have
no ability and competence in realizing and/or
accepting that the right time to retire is way
overdue.
 
 

 

There are some reports and leaks that seem
to suggest that the Biden Administration and
Blinken are giving in to Israeli demands and
are becoming obedient lapdogs to Netanyahu,
exactly as had been the case with the despicable
son in law during the morph administration.
I hope these rumors are baseless and that I
need not remind Biden and Blinken of the
example set by Jimmy Carter. The United
States, as a primary military and economic
supporter of the Jewish State, has a wide
variety of tools, including purse strings, at its
disposal to force aggressive, racist, belligerent,
bloodthirsty states and apartheid governments
to do the Right Thing. Do not waste them.


An Icon, a Giant of French Cinema,
Alain Delon, is with us no more...
 
 

This war, with such needless and mindless
loss of life and property for both sides,
should have never even started. If these
two States had been headed by Wise Men,
Adept Politicians and Knowledgeable and
Skillful Negotiators, having the Right Values
and setting the Right Priorities, instead of
shallow degenerates, charlatans and utterly
corrupt megalomaniacs, the lives and the
outlook and the prospects for the Peoples
of both sides, Brothers and Sisters, living
under one roof and speaking related idioms
from time immemorial, would have been
totally different and much more positive.
PITY... But also a reminder for them and
for us that LEADERS MATTER. Let us be
careful, especially, when we are blessed,
based on the work of our forefathers, with
having a saying and a free choice, to avoid
making mistakes and choosing dangerous,
volatile, ultra-nationalists, pseudo-patriots
and incompetents, who may endanger our
relations with others, put at risk our own
well being and jeopardize our peace, our
security and our prosperity.
   
 

Η αντιπολίτευση δεν πρέπει να κάνει
κριτική στην Κυβέρνηση, έχοντας την
επίγνωση ότι και όταν εκείνη είχε τα
ηνία και την ευθύνη, τα πράγματα δεν
είχαν πάει πολύ καλύτερα.
Και η κυβέρνηση ας σταματήσει πια
τις ανόητες δικαιολογίες για όλα. Είναι
τόσο δύσκολο να πει δυο ειλικρινείς
κουβέντες; Ήταν και είναι δύσκολα.
Στα δύσκολα φαίνεται η ποιότητα
και η πρόοδος. Και στα δύσκολα,
παντελώς αποτύχαμε. Απολογούμαστε
γιατί δεν σταθήκαμε εκεί που έπρεπε,
γιατί είμαστε λίγοι και δεν ανταποκρι-
θήκαμε στις προσδοκίες, και το ύψος
του πήχη που εμείς θέσαμε αποδείχτηκε
πολύ υψηλό για το μπόι μας.
Γιατί τόση δυσκολία στην ειλικρίνεια
εξ αμφοτέρων; Μόνο τα οφίτσια και τα
φλουριά μετράνε; Και προκειμένου να
μην τα χάσουμε, τσαμπουνάμε ό,τι μας
κατέβει κι ό,τι μας καπνίσει (δυστυχώς);


Φασίστας, αδαής, συμφεροντολάγνος,
πολεμοχαρής, πατριδοκάπηλος, εν
ολίγοις, μουτράκλα, και του φαίνεται.
Ο Κούλης, αν ήταν διαφορετικός, δεν
έπρεπε να σχετίζεται με τέτοιους, ούτε
κατά διάνοια.


From all experiences of our lifetime, there is a clear
message transpiring, for every State and for every
leader in our World. If you are vulnerable (and every
State is vulnerable, even the most mighty) and you
want your Territorial Integrity and your Independence
intact and your citizens enjoying Peace, Security and
Prosperity, let others also live in Peace. For States
that violated this very simple Principle, the end was
not very enviable, even if, generally, their losses
were not significant from the territorial point of view.
Just think of Iraq, of Yugoslavia, of Israel and of
Russia. I hope some States which act aggressively
or make direct threats to the effect that "they shall
destroy" or "they shall invade by night" etc. realize
this and try to moderate their acts and their rhetoric
and make a sincere effort to live in Peace and with
Sincere Fraternal Feelings with All their Neighbors,
within the confines of their existing borders.
THE PRINCIPLES OF THE CHARTER ARE THERE
FOR GOOD REASONS, BECAUSE THEY SERVE
THE INTERESTS OF ALL AND THEY ALLOW ALL
TO LIVE UNIMPEDED IN PEACE AND SECURITY.
 
 

Κανείς μα κανείς δε μπορεί να χαίρει
προστασίας και ατιμωρισίας όταν,
κατά πάσα πιθανότητα, με βάση τη
βουλευτική του ιδιότητα, αυτός/ή
και/ή ο γιος του/της έχει "υπηρετήσει"
το Δημόσιο με το αζημίωτο στο ρυθμό
των 5.3 εκατομμυρίων ευρώ. Θεωρώ
ότι, για την αξιοπιστία των θεσμών και
των κρατικών μηχανισμών, αλλά και
της Δικαιοσύνης και του Κοινοβουλίου,
χρειάζεται άμεση έρευνα, παραίτηση
της εν λόγω βουλευτού, διαγραφή
από το κόμμα, απαγόρευση νέας
πολιτικής εμπλοκής και διαπλοκής
και, φυσικά, και από τον κ. Τασούλα,
που αλλού παρουσιάζεται πολύ
ευαίσθητος, και απο τη μαύρη
κασσέλα, που φαίνεται να θίγεται
μόνο απο τα φαγοπότια, τις διαπλοκές
και τις ατασθαλίες των άλλων, άμεσες
παρεμβάσεις. ΚΑΙ ΕΝΝΟΩ ΧΘΕΣ. ΟΧΙ
ΑΥΡΙΟ. ΠΡΙΝ ΤΟ ΖΗΤΗΜΑ ΒΓΕΙ ΕΚΤΟΣ
ΕΛΕΓΧΟΥ, ώστε να σταλεί από όλες
και προς όλες τις κατευθύνσεις το
σωστό, δυνατό και άμεσο μήνυμα
ότι τέτοια φαινόμενα και αρπακτές
ούτε μπορούν να γίνονται ανεκτά,
ούτε να συγκαλύπτονται, απ' όπου
κι αν προέρχονται και όσο δύναμη
και όσες σχέσεις να έχει ο άρπαγας.


THE ONLY HOPE FOR PEACE, FOR FRATERNITY,
FOR JUDAISM, FOR OUR WORLD AND FOR OUR
MIDDLE EASTERN NEIGHBORHOOD. BRAVO!
     


Σκατομουτσούνες και φασιστόμουτρα που
ούτε στιγμή δε διστάζουν να επιδεικνύουν
με ξεδιαντροπιά και αλαζονεία τις νεο-ναζι-
στικές καταβολές τους. Δυστυχώς, είναι ένας
από τους πιο σημαντικούς λόγους για τους
οποίους η σημερινή κυβέρνηση και η κατά-
σταση του κυβερνώντος κόμματος θα μείνει
στην ιστορία ως μία φυσιολογική εξέλιξη,
χωρίς κάτι ιδιαίτερο, κάτι ωφέλιμο ή κάτι
προοδευτικό, όπως, εμφανέστατα, θα ήθελε
ο πρωθυπουργός, που τους έχει υιοθετήσει,
τους ανέχεται και τους κουλαντρίζει.
Κάποιος με βαθειά ενσυναίσθηση και πίστη
στη Δημοκρατία, ούτε θα νταραβεριζόταν ούτε
καν θα συνεργαζόταν με ατομάντζες που
ένστερνίζονται τέτοιες επικίνδυνες απόψεις.


To me, it is clear that, when both men enlisted,
they were ready and willing to fight, if so ordered.
It is petty, insulting to the U.S. Army and Marines,
denigrating of our standards and of our Principles
and detrimental to the Honor and Dignity of their
Fellow Veterans and Men in Arms, to fight in such
a way just for personal and political interests and
simply to gain political advantage.
Belittling one the service of the other, whatever
that happened to be, should be beyond limits.
I hope that they both cease this cockfight imme-
diately and jointly declare that each Honors the
Service of the other, that they genuinely appreciate
the fact that each was willing to stand with his
own countrymen and comrades, and agree that
insulting troops or veterans in this way is not
to be done in this petty and detrimental way
and for those petty and trivial motives.
DO THE RIGHT THING NOW WITH A JOINT
STATEMENT. DO NOT LET ANYONE DOUBT
OR LEAVE ANYONE SECOND-GUESSING.


Ο γραβατωμένος κλόουν, άλλος ένας χρήσιμος
ηλίθιος σ' αλλουνού το μαγαζί, πάει από νήσο
εις νήσον και αναδύεται σαν καραγκιόζης.
Αφήστε τις ψευτομαγκές και τις χοροπηδιές
εκ του ασφαλούς και κοιτάξτε να βελτιώσετε
κάτι για να μην σας κατατάξει κι εσάς η Ιστορία
εκεί που έχει γράψει, αποθηκεύσει και κατα-
χωνιάσει και σχεδόν όλους τους άλλους...


Tim Walz is a United States Veteran. If you
heard what the morph-"wellwhisher" campaign
is saying, you would think that Tim Walz was
second in command to Fidel Castro during
the March to Havana. The whole World is
in tears laughing at the paucity of arguments
and at the statements that the morph-"ww"
campaign is forced to spit out blabbering.
Their complete loss of touch with reality,
and their lack of substance and dearth of
statements of any significance is really
staggering. I would strongly advise them
to realize their condition and the predicament
they are in, to call it a day, and to withdraw
before causing more damage to their party
and to the prestige and reputation of our
Country and our Nation. However, I wish
them well.

A few quips and a little fun never hurt anyone.
But overly simplistic jabs and meaningless
soundbites repeated at every stop and in every
speech become tiring and are mostly for those
that have little to say of any substance. That is
why they are so often used by con men, neo-
nazis, demagogues and self-serving bigots,
with little to propose, and that is why their main
audiences consist of idiots or deplorables. Let
us not make the same mistake in the Democratic
Party. We have a lot to propose, a lot to present
and a lot to accomplish. Let us stick to substance
and compare ethics, politics and policies. We
do not have an infinitude of time. Let's remain
focused.
 

Iran needs to be very careful, not only to
avoid a wider conflict in the region and
maintain Peace and Security to the extent
possible, despite the unjustifiable carnage
perpetrated by Hamas and by the Jewish
State, but, also, because, if something
goes terribly wrong in its response and
if it provokes a devastating counter-re-
sponse, its extremely unpopular regime,
with its despicable and spiteful mullahs
(not unlike those ultra-orthodox of the
other side who have been pushing our
World to the edge of the abyss) may
collapse into myriad pieces with quite
unpredictable and, perhaps, dire conse-
quences for both Iran and the entire region.


Scatomorphs that do not deserve walking on
the face of this planet. The right thing to do
would be not to receive her anywhere, to
totally shun and isolate her and force her,
as a universally undesirable, to commit
harakiri, the only honorable way our for her,
after what she has done. Instead, the way this
world works, she is going to be revered, will
be given asylum and accolades, allowed to
build "institutes" and "think tanks" and be
viewed as a "hero". And a generation later,
her equally filthy and tainted offspring will
be welcomed back as heroes to resume the
same cycle. Think of how many countries,
especially in Asia, have been through this
and not a single populace get upset, learn
a lesson or show any concern or outrage.
They simply go and vote for the offspring
of the killers and the torturers of their parents,
even though they know that those were raised
drinking their blood, desecrating and feeding
on their corpses and plundering their fortunes.
CONGRATULATIONS, ASIA! UNLESS YOU
START FINISHING OFF PEOPLE LIKE THIS,
INSTEAD OF THE INNOCENT, DO NOT EXPECT
BETTER AND IMPROVED FORTUNES.


From the ones being interviewed in Washington,
let me give my support to Senator Mark Kelly,
but, also, mention that I would consider it a
mistake, perhaps not a fatal one, but a mistake,
nevertheless, if Governor Whitmer is not on the
list. Even if she did discourage an approach and
even if we would really be losing someone very
capable here in Michigan, I feel strongly that she
would make an excellent partner at the top of the
Democratic ticket and she would be a distinctly
unique and valuable complement with her own
skills and experience to our Vice President, as
she is vying for the Presidency.
 

We really do not care whether one self-identifies
as a "genius" or a WASP or another as Indian or
Black. But we do care deeply that one is a crass,
insensitive egomaniac, who is unstable and volatile
and not totally there, whereas the other is a caring,
solid and competent individual, capable of empathy
and with such analytical and mental skills that can
process data and make good decisions. As a Nation,
we want to be proud of the one we elect and we
want her to reflect our Values and Ideals. We do
not need someone full of spite and hatred for half
of our Fellow Citizens nor do we want someone
whom we would be embarrassed to call our
"representative" abroad. OUR DECISION HAS
BEEN MADE and it gets stronger by the day, since,
by the day, more and more evidence piles up that
increases our confidence in its correctness.


It seems that the Jewish State is playing with fire.
Its politicians are so certain of their superiority
and have become so arrogant that they are now
provoking their chances. Like certain individuals,
they are transforming their worst nightmares into
reality by using every tool at their disposal to try
to convert their existential psychosis into a grim
existential calamity. If I were them, I would try to
compromise before it is too late. I would backtrack
and 1. unequivocally condemn atrocities, crimes
against Humanity and war crimes universally, and
not only against my own; 2. recognize the Right
of all People to live Peacefully and Free and to
not being subject to violence, indignities and
humiliation every single day, and not only of
my own. Seriously rethink the road you have
been following, the institutionalized robbery and
oppression you have been exercising, and take, at
last, TO HEART and RECONSIDER the lessons in
HUMANITY that your parents and grandparents,
those survivors of comparably hideous and
unthinkable acts to the ones you are perpetrating,
traveled around the Globe to beg and to remind
others to never forget. They asked us to work
hard so that the evil they witnessed and the
suffering they went through is not allowed to
be repeated. Their intention and desire, I hope,
was not that such acts not be repeated only
against the Jewish People, but that they not be
inflicted against Any Human Being Ever Again.


Καλά, καμία ντροπή και καμία λεπτότητα
δεν υπάρχει πια στην πολιτική ζωή στην
Ελλάδα; Ο Πρωθυπουργός ξέρει καλά,
και από ίδια και από αλλότρια, ότι η
Ελλάδα μαστίζεται από νεποτισμό και
από οικογενειοκρατία και ότι κάποια στιγμή
θα πρέπει να χτυπηθούν αλύπητα, γιατί με τα
Τέμπη έφτασε ο κόμπος στο χτένι. Και παρά
ταύτα διορίζει το χείριστο δυνατόν για την
περίπτωση ως επόμενο Έλληνα Επίτροπο.
Θα ήθελα να στείλω ένα μήνυμα παράκληση
σε όσους έχουν κάποια επιρροή να κάνουν
ό,τι είναι δυνατόν να αποσυρθεί ή να μήν
επικυρωθεί αυτή η επιλογή. ΩΣ ΕΔΩ. Η
ΚΟΡΟΙΔΙΑ ΕΧΕΙ ΔΙΑΡΚΕΣΕΙ ΑΡΚΕΤΑ. ΦΤΑΝΕΙ.


In all honesty, it has been a long time since
I have seen anything as reasonable and as
powerful for the consolidation of our Demo-
cratic Principles, Justice and the Rule of
Law or anywhere close to resembling what
President Biden is putting on the table. But
call me a pessimist, or what you will, my view
is that, exactly because of its Power and of its
Idealism, it is a proposal that does not stand
a chance in today's political climate and
under the current dominance of personal
and special interests and the corruption that
is so prevalent in our United States. Menendez,
on the political side, and Thomas, on the side
of the Bench, are glaring examples of what
exactly I have in mind.


Mísia, a distinguished Portuguese fado singer,
is with us no more...
   
   

 
   
 

Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance, what we
hear from you are things like "Mexicans
are murderers, rapists and mental cases.
However, we wish Mexicans well. It is
only that they pollute the gene pool of
America." You both have to learn that
words matter, that, in speaking, unless
you are addressing idiots, you cannot
eat your pie and have it too. And that if
this is the kind of education you received,
take your law degrees or your business
degrees, or whatever else you happened
to come across, tear them in pieces and
throw them in the trash can, where they
obviously belong. Enough is enough,
with lies, with distortion, with sexism
and with racism and with "politeness"
to top it off. Give us a break, will you?


Μακάρι να μπορούσαμε να πούμε ότι ήταν
πιωμένος ή ότι είχε φουμάρει μπουρουχίτσα.
Δυστυχώς, όμως, προκειται για άνθρωπο
που πραγματικά δεν αξίζει σε μία σύγχρονη
Ελλάδα, για ένα τιποτένιο σκουπίδι, για ένα
τζαμπό-μαγκα ζατρο-τσέλιγκα. Αλλά δε φταίει
μόνο ο ίδιος. Φταίνε και άτομα παρομοίου
ποιόντος (βλέπε πρώην και νυν πρόεδροι
του κόμματος), που τον χρησιμοποιούσαν
σαν χρήσιμο ηλίθιο, να τους καθαρίζει τις
χέσ*ρες και να εφορμεί εναντίον αντιπάλων
με φασιστικό και σατανικό δέος. Αντί κάποιοι
"κύριοι" αλέξηδες και στέφανοι να κρατούν
και να πετούν οι ίδιοι σβουνιές στους αντιπά-
λους που δε γούσταραν, βάζαν τον υποτελή,
χαμερπή γλείφτη να ανοίγει το στόμα του
με ακριβώς ισοδύναμο αποτέλεσμα. Αλλά
πάντα ο τροχός γυρνάει και άνθρωποι (ή
μάλλον όντα) τέτοιας ποιότητας, τέτοια
τύχη τελικά έχουν γιατί τέτοια τύχη μόνο
τους αξίζει.
Υ.Γ. Και όπως είχε ξανα-αποδείξει, τό ψητό
είναι το βολευτιλίκι και τα φλουριά. Εξ ου
και οι πρωτες κινησεις, αντι για μια συγ-
γνωμη, ήταν η επίσκεψη στην Κ.Ο. μήπως
σωθούν τα άσωστα και μαζευτούν τα
αμάζευτα, και μετά, καπάκι, η επίσκεψη στο
γραφείο του Τασούλα να ζητηθούν και τα
ρέστα, μηπως επιστραφουν τα φλουριά και
τρέξουν πάλι τα βολευτογραμμάτια...


Πάντα πολύ καίρια, σύντομη και εξαιρετικά
εμπεριστατωμένη και φιλοσοφημένη η Πρόεδρος
της Δημοκρατίας μας, μία προσωπικότητα που
πραγματικά αξίζει σε μία σύγχρονη Ελλάδα.
Όπως και η ίδια περιγράφει εν συντομία, μία
Ελλάδα με πολλά θετικά, αλλά και, δυστυχώς,
με τεράστιες παθογένειες. Αλλά, πάνω απ'
όλα, μία Ελλάδα αισιόδοξη και με μεγάλες
ελπίδες, θέληση και δυνατότητα να βελτιώσει
πολλά πράγματα. Με πυξίδα επιτυχίες του
παρελθόντος και σημαντικά βήματα προόδου
που έχουν ήδη επιτευχθεί, χρειάζεται ακόμα
μεγαλύτερη προσπάθεια για περαιτέρω
πρόοδο, για διαφάνεια, για ειλικρίνεια και
για κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη και ευημερία.
Ελπίζω να κάνει το σωστό ο Πρωθυπουργός
και να μην ξαναπαίξει μικροπολιτική για ίδια
συμφέροντα με το θεσμό και το Πρόσωπο.


It is a disgrace, to say the least and to mention
the obvious, that a State like ours, who has always
purported to side with the Right and Human Rights,
and which has historically sided with the victims,
the innocent and the weak, has this neo-Nazi, this
war criminal, this excrement as a grandee invitee
to one of our - supposedly - most prestigious and
most significant institutions. What a shame.


John Mayall, one of the best white bluesmen of
all time, is with us no more...
   
 

Our Vice-President has the potential to bring the
Country together and make a very successful
President, but she needs to put in a lot of effort
and a lot of work. In my view, there are at least
three main directions in which the Democratic
Party has clear advantages, much more credibility
and a proven track record that sharply contrasts
with the special interest and wealth serving, and
wealth servile, Republicans.

1. Progressive Social Agenda, including repro-
    ductive rights, gun control and humanization
    and rationalization of police forces, shifting
    away from fascist police brutality, oppression
    and racism to social support and a genuine
    "serve and protect" mission and mentality.
2. Progressive Economic Agenda, including
    housing, education and health, combined
    with lowering of our public debt, which can be
    achieved based on our wealth, only if, at last,
    we do decide that the wealthier and higher
    earners have also the responsibility to pay
    higher taxes.
3. Progressive Political Agenda, including
    safeguarding those Individual Freedoms
    and Rights that do not hurt the well being
    and the rights of others, solidifying and
    strengthening Democracy, Freedom and
    Equality, and ensuring the Value and the
    Dignity of the Individual in Society and at
    the Workplace, regardless of origin, ethnic
    background, race, religious affiliation and
    other individual preferences/characteristics.

All those, I strongly believe, are fundamental
motivators that can create, if communicated
elegantly and successfully, even broader social
coalitions for 2024 than were there in 2020, since
our society needs them now more than ever before,
and since they are under threat now more than
ever before by special interests and by opposing
agendas pushed by few but extremely powerful.
We need our Fellow African American Voters,
our Asian American Countrymen, our Latino
Brothers and Sisters, Pro-Immigrant Groups,
Education and Workers' Unions and Women's
Rights Groups to lend their weight, apply their
considerable influence and show their support
for these Ideals and for the Party that can most
successfully defend them and push them forward.
 

When the failures are so fundamental and so
catastrophic that make one question whether
agents know what they are doing and whether
supervisors take their mission and the weight
of their actions seriously, there is no space
for the boss, regardless of whether she had
a direct responsibility or supervision in the
specific assignment, to remain at her post.
It would have been more encouraging and
more confidence-inspiring and would have
shown more sensitivity and sensibility, if she
had done this immediately, or if the President
had forced this decision sooner, without the
need for summons, pressure and humiliation
in Congress.


 
 

 

There is a pitiful and miserable impression
coming out of this saga, with the cancellation
of Vandi's concert in Çeşme, which sounds like
"much ado about nothing". In Greece, we are
not in the habit of hanging portraits of National
Heroes or Distinguished Political Actors, like
Kolokotronis, Venizelos etc., around in public
spaces, buildings or venues (and this is good
in my view). But we also know that the Culture
is slightly different in our Neighboring Nation,
which has a much shorter Historical span and
whose more "recent" History is, consequently,
of much greater weight in its Existence and its
National Conscience. This is well-known and
it should have been no surprise to anyone who
had agreed to visit and perform there that they
saw flags, portraits, banners or posters, nor
should it have resulted in a violent reaction,
a cancellation and sudden departure. Even if
something had indeed been bothersome and
out of line, there is always space, given a little
Good Will, for some give and take before such
drastic and extreme measures, that seem
ridiculous and unjustified, given the context,
are adopted.


It is not a recent phenomenon by any means, but
among our weaknesses and most pronounced
vulnerabilities, that our adversaries are exploiting
to great advantage, are our avarice and greediness,
which, instead of tempering and viewing with sus-
picion and restraint, and not allowing them to lead
us down along perilous paths and uncontrolled
manias, we are considering as positive, and as a
natural manifestation of the American Dream.
   
 

Ο κ. Παναγιώτης Βαζούρας (τώρα που ξέρουμε
και τ' όνομά του) δεν πείθει κανέναν. Προφανώς,
ούτε το ότι το περιστατικό ήταν "σύνηθες" ούτε
ότι "πήρε τεράστιες διαστάσεις από τα Μέσα
Ενημέρωσης με πολλές ανακρίβειες και υπερβολές"
ήταν αυτά που τον ώθησαν να καταθέσει ο ίδιος
μήνυση εναντίον της υπουργάρας. Άρα, αν θέλει
να βγει δημόσια να εξηγήσει, δεν αρκεί να λέει
τη μισή αλήθεια και να μασάει τα λόγια του.
Χρειάζεται να μας πει, με κάθε ειλικρίνεια και
διαφάνεια, τί άλλο εκτυλίχθηκε από τη στιγμή
του περιστατικού μέχρι σήμερα ώστε να πεισθεί
ότι κάτι που έχρηζε αρχικά μήνυσης κατέληξε να
του φαίνεται κάτι σύνηθες, τετριμμένο και προϊόν
παρεξήγησης!... Τα μισά λόγια είναι φτώχεια.


A truly good day for Justice in America.
One of the rare occasions where Justice
reaches deep, no matter how powerful,
affluent and well-connected the defendant
happens to be...


You have a candidate who has been making
horrible and deeply divisive statements, who
has wounded American Democracy and who
has damaged American Institutions, who has
used associates and then discarded them,
when they stood up to him and questioned
his actions, and you have called him out when
you saw his attitudes and his behaviors and
realized the absurdity and distortions in many
of his statements. If siding with him now and
getting on board is not opportunism, then I
really do not know what is. "Culture in crisis"
alright...
 

I suppose this decision declassifies
everything, since it does not seem to
matter any longer whether a person
handles sensitive information carefully
or not. It just makes one wonder why
Assange was treated so harshly and
made to suffer so disproportionately,
when others either get a slap on the
wrist or are outright acquitted for
seemingly comparable breaches.
 

It would be interesting to find out whether,
at any other point in the past, anyone else
who has been accused and convicted of
arms trafficking and using the territory of
one State for insurrectionary and/or terrorist
activities against another State has been
endorsed by a government and allowed to
run for European Parliament. My view is
that we officially condemn nationalism
and extremism and are quick and ready
to condemn it (and justifiably so), when
we perceive and/or discern it in others,
but we are taking a very different approach
and are much less cautious, careful and
firm, when it comes to actions concerning
ourselves. Vis-à-vis such serious issues
and such serious infractions of International
Law and International Customs, our approach
should be (to use a very diplomatically à la
mode phrase) unequivocally ``erga omnes''.


Violence should not be a part of any
political process, including debates,
rallies or voting. In a Nation with a
solidly established Democracy of more
than two hundred years, however flawed
or imperfect, and in a World in which
instability and volatility have taught us
better than being prone to extremes,
we should all be cautious and know
better than engaging in such acts.
I strongly echo the President and other
Leaders in condemning such acts of
political violence in the clearest and
most categorical way.


I wish the momentum that has recently
characterized the Greco-Turkish relations
and the realization, now more than ever
before, that the two Peoples have much
more that unite them rather than divide
them and that, when one does well and
thrives, this has also a very positive
influence on the other, would constitute
enough impetus for the two leaders to
take a different approach when they
visit Cyprus this July. Instead of visiting
to celebrate or commemorate, why not
engage in substantial and decisive
diplomatic efforts by jointly meeting
with the leaders of the two communities
and, by exerting some influence, try
to convince them to negotiate in Good
Faith for Reunification to the benefit of
all sides and of our region as a whole?


I understand the criticism that the Russian
media seem to be throwing at President
Biden. They really are expressing indirectly
everything they would have liked to say,
but are strictly forbidden from saying,
about their own "leader", when they see
him in meetings with other statesmen in
such a bad shape that he is grabbing the
edge of the table to steady himself as a
sinking person grabs the edge of a rock
on a steep cliff, as if his life depended
on it. Russians know that this clinging
to power and not letting go is a universal
phenomenon and, of course, much much
more acute in their homeland, which has
a malfunctioning pseudo-democracy as
its political system, than it is here in the
United States, where, at least, we have
genuine elections and term limits so that
some misfortune may occur once but is
not repeatable for 24 years and counting.


Bravo to President of Liberia Joseph Boakai
for showing solidarity with the Liberian People.
It may very well be the case that the paycut he
announced is negligible, and does not affect
his comfortable way of life, but it is a significant
gesture towards the right direction, showing
sensitivity and understanding. Given that a
similar positive decision was made by the
President of Nigeria a few months ago, it
veritably seems that some African Statesmen
do have a real sense of the feelings of their
People and of their despair and indignation
at the wastefulness of their States. This
contrasts sharply, in the most manifest way,
with the attitudes and je-m'en-foutisme of
many European politicians, especially those in
Brussels, who, with the benefits they legislate
for themselves and their entourages, give the
impression of total detachment and complete
insensitivity towards the resentment and the
outrage of the People that elect them in office.


Αυτοί που τον εκλέξανε, να τον χαιρονται,
κι εμείς που ανεχόμαστε να πληρώνουμε
τέτοια κουμάσια και άχρηστους να παίρνουμε
τα κατάλληλα μαθήματα και να λαμβάνουμε
τα κατάλληλα μηνύματα, ωστε να μην επα-
ναλαμβάνουμε τα ίδια λάθη και απερισκεψίες.
Αν αυτό είναι το Next Gen EU, να μας λείπει
το βύσσινο, κάθε πέρσι και καλύτερα...
Κι αυτό από μία χώρα που δε μπορεί να
πει κανείς ότι δεν έχει προβλήματα, και
που, συχνά πυκνά, ζητά τη συνδρομή άλλων
για την επίλυσή τους, αλλά, απ' ό,τι φαίνεται,
δεν ενδιαφέρεται να βοηθήσει τον εαυτό της...
Εκτός εάν πιστεύει ότι οι τσαρλατάνοι δρουν
πιο καταλυτικά και βοηθάνε καλύτερα (μάλλον
στην αυτογελοιοποίηση και το διασυρμό).


By insisting that he run, by encouraging him
to run and by pushing him to the brink in order
to run, they are killing both him and us.
They are doing the greatest possible disservice
to his reputation and legacy and to the United
States and the American People.
At this eleventh hour, I am pleading with those
who have power and sway inside the Democratic
Party, primarily Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary
Clinton and Kamala Harris, and to those who
are personally close to the President, such as
Jill Biden, who can surely see his decline,
albeit not from a detached point of view.
Do the Right Thing for Joe Biden and for America!
Encourage and support the President to withdraw
and help the Party to proceed methodically but,
also, quickly in finding a viable, lasting alternative
in time for November. DO THE RIGHT THING!
 

Ο Κούλης κορδώνεται και πανηγυρίζει, γιατί
στην Ελλάδα του πατέρα του αυτό που έκανε
ο Αυγενάκης γινόταν καθημερινά, αλλά οι
διάφοροι πολιτικοί και βολευτές το θεωρούσαν
προνόμιο και δικαίωμά τους και δεν ίδρωνε το
αυτί κανενός. Οπότε ο Κούλης εκστασιάζεται,
"αμ τι, καλέ, πρόοδος είναι αυτή!" Όμως αυτό
που δεν έχει αντιληφθεί και/ή καταλάβει και το
οποίο δε μπορεί να συνειδητοποιήσει, απ' ό,τι
φαίνεται, είναι ότι ο Κόσμος, με το άνοιγμα
στην πληροφόρηση και με τα κοινωνικά δί-
κτυα, απαιτεί το κάτι παραπάνω, κι αυτό το
κάτι παραπάνω, όπως διατρανώς αποδείχτηκε
από την υπόθεση Τέμπη, πέφτει πάρα πολύ για
τον Κουλη και για παρόμοιους καλαμοκαβαλη-
μένους συγγενείς, προύχοντες και ημετέρους...

Στην Ελλάδα του Κούλη, χρήζει διαγραφής
βουλευτής για διαπληκτισμό και χειροδικία
(και δικαιολογημένα), αλλά, όχι μόνο δε
χρήζει διαγραφής, αλλά μάλιστα χρήζει και
επανεκλογής βουλευτής για φόνο εξ αμελείας
κατά συρροή. Γι αυτό η χώρα μας ούτε προ-
οδεύει ούτε προκόβει. Και το ίδιο ισχύει και
για τον Πρόεδρο της Βουλής. Κατ' εκείνον,
υπάρχει μεγάλο πρόβλημα με τη συμπεριφορά
του βουλευτή που χειροδίκησε (και δικαιο-
λογημένα), αλλά κανένα πρόβλημα να κάθεται
στα έδρανα βουλευτής με χέρια κατακόκκινα
από το αίμα αθώων, που πήρε στο λαιμό του.
Αυτό κατά τον Κύριο Τασούλα, ούτε φαίνεται
να "υπονομεύει" ούτε να πλήττει το "κύρος
του θεσμού" που "υπηρετεί". Φυσικά δεν πάμε
μπροστά γιατί, όπως φαίνεται, έχουμε όλα τα
βασικά ανάποδα και το ψάρι ζέχνει απο το
κεφάλι...


A message for our Justices. You are all of
a certain age. You are educated and have
seen quite a bit in life. I hope you are not
so naive as to have escaped from your
perception the indisputable fact of life
that, whoever (physical or legal entity)
is left to their own devices to self regulate,
without external limits, external pressure
and the fear of penalties, is much more
likely than not to fail the test.
So, in such a world, where the big fish,
unless constrained and restrained, is
more likely than not to devour the small,
you do understand, hopefully, that, despite
or, perhaps, because of your authority, the
fact that you may be counted among the
most fortunate, the most affluent and the
best connected does in no way give you
the right to allow persons of power, and
of similar privileges, to exercise it without
limits, arbitrarily and unchecked and to,
potentially, cause, according to whim,
chaos, misfortune and harm to others and,
especially the less fortunate and less well
connected. Their protection is in your
hands. This is a great responsibility that,
if not fulfilled, may lead to disastrous and
grave consequences, and you do not have
the right to take it lightly or discount it for
any reason.
 

Last night's televised debate was a disaster.
It was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the
worst, in terms of quality, informativeness
and performance by both candidates, in
recent memory. Joe Biden, who had things
to say, could not say what he wanted and/
or needed to say, both because of his mental
faculties and because of the inelegance of
his rhetoric skills. All one was hearing from
his side were the connectives, with very
little substance. In summary ``number one,
...., number two,..., and by the way, by the
way, number one,..., number two, by the
way...", you get the drift. From the morph,
it was all ultra-right, neo-fascist sound
bites, fear mongering, disinformation,
exaggeration and his usual addressing of
imbeciles saying America is at the point
of disintegration and destruction, that
it is all Joe's fault and that, with his own
election, even before he assumes office,
somehow, magically, and without strategy
or coherence, exactly like last time, every-
thing will be fixed and America will simply
become great again... No matter what the
question was, the answer that seemed to
fit in his incompetent mind was "Joe is
the worst President and a disaster, so this
debate should not be even happening, and
he is letting in tens of millions of rapists,
murderers, terrorists and mental cases
that are destroying our country, which
has now become the worst in the World."
WHAT A DISASTER. WHAT A SHAME.
Among 340 million people, many honest,
hard-working, driven, well-educated, with
public service on their minds and willing
and eager to help others, how on earth
has it come down to this? What have we
done so wrong as a Nation to even deserve
something as embarrassing as this?


With one foot in the grave, in a very volatile,
unstable and extremely sensitive region, the
President of North Macedonia, instead of
making an attempt to instill younger politicians
and Citizens with feelings of Fraternity, Unity
and Friendship, is deliberately and knowingly,
for political benefit and personal gain, stirring
friction, enmity and hatred and is seeking to
rekindle and reopen divisive issues, which,
due to the sense and foresight of courageous
politicians on both sides, have been resolved,
and are now part of the History of the rare, but
so much needed, compromises in the region.
A pity and a shame for a State like North
Macedonia, which has very little to divide with
its neighbors and which has every reason to
wish for the maintenance and strengthening
of Peace, Security and Fraternal ties with all
other Balkan States, both towards its own
Prosperity and towards safeguarding and
sustaining its European aspirations.


Anouk Aimée and Donald Sutherland
are with us no more...
 

The European Party of the Right did
not elect a Greek Curmudgeon as its
Vice Chair, thus, avoiding a huge
embarrassment. Being a national
embarrassment and a failure, one
should retire before becoming an
international one, avoiding ridicule.
 

I have some news for Daniel Hagari. If,
after being part of a genocidal machine
and having committed atrocities and
mass murder against tens of thousands
of innocent civilians, you think that
declaring that the alleged justification
of that murderous spree was invalid
is a  mitigating factor for your culpability
for crimes against Humanity, ethnic
cleansing and aiding and abetting
in grave breaches of Humanitarian
Law, think again. Rotting in jail is the
only fair punishment for you and your
co-executioners and murderers of the
innocent, regardless of justification.


Όσο δεν αποπέμπεται από τα κομματικά
όργανα ο καλαμοκαβαλημένος Κώστας
Καραμανλής, τουλάχιστον παντελώς
αποτυχημένος και αμελής στα καθήκοντά
του και, μάλλον, δολοφόνος εξ αμελείας,
δεν πρόκειτα η εικόνα της αναλγησίας,
της αλαζονείας, της απανθρωπιάς και της
προστασίας συγγενών και ημετέρων με
πάσης φύσεως δικαιολογίες και τερτίπια
από την παρούσα "κυβέρνηση" και τον
παρόντα "πρωθυπουργό" να αλλάξει.
Αν θέλει ο Κούλης να γυρίσει τα πράγματα
και να αλλάξει την Ελλάδα, η αποπομπή
του καρεκλοθήρα (κι ας ειναι βολευτής, κι
ας ειναι και ο ίδιος ο θεός) πρέπει να μπει
στο τραπέζι των συζητήσεων οπωσδήποτε.
Και όποιος προκαλέσει πάλι, με οποιον-
δήποτε τρόπο, παρόμοια συμφορά, θα
πρέπει εφεξής να έχει την ίδια τύχη.
Πληρώνεστε τόσα χιλιάρικα το μήνα
για να είστε υπεύθυνοι, καίριοι και απο-
τελεσματικοί. Όχι για να την κάνετε στα
μουλωχτά, να αρνείστε πάσα ευθύνη και
να κρύβεστε όταν αποτύχετε. Και η τελική
ετυμηγορία είναι δική μας, όχι του Κούλη.

Francoise Hardy is with us no more...


Extremely important, near unanimous resolution
in our United Nations Security Council. Russia
abstained and, as always, the devil is in the
details and in the implementation.


Δοξάστε τον. Τη δουλειά του έκανε.
Χέ*τε τους ψηφοφόρους που πιάστηκαν
κορόϊδα. Είχαμε, βεβαίως, και χειρότερα,
με φασίστες, νεοναζιστές, αλοιφιάρηδες
και πλασιέ ιδιόγραφων χειρογράφων
του jesus να παιρνουν σχεδον 20%.
Ενας πολύ μεγάλος αριθμός ψηφοφόρων,
δυστυχώς, δεν παίρνει ούτε την Ευρωπαϊκή
Ένωση, ούτε τις παγκόσμιες εξελίξεις στα
σοβαρά, μέχρι, φυσικά, να χτυπήσουν
την πόρτα μας και να μας ταρακουνήσουν,
και μετά ίσως τραβάμε τα μαλλιά μας για
τις απερισκεψίες που κάναμε και για την
ελαφρότητα και φαιδρότητα των επιλογών
μας.


Mr. Modi, in a nation as diverse as India and
in a nation modernizing fast, compared with
its traditional standards and some of its
antiquated ways, such as the pervasive
caste system, arranged marriages and
deplorable sexism, played the wrong card
of nationalism and extreme religiosity, and,
to the utmost credit of Indians, seems
to have lost the bet. Three States in the
contemporary political affairs used to
have big advantages over their detractors,
India, Israel and Russia. The latter two, in
the tenure of a single awful pseudo-leader,
have completely ceded the advantage and,
in fact, they have become deplorable pariahs.
The first, under Modi and the nationalists,
was well on its way to relinquishing it, but,
perhaps, it was saved in the nick of time...


Η Ελλάδα της επαρσης και της αλαζονιας
του Κουλη ειναι η Ελλάδα του μηδέν. Η
Ελλάδα των υπερφιαλων και επιφανειακων
μεταρρυθμισεων του Πιερρακακου ειναι η
Ελλάδα του μηδέν. Η Ελλάδα του ντιμπειτ
του κλασ(ι)ματος του κιλού της φέτας του
Κουλη και της μαύρης κασσελας είναι η
Ελλάδα του μηδέν. Η Ελλάδα της νοστα-
λγίας παλιών και παντελώς αποτυχημένων
αρπακτικων και λαοπλανων ηγετων του
ανδουλακλα, της άρνησης των τεραστιων
πολιτικων ευθυνων και της υπεκφυγης,
ειναι η Ελλάδα του μηδέν. Ο συγχωρεμένος
πρώην αρχιτραπεζιτης (με μη αμελητεα
και μη τετριμενη ευθυνη και ο ίδιος, αφού
κι εκείνος τα έπιανε πλουσιοπαροχα ως
συμβουλευτικος κρατικός λειτουργος)
περιγραφει τον καθημερινό πόνο μας
(επιτέλους) όταν τον ένοιωσε ο ίδιος
στο πετσί του και όταν έφτασε σε σημείο
τόσο προχωρημενης σηψης που ακόμα
κι εκείνος ένοιωσε παντελώς αδύναμος
να τον δικαιολογήσει η να τον αγνοήσει...
Διαβάστε τον για να κλάψετε γιατί κάποιος
νομιζει ότι σας ενημερωνει για πράγματα
που εσείς ζείτε και για τα οποια (συν)θλι-
βεστε καθημερινά... Να σου δειξω παππου
μου το αμπέλι σου... Ο αγαπητός σου αρχι-
τραπεζίτης...


Κανένας ψήφος στον τσαρλατανο μαυρη
κασσελα στις ευρωεκλογές. Όσοι είναι
αυτης της ιδεολογικης χρειας ας ψηφίσουν
Νεα Αριστερα, ενα κομμα πολυ σοβαροτερο
και με πραγματικό πολιτικό ενδιαφέρον, όχι
απλώς ένα talk ζωου... με παντελή αγνοια
και ξεφωνημενες αντιφασεις που δεν ξέρει
καν που του παν τα τέσσερα.


The latest war criminal on European soil
arrived, with all undue fanfare, to the state
that welcomed him with open arms, since,
as with everything else, its elite is also
engaging in profiteering from the woes of
others and from the commerce in brutality,
destruction and death.


If we cannot live peacefully, in a civilized
way, with love and respect for one another
in our country, where we enjoy calm and
relative peace and security, what message,
I am wondering, are we sending to those
people overseas who, at the moment, see
each other as strange animals and monsters,
instead of realizing that they are brothers
and sisters, with common goals, dreams
and aspirations for their families and their
children? Is it too much to ask of both sides
to peacefully debate and demonstrate,
and for both sides and the police (and
especially the police, with their lower
than low credibility) to refrain from taking
part in any kind of violence or physical
altercations?
 

ΑΥΤΗ ΤΗ ΣΤΙΓΜΗ, ΕΥΤΥΧΩΣ Η ΔΥΣΤΥΧΩΣ,
ΟΙ ΜΟΝΟΙ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΟΙ ΣΧΗΜΑΤΙΣΜΟΙ ΠΟΥ
ΑΞΙΖΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΨΗΦΟ ΜΑΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ ΠΑΣΟΚ,
Η ΝΕΑ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΡΑ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΚΚΕ. ΟΛΟΙ ΟΙ ΑΛΛΟΙ
ΚΥΜΑΙΝΟΝΤΑΙ ΑΠΟ ΦΑΙΔΡΟΙ & ΑΛΑΖΟΝΕΣ
ΜΕΧΡΙ ΦΑΣΙΣΤΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΑΓΕΛΑΦΙΚΟΙ ΑΛΑ
ΑΡΚΑ... ΚΡΙΜΑ. ΑΞΙΖΟΥΜΕ ΣΙΓΟΥΡΑ (ΚΑΙ
Η ΕΥΡΩΠΗ ΑΞΙΖΕΙ) ΚΑΤΙ ΚΑΛΥΤΕΡΟ.

Το έκτρωμα έχει βάλει υποψήφιο τον
ξάδερφό του, δείχνοντας έτσι μηδενική
διαφορά ήθους από Νέα Δημοκρατία,
κι έχει κι από πάνω το θράσος και την
ξεδιαντροπιά να μιλάει για "καθαρά
χέρια" και να κατηγορεί άλλους για
νεποτισμό και για αλαζονεία, δηλαδή
ακριβώς για τις ίδιες αρρώστιες και
για τα ίδια παλιά συμπτώματα από
τα οποία πάσχει του θανατά και ο ίδιος;
Εξαφανίστηκε θαρρείς η ντροπή και πήγε
όλη και κάθησε στη Μαύρη Κασσέλα...


If we want to be fair, I do not think that
there has been, in recent memory, any
politician that has invested so much
of his being into calming an explosive
situation in the Middle East as our own
Secretary of State. And, even though
it was not his choice or his wish, but
his hand was forced by circumstances,
he has gained enough prestige and
credibility, at least in my view, so as
to be able, perhaps, to push for some-
thing more permanent and lasting.
As a State, we must, I think, push
hard for a settlement of this problem
within a set timetable and with a set
deadline. First, it does not seem
plausible that any progress will come
through negotiations, when the strong
simply feel they can dominate and they
can kick the weak around with no end.
Second, if we decide to do so, we shall
have backing in the Security Council,
whose decisions are binding under
International Law. Third, it is in our
own best interests that this issue
not linger any further. And, finally, it
is in the best interests of Humanity,
and Human Dignity and Civilization,
to force those that do not believe in
Peace and Security through Negotiation
and Compromise, but only through Force
and Violence, to do the Right Thing.
It is our PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY.


Στο θέμα της εκκλησίας, ακόμα κι ο Κουτσούμπας,
δυστυχώς, μας κοροϊδεύει ψιλό γαζί... Ήρθε, λέει,
εδώ για να δει τον (κατά τα άλλα συμπαθή, αν δεν
ανήκε στα παπατζιλίκια) Ελπιδοφόρο να συζητή-
σουν τον διαχωρισμό (!!) κράτους και εκκλησίας.
Σα να λέμε πήγαν οι βιομήχανοι να δουν τον Κούλη
ή τον Υπουργό Εργασίας για να του ζητήσουν να
μην ακούει το κεφάλαιο και να εργάζεται για πάρτι
των εργατών και του προλεταριάτου (για να χρη-
σιμοποιήσω διάλεκτο ευνόητη στον Κυρ Μήτσο..)


No aid should go wasted. If the Turkish
armada does not get cleared to carry
the aid, then the United States should
play a role as an intermediary, using
its own means and infrastructure, in
order to make sure that the aid gets
there. I hope that this was part of the
intention of the Congresspersons,
including Chris Pappas and Nicole
Malliotakis, in their initiative expressed
through a letter to Secretary Blinken.

Secretary Blinken is absolutely right.
China, instead of upholding the Values
of the Charter as a responsible Member
of the Security Council, is siding almost
openly, albeit with the usual Chinese
surreptitiousness and equivocation,
with a cold and calculated aggressor
that has damaged International Peace
and Security, has blatantly violated the
Principle of Inviolability of International
Borders, and could not care less about
International Law and upholding its
Rules and Tenets when it comes to its
own interests and ambitions. Granted,
Russia is not the only State to deviate,
but, nevertheless, China should stand
against those breaches. A little Idealism
never hurt anyone or any State, and is
urgently needed now more than ever.


Everywhere, over and over again, the same
shameful stories. If you are poor or belong
to a minority, you are bound to rot in jail. If
you have the dough, the power and the right
connections, it always transpires that it is
not the one who was pimping the 12-year-
old who was culpable, but the 12-year-old
who behaved provocatively. Our society will
not advance any further, if people in charge,
who are, supposedly, responsible to do the
right thing, are always letting us down and
do not care a single iota about equality and
equal rights under the Law.


One more candidate for the Knesset,
for ministerial or for prime ministerial
office. The usual rewards of the Jewish
State, induction in the Hall of the Most
Unworthy for Great Disservice to the
Nation. Bravo, Israel! Forward!


Επειδή δε βρήκε καρέκλα στα δεξιά
του Πατρός (Κούλη) αδειανή, και λόγω
του θαύματος που επιτελέστη κατά τη
συγκεκριμένη βάφτιση, αποφάσισε
πολύ σοφά να διεκδικήσει καρέκλα
κάπου αλλού ώστε να μην περιμένει
(σαν τους άλλους τους μαλ*κες) στην
ουρά του κόμματος που τον εκφράζει
για το αρχηγιλίκι και τα φλουριά.


Η σιχαμάρα συνεχίζεται, επαυξάνεται,
ενισχύεται και επεκτείνεται. Εμετική η
κατάσταση των νεοφασιστών και των
υπερεθνικιστών, χωρίς πλέον καμία
ντροπή ή απόπειρα συγκάλυψης.
 

Celebrities are making a circus out of
the justice system and the justice
system lets them. I am wondering
where a plebeian would be right now
if (s)he had so many and such serious
accusations to face, instead of buying
time against time and debate against
debate on admissibility and procedure.
This is a travesty of "justice" and shows
definitely that "justice" is not blind
and that "justice" could not be farther
away from working in the same way
for all. A laughable and lamentable
situation in the service of bankrupt,
debased bullies and charlatans.


Ένα μήνυμα για τον Κυριάκο για να
μη βρει το μπελά του αργότερα, μόνο
και μόνο πάλι για ψηφοθηρικούς λόγους
και μέγα αίσθημα πατριδοκαπηλείας,
που έχει εξάλλου γίνει δεύτερη φυση
σε ορισμένους στη Νέα Δημοκρατία.
Ξέρετε σίγουρα και εγγυημένα ότι ο
Μπελέρης δεν είναι καθόλου ανανε-
μειγμένος σε εκλογικές ατασταλίες,
όπως ισχυρίζεται η Αλβανική πλευρά;
Και αν αποκαλυφθούν τέτοιου είδους
χειρισμοί, θα απολογηθείτε και θα τον
αποπέμψετε ή θα κάνετε πάλι την πάπια
κατά μία ακόμα προσφιλή σας συνήθεια;


Giannis Fertis is with us no more...
 

A stern warning to all States in the Middle East
and elsewhere. Respect the Sovereignty, the
Equality, the Independence and the Territorial
Inviolability and Integrity of All States and, in
particular and most importantly, those of your
Neighbors, including their Diplomatic and their
Consular Missions, regardless of how suspicious
you may be of their activities and how competitive
and adversarial your relationships might be.
There are not many rules of International Law
that are more Important and More Fundamental.
There are not many rules of International Law on
which International Peace and Security in our
World relies on more critically and, consequently,
there are not many rules of International Law
whose violation and/or undermining entail a
risk as great, for both States themselves and
their Citizens and Humanity as a whole.
THE RULES ARE FEW. THE RULES ARE
FUNDAMENTAL AND INDISPENSABLE.
LEARN THEM! ABIDE BY THEM ALWAYS!
IT IS NOT TERRIBLY MUCH TO ASK AND
IT IS IN THE COMMON INTEREST OF ALL.
 
 
 

Unbelievable new findings at Pompeii.
 
 

Τους βλέπει κανείς, σιχαίνεται και λυπάται
για την Ελλάδα. Αντιδραστικοί, νεοφασίστες,
ψευτο-εθνικο-χριστιανο-φρονες και πατριδο-
κάπηλοι, γιοι και ανιψιοι, των οποιων οι
οικογενειες λυμαινονται για δεκαετιες την
"πατριδα", ανευθυνοι και αναισθητοι, που
ουτε οι πιο αδιανόητες συμφορές και δια-
πλοκες δε μπορουν να κουνησουν απο την
πολυθρονα. Πως να δουμε με τετοιους
αλήτες και αγύρτες προκοπη και προοδο;


BBC is reporting that Israeli officers
were reprimanded or sacked for serious
failures and oversights in Gaza. Judging
from past Israeli experience, this is
covert language for serious dereliction
of duty and complicity to atrocities and,
also judging from past experiences,
following the lives and deeds of the
"condemned", would point to an astute
observer possible future Israeli deputies,
ministers and, even more likely, future
prime ministers. Because that is the
way the Jewish State "punishes" (eu-
phemism, of course, for "rewards")
criminals of war and/or perpetrators
of atrocities against Arabs.
The Jewish People go around the Globe
and plead with us never to forget the
terrible suffering, the atrocities and the
discrimination and ethnic cleansing
suffered by their own in the Shoah.
And that is Right and Just. But in the
SAME WAY and on an EQUAL FOOTING,
we will never forget the massacres of
Lebanese and Palestinians in Sabra
and Shatila, we will never forget the
ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Lands
and the massacres and atrocities in
Gaza. Whoever you are, whoever your
victims are, the WORLD IS WATCHING,
HISTORY IS RECORDING and NO ONE
WILL EVER FORGET. History did not
end with the Shoah, nor were the deeds
and sufferings during the Shoah a carte
blanche to the survivors and to their
descendants for atrocities against
others and crimes against Humanity.

It is shameful, beyond understanding
and comprehension, that Great Britain,
which is among those States strutting
their stuff around the Globe and giving
advice and recommendations to other
States on how to engage in Good
Governance and uphold the Rule of
Law, needed 20 years to advance the
case of extradition of a corrupt official,
already convicted of serious offenses,
up to the point of sending her to face
Justice and serve her sentence. This
is totally unacceptable. It makes it look
almost as if Britain is encouraging
officials to steal and evade Justice,
by using their ill gained wealth to
lead a comfortable life in London
for many years without repercussion.


Νομίζω ότι κι εδώ θα χρειαστεί να πέσουν
κεφάλια, από παραιτήσεις μέχρι και απο-
λύσεις, από πολιτικά πρόσωπα μέχρι και
κατώτερες βαθμίδες. Οι μισθοί και ο εξο-
πλισμός των αστυνομικών προέρχονται
από τους φόρους και από την κοινωνία,
και ο όρκος τους είναι να υπηρετούν και
να βοηθάνε την κοινωνία και, ειδικά, τους
ανθρώπους που είναι οι πιο αδύναμοι
και βρίσκονται σε κίνδυνο. Να λες σε μία
κοπέλα που έρχεται να ζητήσει βοήθεια
επειδή πιστεύει ότι κινδυνεύει ότι "το
περιπολικό δεν είναι ταξί" αντί, με βάση
την ιδιότητά σου, να προσφέρεσαι
ακόμα και να τη συνοδεύσεις με τα
πόδια, είναι αδιανόητο και δε βοηθάει
την εικόνα των ενστόλων ούτε βοηθάει
στο να έχει ο πολίτης κάποιο σεβασμό
και το θάρρος να ζητήσει τη βοήθειά
τους εάν γνωρίζει ποια αντιμετώπιση
θα λάβει η ούτως ή άλλως.


Ο Κυριάκος είναι "γιός" ενός πολιτικού
μιας άλλης εποχής. Εποχής κατά την
οποία οι πολιτικοί δανείζονταν εκ μέρους
του κράτους μέχρι τελικής πτώσεως, και
έδιναν υποσχέσεις, διορισμούς και πα-
ροχές μέχρι τελικής εκλογής. Και, φυσικά,
δεν το έκαναν για την πατρίδα ή για να
υπηρετήσουν ή από καλή καρδιά και
από συμπόνοια, αλλά γιατί εκείνη την
εποχή, όταν έμπαινες σε υπηρεσία, σε
υπουργείο, σε τράπεζα, στην αστυνομία
κ.ο.κ., και έλεγες "είμαι βουλευτής", "είμαι
υπουργός",  ή "είμαι ο τάδε και ο δείνα"
γινόταν αμέσως το δικό σου, ασχέτως
αν ήταν παράνομο, παράλογο και πόσο
απαιτητικό. Δυστυχώς, ο Κυριάκος μ'
αυτά μεγάλωσε και απ' αυτά έμαθε.
Για τα Τέμπη θα ευχόμουν να είχε η
υπόθεση ως εξής πριν το ατύχημα.
Και δεν το λέω μόνο σαν ευχολογία
και για ευφαντασμό. Το λέω μήπως
τυχόν η ανοησία μας και η αμνησία
μας οδηγήσουν στην επανεκλογή του
(όπως, εξάλλου, ήδη έγινε και με τον
"αρμόδιο" και "υπεύθυνο" υπουργό
στων Σερρών την πρώτη), ώστε να
λάβει τα λόγια μου υπόψιν σοβαρά,
μήπως και εν τέλει κάτι βελτιωθεί
σ' αυτήν τη ρημάδα, καταλεηλατημένη
και καταταλαιπωρημένη χώρα, που
τη μεταχειριζόμαστε σα να είναι κομμάτι
προσωπικής κληρονομιάς από πατέρα
σε γιό ή από θείο σε ανηψιό.
Εάν λάμβανα το γράμμα που δημοσιεύθηκε,
θα καλούσα νομικούς συμβούλους να ενη-
μερωθώ, χωρίς καθυστέρηση, αν η ασφάλεια
και η εγκατάσταση τηλεδιοίκησης είναι, βάση
της συμφωνίας, υπευθυνότητα της Ελληνικής
πλευράς ή των Ιταλικών Σιδηροδρόμων. Εάν
λάμβανα την απάντηση ότι ήταν έργο που
όφειλαν να έχουν κάνει οι Ιταλοί, θα σταμα-
τούσα άμεσα τη λειτουργία, προσωρινά για
λόγους ασφαλείας, μέχρι την ολοκλήρωση
της εγκατάστασης και τη διαβεβαίωση από
κρατικούς ελεγκτές ότι τα δρομολόγια είναι
ασφαλή. Εάν η απάντηση ήταν ότι το έργο
υποχρεούτο να φέρει εις πέρας η Ελληνική
πλευρά, θα έβγαζα δημόσιο διάγγελμα με
το εξής περιεχόμενο.
"Σας είχα υποσχεθεί ελαφρύνσεις, παροχές,
καλάθια, κλπ, κλπ, συνολικής αξίας x δισε-
κατομμυρίων ευρώ. Στους σιδηροδρόμους
υπάρχει μία επείγουσα εκκρεμότητα που
άπτεται της ομαλής λειτουργίας και της
ασφάλειας με κόστος y εκατομμυρίων ευρώ.
Δυστυχώς δεν υπάρχουν χρήματα για να
γίνουν και τα δύο αυτή τη στιγμή. Επειδή,
λοιπόν, κατά τη γνώμη μου, προέχει η
ασφάλεια όλων μας, σας ζητώ να μου
επιτρέψετε να αναβάλλω τις παροχές
ώστε να χρησιμοποιηθούν οι διαθέσιμοι
πόροι για την εγκατάσταση του απαραίτητου
εξοπλισμού και υποδομών για τις ασφαλείς
μετακινήσεις όλων μας, που είναι αυτή τη
στιγμή απόλυτη προτεραιότητα."
Πραγματικά λυπάμαι που στην Ελλάδα
του Κούλη και του Γιωργάκη, είμαστε
ακόμα πολύ πιο κοντά στην Ελλάδα
του Κωνσταντίνου και του Ανδρέα απ'
ότι στην Ελλάδα όπου κάποιος πράγματι
Υπεύθυνος Πρωθυπουργός, αψηφώντας
προσωπικό πολιτικό κόστος και, πιθανώς,
θυσιάζοντας την επανεκλογή του, θα είχε
τη δύναμη, την τόλμη και το θάρρος να
πει τα παραπάνω για το καλό και την
Ασφάλεια και για τις Ζωές όλων των
Συμπολιτών μας, κι ας μη χρησιμοποιεί
ο ίδιος και η οικογένειά του τα τρένα.


The ultra orthodox are a great wound and
a pestilence for the Jewish State. They are
the ones that most ardently foster enmity
and hatred and an insatiable land grab.
On the other hand, they shield themselves
and their children, with medieval ardor and
fanaticism, from the horrible consequences
of their mentality, their ideology and their
actions by dodging the draft. Someone
has to tell them that, no matter which God
you believe in, eating your pie and having
it too is not something that is taught by
any religion. It is doubtful, however,
if it is a true and honest religion they are
espousing and not a religious front to
avoid any social burden and responsibility.
 

Η Δικαιοσύνη αποφάνθηκε για το πρώτο
θύμα στην υπόθεση αυτή. Ελπίζω να
υπάρξει κάποια συμφωνία και παραδοχή
ώστε να επιβληθεί τρεις ισόβια χωρίς να
χρειαστεί να ξαναταλαιπωρηθούν τόσοι
μάρτυρες και η Δικαιοσύνη. Το κακό έγινε
από μία γυναίκα αυτάρεσκη και εγωϊστρια,
χωρίς κανένα μητρικό ένστικτο προστασίας,
παρά μόνο προσωπικό συμφέρον και άκρα
χειριστικότητα προς αυτοϊκανοποίηση. Δε
νομίζω ότι χρειάζεται να ξαναπεράσουμε
τα ίδια και για τα άλλα δύο κοριτσάκια.
Ας την πείσουν οι δικοί της και οι δικηγόροι
της ότι τα μπλαμπλα και τα σουξουμούξου
δεν έπεισαν, ούτε πρόκειται να πείσουν
κανέναν. Ας κάνουν το σωστό να κλείσει
αυτή η υπόθεση χωρίς πολλά πολλά και
άλλες ανοησίες και αθλιότητες.


Με όλο το σεβασμό στις οικογένειες των
αδικοχαμένων και στη μνήμη τους, όταν
βλέπω αυτό το γράμμα, και ακούω ο
"υπέυθυνος" να λέει ότι δεν είχε καμία
προειδοποίηση, απορώ... Η αναισθησία
και η γαϊδουριά φτάνουν σε τέτοιο σημείο
που μόνον εάν του πήγαιναν πτώμα από
ατύχημα και βούιζε όλη η Ευρώπη, θα
έδειχνε κάποια ανησυχία; Ή μήπως
και τότε η αναλγησία και η απανθρωπιά
θα τον έκαναν να δηλώσει ότι το πτώμα
είναι από κάποιο άλλο ατύχημα, μη
σιδηροδομικό, και όλα είναι fake news;
Και αν βρίσκεται και ο Κούλης εκτός
εαυτού μ' αυτά που ακούμε και βλέπουμε,
νομίζει ότι αυτό είναι αρκετό; Δεν
υπάρχουν διαδικασίες αποπομπής
και διαγραφής σε τέτοιες ξεφωνημένες
περιπτώσεις; Τί δηλαδή πρέπει να
περιμένουμε; Εκατόμβες αδικοχαμένων;


Παρά την αλαζονία του, την πρώτη
τετραετία το έπαιζε σεμνότυφη και
χαμηλοβλεπούσα, ώστε να δίνει
καλύτερη ενύπωση και να επανεκλεγεί.
Και είχε και το θάρρος, κάποιες φορές
που χρειάστηκε, να στείλει κάποιους
που το άξιζαν στον αγύριστο. Δυστυχώς,
όμως, έχει πλέον αποκαλυφθεί η αλήθεια,
όχι μόνο ως προς το χαρακτήρα του,
που δεν αναγνωρίζει λάθη και ούτε
κατ' ουσία ζητάει συγγνώμη για
τίποτα, ακόμα και για ξεφωνημένες
αστοχίες και αφερεγγυότητες, αλλά
και για τη δειλία που έχει δείξει όταν
πρόκειται για πρόσωπα που, παρά
τον όλεθρο που έχουν προκαλέσει,
θεωρούνται αμετακίνητα λόγω
οικογενειών και καλαμοκαβαλημάτων.
Αστόχως και αδίκως, όπως εκ των
υστέρων αποκαλύπτεται, περιμέναμε
κάποιοι περισσότερα από τον Κούλη.
Αλλά, εν τελη, μάθαμε (ελπίζω) ποιός
είναι κι αυτός και εύχομαι να μη χρειαστεί
να ξαναδιδαχτούμε. Τώρα είναι ώρα να
πράξουμε και να τιμωρήσουμε.


I hope that Local and Global Leaders
eventually realize that People of different
ethnic backgrounds and different religions
have nothing to divide them, especially
when they share the same homeland.
On the contrary, they share many Values
and have many Common Aspirations.
It would, therefore, be beneficial for all
involved, if those leaders' rhetoric and
actions were towards Uniting People,
instead of fostering artificial divisions for
fear mongering and instead of promoting
discord to serve their own interests and
to gain personal advantage and profit.


Netanyahu thought that the Biden Administration
would act like the Trump "administration", lay
down and lower their pants when he ordered
them to, and sending, instead of a serious and
experienced diplomat, a son-in-law, totally
lacking credibility and skill, to "mediate" in a
one-side takes all way by giving all to the
Jewish State and denying all to Palestinians.
And frankly, had it not been for the atrocious,
revengeful killing of innocent civilians by the
tens of thousands, which crosses every decent
American Citizen's red line, I do not think that the
Biden Administration would have taken a balanced
approach to the conflict either. Why can we not
be more of an Honest and Fair Broker as a State,
without the need for disastrous situations to
wake us up from lethargy and a misconceived
loyalty (which some take so easily and so
arrogantly for granted)?

Frankly, this should have been learned
by now, by Jimmy Carter's Presidency.
Strong words without the full leverage
of the Might of the United States Power
are not sufficient to persuade, even the,
supposedly, closest United States allies
to do the Right Thing. One has to back
words with actions to such an extent
as to leave no doubt to the interlocutor
that they mean what they say "damn
seriously" as Joe Biden would probably
say. Why, I am wondering, has it taken
us so many Presidencies to do again
the Right Thing and back our words
with actions, not towards war and
mayhem, but towards Peace, Security
and Idealism?


Our abstention was a political statement.
Clearly, Americans cannot stomach any
longer vetoes that condemn to death
tens of thousands of innocent civilians
whose fault is ethnic kinship to terrorists
and strong political support for Freedom,
Independence and elementary Dignity.
Our abstention, in lieu of a positive vote
was, unfortunately, also a political
statement. It shows that, because of
Historical Ties, prejudices and biases,
no matter how indigestible and how
Hitlerite and extreme a leader and his
pariah of an apartheid state, under his
leadership, have become, we still cannot
find the moral strength and inner courage
to stand firm and shout NO MORE and
NEVER AGAIN.


This guy, this abject failure, says he is
leaving by the end of the year. I would
like to ask everyone, but especially the
shareholders and whoever decides
the fate of these abominations, these
detestables, how much did he earn
in salary and bonuses and shares,
while planes were falling, doors were
detached and parts of the fuselage
falling apart? Can you all sleep at ease
and in peace by rewarding such trash?


VOTE FOR THE NEW RESOLUTION!
DO NOT TOY WITH HUMAN LIVES
FOR POLITICAL REASONS.

CHINA AND RUSSIA, WHY DID YOU BLOCK
THE U.N. RESOLUTION? ARE YOU TOYING
WITH HUMAN LIVES & HUMAN DESTINIES?
NO MORE GAMES OVER 40,000 CORPSES.
 

Now that it has dawned, several decades
after the Carter Administration, to our
United States that they have the power
to do the Right Thing as a Member of
the International Community, we may
as well Cooperate with other Security
Council Members to pass a Resolution
for the dismantling of settlements, and
for the Creation of a Palestinian State
in the Internationally Recognizable
Borders, based on previous United
Nations Resolutions. The World cannot
allow an Apartheid State to exist in 2024.
These fights have been fought and won.
Discrimination, racism and xenophobia
cannot be officially tolerated any longer
at an International Scale, under the watch
and with the complicity of the United
Nations. I commend the President and
the Secretary of State, but I call on them
not to fall short on the Legacy of Jimmy
Carter and the Democratic Party at its Best.


Putin says he appreciates that Russians
honored and appreciated the "freedom
of choice" in the Presidential Elections.
Probably he meant he appreciates how
seriously Russians appreciate the danger
of jumping from windows, "suicide" and
poisoning by radioactive substances if
they are not fervent supporters of United
Russia and, more precisely, him personally.


The President of Nigeria is doing the Right
Thing and many leaders around the Globe
should follow the same Principle. When
you are asking your Citizens to live with
less, either because you decide to impose
austerity measures or your inflation, food,
housing, fuel and other costs are rising
steeply, you should be prepared, as a
Government, to lead by example. So you
should be cutting some of the expenses
that affect the way you yourselves are
doing things and, when salaries and
contract compensations are out of whack
and/or extravagant, you should also be
reducing and/or renegotiating those.
No excuses.


I just want to emphasize one thing. The Greek
politicians guilty of negligent homicide in the
Tempi Affair MUST face Justice. It has to be
made clear that projects scheduled and funds
allocated for those projects, especially those
that concern Public Safety, have to be imple-
mented and not bent and gifted to financial
interests. Unless Justice does its Duty and
is Delivered Swiftly and Blindly, Greece will
again mourn many victims at the hands of
similarly minded public disservants. The
GOVERNMENT AND THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
MUST ACT SO THAT THE LIVES AND BLOOD
OF FUTURE VICTIMS ARE NOT IN THEIR HANDS.
Otherwise, the next "accident" will find them
complicit and acquiescent.

The same goes for Sudan. Instead of
wasting billions of dollars and innumerable
resources to buy weapons to kill, to displace
and to ethnically cleanse in the "civilized"
Wold (as in Israel and Ukraine), we should
spend some of it in supporting stability,
security, reforms and real change in places
like Haiti and Sudan, where the States are
failing to provide the basic elements of
security, stability and care for their own
for years, and whose situations are perilous
and unsustainable, to say the least.


I know that, both in the past and in the
present, the Security Council has let
the World down when it comes to its
Mission of fostering International Peace
and Security. But I would hope that, in
some cases where situations have
gotten out of hand beyond the shadow
of any doubt and where other methods
have been tried repeatedly and failed,
the Council can take charge and make
it possible for larger and smaller Nations
to cooperate and find solutions.
In the case of Haiti, there could be a
decision authorizing either one Nation,
like France or the United States, or a
coalition, involving possibly China
or Russia, if they are willing, to form
a temporary administration and restore
Law and Order and Stability, until the
Council, under their advice, deems it
appropriate to return the Nation into
domestic hands. Another solution
could possibly be to involve other
States of the region (not themselves
failed States), which have the means
and prestige, to get, possibly with
some help, the situation under control.
Waiting even more will neither solve
the problem nor alleviate dire needs
existing on the ground. To me it is
saddening that we are so quick, as a
Global Community, in taking up arms
to fight, war and slaughter, but so slow
in taking up arms to restore Peace and
Security and give people calmness and
a sense of normalcy to lead their lives.
 

Αν όλα αυτά που συμβαίνουν είναι όντως
ατυχήματα, όπως τα παρουσιάζει η Κυβέ-
ρνηση, τότε να ήταν ίσως καλύτερο να μην
έχουμε Κυβέρνηση, να αφήσουμε την πορεία
της χώρας στην τύχη και να πορευτούμε με
βάρκα την ελπίδα; Αν έχουν επίγνωση ότι
όντως πληρώνονται για κάτι, και όχι για
καθισιό, βόλτες αναψυχής στα σουπερ
μάρκετ και χάϊδεμα του χρυσού δέρατος
του Πίνατ, τότε ίσως να πρέπει να απο-
δεκτούν πιο ουσιαστικές ευθύνες, να
παρουσιαστούν υπόλογοι στη Δικαιοσύνη
για ό,τι παράνομο στο οποίο εμπλέκονται,
και, εν τέλη, αν έχει επέλθει κούραση, χαλά-
ρωση, αποσυγχρονισμός και ασυδοσία να
μας κάνουν τη χάρη να μας αδειάζουν τη
γωνίτσα;


Marcello Gandini is with us no more...


Ο Κυριάκος, όπως και με τα πανεπιστήμια,
ξέρει ότι και με τον κουμπαρά κοροϊδεύει.
Γιατί όλοι οι οικονομολόγοι ξέρουν ότι για
να έχει κανείς μεγάλες αποδόσεις χρειάζεται
να πάρει και μεγάλα ρίσκα. Και μεγάλα ρίσκα
μπορούν να πάρουν μόνο εκείνοι που έχουν
ικανά κεφάλαια, ωστε να μην τους φοβίζει
μεγάλη χασούρα. Ένας μικροαστός που
αποταμιεύει μικροποσά για σύνταξη, δεν
έχει την πολυτέλεια για μεγάλα ρίσκα γιατί,
δικαιολογημένα, θα φοβάται να μη μείνει
με τίποτα, κι έτσι δεν είναι δυνατόν ούτε
να έχει ισχυρές αποδόσεις. Εξου και το ότι,
με την πάροδο του χρόνου, οι φτωχοί γίνονται
φτωχότεροι και οι πλούσιοι πλουσιότεροι με
σχεδόν μαθηματική ακρίβεια. Στο τέλος,
όποιος πιστέψει και ρισκάρει θα χάσει, κι
όποιος είναι προσεκτικός, δε θα έχει πολλά
περισσότερα από τις επιστροφές που δίνουν
οι ασφαλείς επενδύσεις, που είναι λιγο πολυ
κοντά στα τραπεζικά επιτόκια.


Before the situation gets out of hand
in this diplomatic spat between the
Vatican and Ukraine, both sides have
to take into account the following:
1. Ukraine has, beyond the shadow
    of any doubt, even if one admits
    mishandling of its own affairs in
    the East by the charlatan at its
    helm, both the Right and Interna-
    tional Law on its side.
2. The Pope also has a point in that
     there is a limit on the number of
     Human Lives (especially the Lives
     of others, when one is safe and
     sound at headquarters and barks
     commands from afar) one should
     be willing to sacrifice, when a battle
     seems desperate and almost beyond
     reach. That is why tactical withdrawals
     exist and that is why Versatility and
     Negotiation is a supreme virtue in
     International Affairs and Leadership.
3. In comparing the current situation
    with WWII, the Ukrainian Embassy
    at the Vatican, in trying to remind
    the World of the true evil in Putin's
    actions, is missing one extremely
    critical point. The fact that WWII
    concluded with ONLY one side
    having achieved nuclear military
    capability. From now on, nuclear
    powers at the point of despair cannot
    be trusted not to use their arsenal,
    even if (or, perhaps, because) the
    opponent has nuclear superiority.
    So, sacrificing a significant number
    of one's population without any
    willingness to, or attempt at, com-
    promise may be neither reasonable
    nor the best strategy to follow, even
    if THE RIGHT is on one's side.


Kitty Xenaki is absolutely correct when she
laments that, despite this Day of Celebration,
Women's Rights are deplorably and desperately
behind those of Men almost everywhere. In our
own State, which used to be a beacon for Human
and Individual Rights Globally, we have now a
bund of desperately old men, who have totally
lost touch with reality and are light years away
from progress and modernity, that purport to
make decisions on behalf of Women, but
which, in reality, are to the detriment of full
equality and of self-determination and freedom
for Women. We have in front of us a key, very
significant, election process. Those of us who
are worried and concerned that Women's
Rights are deteriorating, instead of improving,
and that decisions are being made on their
behalf for, allegedly, moral reasons, but, in
reality, towards suppression and subjugation,
by septuagenarian and octogenarian men,
with deplorable records of bragging about
abusing them and mistreating them, have
to take a firm, vocal and unequivocal stance
and cast their votes. Otherwise, this day will
serve for naught and signify very little, with
our complacency, complicity and inaction.


Και ο Πάφου και ο Μόρφου σκανδαλιάρηδες;
Είμαι σίγουρος ότι θα είναι κάργα εναντίον
του γάμου ομοφύλων, όπως και τα δικά μας
παπαδαριά. Ποιός ξέρει τί να γινόταν άραγε
μέσα στις κρεβατοκάμαρες αυτών των
μοναστηριών με τις κλαίουσες παναγιές...
Κακό χρόνο νά' χουν. Και φυσικά δεν τους
φτάνουν τα κρεβάτια του πεντάστερου
μοναστηριού. Θέλουν διακοπές και τζάμπα
διαμονή στη Λεμεσό και στον Πειραιά. Που
να τους πάρει και να τους σηκώσει. Αλλά
δε φταίνε αυτοί. Φταίει ο σκοταδισμός και
η μεσαιωνική νοοτροπία μας, που ακόμα
τους πιστεύουμε και πάμε και πληρώνουμε
τα τερτίπια και τα σπασμένα τους.


I hope that today, in the State of the Union,
the President mentions, unhesitatingly and
unequivocally, that our Country, who provided
shelter to so may persecuted and in danger,
among them may of the survivors of the
Shoah, cannot stand mute on the side or,
worse, keep defending unconditionally
those of their descendants that have lost
their Humanity and their compass and are
showing no Respect, no Humility, no
Restrain, no Compassion and no Mercy
to those hundreds of thousands of innocent
Civilians, and are engaging in a concerted
and deliberate plan to kill, injure and maim
a large number of them to avenge the actions
of a few, who, after all, did try to participate
in a political, Democratic Process, but were,
undermined, sabotaged and utterly disillusioned.


I read today that Trump may be considering
scraping the bottom of the barrel for Vice
Presidential Candidates, such as Ms. Marjorie.
Well, as they say, people, with their actions,
make prophesies come true. He will be finally
left only with those that, even if they saw him
kill somebody in the middle of Fifth Avenue
in plain daylight, they would still stick with
him, as he once bragged about, concerning
loyalty and servility (perhaps, not to mention
thoughtlessness and stupidity?)...


If you are the Government of a State whose
economic plan for revitalization calls for
exclusive concert deals with Taylor Swift,
then (without prejudice to her or her music's
quality) you should probably look yourselves
in the mirror, see how pathetic you must be,
and ask whether you are sane, whether you
are worth the trust voters placed on you
and whether you are worth the hundreds
of thousands you are paid, if you are honest,
and the millions you are probably siphoning
off on the side, if you are not (sorry Singapore).


I think both Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone
gave very good performances in Poor Things
and Killers of the Flower Moon, respectively.
If the award could be shared, that would have
been fantastic. If one had to choose, my view
is that Yorgos Lanthimos' Muse has a slight
advantage simply because her role was a bit
more demanding, or, to use an analogy from
gymnastics, even though both performed
almost flawlessly, Ms. Stone's routine had a
marginally higher rate of difficulty.
 

Margarita Vergolia and Stratos Ioakim are writing
on two of the most important issues in the World
today (besides conflicts, wars and the contempt
for International Law). The aging leaders, with
tons of manifest cognitive problems, who are in
denial, on this side of the Atlantic, and the issue
of Church interfering in political matters, which
is a serious problem on both sides of the Atlantic.
Greece is very very late in separating Church
and State, and no Government, regardless of
political claims and orientation, has had the
courage and will to proceed to accomplish this
much needed separation effectively. On this
side of the Atlantic, we have allowed religion
to influence our politics to such an extent that
we are now approaching middle age conditions
on many issues, and are starting feeling the need
for introducing ad hoc special legislation speci-
fically tailored for the purpose of declaring that
"we are not living in the middle ages, nor was
that the intention of previously adopted, ill
thought and hasty voted upon, legislation".
What a mess and what a pity for the most
powerful Democracy in the World...
 

Dimos Moutsis is with us no more...


Απαράδεκτα πράγματα. Κι αυτός νομίζει
ότι ήρθε στην Κωλοπετινίτσα και μπορεί
να κάνει ό,τι θέλει με βαθειά ατιμωρισία.
Άχρηστε, ζήτα συγγνώμη που αγνόησες
το νόμο που είχε ψηφίσει το ίδιο σου το
κόμμα (που φυσικά δεν ήταν κόμμα σου
τότε, ούτε που ήξερες το όνομά του ή το
τί πρέσβευε), αντί να βγαίνεις να ζητάς
και τα ρέστα. Να μην πούμε ότι μας
τα έχεις σπάσει μ' αυτό το ύφος που
απαντά πάντοτε με το "ό,τι κι αν έκανα,
άλλοι είναι τρισχειρότεροι και έχουν
κάνει πολύ χειρότερα". Τέτοιους κ*λo-
χαρακτήρες σαν κι εσένα έχουν δει
πολλούς τα μάτια μας κι έχουμε βαρεθεί.
Με τέτοιο θράσος και ξεδιαντροπιά
στην πολιτική, δεν πρόκειται να ορθο-
ποδήσει ο τόπος μας.


Vaggelis Georgiou explains the disastrous
consequences of actions by "leaders" of
both sides in whose minds Peace, Security,
Brotherhood, Tolerance and Respect for Ethnic
and Cultural Differences, and Prosperity were
not a priority. The attitude of pseudoleaders
who think that, having been elected by the
majority in a Democratic Election, gives
them a carte blanche, the authority and the
right to trample on the rights of minorities
and do as they please, and the resulting
tragic and catastrophic consequences in
the case of Ukraine, is a warning to all of
our own political leaders and pseudoleaders
on how to act and what to stay away from,
if they want to enhance harmony, brother-
hood and peaceful coexistence in our own
societies and avoid fostering conflict and
deepening existing divisions.


Παπαδαριά και ιδρύματα που, κάτω από
μαθήματα δήθεν αγάπης και ισότητας,
δε χάνουν ευκαιρία για "χιουμοριστικές"
δηλώσεις γεμάτες χολή και μίσος για
όσους δε συμπαθούν και για όσους
έχουν διαφορετικές στάσεις και απόψεις,
να μας λείπουν. Έχουν, ελπίζω, την κατα-
κραυγή και την κατάρα όλων όσων πρά-
γματι ενδιαφέρονται για μία κοινωνία με
ομόνοια, αρμονία, ισότητα και ισονομία
για όλους. Αλλά και ο Κούλης με αυτές
τις κινήσεις - επισκέψεις στα σούπερ
μάρκετ με μπράβους και φωτογράφους,
για να διαπιστώσει πόσο δύσκολα ζουν
και ανταπεξέρχονται οι άλλοι, που
πληρώνουν την ευζωϊα του - δεν κερδίζει
τη συμπάθεια κανενός. Τουναντίον, μας
θυμίζει μία σεμνότερη Καγκελάριο που
πήγαινε ενίοτε στο σουπερμάρκετ της
γειτονιάς της με το καλαθάκι της, πρα-
γματικά για να ψωνίσει κι όχι για σόου,
και χαμογελούσε αμήχανη όταν την
έπιανε ο φακός επί τω έργω.
 

The last surviving sibling of the Taviani
Brothers, Paolo Taviani, is with us no
more...


Φονιάς που εξηπηρέτησε το κεφάλαιο,
νομίζει ότι ό,τι εγινε έγινε και ότι ήδη
πλήρωσε. Μάλλον ούτε έχει καταλάβει
καλα τί του γίνεται ούτε έχει συνειδη-
τοποιήσει ότι δε ζει σε μπανανία. Αλλά
δε φταίει μόνο αυτός. Φταίνε και οι
ψηφοφόροι που εκλέγουν άχρηστους,
αλαζόνες και καλαμοκαβαλημένους,
λόγω ονομάτων και οικογενειών. Και
οι προϊστάμενοι που δεν έχουν τη
δύναμη και το θάρρος να τους βάλουν
στη θέση τους πριν γίνει το κακό.


It is kind of telling of how degenerate and
self-serving our political system has become
that a person who suffered at least twice
from aphasia and who needed support to
fulfill his basic functions has the audacity
and the shamelessness to declare that he
is retiring in a timely manner and that he
considers himself wise for knowing "when
it is the right time" to step aside (!!!). I guess
the way things are going, we should start
getting accustomed to the idea of being
eventually governed and have our laws
written and voted upon by cadavers and
the younger people should get used to
starting their careers at 70 and fulfilling
their political aspirations and ambitions
at 90.


McConnell announced he is stepping down,
while he is still breathing. This is at least some
progress. He could have waited to make this
announcement from inside the casket, but he
granted us, and his beloved country, a narrow
escape and a, probably, unintended reprieve.


Understandably, Palestinian-Americans,
and everyone else, should be outraged
that our United States lends full support
and unconditionally supplies weapons,
and backs in the Security Council, a mad
genocidal machine, in operation because
of the personal troubles of a foreign politician,
who is running amok, and of neo-Nazi ultra
nationalist elements in a foreign government
of a state which has lost its compass.
I want, however, to remind all of us, that,
long term, for Peace in the Middle East,
which we should still be wishing and
hoping for, even worse than these immoral
short-term decisions, are decisions giving
all rights of settlement, expansion, disregard
for International Law and for United Nations
Resolutions to the state of Israel and reco-
gnizing null and void unilateral decisions,
contravening International Law, such as
proclaiming Jerusalem as the "undivided"
capital of the Jewish state. And I hope every
one remembers who stood for such terrible,
unconscionable decisions.
Let us not allow them to return to the Oval
Office because of our justified short term
anger and disappointment. We will be much
worse off, in general, and we shall regret
such a move, before long, for many many
reasons.
 

Στην προκειμένη περίπτωση, διαφαίνεται
ότι είχαμε, δυστυχώς και μία αδράνεια και
αστοχία της Προεδρίας της Δημοκρατίας.
Μπορεί να μην είναι ο ρόλος της να δίνει
νομικές συμβουλές σε υποψηφίους, αλλά
είναι σίγουρα ανάμεσα στα καθήκοντά της
η ομαλή λειτουργία του Πολιτεύματος.
Η Πρόεδρος θα μπορούσε να είχε βρει
ένα διακριτικό τρόπο να ενημερώσει το
Στέφανο ότι δεν είναι συμβατή με το
νόμο η εκλογή του στην ηγεσία ενός
κόμματος με Κοινοβουλευτική εκπρο-
σώπιση, πόσο μάλλον της Αξιωματικής
Αντιπολίτευσης. Εάν αυτό είχε γίνει, θα
είχαμε γλιτώσει πολλά παρατράγουδα,
ανάμεσα στα οποία είναι και το ότι αν
δεν επιβληθεί στο Στέφανο διετής
φυλάκιση, που είναι και το μίνιμουμ
που προβλέπει ο νόμος, θα έχουμε
μία παρωδία δικαιοσύνης καθώς ο
αρχηγός του κόμματος θα έχει κατα-
φέρει, μέσω ύποπτων χειρισμών, να
παρακάμψει δήθεν αυστηρό νόμο
υποστηριγμένο και ψηφισμένο από
το ίδιο του το κόμμα και δήθεν ενά-
ντια στα διαπλεκόμενα συμφέροντα.
Έτσι για μία ακόμα φορά θα γίνει
ηλίου φαεινότερο αυτό που όλοι οι
Έλληνες ακούν, βλέπουν και συζη-
τούν καθημερινά, ότι όλα είναι για το
θεαθήναι και πίσω από τις κουρτίνες
ο καθείς κάνει ό,τι θέλει, αρκεί να έχει
τις σωστές διασυνδέσεις και τη δύναμη.

Κακεντρεχής, φθονερή και άσχημη
προσωπικότητα. Διαβάστε τη δήλωση.
Αντί να περιοριστεί σε συγγνώμη και
mea culpa, κλείνει κατηγορώντας
τον άλλον ότι είναι χειροτερος από
τον ίδιο. Εδώ χρειάζεται να τον ευ-
χαριστήσει για τις αποκαλύψεις (που
έπρεπε ο ίδιος να έχει ερευνησει πριν
καν ασχοληθεί) και για το ότι πιθανώς
τον γλύτωσε από σοβαρούς μπελάδες.
Βρώμικη προσωπικότητα, από τους
αψείς και αδίστακτους του κεφαλαίου.
Καμία σχέση με όσα δημοσίως δηλώνει,
ισχυρίζεται και πρεσβεύει.


Οι Πρωθυπουργός επισκέφτεται την
Ινδία με στόχο την εδραίωση και
εμβάθυνση της συνεργασίας μεταξύ
των δύο χωρών σε πολλούς τομείς
αμοιβαίου ενδιαφέροντος. Μπράβο
στους δύο Πρωθυπουργούς!
The Greek Prime Minister is visiting
New Delhi, solidifying and expanding
bilateral relations and cooperation on
several areas of mutual interest. Here
he is, with his wife, hosted by his
Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
Bravo to the two Prime Ministers!


Κρίμα. Και ντροπή για τον Κυριάκο διότι,
ενώ ξέρει ότι προηγούμενες και τωρινές
κυβερνήσεις έχουν τεράστια ευθύνη για
το θάνατο τόσων ανθρώπων και ότι χρει-
άζονται τεράστιες αλλαγές σε νοοτροπία
και modus operandi για να αποφύγουμε
παρόμοιες ανθρωποκτονίες από αμέλεια
στο μελλον, δεν έκανε τίποτα για να πιέσει
και για να υποχρεώσει τα μέλη των δικών
του ομάδων να είναι ειλικρινή και να πουν
την αλήθεια (κι ας είναι επιβαρυντική)
ώστε να λάμψει άπλετο φως, να επιτευχθεί
διαφάνεια και να απομονωθούν και/ή να
τιμωρηθούν οι ένοχοι. Σε τέτοια σημαντικά
χάνονται οι ευκαιρίες για καινοτόμες αλλαγές.
Στα ασήμαντα και τα λιγότερα άβολα, από
τα οποία πιάνεται και στα οποία διατυ-
μπανίζει αλλαγές, δεν αλλάζει τίποτα
ουσιαστικό, και μένουν όλα επιφανειακά
και οι παθογένειες κρύβονται κάτω από
το χαλί.


Putin: Lyudmila Putina, Alina Kabaeva,
Ekaterina Mizulina... and the list of traditional
Russian Values goes on... RE, Rasputin Era.
Only in the degenerate west, with its decadent
materialism do such things happen. In sancta
Russia people do not opt for flesh and money,
but go after spiritual values, the Putin way.


Και κάτι ακόμα. Η στάση "πείτε μου τι θέλετε
κι αυτός είμαι ή αυτός θα γίνω" δείχνει μία
παραδοπιστία, αρχομανία και καρεκλομανία,
χωρίς αρχές και πιστεύω, τα οποία κάποιος που
είναι λίγο μορφωμένος και έχει κάποια παιδεία
διατηρεί ανεξαρτήτως του που φυσάει ο άνεμος.
Και ειλικρινά, δυστυχώς, αυτές τις ιδιότητες έχει
επιδείξει υπεράνω όλων των άλλων εξαρχής ο
Στέφανος. Μακάρι να ήταν όλα ή, τουλάχιστον,
κάποια από τα διαθέσιμα δείγματα πράξεων
και συμπεριφοράς διαφορετικά, αλλά δεν είναι,
ούτε ποτέ ήταν στον πρώϊμο βίο του, κι ας μη
γελιόμαστε.

Αυτά που κάνει η μαύρη κασσέλα είναι
αφερεγγυότητες τρίτου βαθμού για έναν
πολύ απλό λόγο. Όταν εκλέγεσαι πρόεδρος
ενός κόμματος που υπάρχει και έχει ταυτότητα
και όργανα, αλλά και όταν ιδρύεις εσύ ο ίδιος
ένα πολιτικό κόμμα ή σχηματσμό, το κάνεις
για να εκπροσωπήσεις τα πιστεύω και τις
ιδέες σου (αν είσαι αρκετά ώριμος και έχεις
βεβαίως, διότι αυτό δεν είναι απαραίτητο
και δε συμβαίνει με τους περισσότερους).
Δεν το κάνεις για να ανοίξεις ιστοσελίδα
και να πεις "πεστε μου τί σας αρέσει και
θα το εκπροσωπήσω". Αν τα πιστεύω που
ενστερνίζεσαι και οι ιδέες που ασπάζεσαι
αρέσουν σε κάποιον, θα σε ακολουθήσει.
Αν όχι, θα πάει σε κάποιο άλλο κόμμα ή
σχηματισμό. Αυτά τα "θα μου πέιτε και θα
λικνιστώ δεξιο-αριστερά για να αρέσω σε
όλους" δεν είναι ούτε σοβαρά ούτε της
προκοπής, ούτε θέλει κανείς να είναι
μέλος σε ένα καϊκι χωρίς πυξίδα και
χωρίς καπετάνιο, παρά μόνο παρέα με
ένα μανεκέν από το only fans...
Αλλά για να χρησιμοποιήσω τις δικές του
εκφράσεις (μπας κι έτσι με καταλάβει καλύ-
τερα), αφού τα έχεις όλα χεσμ*να, είναι τώρα
δική σου υπόθεση και δικη σου ευθύνη να
πας στο Σουπερ Μάρκετ να πάρεις χαρτί
τουαλέτας και να τα ξεχ*σεις.
 

We are sending billions and billions of
dollars to Ukraine and, on the one hand,
it is for a Just cause, but, on the other,
there is almost no oversight in place
to ensure that those are converted to
ammunition and other needs of the
Ukrainian military. For all we know,
the real reason it is running out so
fast is because it is siphoned by the
charlatan and his associates to private
bank accounts and/or because funds
are spent for other causes and materials
find their way elsewhere, as has been
occasionally reported in the press.
My view is that we should form a
standing Congressional Committee
that would ensure that almost 100%
of what we spend is sent in materiel
and not cash and that the culprits
in corruption cases and those that
exploit the current situation to get
rich will not launder the money and
appear as billionaires with apartments
in London and New York and fat bank
accounts in Switzerland, as if nothing
has happened, after the conflict. If
Congress has money to waste (which
they do not), I'd rather it be wasted
domestically than spend creating
Ukrainian billionaires out of ruthless
opportunistic thugs and unscrupulous
dealers of "business" and "death".


He is looking for idiots that would spend
$400 to buy $5 shoes that have his name
on them so that he can pay off his fines
and get scot-free through his wrongdoings.
And, bless our Nation, we have many of
those among us that would run and buy
these to pay off a rich man's debt and
atone for a devious and ruthless person's
crimes, when they, in their majority, would
declare themselves god-fearing and church
going and could hardly afford to put enough
food in their children's mouths and pay rent
or mortgage... What a country we live in and
what scum we are so easily convinced to adore...


Μπραβο και στην Καιτη Γαρμπη.
Κατά τη γνώμη μου, άνθρωποι με
μεγαλύτερη αναγνωρισιμότητα
απ' ολους εμας τους υπόλοιπους
έχουν και μεγαλύτερη υποχρεωση
να μας θυμίζουν το Σωστό και Δίκαιο.
Και όχι μόνο στα εσωτερικά, αλλά
και στις σχέσεις μας και στις σχεσεις
της χωρας μας με αλλους λαους.
Ακούσαμε και άναρθρες εθνικιστικές
κορώνες και απεγνωσμένες κραυγές
εναντίον του Συμφώνου Φιλίας που
υπεγράφη από τον Πρωθυπουργό
και τον Πρόεδρο της Τουρκίας.
Θέλουμε αγάπη, αδελφοσύνη και
ειρήνη μεταξύ μας και μεταξύ όλων
των λαών της περιοχής μας και του
κόσμου. Δε θέλουμε να ζούμε σε
μία χώρα αστακό, ασφαλή μεν,
αλλά γεμάτη έχθρα και μίσος και στο
πόδι, ετοιμοπόλεμη ανά πάσα στιγμή.
Και χρειαζόμαστε βαθειά την αίσθηση
της Αλληλεγγύης και της Ανθρωπιάς
για όλους. Αν κάτι κακό ξεκινήσει, ο
μη γενοιτο, δε θα κλαίνε μόνο δεκάδες
χιλιάδες Ελληνίδες μάνες και πατέρες,
αλλά και ισάριθμοι γονείς στην άλλη
πλευρά του Αιγαίου, και η Ανθρωπιά
δεν έχει σύνορα. Ο πόνος μας πρέπει
να είναι και θα είναι ο ίδιος για όλους
τους γονείς και η ευθύνη θα ανήκει σε
όλους γιατί δεν κοιτάξαμε, και/η δεν
πετύχαμε, να κάνουμε το σωστό και
να αποφύγουμε τέτοιες εξελίξεις.
Αλλά τότε, αν ακούμε τον έναν και
τον άλλον βλάκα και ανεύθυνο τώρα,
θα είναι ήδη πολύ αργά...


Τέτοιο πράγμα, διότι περί πράγματος
πρόκειται, κι όχι περί μορφωμένου και
εμπεριστατωμένου ατόμου, γι αυτό και
οι πολιτικές του παρολίγον να μας
ριξουν στο γκρεμό, δεν έχω ξαναδεί
ούτε ξανακούσει, εκτός ίσως του Trump.
Λέει δεν είναι ο γάμος ομοφύλων
ανθρώπινο δκαίωμα. Σ' αυτό κάποιος
μπορεί να απαντήσει με ένα εκ δύο
τρόπων με βάση τη λογική.
1. Ούτε η ψήφος των γυναικών ούτε
    η άδεια οδήγησης των γυναικών
    ήταν και/ή είναι ανθρώπινο δικαίωμα
    σε κάποιες κοινωνίες. Θέλει το σαμάρι
    ν' ανοίξουμε πάλι συζήτηση στη δική
    μας κοινωνία αν θέλουμε και/ή αν
    δικαιούνται οι γυναίκες να ψηφίζουν
    και/ή να οδηγούν; Δεν καταλαβαίνει
    ότι τί είναι και τί δεν είναι ανθρώπινο
    δικαίωμα είναι σχετικό και εξελισσόμενο;
2. Μήπως δεν είναι ανθρώπινο δικαίωμα
    γενικά ο γάμος, αλλά μία σύμβαση;
    Και αν αυτή είναι η αλήθεια, γιατί τότε,
    αφού έχει νομοθετηθεί ως δικαίωμα για
    κάποιους, να μην νομοθετηθεί με την
    ίδια έννοια και για άλλους;
Τίποτα πειστικό σ'αυτές τις κραυγές άνευ
επιχειρημάτων. Μόνο αντιδραστικότητα
και μεσαίωνας. Η αλήθεια είναι ότι το
σαμάρι και οι ακροδεξιοί φασίστες δεν
ανήκουν στη Νέα Δημοκρατία του Κυριάκου,
αλλά σε μία Νέα Δημοκρατία που δεν υπάρχει
πια, ή μάλλον στα νεοφασιστικά μορφώματα
που μας έχουν περικυκλώσει.


Steve Rosenberg of the BBC has it right.
Putin is, besides a murderer and a war
criminal, also a ruthless fox and political
manipulator. He knows that, to give a boost
and help elect his own favorite, he has to
support his opponent, since his support
is widely viewed as a black stain in the
record of any potential candidate.
However, since all of us know him and
recognize him for what he really is and
what he really stands for, after so many
years of absolutism, political assassi-
nations and dictatorship, we could not
care less who he supports and will go
on with business as usual here at home.


Love for Humanity and Dedication to
Peace and Opposition to Nationalism
and Barbarism can never be counted
as or termed a betrayal. Bravo to the
(few) young people of Israel. Frankly,
they are the ones that keep a dying
hope for the future of Israel and the
future of Judaism alive. Bravo.


NPR and other news organizations have
stopped reporting the truth about Gaza.
They are calling the planned attack on
the city of Rafah a continuation of the
Israeli Operation against Hamas, with
the aim of wiping out Hamas, based on
Israeli announcements and propaganda.
It should be called what it really is, by
any standards and any measurements,
Operation Ethnic Cleansing. We should
not have expected anything different
by National Jewish Radio, since many
of their financial backers and donors
would be horrified to hear the truth.
Nevertheless, an organization that tries
so hard to call a spade a club loses its
credibility and reputation.
 

Ahhhh.. Ohhhh... If you do not pay up and
do not do your work, the horrific jerk
will send the terrible evil witch to take
away your dinner and kill all your loved ones,
little naughty buggers .

Ωραίος τύπος. Έρχονται οι Ευρωεκλογές.
Προτείνει τζάμπα καύσιμα, τζάμπα ρεύμα,
τζάμπα ζωοτροφές και λιπάσματα, ρύθμιση
χρεών και εγγύηση ιδιοκτησίας. Φυσικά, αν
τα συφέροντά του ήταν στην άλλη πλευρά,
θα τους πήγαινε στο δικαστήριο για να
κερδίσει τα δεδουλευμένα. Προτείνω να
ανοίξει και τη μαύρη κασσέλα και να τους
δώσει δάνεια από ιδίους πόρους με μηδέν
επιτόκιο, αλλά αυτός ξέρει καλύτερα...
Δε σφάξανε. Ή και άν, τα μοσχοπουλήσανε.


An uneducated thug and a charlatan, turned
dictator and murderer, turned war criminal.


He is a decent and a good man, unlike
his opponent, who is unlikable, devious,
arrogant, selfish and slimy all around.
But he is making it very difficult for us
to "appreciate his service" and "love"
him by clinging tooth and nail to the
Presidency and to the myth that he is
there and in control 100%, when it is
clear and obvious to any objective,
unbiased and disinterested observer
that this is a fiction and rather far from
the truth. Our Country deserves and
needs someone that can truly give 100%...
The Party has good people out there
that could contest this seriously, and
no one is irreplaceable, no matter how
powerful and influential.


Counsel Robert Hur is being crucified
for saying out loud what all of us already
knew, but some of us have a hard time
acknowledging and admitting, and this
has nothing to do with being a Republican
or a Democrat. It has to do with decency
and with honesty. Why and how have we
reached this point in this country of ours
at which hearing a disturbing and dis-
comforting truth, but a truth nevertheless,
has become so controversial and a matter
of personal bitterness and attacks? Why
is it that a Counsel cannot freely express
something that is already obvious for
everyone to see? Why is it so wrong for
an official of our United States to make
"official" in a report an open truth?
Why do we prefer ostrichism and omerta
so that negatives and things that need to
be changed stay the same forever and
harm the safety, the sanity and the well
being of our Nation? WHY? WHY? WHY?
As for Ms. Harris, instead of encouraging
the President to let go and move in the
right direction for the benefit and the
good of our country, is arguing for the
untenable opportunistically and salivating
over the Office. There are limits to what is
ethically acceptable. This is a serious
issue and it is high time those who claim
are decent and care about this Nation did
the Right Thing.


I am not at all fond of Harry, nor, of course,
of his wife. But I think it terrible of William
putting his job and its requirements above
his relationship with his brother. Especially
so since his job is not based on any kind
of qualification but, rather, on blood itself.
The whole setup reeks of a realization of
the saying "selling one's own mother" (or
in this case one's own brother) and we all
know that the contexts in which the phrase
is used are not pleasant nor do one favor.
And, by the way, the same applies to Harry,
since he is selling out his own relations for
money and publicity to satisfy the absurd
and extravagant demands of his lifestyle.


Photographs that leave one breathless...
and make words meaningless.
 
 

When an entire State, an entire Government
and an entire Nation are complicit for brutality,
oppression, apartheid, displacement and ethnic
cleansing, i.e., for organized Crimes against
Humanity, and, as a result, find themselves
universally condemned and on the wrong
side of History, there is no other avenue
but misinformation and covert operations
to hide the truth and try to convince others,
but primarily to brainwash and indoctrinate
its own people that what they do and support
is right. Deep down, but, as it transpires in
recent actions, also apparently and closer
to the surface, this Nation, despite priding
itself on being "European" and a "Democracy",
turns out to have no difference from Apartheid
South Africa or Putin's Russia.


Άσχημα νέα. Σε μία Πολιτεία Δημοκρατική,
όπως η Ελληνική, τρομοκρατικές ενέργειες
και χτυπήματα, από όποιο χώρο κι αν
προέρχονται και οποιοδήποτε το δηλωθέν
πολιτικό υπόβαθρο, παίζουν το παιχνίδι
εκείνων που υποστηρίζουν ενισχυμένη
αστυνομοκρατία, ελάττωση των ατομικών
δικαιωμάτων και ελευθεριών, και υποκινούν
σκοτεινά και παρακρατικά συμφέροντα.
Ελπίζω όλοι μαζί και σύσσωμος ο πολι-
τικός κόσμος, από αριστερά μέχρι και τη
δημοκρατική δεξιά, να αποδοκιμάσουν
και να καταδικάσουν απερίφραστα.

Look at them! Plump and pampered, as
tens of thousands of their countrymen
have died and others fight their wars.
I condemn them as vehemently as I do
those on the Israeli side that send other
people's children to their "existential"
deaths and shelter their own in Florida
and in other safe places. Shame to all of
you. If you think the risk and devastation
that you send others to endure is worth
the effort, be there and send, first, your
own kids and families before sending
others into the fire. Shame on you.


Κατά τη γνώμη μου, εάν κάποιος είναι
εθισμένος στο τζόγο, σε σημείο να παίζει
από 1 μέχρι 10 χιλιάρικα ημερησίως, εάν
έχει ίχνος ευγένειας, ευθιξίας, αλληλεγγύης
και πίστης στο συνάνθρωπο, δε πρέπει
να ακουμπάει ούτε ένα σεντ από ξένα
φράγκα, και ιδιαίτερα από λεφτά που
προέρχονται από δωρεές από πολίτες
γνήσια αλληλέγγυους, και προορίζονται
για την ανακούφιση του συνανθρώπου.
Αλλά από τέτοιο άτομο, ύπουλο, δήθεν
και της αρπαχτής, δυστυχώς, τίποτα
καλύτερο δεν έπρεπε να αναμένεται.
Ελπίζω η δικαιοσύνη να κάνει το
καθήκον της με κάποια επίσπευση,
διότι τέτοια περιστατικά πρέπει να
τιμωρούνται γρήγορα και να μην
αφήνεται να πλανώνται αμφιβολίες
και ενδοιασμοί για τα επακόλουθα.


I watched the other day the documentary
"Escape from Kabul" about a company of
U.S. Marines that were sent to secure the
airport and ensure an orderly exodus of
the last troops, diplomats and affiliated
personnel from Afghanistan. Shortly
after their mission began, the Taliban
entered the city, and they were caught
unawares, unprepared and with a true
Mission Impossible in their hands. But
the professionalism, the Humanity and
the resilience they showed under very
dangerous, adverse, extraordinary and
extremely delicate circumstances were
striking and awe-inspiring.
Even for those of us that have issues
with the military (because it is misused
politically on many occasions as a regime
changing force rather than a defensive
force, in contravention to international
law, because it drains tremendous
amounts of funds from our budget that
could be used to our advantage for
domestic civil purposes and because
the "measures" by which it judges success
and failure of missions are unlike those
used elsewhere) have to appreciate and
give thanks to those of our men and
women at arms that behave in an exemplary
way and go beyond and above the call
of duty to fulfill missions that are some
times unimaginably risky and difficult.


Χτύπησαν πάλι τα τουμπερλέκια. Ο εκ των
αρχιυποσκαπτόντων της πίστης στην αφι-
λοκέρδεια, την αλληλεγγύη και την πίστη
στο συνάνθρωπο μας ζητάει συγγνώμη,
μας παροτρύνει(!!) και μας υπενθυμίζει(!!)
``ότι το μεγαλύτερο διακύβευμα τη δεδομένη
στιγμή είναι η αλληλεγγύη και η πίστη στον
συνάνθρωπο''. Βρε πού ζούμε και που
έχουμε καταντήσει... Δεν πάμε καθόλου καλά.


Ms. Meloni says that "we should guarantee
the right of people to not emigrate". And I
agree with her basic premise that people
should be able to have decent and happy
livelihoods at home so that they not feel
the need to abandon their homelands. But
I want also to remind her that, when the
conditions at home are terrible, dangerous
and unsustainable, we should also guarantee
the right of people to emigrate. And, going
one step further, so that we do not remember
only what suits us and forget what is burden-
some and inconvenient, let me remind Ms.
Meloni of the millions and millions of Greeks,
Italians and Turks who, when conditions
where depressing and abhorrent at home,
found safe havens, work and livelihoods
in foreign lands. Can she imagine a world
that would close their doors to them and
that would declare them undesirable, filth
and personae non gratae?


Never again bigotry;
Never again discrimination;
Never again oppression;
Never again brutality;
Never again apartheid;
Never again displacement;
Never again ethnic cleansing.
Work for the creation of a Palestinian State
with all your Heart and all your Might.
Work for a Just, Fair, Lasting and Viable
Solution that will benefit All Sides and
All Humanity (even those that refuse to
see and acknowledge it).


What is the difference between Joe Biden,
Mitch McConnell, Dianne Feinstein, Donald
Trump, on the one hand, and decent and
conscientious individuals, on the other?
Read the following statement by Jürgen
Klopp and you will know (if you did not
already).

"I always invested everything I had. I realized
my resources are not endless and I prefer to
pack everything into this season and then
have a break or stop or whatever. We're not
young rabbits any more and we don't jump
as high as we did.
This team we have with all the super things
we have in this club, they need a manager at
the top of his game and top level. I can't be
there any more. The alternative is I go into
next season and I have to try and get through
it, that's not right."
                                       Jürgen Klopp


Εάν ήμουν ο Κυριάκος (που, φυσικά, δεν
είμαι), θα έτρωγε σουτ που θα θυμόταν για
πολύ καιρό, αφού με τη στάση του έχει
ξεκάθαρα αποδείξει ότι η συνείδηση
ποσώς δεν τον ενδιαφέρει και το παν
για κείνον είναι τα φλουριά και τα οφίτσια.
Κυριάκο, θα κάνεις το σωστό όταν τα
δείγματα και τα "έργα και οι ημέρες"
κάποιου καλαμοκαβαλημένου μιλούν
από μόνα τους, ή, μήπως, ούτε κι εδώ
θέλεις και μπορείς, μηδέ έχεις τις κο*όνες;


I see a lot of outrage about justifiable
omissions from this year's Academy
nominations. If the awards are about
recognizing pop culture and huge money
makers, then the persons passed should
be in the list. If the awards are about quality
and a thoughtful and serious approach to
topics, the Academy acted carefully and
deliberately (at least on these omissions).
My view is that, if someone is looking for
cr*p that makes tons of dough, they should
probably be looking at OnlyFans, or some
other comparable thing, rather than being
into nominations of Awards in which (of
course, as is always the case, together
with some mediocrities, occasionally)
actors and directors of enormous stature
have been recognized. Sorry Ms. Robbie.
You did earn an enormous fortune (and
not only for yourself), but you could have
done (quality-wise) much much better.
Maybe next time.
 

Children and fools always speak the truth,
they say. But Oliver Stone is a fool no more...
Anyway. Good move by the Academy.


Η επιστολική ψήφος είναι πολύ καλή ιδέα
επί της αρχής. Αλλά δε μπορεί μία ευνο-
μούμενη πολιτεία να καθιστά υπεύθυνους
για τη σωστή και αυστηρή εφαρμογή της
είτε ξένους υπηκόους είτε πολίτες που δε
χαίρουν επίσημων δικαιωμάτων και ευθυνών
και δεν είναι υπόλογοι έναντι αυστηρής
νομοθεσίας για καλή τη πίστει διεκπαι-
ρέωση των πράξεων που τους έχουν
ανατεθεί από επίσημα όργανα της
πολιτείας. Αυτό πρακτικά σημαίνει ότι οι
μόνοι αρμόδιοι για να πιστοποιούν ότι ο
πραγματικός εγγεγραμμένος ψηφίζει και
υπάρχει ταυτοπροσωπία, πρέπει να είναι
δημόσιοι υπάλληλοι του υπουργείου
Εσωτερικών, είτε μόνιμοι, είτε ορκωτοί
που λειτουργούν υπό επίσημο καθεστώς
κατά τη διάρκεια των εκλογών, όπως,
π.χ., οι δικαστικοί αντιπρόσωποι και
οι εφορευτικές στα εκλογικά κέντρα.
Ελπίζω οι καταγγελίες Κουτσούμπα ότι
ξένοι υπήκοοι (π.χ., ταχυδρομικοί υπάλ-
ληλοι ξένων κρατών) θα κάνουν αυτή τη
δουλειά να είναι παρεξήγηση και όχι ένα
σοβαρό ενδεχόμενο σύμφωνα με το νόμο.


Norman Jewison is with us no more...


You know him well now, eh? How smart
and how fast do you have to be to realize
sooner than in 7 years that he is the type
of person that you should neither work
with or be associated with in any way?
Do you have to be a genius? And yet,
despite your own jabs at his character,
you gladly accepted his appointment,
you endorsed him as a boss and you
worked with him when it suited your
interests and you desired to advance
your opportunities. Congratulations,
arch-opportunist, untrustworthy, Nikki
Haley! Now he is right to turn his arrows
against you. You should have been more
careful and you should have known better.
 

Do not treat so cheaply and so mindlessly
the Sovereignty of other States and the
Value of Human Life. Think twice and very
very carefully before launching attacks
against other States and before striking
anywhere with uncertain consequences
for Civilian Life. Both breaching the
sovereignty of another State and taking
civilian lives unprovoked are crimes and
they should not happen and, a fortiori,
we should all be indignant against their
occurrence and normalization.
 

Επειδή η Νέα Δημοκρατία από γεννησιμιού
της, καλώς ή κακώς, στεγάζει και φασιστό-
μουτρα και νεοναζί, είναι φυσικό, όταν ο
Πρωθυπουργός προσπαθεί να ακολουθήσει
μία πιο κεντρώα και προοδευτική στάση και
να απαγκιστρωθεί από τα καρκινώματα και
τα βαρίδια, που κρατάνε τη χώρα, με νύχια
και με δόντια, σε άλλες εποχές και που έχουν
παρ' ολίγον με τους χειρισμούς τους και τις
νοοτροπίες τους προκαλέσει όλεθρο, να
συναντά σθεναρή αντίσταση. Για μενα, όχι
μόνο είναι σωστός ο Κυριάκος, αλλά αυτά
που βλέπουμε αντιστοιχούν στην ύστατη
πνοή κάποιων ατόμων που γνωρίζουν ότι
έχουν χάσει επαφή με την πραγματικότητα,
ότι βρίσκονται στη λάθος πλευρά της Ιστορίας
και που σιγά-σιγά οδεύουν προς την έκλειψη
και την καταχώρηση στους κάδους απορ-
ριμάτων της Ιστορίας, που είναι και η θέση
που τους αρμόζει και τους αξίζει.


Μπράβο στον Κώστα Φαλελάκη. Λίγα λόγια
και καλά, κι ελπίζω να τα ακούνε οι δογματικοί
μη ρεαλιστές του κυβερνώντος κόμματος και
ο Πρωθυπουργός, που εν έτη 2024, πηγαίνει
στη δουλειά του με Μερσέντες και σοφέρ, αλλά
για τους πολιτικούς χειρισμούς του και τις
πολιτικές βραδυδακτυλουργίες χρησιμοποιεί
ακόμα κάρο. Η αναγνώρηση των πλήρων
δικαιωμάτων όλων δε θίγει ποτέ κανέναν,
αφού όλοι μας έχουμε την επιλογή να ζήσουμε
όπως επιθυμούμε. Και επιπλέον μας κάνει
όλους πιο ευτυχείς και πιο χαρούμενους,
διότι, όταν ζεις σε μία κοινωνία που επιτρέπει
σε όλους να είναι πιο ευτυχείς, αναγνωρίζει
ίσα δικαιώματα σε όλους και τιμά με τον ίδιο
τρόπο την προσφορά όλων, τότε δε μπορεί
κανείς, ανεξαρτήτως της υποομάδας στην
οποία ανήκει, παρά να νοιώθει πιο ασφαλής
και πιο ευτυχής.


Now that they realize that the truth comes
out and that they are going to be held to
account for their words, their intentions
and their actions, they elect to hold their
meetings behind closed doors. When a
state loathes transparency, it has some-
thing to hide. What the Jewish State has
to hide, almost all of us know, and our
suspicions were verified by what was
(and will be) revealed as the Case in front
of the ICJ in The Hague gets adjudicated.


Nikki Haley is not in touch with reality,
as she was not in touch with reality when
she accepted the position of Ambassador
to the United Nations by an isolationist
and morally bankrupt individual whom
she, now, as a true opportunist, has
turned against and is aspiring to defeat.
Truth is, whether the morph is or is
not the Republican nominee will be
decided by the courts and Haley will
have absolutely no role to play in this.
She is just wasting donors' money and
her own resources. And if courts make
her the candidate, she stands no chance,
since her credibility stands below Trump's.
Whereas Trump had selfishness and
megalomania as motives to do wrong,
she supported him, sided with him and
became a member of his "select", out of
mindlessness and miscalculation.


80 years after the Shoah, the natural
grandchildren of the victims have
become the ideological children and
most ardent followers of their grand-
fathers' murderers and annihilators.
Judaism at its most murderous, most
vindictive, merciless, debased and
bankrupt state since its inception.
 

God forbid the legal system of this land
grant to anyone total immunity for actions
they take in office. Recent developments
have shown, in a most dramatic and most
blatant way, why THERE HAS TO BE AT
LEAST SOME LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY
FOR EVERY ACTION TAKEN ANYWHERE.
Otherwise, egoists, uncontrollable and
unchecked maniacs, with demagogic
skills, using misinformation and their
persuasive capabilities, could run amok
and intentionally destroy what it took
the efforts of many gifted and dedicated
men to create, with deliberation and care,
through many generations.


Κυριάκο, είναι κρίμα σε τέτοια ζητήματα,
που αφορούν τις ζωές τόσων συμπολιτών
μας, δε θίγουν κανέναν και άπτονται θεμε-
λιωδών δικαιωμάτων, όπως τις Ισότητας
και Ομοτιμίας και του Δικαιώματος στη
Ζωή, να πηγαίνεις από το θα δούμε
στο θα δούμε, από την ασάφεια στην
ασάφεια και από το αύριο στο αύριο
και, ειλικρινά, να κρατάς σε ομηρία και
να περιγελάς την κοινωνία. Εάν θέλεις
να είσαι πραγματικά οραματιστής και
καινοτόμος και υπέρ της προόδου,
όπως διαλαλείς και τσαμπουνάς, να
ξέρεις ότι τα λόγια είναι φτώχεια και
οτι κρίνεσαι, όχι μόνο από τις πράξεις,
ειδικά αυτές που έπρεπε να είχαν πρα-
γματοποιηθεί χθες, αλλά επίσης από το
πότε γίνονται και από το περιεχόμενο
και την ισχύ τους. Να ξέρεις ότι, αν είσαι
Πρωθυπουργός για 8 χρόνια και την
8η χρονιά κάνεις κάτι που έπρεπε να
έχει γίνει 10 χρόνια πριν εκλεγείς, δε
θα σε χειροκροτήσει κανείς, εξ'ου και
η κριτικη στον Πιερρακάκη, που μας
πουλούσε ως πρωτοποριακά πράγματα
που αλλού είχαν παγματοποιηθεί εδώ και
κάποιες δεκαετίες...


Απάντησέ μας στο αν ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ χρωστάει
και του δίνεις δάνεια, και αν προτίθεται το
κόμμα να πληρώσει τα έξοδα των συμμε-
τεχόντων στη μάζωξη. Το αν χρωστάνε
κι άλλοι, και αν έχουν κι άλλοι δάνεια, και
αν άλλοι είναι ακόμα μεγαλύτεροι χαρα-
μοφάηδες από σας, δεν πείθει κανέναν.
Γιατί να μην κάνεις το σωστό και όχι μό-
νο το "σωστότερο απ' αυτό που κάνουν
άλλοι"; Δεν είναι τελείως λάθος αυτή η
νοοτροπία, η οποία μας κάνει χρόνια να
κατρακυλάμε όλο και πιο χαμηλά, όλο
και πιο βαθειά; Τόσο άμυαλος είσαι και
στις κινήσεις και στις απαντήσεις σου;


What was he thinking? And who did he ask
leave from, if not from his only supervisor?
Did he just go AWOL for a few days, just like
that? And would anyone else in the military
be excused, if they did something similar, or
would they be bound to stand court martial?
And all this without even factoring in the
volatility in international affairs and the
incessant and relentless efforts, traveling,
discussions and negotiations of our poor
Secretary of State, who is flying back and
forth everywhere, like crazy, to try to cope
and convince intransigent, derailed and
egocentric maniacs to do the Right Thing.


Όλη η αργοσχολη και κοινωνικά επιτήδεια
"αφρόκρεμα", βασιλείς και φαρισαίοι, πρίγκηπες
και αρουραίοι, σεϊχηδες, εμίρηδες και κακομοίρηδες,
βρέθηκαν στο μπλοκάκι του Τζέφρι. Και η Μαρί Σαντάλ,
η γυναίκα του Πολ, μας είπε τρεις μεγαλες αληθειες,
που ξέραμε ήδη:
1. Δεν εδωσαν χέρι-με-χέρι τον αριθμό.
    Τον βρήκε η Γκισλέν.
2. Η ίδια δεν έχει συναντήσει τον Τζέφρι ποτέ.
3. Τα τηλέφωνα τα επαιρνε η Γκισλεν, όχι ο Τζέφρι.
Είναι πράγματι να γελάει κανείς με το πώς όλοι
οι αρουραίοι τρέχουν στις τρύπες τους, μόλις
κάποιος πιαστεί στα πλοκάμια κάποιας γάτας...


Είναι και επιτήδειος εκτός των άλλων.
Θα τους πάει στις Σπέτσες με έξοδα του
κόμματος για να τους ξαναδανείσει.
Εδώ δε μιλάμε για αριστερά. Εδώ μιλάμε
για πραγματική credit card company
mentality... Νομίζω ότι οι αμφιβολίες
περιττεύουν, αλλά καλώ όσους είναι
ακόμα μετέωροι να αναρωτηθούν γιατί
άραγε δεν έχουν πάει άλλοι αριστεροί
τόσες δεκαετίες εκδρομές από τον
Περισσό για συμπόσια. Είναι επειδή
είναι "κολλημένοι Σταλινιστές" ή μήπως
είναι επειδή έχουν επίγνωση κάποιων
"μέτρων" που ελλίπονται παντελώς
κάποιοι άλλοι στυλ Μαύρης Κασσέλας
και στυλ λούμπεν Παπασ*ατούλη;


Peter Magubane is with us no more...
 
 

Four pseudo-leaders and deplorable individuals
are responsible for the overwhelming majority of
the bad vibes that are emitted in our World today.
And so that they not think that I totally ignore or
erase the past, I know who are our own culprits
and the despicable, unacceptable violations of
International Law they have perpetrated, but, I
am referring to the present, because of the New
Year. Let us hope that they get enlightened to
change course and to perceive reality through a
different lens, a World in which their Nations are
not constantly under persecution and have to
live under existential angst, but are welcome
and in which they can live as Brothers and
Sisters with their Neighbors and with all other
Nations and thrive. In such a World, however,
one cannot demand all; one has to compromise
and allow for others some of what one wants to
have for themselves. Try to overcome entrenched
enmities and false dilemmas, try to befriend
other Nations, even, and most importantly, your
perceived enemies, and try to cooperate and lead
the World in a Brotherly and Peaceful Way to help
deal with our innumerable common challenges.
DO NOT STUBBORNLY INSIST ON A WRONG
ROTE UNTIL YOU DIE AND REGRET IT WHEN
IT IS TOO LATE. IT IS IN YOUR HANDS TO
CONTRIBUTE AND MAKE MEANINGFUL AND
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WHILE YOU ARE ALIVE!
 
 

Ευτυχήσαμε να έχουμε μία Πρόεδρο
που σκέφτεται, και που εκφράζεται
ελεύθερα, σωστά και με ακρίβεια,
αλλά, που έχει, παράλληλα, πολύ
καλή γνώση και επίγνωση των
Συνταγματικών και των Θεσμικών
Προνομίων, Ευθυνών και περιορι-
σμών της. Ας ανταποδώσουμε τις
Ευχές της και ας την Ευχαριστήσουμε
διότι, τη σήμερον ημέρα, ακόμα και
τα προφανή και τα αυτονόητα δεν
είναι καθόλου δεδομένα.
ΚΑΛΗ ΧΡΟΝΙΑ, κ. ΣΑΚΕΛΛΑΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ!


It is not very difficult to fathom how in
a self-declared pseudo-"traditional"
State, creative minds might use this
modern nakedness, or, rather, almost-
nakedness, to reflect on and criticize,
in a seemingly innocuous way, Russia's
existing powers' "nakedness" when it
comes to both its domestic political
affairs and its foreign aggressiveness
and belligerence. One may also take
it as an "innocent" but, nevertheless,
caustic allusion to the deep public
humiliation and deshabillement of
those who are, on the one hand, self-
proclaimed protectors of "traditional"
Russian values, while, on the other,
live, behave and act in totally different,
foreign and unorthodox ways. Does
the suggestiveness of  the initiative
and of the images ring any bells?


Το να δανείζει ο president του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ
τον ΣΥΡΙΖΑ (εν αντιθέσει με δωρεές)
είναι ασύμβατο δεοντολογικά και
σύγκρουση συμφερόντων, όπως
είναι και το να παίρνει λεφτά από
ΜΚΟ ο Παπασκα*ούλης ως Ευρω-
βουλευτής για να νοικιάζει τις ασιέντες
του σε ταλαίπωρους μετανάστες.
Είναι τόσο δύσκολο να το καταλάβουν
αυτό οι διάφοροι προύχοντες, και,
ιδιαιτέρως, οι διάφοροι, δήθεν, προο-
δευτικοί και αριστεροί προύχοντες;


Jacques Delors is with us no more...


It seems almost certain that the type
of choices available will not be any
different or any younger in 2024 than
it was four years ago. So we shall be
better off swallowing the pill and trying
to weigh the pros and the cons and
make up our minds so that we are
ready and unequivocal come next
November. The choice will be between
a forward looking, fundamentally decent
democrat, characterized by tolerance
and inclusivity, who truly cares about
creating a welcoming America that
makes all its Citizens feel like they
belong, versus a person detached
from reality and truth, with absolutist
tendencies, a misguided and mis-
leading egomania and megalomania,
who lacks basic decency, does not
care about fundamental freedoms,
undermines fundamental rights and
mocks and belittles, with every chance
he gets, many of our fellow Human
Beings, especially the weakest, least
protected and most vulnerable. I hope
we do not have to relearn what we have
already seen, what we have already
experienced and what we already
know. For me the choice is clear.
 

Wolfgang Schäuble is with us no more... He told us,
Greeks, some things that were painful and that we
did not want to hear. But, sometimes, someone has
to speak the truth to wake people up from their
stupor and bring them back to reality, however
harsh that may appear to be. In a World with so
many issues and where it has become, from the
level of individuals to that of companies and of
organizations to that of States, a custom and a
habit to avoid directness and to assuage and to
embellish to make things appear smoother, better,
brighter and more promising than they really are,
voices that speak directly and frankly and do not
mince their words or pull punches keep us alert
and awake and force us to deal with facts, to
compromise and to, hopefully, improve condi-
tions and situations and bequeath something
farther from sorrow and disaster to our children
than what we ourselves inherited.


Ο Βασίλης Καρράς δεν είναι πια μαζί μας...


Unbounded stupidity coupled with severe
senility; a truly catastrophic, deplorable
and pitiable mix. For this "man", a suitable
and well deserved ending to a despicable
story, and to a disgraceful, shameful and
unpardonable, disastrous political course.


Ας μην είμαστε αφελείς. Μπορεί η πρόθεση
να είναι αθώα και θετική και/ή αναπόφευκτη,
αλλά τα αποτελέσματα θα είναι (με μαθημα-
τική ακρίβεια, επειδή στην παιδεία, λίγο-
πολύ, ό,τι προηγείται στη δυτική πλευρά
του Ατλαντικού, μιμείται και/ή αντιγράφεται
και αλλού με παρόμοιες συνέπειες) τα εξής:
1. Θα δημιουργηθούν ελίτς και, μέσω κλειστών
    κλάμπς, ψευτο-ελίτς, οι οποίες θα λυμαίνονται
    και θα μοιράζονται μεταξύ τους τις καλύτερες
    και πιο προσοδοφόρες δουλειές, με τη δικαι-
    ολογία και το επιχείρημα της καλύτερης προ-
    ετοιμασίας και εκπαίδευσης.
2. Αυτό θα οδηγήσει τους οικονομικά πιο
    εύπορους και τους καλύτερους να αναζητούν
    θέσεις στα ιδιωτικά και μόνο εξ ανάγκης να
    πηγαίνουν στα δημόσια.
3. Σιγά-σιγά με τη δικαιολογία ότι όλοι πληρώνουν
    για να σπουδάσουν, και για να κρατηθεί το
    προσωπικό και οι υποδομές σε αρκετά υψηλά
    επίπεδα και να είναι ανταγωνιστικά, θα γίνει
    και στα δημόσια φυσικό και αναμενόμενο να
    πληρώνει κανείς ουσιαστικό μέρος διδάκτρων.
Όσοι προσπαθούν να πείσουν ότι αυτά δε θα
συμβούν, ή έχουν σκοπιμότητες ή εθελοτυφλούν.
Όταν, σε μερικά χρόνια, επακολουθήσουν αυτές
οι συνέπειες και αυτοί οι κύριοι υποστηρίζουν
ότι δεν τις ξέρανε, δεν τις υποπτεύονταν ή δεν
τις είχαν προβλέψει, ας έρθουν (αν ζω) να με βρουν
και να μου πουν πώς αυτοί, που υποτίθεται είναι
ειδικοί, κάνουν προεργασία και ανάλυση και, μετά,
γράφουν τους νόμους, δεν τα έβλεπαν, ενώ εγώ,
χωρίς να έχω τους παχυλούς μισθούς, ή τους
συμβούλους και τους βοηθούς, και χωρίς να έχω
στοιχεία και ομάδες να με βοηθούν στις αναλύσεις,
τα βλέπω να έρχονται με σιγουριά και ακρίβεια.
   

Κυριάκο, επειδή είναι μεγάλη η σημασία
και του έργου αυτού καθευτού (μηνύματος
του καλλιτέχνη) αλλά και της παρουσίασής
του (πρωτοπορία της χώρας μας στην
Ελευθερία Έκφρασης, τα Ανθρώπινα
Δικαιώματα και την Τέχνη), σε καλώ να
βρεις ένα τρόπο, ήσυχα και χωρίς πολιτικές
παρενέργειες, να επιστραφούν τα έργα προς
έκθεση και, ει δυνατόν, κάλεσε τη δημιουργό
στο Μαξίμου, όπως κάνεις, εξάλλου, και με
άλλους πολίτες, προς ευαισθητοποίηση
(αλλά και επανόρθωση κακώς κειμένων).
Δεν είναι ανάγκη να "σταυρώσουμε" το
Γεραπετρίτη, αλλά έκανε σημαντικό λάθος.

Αντί να τσαμπουνάμε κουραφέξαλα για να
καλύψουμε κουραφέξαλα και αδεξιότητες,
κι ένα "συγγνώμη, έκανα λάθος, το έργο
παραμένει" δεν έβλαψε ποτέ κανένα, και
θα έστελνε ένα καλό μήνυμα μετά την άλλη
χαμένη ευκαιρία... Εξάλλου και το Μαξίμου,
στην "υπηρεσία του πιο σκληροπυρηνικού
κράτους", εκθετήριο τέχνης δεν είναι; Απ'
όσες φωτογραφίες δημοσιεύονται από τις
επισκέψεις προυχόντων, τουλάχιστον έτσι
φαίνεται...


Ανόητος και ο "υπουργός" και το Υπουργείο
Εξωτερικών. Είναι από τα βασικά των βασικών
να μάθει κανείς να μη φυτρώνει εκεί που δεν
τον σπέρνουν. Μερικές φορές η αποχή και η
σιωπή στέλνουν δυνατότερα μηνύματα από
τη σαχλαμάρα και την άστοχη αντίδραση, και
το Υπουργείο έχασε τη συγκεκριμένη ευκαιρία.


Λίγο τραγελαφικός ο τύπος... Σα σκίτσο του Αρκά...


Όλα για show... Του έχουν πει, φαίνεται,
ότι περνάει να βάλει τραγιασκάκι και να
πάει σε βιομηχανίες να το παίξει εργατο-
πατέρας. Οπως, εξαλλου, του είχαν πει
κάποιοι να περάσει κι από Μακρόνησο
κι από τους Tάφους των Βενιζέλων...
Δυστυχώς, δεν πείθει κανέναν, παρά
μόνο αυτούς που τους αρέσουν τα show
και των οποίων το ποιόν είναι γνωστό.
Ο τύπος ταιριάζει γαι το άνοιγμα με το
σφυρί μίας νέας σεζόν στη Wall Street,
το οποίο, φυσικά, είναι και πολύ κοντύ-
νότερα στον πραγματικό του χαρακτήρα
απ' ότι οι fake διακηρύξεις του περί
αριστερών ιδεών και πεποιθήσεων.


If I had been the leader of a Nation that
had suffered from the worst possible
War Crimes imaginable and who had
felt the meaning of War Crimes, and had
been shaken by them, to its very core, I
would not dare inflict them on another
people, especially a people whom my
State had been strangling and had left
paralyzed and gasping for a breath of
air under suppression and indignity.
And If I had been a "commander" sheltering
my own son far away in safety, in stolen,
through bribery and graft, riches, I would
not dare attend the funeral of the son of
a fellow traveler who did not behave so
despicably and terribly, but put his money
where his mouth was. That is the piece
of sh*t that this Nation has chosen (not
once, but repeatedly) for its "leader".


Every time such a meeting occurs, we are filled
with hope but, then, sometimes, it feels like one
step up and two steps back. Let us hope that
this time is different. That, at last, Greeks and
Turks, Turks and Greeks, will solidify and
strengthen the feeling of Brotherhood and of
Solidarity. We have nothing that divides us and
many things we can do, if we work together.
BRAVO TO THE TWO LEADERS!!

``The President of the Republic of Türkiye,
H.E Mr Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Prime
Minister of the Hellenic Republic, H.E. Mr.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, representing their
respective Governments (jointly referred as
“the Parties”), having chaired the 5th meeting
of the High-Level Cooperation Council between
the Republic of Türkiye and the Hellenic Republic
on December 7th, 2023, in Athens, in a spirit
of goodwill and cooperation,

PP1. Recognizing the renewed will for cooperation
between the Governments of the two countries;
PP2. Underlining that the bonds between the two
neighbouring nations harbour the potential to
markedly increase the region’s prosperity and
dynamism;
PP3. Emphasizing the need to continue jointly
working for the benefit of both societies in an
atmosphere of friendship and mutual trust;
PP4. Seeking to intensify the bilateral relations
through existing institutional mechanisms;
PP5. Underscoring that in order to enhance the
good neighbourly relations, both Parties will
cultivate a spirit of solidarity in the face of
current and future challenges without any
prejudice to each other’s legal positions;
PP6. Underlining that to promote the said
positive atmosphere and agenda, both Parties
will encourage exchange of visits at every level
with a result-oriented approach;
PP7. Recalling that among the fundamental
objectives of the Charter of the United Nations
and the universally acknowledged principles
of international law are the maintenance of
international peace and friendly co-operation
among states;
PP8. Determined to foster friendly relations,
mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and
understanding, and to resolve any dispute
among them by peaceful means and in
accordance with international law;
PP9. Underscoring the importance of effective
communication channels and mechanisms at
every level for the successful management of
their bilateral relations, with particular emphasis
on avoiding conflictual situations and potential
escalation;
PP10. Emphasizing that both Parties will
approach their relations with the objective
of increasing economic cooperation and
deepening of people-to-people ties, thus
contributing to the prosperity and peaceful
coexistence of their two neighbouring
peoples, further stressing that to this end,
in view of the significant progress made in
fostering the positive agenda on economic
and commercial affairs through the Joint
Action Plan, the two sides will explore
additional items of cooperation;

OP1. The Parties agree to engage in continuing,
constructive and meaningful consultations based
on the following pillars:
(a) Political Dialogue:
-On issues of mutual interest,
-Exploratory/Consultative talks;
(b) Positive Agenda, within the scope of the
enhanced Joint Action Plan, involving measures
of common interest in the fields of business
-economy, tourism, transportation, energy,
innovation, science and technology, agriculture,
environmental protection, social security and
health, youth, education and sports or any
other field to be jointly decided, with the aim
of attaining significant and concrete
deliverables, streamlining and continually
updating the agenda in a structured fashion
with new items;
(c) Confidence Building Measures, involving
measures in the military field, which would
contribute to the elimination of unwarranted
sources of tension and the risks thereof;
OP2. The Parties are committed to refrain
from any statement, initiative or act likely
to undermine or discredit the letter and
spirit of this Declaration or endanger the
maintenance of peace and stability in their
region.
OP3. The Parties will endeavour to resolve
any dispute arising between them in an
amicable manner through direct consultations
between them or through other means as
provided for in the United Nations Charter.

This Declaration does not constitute an
international agreement binding upon the
Parties under international law. No provision
of this Declaration shall be interpreted as
creating legal rights or obligations for the
Parties.

Done in Athens, on the 7th of December 2023,
in two copies, each in the Greek, Turkish and
English languages, all texts being equally
authentic. In case of divergence of interpretation,
the English text shall prevail.''
 

Let me tell you a story. Any similarity with reality
is purely coincidental. Once a respectable body,
which was partially funded but the Carnivore Wolf
Association, organized a conference in wolf's lair.
On the podium was a carnivore wolf, with no pre-
tense at masquerade, since he knew that financial
power, influence and marketing implied total
unaccountability. Surrounding him were wolves
with sheep's garbs and down, in the audience,
various carnivore sheep, who, in traveling there,
they were served delicious chops and had in
their mansions and in their Hummers always
stored some chops for enjoying and feasting.
Outside the enclosed and highly secure perimeter
of the grounds, were a few herbivore sheep,
the prey, but, truth to be told, those were mostly
watching from home, because they would be
very conspicuous in such an environment.
The unmasked wolf told the audience that his
sincere and deep felt intention was to switch to
grass, but, smelling the sizzling chops burning
in the exclusive kitchen, purred and declared
that it will take, of course, time. He said, also,
that, despite the fact that he was bringing up
his 50 sons as avid hunters and carnivores,
he would, at one point, perhaps when prey got
extinct, sit them down and talk to them about
the wisdom of switching. I will tell them, he
declared, to a very respectful, masked and
hungry audience, whose bellies were growling,
"Look at me... I own a whole city. When someone
visits they kiss my hand. I have apartments in
Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, New York
and many other cities. I own several industries
and many football teams. I have 20 wives, 100
children and innumerable grandchildren and
use only the most powerful and expensive
cars and products. At least twenty servants
and cooks from all over the world are taking
care of every single one of my whims and of
my meals. Do you want to end up like that?"
Everyone clapped and hoorayed and every
one looked at their watch and were ready to
move to the dining room, enjoy their specially
sizzled and marinated meats and go careless
and undisturbed home to continue the feast
for another four years before they had to
re-attend such a charade in such uncom-
fortbale garbs.

Who are you to dare underestimate or overestimate?
Are you a virologist? You, personally, would not trust
even a second order surgeon to operate on your kid,
but you are willing to operate on other people's kids,
without a degree and without a professional license?
Do you think that that is why you were elected and
given that responsibility and position? Filthy scum.
No other way to characterize your incompetence,
your abuses, your ignorance and your willingness
to compromise the health and sacrifice everybody,
but your own family.... Just a usual theme from the
right, but we are sick and tired, and, at some point,
there has to be accountability for preventable and
manageable disasters that got out of hand because
of stupidity, imbecility and irresponsibility.


Very very good and bright day at Capitol Hill!
The United States House of Representatives,
with an overwhelming majority, sent a clear
unequivocal message to both those electing
and to those elected that ethical standards still
count for something in contemporary America.
BRAVO TO ALL IN THE HOUSE WHO VOTED
TO DO THE RIGHT THING! IT REALLY MATTERS.