Turks, Greeks and Europe

Submitted by Billy Boy (Canada), Jan 19, 2008 at 16:26

By all measurable standards, on the aggregate, Ancient Greece represents the apex of human achievement. It is the apex of human civilization. Period. Far gerater than anything that came before or since.

When looking at history, one must never assume that a particular people 'invented' everything. Everyone borrows from those that came before. The Greeks did not accomplish what they did in a vaccum. But, they created the alphabet, achieved democracy, introduced the Olympics, perfected geometry, science, literature, medicine, philosophy - the list goes on and on. Greece was a civilization that aspired to a higher sense of ideals. When Alexander the Great conquered the whole world, he elevated those conquered to the same status as the conqueror, by encouraging sharing of values and inter-marriage. He wanted to establsih a world government.

For centuries Greece stood guard at the gates, preventing the Persians and later the Ottomans from entering Europe. If it were not for the Greeks, there would be no Europe. We would all be enlsaved cause that's what the Turks (Ottamans) did when they conquered. Just ask the Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, etc.

When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they knew enough to make the Greeks their teachers. Rome borrowed everything Greek. Rome was transformed by Greece and spead Greek ideals and culture to the rest of Europe. When Rome fell, the Greek Christian part of Rome survived. During the dark Middle Ages, the only beacon of civilization in Europe was the Greek Byzantine Empire, who once again protected Europe from the Ottoman invasions for hundreds of years.

If Europe got out of the darkness of the Middle Ages, it was because of a little movement that harped back to Greek ideals and culture. This movement became known as the Renaissance.

It is a testament to the greatness of the Greek civilization and to the power of its ideals, which not only survived, but transformed Rome, that it again become the foundation of Europe in modern times through the Renaissance.

It is precisely this sense of identity that allowed Greeks to overcome 400 years of slavery at the hands of the barbaric Turks. I say BARBARIC, because when the Turks conquered a land, they not only subjected it to slavery, but tried to erase it's culture. They would TAKE newborns away at birth and try to raise them as Turks! Think about that for a moment. This is ethnic cleansing at its finest! The Turks know a lot about ethnic cleansing with the GENOCIDE of the Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, etc. Even in recent times, they conspired with the U.S .to ILLEGALLY invade Cyprus.

many Greeks hate Turks for 400 years of slavery. For the rapes, for the killings, for the ethnic cleansing, for taking their children away, for trying to wipe out a civilization that stood for thousands of years. The Greeks held the fort until 29 May 1453.

I don't hate the Turks, but I do tell it like it is. There a few "educated" Turks on this forum who will try to apply revisionist strokes to history. Pay no attention to them, they are talking amongst themselves. Can't stand to look in the mirror, boys? The Nazis did it, so can you! FACE UP to your past, rather than try to revise it!

Europe is a tree that has it roots planted in Greece. Greece has been watering (and protecting) this tree until it started bearing more roots (Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, France, Russia, Germany). Different peoples, at each other's throats but finally coming together. Europe is blossoming into a fine tree, finally bearing fruits and it represents humankind's GREATEST hope for the future.

Turkey is a shrub gathering dust somewhere. Its roots are planted somewhere else. Unlike the Romans, they did not embrace Greece but tried replace everything Greek with everything Turkish. Likewise, they will never embrace Europe, because they are NOT European. So much so, that they tried to enslave and convert Europe for centuries.

Europe is more than just a trading block. It is a political experiment in trans-nationalism and as mentioned above, represents humanity's greatest hope, highest consciousness and most enlightened form of political organization.

As a Greek, I would NEVER want to see Turkey in the EU. As a European, I would NEVER want to see Turkey in the EU. As an economist, I would NEVER want to see Turkey in the EU. As a demographer, I would NEVER want to see Turkey in the EU. As a political scientist, I would NEVER want to see Turkey in the EU.

I say we have enough problems integrating the Eastern countries. No more commitment to ANY expansion for 10 years. Let us try to digest what we have and let us remember where we came from and where they came from.

European union for Europeans only.

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