Greeks the EU's Most Fervent Anti-Americans: Poll (And the big, fat Greek horse…)

EUbusiness ^ | February 2, 2004 | Unattributed

[quidnunc]

More than any other nation in the European Union, Greeks believe that US foreign policy damages world peace and does not help fight terrorism, according to an EU-wide poll, the Greek part of which was published here Monday.

Eighty-five percent of Greeks said the United States played a negative role for world peace, against a EU-average of 53 percent, according to autumn figures of the Eurobarometer, a EU-sponsored, periodical survey across the bloc's 15 current member states.

Washington's policies also played a negative role in the struggle against terrorism, three in four Greeks said, compared with a 37-percent average across the EU.

-snip-

[RicocheT]

Keep the poll in mind when you are deciding whether to travel or spend money on the 2004 Summer Olympics.

[Restorer]

Alexander the Great. 356 - 323 BC. A tad less than 4,000 years ago.

[KantianBurke]

ssssh! You're ruining my dramatic effect :>

[ScaniaBoy]

Ooops!

I think you all missed the other bit of info in the post - the EU average was 53% - that is more than one in every two "EU citizen" sees USA as a threat to peace.

Sometimes I wish the chickens came home to roost and the next "spectacular" terorist action was directed against the Eiffel tower, or Berlin or Parthenon...

The fact that US arms and soldiers have prevented Europe to slid into the abyss of despotism for well nigh a century seems just too much to take in for most Europeans...

ScaniaBoy

[gitmogrunt]

The Greeks apparently have their heads up their .... uumm..... errr..... butts on the war on terror.

Although the article doesn't mention this ,IMO we can thank Bill Clinton and the bombing of the Serbs adding to Greece's paranoia of U.S. Foreign Policy.

[Nonstatist]

wasnt greece a country or something once?

Sort of. Now they vie with Albania for "Most Irelevant Southern European Mass of Land and People"

[Jemini]

Greeks....... They bend over forward to please you!

[Destructor]

What have the Greeks given the world other than great art and homosexuality?

[metesky]

1/2 Eek-A-Greek here. One of my father's lame old jokes was, "What do you get when you have two Greeks in the same room?"

"Five opinions."

The poll must be fixed. There's no way they could get 85% of Greeks to agree on anything.

[ffusco]

Greece has given the west nothing for 2500 years.

[ffusco]

Homosexuality existed before the Greeks.

[Rummyfan]

Home to the 2004 Summer Olympics...... if they ever get the facilities completed. Security is going to be a nightmare.

[Destructor]

The Greeks were just the first society to mainstream it, huh?

[ffusco]

The best Greek ruins are in Sicily. OTOH why not just visit Italy, the food is much better.

[ffusco]

They might be the first society to record it for posterity.

The Spartan's lived in gender segregation- I imagine their sexuality was more like that of prisoners doing time. After they are released they become Hetero again.

Also the Greeks were very misogynistic and rational. To them lust clouded judgement so sexual release was a requirement. However romantic love among men and women was considered a sign of weakness.

[kabar]

Interesting. I lived in Athens for three years during the nineties. Many Greeks are still pissed at us for our role in the CIA backed junta in 1967, which placed the Generals in charge. It formed the basis of the November 17th terrorist group and every year since a huge demonstration marches past the US Embassy on that date.

It is no secret why the Greeks are big Euros. They profit more than anyone in terms of subsidies. The new airport and subway in Athens were essentially funded by the EU. The Greeks reflect both a Mediterranean and Slavic influence in terms of their temperment. They are not as outgoing as the Italians and need to get to know you better before you can become friends.

It is understandable why they are proud of their heritage. After all, Greece was the crucible of Western Civilization and the Greeks have survived for thousands of year despite being overrun and occupied. The Greeks are one of the few if any people on earth that can go back thousands of years and still read and understand what their ancestors wrote. They can be stubborn, but I made some lasting and close friendships. Don't be so hard on them.

[demnomo]

"My next door neighbors recently came back from Greece and could stand the way they were treated by the Greeks."

Last fall, I posted a few lines about some fencing pals who went to Greece last summer to scope out stuff for this years Olympic Games.

They said that way too many Greeks gave them a hard time for being American. They were constantly being asked why the US was so agressive and imperialistic. They also saw a lot of sullen Muslims hanging about and virulent anti-semitism. They are not looking forward to the Olympics, sad to say.

I got berated by a couple of FReepers who swore up and down that most Greeks love Americans. I feel somewhat vindicated by your post.

[lormand]

"I got berated by a couple of FReepers who swore up and down that most Greeks love Americans. I feel somewhat vindicated by your post."

I have to trust my neighbors on this. They are pretty much apolitical and was shocked by their treatment.

America is too big and beautiful to waste my money on people who turn it against us.

[pragmatic_asian]

"Interesting. I lived in Athens for three years during the nineties. Many Greeks are still pissed at us for our role in the CIA backed junta in 1967, which placed the Generals in charge. It formed the basis of the November 17th terrorist group and every year since a huge demonstration marches past the US Embassy on that date. "

More recently, they are also now pissed-off at us for attacking the Serbs who are Orthodox like the Greeks. Can't blame them for that one.

As for the junta in 1967, I only recall that the US didn't interfere and stop the junta. We also recognized the legitimacy of the generals afterwards which is what pissed them off. Is there anything that shows the CIA actually was involved?

[manic4organic]

Greek army's motto: Never leave your buddy's behind.