A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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Around the town: 28/2/13
Posted February 28, 2013 by laura
NOW till Monday 1st Apr – The Greek Monsters – The Beetroot Design Group and the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art present a three-dimensional sculptures exhibition featuring the Minotaur, the Cyclops, the Stymphalian birds and the rest of the bizarre creatures that haunted heroes’ deeds in ancient Greek mythology. The exhibition consists of installations, sculptures, […]
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In defense of quiet activism
Posted April 4, 2012 by M P
By Maria Patsarika Last week I went to an interesting talk about the role of social sciences in these days of financial, political and social crisis and insecurity for Greece. Throughout the talk a critical question was lingering in the air, like the elephant in the room: “Why do most social scientists and intellectuals typically […]
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Stitching up the laws
Posted April 10, 2014 by KK
By Krysta So a boy of African descent living in Greece has sought and been granted asylum in Belgium. I don’t think that there is anything new in this article that we have not yet discussed a million times regarding Greece’s very frustrating and problematic status on questions of human rights, discrimination, and as part […]
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Gaming the election?
Posted March 29, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner Researchers Robert Epstein and Ronald E. Robertson have prepared a paper in which they argue that an Internet search engine, not Google necessarily but “a future Google,” might be able to manipulate search results in such a way as to impact the outcome of an election. “In a controlled experiment,” they write, […]
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Among the first inhabitants of Thessaloniki
Posted March 1, 2013 by Politis
The remains of one of the earliest inhabitants of the city of Thessaloniki, those of a young woman, roughly twenty-five years of age, adorned with a gold crown, have been uncovered and published in a tomb dating from the third century BC, during excavations coinciding with digging for the Thessaloniki Metro, near the Stathmos Dimocratias. […]
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What will it feel like to vote this time?
Posted May 5, 2012 by pdcadmin
In this post we publish the responses of a group of young Greek voters to the question, “How will you feel when you go to vote in Sunday’s elections?” It is perfectly certain for a responsible and thoughtful citizen that his right to participate in politics by voting is not so simple. In a democratic […]
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Saying of the day: 4/3/13
Posted April 3, 2013 by Politis
“There are two Rules of Holes in politics. The first rule is well known: ‘When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.’ The second rule is less well known: ‘When you stop digging, you are still in a hole.’” — Roger Simon
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Wanted: deep thinkers
Posted February 7, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner The title of an article in the English version of Der Spiegel got me thinking about what appears to be a systemic problem throughout Europe and the eurozone. Spiegel claims that Europe needs new blood, not so much in terms of higher birthrates and immigration, but in terms of ideas and thinkers. […]
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Pirates of the Aegean (almost)
Posted March 24, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Steve Coll The other day, near Athens, I met a cheerful Greek-American economist who is in his mid-seventies. He sported a white Vandyke beard. He was shuffling around his veranda in a mischievous mood. He was planning a party for that night, which would run from ten o’clock until about five in the morning. […]
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Whither liberalism
Posted June 7, 2013 by Politis
Political and economic liberalism have come under heavy and sustained attack as many countries struggle to find responses to the prevailing economic malaise. But for the staleness of much left-of-center political thinking, liberalism might be long dead and buried. Some in the UK think otherwise, however. Today’s Guardian has a nice clip with bits and […]
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Exostis
Posted October 11, 2013 by KK
By Krysta Kalachani Exostis seems pretty interesting, a “place” where residents of Thessaloniki can find interesting cultural and other types of events. The good things that happen in the city, as they assert. I am not familiar with the site or the magazine (which I understood circulates as well), but it seems a good site […]
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On friendly politicians and false equality
Posted October 11, 2013 by M P
By Maria Patsarika The latest article in Kathimerini English edition by Takis Theodoropoulos makes a very good point: “The [second person] singular is the form of the collapse, which is often falsely equated with democratic equality” (free translation). Let us not be so naive as to fall for the casual manners and elusive straightforwardness that […]
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Saying of the day: 3/30/13
Posted March 30, 2013 by Politis
“… we still have a system that treats you better if you’re rich and guilty than if you’re poor and innocent.” — Bryan Stevenson
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Why all the talk about revolution now?
Posted November 15, 2013 by Politis
Politis invited regular contributors Krysta Kalachani and Maria Patsarika to comment on two recent blog posts discussing revolution, by Christos Giannaras and Politis’ own David Wisner. Why all this talk about revolution now? Are we getting it right? KK: Why don’t you like it? Love it. One reason that you are not sure about it […]
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Democracy in Europe
Posted June 4, 2013 by pdcadmin
By John Lloyd The rich are always with us, and we’ll have more of them soon. A report last week from Boston Consulting Group shows that the global millionaire population is some 13.8 million. That is twice the size of Switzerland, which is, incidentally, where many of them have parked much of their wealth. More […]
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Pedro Olalla: a crisis of citizenship
Posted January 24, 2013 by Politis
Pedro Olalla, Spanish author and Philhellene, was Popi Tsapanidou’s final guest on Thursday’s Tora, discussing his experience living in Athens and his attempts to understand the crisis wracking Greek society. He also introduced his new book, Ελλάδος Ελάσσων Ιστορία, published in 2012 by Papazisi, and offered his thoughts on how his native Spain represents what […]
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Greek image, also in crisis
Posted December 4, 2012 by alice
By Maria Alafouzos There is a cafe off Syntagma Square and it’s filled with people drinking coffee and speaking to each other in indoor tones. The smokers sit outside under outdoor heaters. Daylight is beginning to fade. That same day, in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, the CEO of Express Service was arrested […]
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Noam Chomsky: a life shared?
Posted March 23, 2013 by MK
By Maria Patsarika Every time I read about Noam Chomsky my impression of a sarcastic, dominant, relentless thinker and academic is reinforced. In an article in today’s Guardian I see more than this – apparently he still is sarcastic and uncompromising – which is encapsulated in his phrase “No individual changes anything alone.” He grasps […]
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The Dukakis Center: the inside story
Posted September 27, 2015 by Politis
A new academic year is beginning at the American College of Thessaloniki and the Dukakis Center is planning another banner year of events and public service initiatives. Politis caught up with Dr. David Wisner, Executive Director of the Dukakis Center, to get the inside story on the many events he has organized at ACT over […]