A Citizen’s Guide to Greece 2015
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The cruel fact
Posted February 16, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner I faced a small crisis the other day when one of the students whom I advise failed a course in his last semester at college. I discussed the issue and solicited from colleagues ways to resolve the student’s predicament while remaining firmly within school rules and, above all, seeking to uphold a […]
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Pictures at an exhibition
Posted June 9, 2014 by DW
“Would you vote for me? Exhibition of photographs State Museum of Contemporary Art — Warehouse B1, Port of Thessaloniki June 5-21 The Michael and Kitty Dukakis Center for Public and Humanitarian Service was launched in 1999 to provide a forum for young people to explore the meaning and scope of public service in the contemporary […]
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Politics at the bistrot: how democratic are the Democratic primaries?
Posted May 17, 2016 by Politis
What: Debate on US Democratic primaries, premiere of get-out-the-vote campaigns, selection of the best «Vote here» signs, mock exit poll, masterclass in social media, and more When: Monday, May 23, 7-9 pm Where: La Place mignonne, Ethnikis Aminis 4 click here for the map Who: Alec Mally (former US Consul General of Thessaloniki, Democrats Abroad Greece) […]
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Gloomy news about our citizenship values
Posted March 20, 2013 by MK
By Maria Patsarika A lot of gloominess in Asteris Houliaras’ note in Protagon this morning. The piece purports to offer analysis of a table representing “Attitudes to being rich.” The empirical evidence supports the feeling of gloom: Greeks have one of the lowest “mutual trust” indicators among western societies and active citizenship ratio in relation […]
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Saying of the day: 3/29/13
Posted March 29, 2013 by Politis
“The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy: that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” — John Kenneth Galbraith
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Giorgos Toulas live at ACT
Posted March 21, 2012 by PR
Live video by Ustream
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Wanted: the right kind of Greeks
Posted March 23, 2013 by DW
By David Wisner A contestant in a British reality show called “The Apprentice” has indicated in an interview that there are certain types of children she will not allow her own kids to play with. For one, they need to have the right sort of name. “At the risk of sounding snobbish, I also favour […]
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How simple it is to know who’s who
Posted July 29, 2013 by DW
Fact checkers and vote counters are legion in the US. Here is site that prides itself for being up on the latest in IT developments. No hiding behind the anonymity of an electronic vote. At issue in this instance is an amendment to cut off funding the the recently divulged NSA spying program. Now, who […]
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In search of a Greek social contract
Posted February 24, 2012 by DW
By David Wisner I’ve been thinking a lot about the American Declaration of Independence. Let me explain by way of an anecdote. Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s long-time business associate, is blind in one eye, owing to complications in a cataract operation. As Alice Schroeder tells the story, Munger never blamed the doctor, instead accepting responsibility […]
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You don’t have to go to Greece, you know…
Posted February 3, 2014 by pdcadmin
By Francesca Kareivis I had to get a physical examination to study abroad and when I told my doctor I was going to Greece the first thing she said was “You know, it’s not too late… You don’t have to go.” Needless to say, not many people supported my decision to study in Greece. And […]
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When politics invaded the civil service
Posted April 25, 2012 by PR
By Fotini Kalliri, Kathimerini, Athens Every so often experts talk about the systemic nature of the crisis in the Greek civil service, offering different opinions as to why the state mechanism is in such a shambles and cannot contribute in any positive way to the country’s economy and growth. One thing that they all agree […]
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Using your voice
Posted October 30, 2016 by Politis
By Jayde Ashante Hansen I’m not sure words can begin to explain how I feel, being an American citizen, and failing to register to vote. All year I’ve been thinking about this opportunity, after all, it’s my very first opportunity to vote for the president of the United States. I won’t have this opportunity for […]
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Saying of the day: 4/17/13
Posted April 17, 2013 by Politis
“When the civilian bystanders to the attack ran toward the first blast to give aid to the victims, without a second thought for their own safety, the primary desire of the terrorists — to paralyze a populace with fear — was already thwarted. ” — Dennis Lehane
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Saying of the day: 6/19/13
Posted June 19, 2013 by Politis
“We didn’t decide that Greece was in trouble; Greece was in trouble…” — Jean-Claude Juncker
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Greek tech
Posted March 29, 2013 by pdcadmin
By Alexander Besant The office of Greek app-maker Taxibeat is located in a modern building, surrounded by shuttered shops and streets with cracked pavement, in the upscale Kolonaki neighborhood in Athens. The contrast between the office and its surroundings is more than aesthetic—it’s the difference between where Greece is, a low-tech economy based on tourism […]
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Dualing rallies: whose democracy?
Posted June 19, 2015 by KK
By Krysta Editor’s note: Krysta Kalachani has been a regular contributor to Politis from Athens since 2010. She attended anti-memorandum rallies in downtown Athens throughout the summer of 2011 — despite managing two companies — and has a particular interest in the development in Greece of alternative media. Here Krysta reflects on some of the […]
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To serve our country’s democracy
Posted November 9, 2016 by Politis
By Michael Ertel NB Michael Ertel is Supervisor of Elections in Seminole County, Florida, where he has served since 2005. He spoke at two Dukakis Center events during the 2016 election period. Politis reproduces these remarks with permission of the author. When I tearfully hugged our staff as they left the building last night, my […]
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Dismantling the Greek Tammany Hall
Posted April 24, 2013 by Politis
Politis reprint The information gradually coming to light regarding corruption in the Greece’s local government demonstrates to what extent fraudulent behavior had spread across the country. Judging from the kind of evidence that is currently emerging, it is becoming increasingly clear that a large number of mayors had developed small fiefdoms based on clientelism, were […]
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News on the street
Posted November 8, 2013 by Politis
A picture says more than 1000 words, or so they say. And now, the news.
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American politicians love their job
Posted March 12, 2013 by Politis
According to a poll published in Roll Call, 95% of members of the US House of Representatives say they get a sense of personal accomplishment from their work as legislators. 89% claim that they are performing an important public service. The sample was small, however: 194 House members were selected randomly, but only 25 responded. […]