Επιστολή προς τον Πρέσβη

Έχω αρχίσει να αναρωτιέμαι, αν μερικές από τις αναρτήσεις μου πρέπει να τις γράφω σε ξένη γλώσσα, αφού προφανώς ξένοι μας κυβερνούν, και οι Έλληνες που νομίζαμε ότι είναι οι Κυβερνήσεις μας είναι διαχειριστές, ξένων, ως επί το πλείστον, επιθυμιών.

Δυστυχώς μεγάλωσα σε περίοδο που οι ξένοι δεν ήταν Γερμανοί, και έτσι τα Γερμανικά μου είναι περιορισμένα "Wasser bitte"και ίσα ίσα να ψελλίσω "ohne gas" ή "stilles wasser". Σήμερα που θέλω να γράψω κάτι για αυτά που είπε ο Γερμανός πρέσβης Dr. Roland Wegener, δεν ξέρω σε τι γλώσσα να τα πω. Όλοι οι Πρέσβεις ξέρουν Αγγλικά, και οι περισσότεροι Γερμανοί ξέρουν Αγγλικά, και θα το γράψω στα αγγλικά, τουλάχιστον να γλυτώσουν οι άνθρωποι την μετάφραση, αν υποθετικά ενδιαφερθούν να με διαβάσουν.

Your Excellency

I have read your address, in Greek, as issued to the Greek press, on the 20th anniversary of the German reunification. A glorious event indeed, which, in my simplistic mind started on June 12 1987, when the late President Ronald Reagan challenged Secretary General Michail Gorbachev to tear down the Wall. Remember the speech?

"We welcome change and openness; for we believe that freedom and security go together, that the advance of human liberty can only strengthen the cause of world peace. There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall"

Now... there are Greeks who may not appreciate the glory of those events, but I do. And I am delighted at the success of the reunification and the continuation of the German miracle and the strengthtening of the German economy, and the stabilizing effect Germany has had in the financial crisis of the last couple of years. While indeed many comments are said and written that might indicate a sourness in German-Greek relations vis-avis Greece's current predicament, I take a longer-term view. I love German music, I have read the work of many German thinkers, in translation regrettably, I am a happy consumer of German goods and services. I even like German food.

My issue is with Ronald Reagan's words: "Freedom" and "Liberty", and the seeming contradiction between these words, and your statement, attributed in Greek as: "...και βελτιωμένη ανταγωνιστικότητα. Το πράττουμε έχοντας εμπιστοσύνη στις μεγάλες δυνατότητες της Ελλάδας ως τόπου εγκατάστασης μονάδων εκμετάλλευσης ανανεώσιμων πηγών ενέργειας, αειφόρου τουριστικής ανάπτυξης και επιστημονικής έρευνας". Sir, in all due respect, there is nothing "free", or "liberal", or "imroving competitiveness", in renewable energy sources. Your very own Spiegel magazine has argued the futility of the exercise, in either reducing dependence from imported fuels, reducing emissions, or benefitting the environment. An "expensive exercise in destroying landscapes", were, I believe, some of the words used on one occasion.

We are a poor country, Sir, but in spite of our shortcomings, we believe that our landscape and our islands have a certain charm, and we do tend to associate "freedom" with them. Your own nationals seem to enjoy it, when they visit as tourists. Furthermore, we do not have the means to pay the exorbitant electricity prices that are required to justify the wind power folly. We do not have vast wasteland expanses for wind generation, every generator installed seriously alienates someone, regardless of where it is. Regrettably, it is easy to focus this alienation on the party that appears to be promoting the offense. Never mind our Government and local politics. Why alienate people who would otherwise be minding their own business and have only the best of friendly feelings towards their European partners?

Kindly, Sir, please reconsider your priorities related to the cooperation of your country with ours, and please give some thought to relieving us from our wind generation trials and tribulations, and I shall be for ever grateful.

With respect and best regards,

Archaeopteryx