By Paschos Mandravelis
With his knowledge of the ancient Greeks, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis silenced all those Western-minded government liberals and others who frowned at the vulgar, nationalist slogans, including one declaring that “Cyprus is Greek,” shouted by cadets from the Hellenic Navy’s non-commissioned officers’ school during Tuesday’s Independence Day parade (March 25).
“Since ancient times, warriors have shouted various slogans as part of their battle preparations,” he wrote in a social media post on Thursday. “These were often mocking and scathing toward the enemy. Ancient texts are filled with examples of such verbal taunts. In this context, the well-known incident the other day falls within this age-old and distinctly Greek (though certainly not exclusively) tradition.”
The whole truth is that on the battlefield all warriors shout something. Surely the winners of the Battle of Marathon (490 BC) shouted something more intelligent than “F**k the Persians!” But they all do it before the battle (“as part of their battle preparations”), and maybe a little after the intoxicating victory. They don’t shout slogans from the safety of a parade – not to mention the fact that our ancestors didn’t have commemorative annual parades.
So if we want to truly learn everything from “ancient times,” let’s abolish parades, which cost a lot of money. In 2010, when they were abolished for a while due to Greece’s bankruptcy, it was estimated that they cost us 3 million euros.
The second government transfer from the nationalist Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS), the current parliamentary representative of ruling New Democracy, Thanos Plevris, was more categorical. “These are the kind of sailors I want on a Belharra frigate – not ones singing ‘The Bees Go Buzzing’ and ‘My Little Pony,’” he said on Skai TV on Wednesday. “In combat services, as part of their training – regardless of what any ministry says – these individuals are prepared to die for their country.”
We do not know if the former minister knows more than we do, but did anyone ask the non-commissioned officers of the Navy to fight on some front in Athens, so they began their “war preparations”? Did they channel their inner Georgios Karaiskakis, one of the leaders of the Greek War of Independence, as they marched on Amalias Avenue, but without the Ottoman Turks on the opposite side? The great chieftain’s bluntness was well known, but at least he fought and died for the revolution. He did not shout empty slogans in front of small children.
Furthermore, is Plevris sure that if they are ever asked to fight, they will do so? We ask this because either some NCOs do not follow orders, or some of their officers do not understand the national policy, which is securing the country without useless grandstanding. We do not know which of the two is worse, undisciplined soldiers or incompetent officers?
Source: Kathimerini
