The biggest problem, which is the source of many evils in Greece, is our culture. We don’t want the problem near our door; we don’t want it in our backyard. We have no issue if it is transferred to the door of our neighbor, colleague or even our brother as long as it does not come to us.
So it was with the garbage in Corfu, a beautiful island in Greece. For years now the problem has been known, in the municipality. It became known in the Region, crossed the narrow boundaries. The ideas were terrific. They first decided to take the trash from the island by ship, in order to be transferred at the mainland. After many fights and conflicts and changes to the political system a new idea has been adopted. Instead of Epirus, they decided after all to transfer the garbage many kilometers away to the next region in the mainland. Even if it seems a nightmare because of the cost, a few people have found this idea terrific. After all New York is not close, in order to transfer the trash away to Central Park.
The problem of garbage in Corfu, which is actually present, has taken an outrageous dimension and simply shows that we don’t take responsibility to solve a problem even if we are the creators.
And it is not just about Corfu. Today is Corfu, yesterday was Eleia, the day before yesterday was Athens, and before that it was Kurupitos of Chania. Who knows which area will be next? Is it possible to make garbage but seems not convinient to solve the problem. Sharing responsibilities is part of our mindset. That is why from time to time we are the bad guys inthe European Union. Fines that shouldn’t be about… trash, but the constant problematic of postponing the problem, so it swells until it can drown us.
And I’m not going to say that the state is liabile, because it isn’t. At the same populist way it treats citizens and the administration, which treats citizens without justice. I don’t remember in my life it was a question of trash going to Ekali or Kifissia, the wealthiest areas. This mentality applies to all levels. One wants to set up a production unit with animals, to go elsewhere. Does anyone want to set up a fishery at the beach his house approaches?
“Get the trash please to the neighbor” view is valid in Greece both literally and metaphorically. It happens because our mentality and our behavior does not fit to mature people, who have had many slaps, so many bankruptcies, so many dictatorships, since Ancient Athens and Ancient Sparta. We tackle the problem skin-to-skin, while we are the people who create it. Instead we act as if we were out of the problem. But as long as we live and create this way, we can go nowhere. Have we gotten that; Okay, because if we have n’t understand it till now let’s get ready for the next forfeiture.