The bankruptcy that Greece is going through is financial and moral. The notion of dropi – or shame, has infected all of us both in Greece and in the Hellenic Diaspora.

While self-loathing and anger, (at one’s self collectively), has resulted in rioting, death and protest in Greece. Protest is essential in a democracy, but rioting, wanton destruction of public and private property, is not.

We as Diaspora are left defending ourselves against racial stereotyping both here and other parts of the ‘west’.

However Greek immigrants have worked incredibly hard in countries they have migrated to such as Australia, America, Britain, Germany!

Importantly, if Greek governments from 1975 onwards had engaged Greek Australians, Greek Americans and other of our Diaspora to assist with economic and cultural development of Greece, the nation may not be in the situation it is now.

The modern nation of Greece began as a Diaspora project in part, why was that energy not fully harnessed?

One of problems with the nationalism was the rejection of Greeks’ Orientalism.

If Greece as a nation had rejuvenated its historic links with India, and China, Greece’s economic world may have looked different. 

Our understanding of the South, the East and the West makes us Greek. The desire to be ‘European’ and the resultant ‘self loathing’ limited Greece.

It led Greeks in Greece to suppress their historic ability to take a 360 degree view do the world, something which has meant that Greece has been the least ‘European’ of all the countries in the EU.

As part of its upcoming’cultural revolution’ Greece should reinvest in gazing to the East. Greece is best suited to revive its history as the conduit between west and east. There is hope Greece will change. Regardless of the ‘humiliation’ Greece is also forced to change.

The question is, to what?