Greece and the Greeks are at the forefront and stand out on a global scale.

Greece is making progress in many sectors and has developed notable exports. These include food products, medicines, agricultural goods, and more.

How many Greeks know that, according to former minister Yiannis Maniatis, Greece ranks at the top worldwide in the production of solar water heaters, which reduce energy consumption by 50%?

So let us leave behind misery and constant complaining. Of course, we went bankrupt in 2010. But we should have been more careful ourselves as citizens, and above all the party, union, and political system. We must be more careful in the future so we never go through the same thing again. Seven bankruptcies of the modern Greek state are not few.

Before the bankruptcy, Greece ranked 26th in terms of social and economic development among the roughly two hundred countries of the world.

Of course, much still needs to be done in many areas, and above all in the functioning of the state: party patronage, transparency, meritocracy, effectiveness in the public sector, and more. The weaknesses of the public sector block development. The party and political system must carry out the necessary reforms.

Greece is among the leading countries in some fields, such as:

A) Shipping. We are the world's leading maritime power in terms of Greek-owned tonnage and the third power in terms of the fleet sailing under the Greek flag. If we consider that three quarters of the earth is covered by seas, then we can understand the dominance of the Greeks in the world's oceans.

This primacy is due to the fact that shipowners operate freely on the international stage and come out on top because they are not dependent on the problematic Greek state. They are not burdened by the state bureaucracy that destroys everything. Under the rules of international law, shipowners can at any time fly whichever flag they choose on their vessel.

By contrast, Greek coastal shipping is almost bankrupt and struggling because the state does not let it breathe. Let the statists and state-worshippers take note.

B) Tourism. We are a global tourist destination. In 2020, at the World Travel Awards (WTA) 2020, Greece, through the Ministry of Tourism and the Greek National Tourism Organization, was named the world's leading tourism authority. Of course, this distinction should not lull us into complacency. On the contrary, greater efforts are needed so that we remain at the forefront.

The time has come for the development of quality tourism and the extension of the tourist season. Different forms of tourism must be developed, such as conference, mountain, medical and spa, agritourism, sports, and senior travel. In all these areas, and many others, Greece has significant comparative advantages.

C) Entrepreneurship. Let us not forget that before the Revolution of 1821, Greek entrepreneurs dominated the Balkans, Austria, the Ottoman Empire, parts of Russia, and other regions of the Mediterranean. After liberation, local notables, political operators, and opportunistic intermediaries feared the cooperation and integration of these dynamic Greeks into the national body, even though they continued to dominate the wider Greek world.

From liberation onward, the entire party-clientelist-plunder political system fought Greek entrepreneurs. And as if that were not enough, the statist ideology of the Left came along to attack enterprise itself. Even today there are some fellow citizens who shout that entrepreneurs "suck the blood of the people."

Greeks need to understand that, throughout the world, business creates wealth. Without businesses there are no workers, and without workers there is no wealth. There is only poverty and misery.

So we need to highlight Greek entrepreneurs and Greek businesses for what they contribute. We should thank them, because they create wealth and because enterprise is creation. And we should become innovative and outward-looking, because Hellenism flourished when it opened itself to the world.

Also, outside Greece there is another Greece. The time has come to connect Greeks around the world through a global network and create a worldwide Greek community.

Merry Christmas!

Paul Marantos

marantosp@gmail.com