CHIN does it for radio, apparently it’s a first http://www.chinradio.com/about_chin.php

http://www.mikarrhea.com/816/n.....um-bigoted
compares prejudice levels for different groups in different countries.

I really hope it’s not. I will see what I can find out…

on another point concerning the ROM of votanikos i was a witness of the prefecture
of attica (NOMARXHS ATHINON) Mr John Sgouros
has commited on a radio station
that at least he will try to remove all
the garbage from the land were the ROM live,
bring in a temporary water mains ,
and have regular garbage services,

and to try to find some solution
for better land under humane conditions
(if they let him..?)
even though their political opponents
with the mayor of athens , and legally
the city is responsible , i got the idea
and the sentiment that he truly wants
to do something about this situation
the land belongs to the city of athens
of course , i dont know if its political
jerking around because were going
into general election year ,, but at
least our garbage media got off its
daily garbage presentation and pushed
to find whats going in this particular instance
of course nothanks to persons such as yourself
and panayiotis who have shown humane concern and steady interest , in the ROM population of votanikos .

=z=

Hi inlovewithlife, I would love to take part in an online discussion on race here but sadly my Greek is nowhere near the level of being able to do any justice to my thoughts and I cannot write in Greek! Sad but true. Thank you very much for the invite. If there is any discussion in English that you know about, let me know. Isn’t there a Greek language chip I could just download directly into my brain ??

Hello there, scraf, welcome back to you too. As always, an insightful comment. And spot on. I ove your description of Karatzaferis

he looks & acts like a used rug salesman and he frequently says very strange things that don’t make any sense

I agree with the fact that you point out that the States is worse because they have learned how to play the game. It’s the same in Britain. Something to worry about indeed!

Hi Yuva and welcome. I know what you mean about how people treat you differently in a work setting if you have a position and how they treat you on the street. I think fitting in does become easier if you speak Greek (even as badly as I do) I have seen people visibly change when I answer them. I am chatty with most people in my neighbourhood and I notice how differently I am treated as opposed to another foreigner who doesn’t speak any Greek.

Hi Pearl, yes, I think it is a trend everywhere not just in Greece. I never knew there was such a thing as multicultural TV ?

I didnt make any effort to learn the greek language because I command lot of respect being a banker and talking in english rather than speaking in greek and trying to fit-in (which i would love to do).

apart from few british and americans.. greece not see too many foreigners living here.. specially young professional working for MNCs.

/Yuva

Part of the problem has to do with the nature of television - it’s all about money, which means it’s all about advertising. The ad biz is full of clever, ambitious folks who get paid an awful lot of money to predict the public’s tastes, and news shows are just the pursuit of moving product by other means. If they think the public wants xenophobia, then that’s what the stations will broadcast. The little windowboxes you mentioned in your post are filled with the same talking heads day after day - not to provide a new or interesting or informative point of view, but because ratings have shown that these particular parakeets are guaranteed to draw X number of viewers. The logic is that these people say things that lots of other people agree with who will buy whatever mobile phone or deodorant is advertised during the show. Other talking heads are there just to be provocative and provide some colour. If Mr. Karatzaferis of LAOS gave good television, he’d be on every night, but fortunately he looks & acts like a used rug salesman and he frequently says very strange things that don’t make any sense. (That’s why he has his own TV station, which has a very small audience.) The fact is that the extreme right hasn’t managed to learn to sell deodorant. Neither has the extreme left, for that matter.

Also, it’s important to remember, next time you see a really, really annoying advert on TV, that that piece of visual garbage was crafted and calculated to make you feel superior. TV everywhere is all about comfort and flattery punctuated by violence. Security, security, security, INSECURITY, security etc.. It’s a pretty simple formula.

Anyway, in all fairness, Greeks aren’t the only victims of ‘parapliroforisi.’ As often as I hear ignorant and bizarre commentary here in Athens, the problem is much, much worse in the United States. Over there, the mainstream media has done a criminally bad job in reporting the news, with the result that the American public still isn’t quite sure where Iraq is on a map and the extreme right HAS learned how to sell deodorant.

Of course the mass media have their share for that. But I personally put the blame to the Greeks. They are not just being brainwashed by the media. The opposite is true. The media tell them what they wish to hear. That the immigrants are the reason for all their problems and that they - the Greeks - are better.

Ms Diva we kindly invite you to take part to the post race of the Greek blogosphere. Please check on my blog for details.

In my hobble opinion, I think nationalism (which means racism in the same time) is the major cause of this situation. In Greece the “Nation” is above all. If you say something that seems to be against the nation you are “anthellinas” (hater-of-the-Greeks) and simple your opinion does not count.

This is why even the major political parties are afraid to speak freely about the immigrants and their point of view about them. If a political party speaks in favor of them, it´s almost 100% sure that this will have some serious political causes.

Nationalism rises rapidly in Greece, especially after the formation of the nationalist political party of “Laos” (Public, Orthodox Alarm) and the beginning of their propaganda against everyone that does not have “Greek Blood” or does not accept their extreme, racist and nationalistic ideas. It´s sad to say, but THIS IS NOT MY COUNTRY NEITHER!

I want to apologize for all the problems my country caused to the immigrants in Greece.