This week I had to visit a customer in Athens, Greece. Over the past 18 months I have worked with a number of customers in the Athens area, and have always been hugely impressed with their English language skills, their history, culture and the warm welcome they have extended to me.
As I travel around (mainly in the back of a taxi), it is very evident from the quality of the road network that large amounts of public money have been spent … and from conversations with customers and colleagues, this spending has also extended to many other areas.
I find it extremely sad that Greece has become the poor man of Europe. However, as I do my best to avoid strikes, riots and civil unrest, I can’t help thinking that the Greek people have been the architects of their own down fall.
For decades, they have been happy to elect politicians that would borrow vast sums of money and indulge in a public spending spree, whilst at the sametime, allowing citizens and businesses to avoid paying taxes.
Its a bitter pill to swallow, but the debt’s must be paid back .. I’m sure the proud majority of people in Greece see and accept this. I hope that people from across the world continue to visit Greece and enjoy the rich culture this country offers – Athens has the only airport that I’ve ever encountered a museum of artefacts uncovered when it was built.
David J Pearson: My Personal Blog 