Sympathy To the Greeks

[jasonxx]

I would like to extend sympathies towards the greeks and the way there country is burning.

I gotta show anger as well and the mirky side of nature within these fires. Its rumoured that Arsonists are somewhat responsible for setting fires to clear land for development. It never amaizes me the depths some and ill swear BASTARDS will stoop for financial gain.

If there are arsonists I doubt the everyday Greek is responsible for wanten vandalism. I met Greeks on holiday and find thema honest proud people not mindless vandals.

If they do catch people doing arson Id burn the buggers and those aiming to gain from land clearing. These fires could put Greece to the third world country group.

regards to the good honest Greeks and let the fire starters hang.

kenny

[Paralus]

It is a terrible thing Kenny and, something we are - unfortunately - only too familiar with here in Oz; as Smitty would likely agree.

Stathi (and other Greeks on the forum), I do hope things come under some sort of control soon. The deaths are bloody tragic. Having been there, I know exactly where those fires are burning near Olympia - difficult country, much like parts of Australia.

We have had our fair share here and, few years ago, had near to the entire Kosciusko National Park and much of north eastern Victoria burned to the ground. The fires were unstoppable.

[Efstathios]

Thank you for your sympathies. Today after 6+ days the fires are less and the situation better, but some of them are still burning at the Peloponnese and Evoia. Some of the most beautifull forests in Greece have been burned. And along with them many villages. People who couldnt just leave their houses and animals and land to burn stayed there and died in the fires. Total destruction of the agriculture of a large part of Peloponnese.

The archaiological site at Olympia was saved the last minute. Michael you remember the forest there and the nice trees and the beatifull landscape. It's burned. I dont know how many years it will take for these forests to grow again.

It wasnt only just simple arsons. It was a well coordinated plan. I dont know from who. In the tv here only guesses are made, and many theories. But the matter is serious. And i hope it really doesnt go higher than some companies that want to build.

[jasonxx]

well Staffi

Maybe people can somewhatt stop banging on about war brutality etc. As you say organised Arsonists. These Bastards risking lives and ruining thousands of lives for a quick buck. It will take decades if ever for families to be rights.

Whats worse Transparent warfare. Or crushing people in this way even threaten the very existance of your country in this way. These man are more evil and disgustiong and to add more cowardly than Alexander ever was.

Kenny

[derek]

I toured Greece a few years back, and one image that sticks in my mind is the night before visiting Olympia. We were in a hotel a couple of miles down the road, and I sat on my balcony very late at night. It was a full moon and I could see across the top of a pine forest that swished and rippled in the breeze like waves on the ocean. There was no other sound except the odd hoot of an owl. It was a scene I could imagine hadn't changed since Alexander's day. Shame to think that might be all gone.

Derek

[athenas owl]

This is so sad...so horrible. That someone would deliberately do it makes it unspeakable.

I am glad that Olympia was saved, and the trees will grow back (plant them soon!). I live in a region where a volcano flattened and destroyed vast tracks of forest, believe me, the landscape will return, and the olive groves will return, too. But for the families that lost loved ones, my heart aches.

[marcus]

I would like to extend sympathies towards the greeks and the way there country is burning.

I gotta show anger as well and the mirky side of nature within these fires. Its rumoured that Arsonists are somewhat responsible for setting fires to clear land for development. It never amaizes me the depths some and ill swear BASTARDS will stoop for financial gain.

If there are arsonists I doubt the everyday Greek is responsible for wanten vandalism. I met Greeks on holiday and find thema honest proud people not mindless vandals.

If they do catch people doing arson Id burn the buggers and those aiming to gain from land clearing. These fires could put Greece to the third world country group.

regards to the good honest Greeks and let the fire starters hang.

kenny

Well said, Kenny. Others have already responded, and I'm sure that all Pothosians agree with you - the fires themselves are terrible, and the thought that they might have been started deliberately is atrocious. Our deepest sympathies to all the people of Greece.

ATB

[jasonxx]

Sorry Porthonians something far away but probably related.

its about corporates behind things like these fires. Kinda makes me think of Nero and him getting the blame... Probably just a notion but id wager Romes fire was a corporate put up job. And who better to take the can than a claimed lunatic Nero.

Many things that happen very similar with Bush And Hitler. Half baked crazies probably playing puppet for the money men. Id wager years to come Bush takes the Can for Iraq. They are already telling him to blame god. I watch him reading those speacehes and see his neck been put in the historical judgement noose my the Senate mafia.

kenny

[Phoebus]

I just left Hellas after visiting my family there.

The sad fact of the matter is that the modern Hellas is still a very young nation with a lot of problems. Part of those problems include ineffective, polarized government, widespread corruption, and gross inefficiency.

I don't believe this was organized in the way most people think. Arsons occur all the time for profit, and most are timed for the best possible weather conditions. The arsons take advantage of the fact that, decades after the establishment of our most recent borders, the government has yet to establish a survey of the various woodland regions to back up the laws it has established in defence of our forests.

Arsonists take advantage of this. They set fires where they need to, and they take advantage of the lack of a survey (and thus lack of proof as to land's status) to deflect any legal challenge over their sales or purchases of now-dirt-cheap land...

In this case, the most likely scenario is that the majority of the arsonists took advantage of existing major arsons and decided to add to the existing emergency. They knew that the firefighting elements wouldn't be able to respond in time... But I doubt they realized what a "perfect storm" they would create. That's not an attempt to excuse their conduct, incidentally. I am all for the Hellenic government instituting flexible, temporary Draconian laws to prevent profiteering from any burnt land (arsoned or otherwise) as a means of discouraging such activity--and the stiffest penalties for those who endanger human life and the environment for money.

There is an urgent need for change in Hellas. Unfortunately, it seems as if there will have to be a great deal of damage or strife before things turn around. Sad as it might sound, I doubt even this is enough.

Incidentally, the archaelogical site was not saved by fire-fighting elements. The museum's own workers were responsible for putting out the fire.

[amyntoros]

Incidentally, the archaelogical site was not saved by fire-fighting elements. The museum's own workers were responsible for putting out the fire.

According to this video firefighters were involved in fighting the conflagration at ancient Olympia. No, it doesn't appear that they had a huge presence there, but it's my understanding that a village was also threatened nearby. Despite my anguish at the (then) possibility of Greece losing some of its most important monuments, I would be hopelessly conflicted if people nearby had lost their homes or lives because the entire firefighting force had concentrated on preserving ancient artifacts. (I don't speak Greek, so I sincerely hope that is not the message given at the end of the video!)

Best regards,

[Phoebus]

Well, that's good news. While the fire was going on, all the Media in Hellas were reporting the opposite--that it was personnel employed by the museum using emergency equipment permanently located there that were responsible for stifling the fire.