Greece economic crisis: an analysis

Greece economic crisis: an analysis

“We will do our best to be the Harvard for our industry” it is the statement of Susanna Li, dean of McDonald’s first Hamburger University in China. Report afterward reads, “The Shanghai-based school will train new generations of managers in the company’s fastest-growing global market.” It is a report that I read in Time magazine on March 31st, 2010.

Reading this report, two ideas were really pressing me when I was thinking about the Greece’s current economic debt,

First, I was remembering reading travelogue of a Pakistani, in which author was expressing his experience of visiting Athens. It is not a direct quote from the book but I am trying to convey the author’s feelings.

“I am in Athens, the city of Socrates and the city where Plato and Aristotle get education, taught and thought their great philosophies. I was excited as I was in the city of wisdom. I sat on a bench at a roadside, in front of a café. Just next to me was sitting a young man. He had closed his eyes, face up to sky and from time to time he was pouring out the dark smoke of cigarette in the air. It seemed to me that he is meditating with deep thoughts. I became interesting in the young man. I visualized the modern Socrates in him. Just like Socrates he was meditating in the middle of Bazaar, without giving attention to crowd of people who were busy with their daily routines. I thought Athens is still alive as spirits of her great philosophers are wandering in search of truth in the souls of her inhabitants. As the young man was busy in his thoughts another young man accompanied with two young women came and sat on the bench next to this man. He ordered bear for them and then there were scenes of hugging and laughing. I saw that the spirits of philosophers were just the illusions of my imaginations.”

I think the spirits of these great philosophers have long migrated to Germany, France, UK, Russia, USA, Japan and currently they are looking for new places like China and India and perhaps thinking of going further East. I know the University of McDonald is not phenomenon but the aims of making it a Harvard in the business is phenomenon.

It was the spirit of a barefooted philosopher, Socrates who made Plato his pupil to put the foundation for the first public school, “Academia”. The academia is not phenomenon but the spirit of the Socrates that inspired Plato and later on Aristotle is phenomenon. Migration of the Aristotle to Macedonia was a phenomenal move as this was not a migration of a single man but a migration of a spirit from a nation.

The second thought that was coming to my mind is a pessimistic thought. It is about the future of European Union. European Union is not only a blessing for the Europe but also for world. When one read about the WWI and WWII in the previous century then European Union become more a welcoming phenomenon as Europe was the hub of these wars.

The economic crisis and mass unemployment in 1930 led to popularity of the nationalism and the nationalist parties which fueled the war. This time though the world is not ready for another World War but still the deep economic crisis and unemployment is increasing the sentiments of the nationalism. The Popularity of the political parties like UKIP (U.K. Independence Party) and parties with more hard-line stands as anti-immigrants and anti-Islam manifesto is leading Europe back into situation of the 1930-1944. European Union is the great shield against growing nationalism but it seems nationalism is gaining momentum from Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, Germany, Greece, France, and Netherland to UK.

Certainly saving Greece is very important for future of Europe and Globe. It will set the direction for unfolding events and maybe unexpected events that may include the economic crisis in Spain which has an economy, four times bigger than Greece. If economic crisis spread to Italy then nationalism will appeal to masses and politics of future will be determined by it.

I am looking to wandering spirits of the Socrates and Hitler and let’s see which spirit find the European souls ready to absorb it.