Thodoros Karnavas: The basic condition for effective National Defense is missing

Turkish aggression against Greece and Cyprus has been steadily escalating in recent years. Until recently, and in view of Turkey’s European prospects, there was considerable speculation that Turkey could change and become a friendly neighbor that would respect international law. Today, the prospect of joining the EU (if it ever really existed) has now been abandoned.

Almost no one in Greece claims that the transformation of Turkey is now possible. And most importantly, no one can ignore the immediate Turkish threat to Hellenism. The only solution, now, to ensure the integrity of the country and the defense of peace is prevention. The big question, of course, is whether and how the country is preparing for this threat.

Unfortunately, the political leadership of the country as a whole has done little and nothing in the direction of deterrence, despite the huge sums spent through the sacrifices of the Greeks and despite the effectiveness of the Hellenic armed forces. On the contrary, it is primarily responsible for undermining the basic condition of national defense, which is the collective, national and militant, mindset of the people.

For the last 40 years there has been a systematic decline in Greek collective, social and national consciousness. We stopped worrying about what is really going on in politics every day and where the country is headed. Most of us were concerned with our personal growth, our wealth, our professional reputation, or even our survival.

The dulling of national consciousness

This was no accident. It has been a top political goal for years. The people have been trained for years to carry on with their private affairs and not deal with their daily duties as citizens. It was the most convenient method (in a democratic context) for any political power, which simply wanted the mantle of legitimacy every four years, in order to maintain its hold on the state and power in the name of, but in the absence of the people.

The privately owned media, as a pillar of power in conjunction with official political power, has played a key role in misinformation and cheap disorientation aiming at consumer satisfaction. The main tool for consolidating individualism and introversion has been the cheap money of loans and subsidies in the first decades of joining the EEC / EU offering immediate enrichment, an explosion of consumerism and the overall sense of artificial happiness it created.

And all this, while at the same time the productive sectors of the country, mainly as a result of entering the single market, were being restructured and the country was being driven into bankruptcy. The awakening and militancy, due to the crash landing in reality during the first years of the ten-year deep economic crisis, gave way to frustration and introversion (due to the feeling of resignation that prevailed from 2015 on).

Recently, starting with the Prespa Agreement, the islanders’ reactions to illegal immigration, and Turkish aggression, a new awakening has taken place. In fact, now, not so much for economic problems, but for national issues. But the question remains where can this lead.

The destructive perception of the Army

During the same post-junta period, the political world and the spiritual elite (academics, artists, journalists) realized that Greece, since it belonged to the Euro-Atlantic structures (NATO / EU), was not in danger. Based on this perception (actually an obsession), Greek problems are becoming Euro-Atlantic, with the expectation that our “partners” in the EU and NATO will come to defend us against any threat. The traumatic experience in Cyprus and the Aegean (Imia) is diligently ignored.

In addition, Greece, as a modern European and NATO country, must reorganize its army and defense based on European and NATO standards. And this despite the opposing suggestions and warnings of the military leadership. Thus, the view that Greek National Defense is basically the work of some third parties, or some foreign power, or professional military, has become established in a large part of the Greek people.

As a result, this promotes the view that Greece probably does not need a universal defense by conscripts, the children of its people. Now the phrase “if there is a war, who will fight?” Is often heard. Our young people with various excuses avoid enlistment and try to spend the time of their term, if possible, without any military training. On the other hand, the organization and structure of the term of service is usually no longer aimed at military training, but rather at the “mild adaptation” of the draftees.

But in spite of the above obsessions, reality says that no one is going to save us, but ourselves. And history has shown that, even recently. Greece does not intend to wage an aggressive war of conquest. Greece is preparing for a defensive war, for the protection of its territorial integrity and national independence. And there is no, at least modern, example of a national victory based on a mercenary army.

Conciliation as a national ideology

The pity is that all of the above has been ideologized and invested in a diffuse spirit of defeatism, submissiveness, and “non-war”. This inspires the political system in general. The whole power system (politics, media, “intellectuals”) sends the message that we are powerless against a powerful enemy. So all we can do is to back down in a decorous manner, for the sake of, ostensibly, peace!

However, in order for the Greek people to accept this backing down, it is necessary to change their view of Turkey. In addition, Greek should have low self-esteem for their abilities and their History. Thus, an ongoing sense of decadence has been set. We are now going through the last stage of this decadence with the systematic projection of Turkish television series and “news” from Turkey.

It seems that Greeks need to become addicted to the embellished image of the aspiring conqueror, of today’s Turkish society, but also of its “glorious” Ottoman past (eg Suleiman the Magnificent). If one combines all this with the systematic, long-term efforts to revise Greek history, at all levels of education, so that it basically loses any bellicose character (even through the embellishment of Ottoman rule), one easily understands that this does not just concern specific incidents.

National Defense is everyone’s business

This is a policy plan (at least in part) of the political system! And those who cunningly invoke peace to lead Greece to the “procrustean table” of national (self) mutilation, know that in the end they are bringing the war closer and, what’s more, under unfavorable conditions for the country. Because in the end, Turkey will not be satisfied with anything less than our complete conquest and annihilation. All the people of Asia Minor, of any ethnicity, the Kurds, the Syrians and others are well aware of this.

National Defense is not a matter for the few. It is a matter for everyone, for all the people, for society, for the nation. It is ultimately a matter of national consciousness. No matter how many advanced weapons we buy and no matter how good Greek diplomacy is, none of that is enough to prevent it, if the enemy does not know that he has a people determined to fight for their freedom.

This is how Greece was liberated! This is how the triumphs of WW II in Albania and the National Resistance were born! This will prevent aggressive plans against Greece and Cyprus. This is the only way, when you get down to it, of there being a chance that we will prevent war and ensure peace in the region against expansionist neighbors.