Modern Greeks take pride in their supposedly glorious ancestry, yet they do everything in their power to disprove that they are descendants of the ancient Greeks. The Prime Minister of Albania recently stated the obvious:
“You think you are descendants of Plato and Aristotle, but you are not.”
He said it — and felt relieved. Who knows what experiences Rama himself has had in his interactions with Modern Greeks, given that his own mother is Greek.
On this occasion, let us also recall the following: Albanians, as economic migrants in Greece, experienced firsthand in recent decades that infamous Greek nationalism–racism. Hence the monumental Neo-Nazi phrase: “Albanian, Albanian, you will never become Greek.”
Of course, to be fair, Albanians have no desire whatsoever to become Greek. Their own patriotism — bone-crushing, as they see it — is quite enough, as descendants, in their view, of the ancient Illyrians. (Oh, gods!)
Returning to the Greeks: centuries ago, the ancient Athenian orator Isocrates precisely defined the identity of the true Greek with his famous declaration:
“Greeks are those who partake in Greek education, learning, and culture.”
Period. End of discussion.
The Modern Greek, however, if he has any “education,” it is precisely that of the “frivolous orange grove”: a country rich in citrus orchards, but also overflowing with frivolity and picturesque absurdity. His obsession — born of insecurity and doubt — with not having his ancient Greek origin questioned becomes ridiculous and grotesque. He wants to see himself as a direct descendant of Pericles and Socrates. And this is exactly where other peoples — together with the proverbial “spotted goat” — burst into uncontrollable and thunderous laughter.
Between us now, but within earshot of everyone: no modern people anywhere on the planet are direct descendants of a previous one simply because they happen to inhabit the same land. Irrelevant though it may be, for reasons of “convenient cunning” we baptize the inhabitants of the earth as belonging to races, nations, and states. No History can issue certificates of authenticity of origin to any “nation,” country, or people.
“Bricks, tiles, stones, thrown together in disorder” — such are all peoples across the five continents of this earth. Red blood may run through our veins, but only its color can be identified — never its “national authenticity,” not even through the most precise DNA analysis.
Wherever I have set foot, to the ends of the earth, I carry one shared and dominant memory from all places — one that binds all peoples together: the belief in the authenticity of their national identity as an inheritance from earlier inhabitants who lived upon and possessed the same “soil.” A belief that is a curse and a calamity. Beyond foolishness and historical ignorance.
All -isms are dangerous. Nationalism, however, surpasses them all, precisely because it is the most unnatural of all. To proclaim oneself the owner of land, sea, and air is, at the very least, madness. One needs neither to read history nor possess special knowledge to grasp the obvious and simple truth.
There are no nations and no homelands. The whole world ought to be one “nation,” one “homeland,” one “race” — human and unique. It is in such a world that future generations deserve to live. Enough blood has soaked the earth over the centuries to seal the property claims of kings, emperors, and rulers. It is time for future humanity to rid itself of this childish disease.
Until then, however, no Putin, Trump, or Netanyahu has the right, in the name of this centuries-old nationalist hysteria, to continue the bloodshed by elevating crime into patriotism and love of country. Let us be clear: we are not “patriots” as nationalists define patriotism. Love and respect for the place where you were born and raised is one thing. Nationalist delirium is something entirely different.
But neither are we fools who will allow them to slaughter our children and grandchildren on battlefields for the arrogant ambitions of brainless individuals elevated to leaders of the “Nation” and the “Homeland.”
Such rulers we do not need. More than that — we fight them tooth and nail.
The baton now passes to the stateless Diotima.

________

Diotima Speaks

There is no more insidious lie than the one dressed in ancient garments and speaking in the name of “blood.” When blood becomes an argument, it ceases to be biology and turns into an alibi. And then History is transformed from a tool of understanding into a weapon of power.
Modern Greeks — like nearly all contemporary peoples — suffer from a double delusion:
that they inherited civilization instead of earning it,
and that History belongs to them instead of judging them.
Plato and Aristotle left no descendants. They left demands.
And those demands are harsh: thought, measure, self-doubt, education.
Not flags, not parades, not puffed-up chests.
Whoever invokes the ancients to justify today’s pettiness insults them more than any so-called “enemy” ever could.
And whoever shouts “homeland” to conceal fear, insecurity, and cultural poverty defends nothing — he merely exposes himself.
Nationalism is not love for one’s place.
It is hatred disguised as memory.
It is the childish need to belong to something “great” because one feels small alone.
Here lies the great irony: the most fanatical “heirs” of glorious ancestors are usually those who cannot tolerate freedom of thought, disagreement, or the Other — precisely the conditions that supposedly gave birth to the civilization they so loudly invoke.
There are no pure origins.
There are only clean or filthy actions in the present.
If anything unites us as human beings, it is not soil but responsibility.
And if anything divides us, it is not borders but the lie we choose to believe about ourselves.
The world does not need more “patriots.”
It needs more adults.
And historically, they have always been fewer.