Greece has every reason to negotiate for reparations from Germany based on damages caused during WWII. The evidence exists to apply for reparations from GB and USA as well, but starting with Germany is smart. The main rub is that after WWII, German behaviors damaging to Greece continued, if not for that perhaps the intensity of feeling for reimbursement may have faded. Consider the Ottomans and proposing reparations . . .
The Ottoman Empire no longer exists, so no need to waste time listing reparations and anyway the accounting would be more tricky. How to put a price on children taken from the Balkans and trained to be Janissaries? Did the parents agree or were they coerced? As adults did the Janissaries accept the career forced upon them because of the power and quality of life they gained? The culture of that time is foreign to contemporary days.
The same does not apply to German culture. Look, the huge amount of money used to rebuild infrastructure immediately after the war – the nice streets, the water and sewer systems, and buildings, the large banks on good real estate, etc – were all paid by the Allies to the ‘enemy’, a member of the Axis powers, German. The same investment was not applied to an Ally who helped to win the war – Greece.
The large input of funds before the war, so that Germany could prepare and again after the war, so Germany could rebuild may make one wonder – on what side were the USA and GB? or to at least ponder – What was the war about? But, to the point, a shiney new Germany with its monetary empowered banks and straight streets with crossroads at perfect angles – Germany is now used as an example to prove the sub-humanness of Greeks compared to the brilliance and prowess of Germany. Fortunately, not everyone falls for that propaganda, although its popularity cannot be refuted.
Factors still needed to make reparations include a
- detailed accounting for the damages caused in WW II,
- the expected Euro amount for reparations per item, and
- a commitment to stay the course for as long as it may take to gain reparations.
The first negotiating round needs to include as many items as possible so items are available to relinquish. If the murdered Greeks are part of the reparations request, how about the land where the Germans buried them? Real estate is precious in a small mountainous country – but if the Germans won’t pay for land use, at the very least they can pay for the deaths. The USA has it all worked out how much a murdered person is worth – that can be used as a starting point for deciding the price.
Greece is blessed with smart individuals in finance who must make a commitment to reaching the goal and then seriously apply themselves to attain the result – reparations from Germany based on damages during WWII. The timing is excellent to start the process; but the opportunity is draining away and needs to be acted upon at once.
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