Open Letter to Hellas, the Hellenic People and Alexis Tsipras in particular

Don’t give up. You’re not alone. There are millions of people supporting you and your people, even in my country … in Germany. I am only one of them. But I share their anger, their despair, their tears and their hope – as I share your anger, your despair, your tears, and your hope. But I am also proud of you - proud of you and your people, proud of your government, proud of Alexis Tsipras. Don’t blame him. He has given his best. He has fought for his country. Perhaps he has lost a battle, but he won something which matters much more: dignity, faith, spirit, and beauty.

 

Don’t get me wrong. This is not meant to be cynical. Cynicism is German politician’s part, not mine. I know about your current hardships, I know about your pain and the humiliations you are forced to suffer. But I also know about your courage and your brave heart, I know about your beauty and your dignity. And I am sure that you will survive this violation as you survived several violations during the millennia of your existence.

 

Please accept my gratitude and appreciation for not having left us alone. Be sure that Europe needs you even more than you need Europe. For you are the guardians and defenders of Europe’s soul and spirit. You are the successors of your ancestors who invented democracy, liberty, humanity, science, arts, philosophy – all what is good about our civilisation. And to mention your splendid heritage has got nothing to do with nostalgia or romanticism. No, it’s about a most crucial issue: It’s about the gravity-spot of modern Europe. For this is neither money nor stock-exchange, it is humanity.

 

But besides Hellas, there seems to be no other country in Europe still courageous enough to defend the values and virtues of our culture. The majority – including Germany – submitted instead to the graceless dominion of global capitalism; and it seems to be their only desire to make you share their fate and enslave you to the same master.

 

You resisted, you fought for your sovereignty, perhaps too late you realized that those who pretended to be your partners undisguised showed up to be your enemies. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s nothing to blame. Your only error was your confidence and faith – your firm belief in the values of our civilisation. That you were wrong is less a symptom of your naïve and gentle attitude but much more of the toxic pathology within the mind-set of your creditors.

 

Hellas, don’t give up! Tsipras, don’t give up! Stand for your values. I know that you have to pay an intolerable prize for staying within the Euro-Zone. I know that we, your supporters in the rest of the world, have little means to ever pay it back. But be sure: Your efforts will not have been in vain. You’ve re-lit the torch of truth and liberty in Europe – and we shall spread the light. We shall honour your people and your government for having reminded a misled and weary continent of its roots. You have encouraged us to not resign but fight for a world of less injustice. You have shown us that it is possible to alter a society which had been ruined for decades by corruption and greed – even though the rest of Europe actually doesn’t want you to do this. Thank you, Greece! Thank you for keeping our faith alive even in these darkest hours in the history of the European Union.

 

Christoph Quarch
ist Philosoph aus Leidenschaft. Seit ihm als junger Mann ein Büchlein mit »Platons Meisterdialogen« in die Hand fiel, beseelt ihn eine glühende Liebe (philia) zur Weisheit (sophia), die er als Weg zu einem erfüllten und lebendigen Leben versteht. Als Autor, Publizist, Berater und Seminarleiter greift er auf die großen Werke der abendländischen Philosophen zurück, um diese in eine zeitgemäße Lebenskunst und Weltdeutung zu übersetzen."