Ovi Magazine Issue #24: Nationalism - Published: 2013-01-31

Nationalism Semantics
At home too, many students or immigrants from
the rest of Europe, USA, Japan, Australia, Canada
and many other developed countries arrived,
bringing new ideas and way of thinking with them.
In that aspect Greece is lacking behind. My wish
is to create an open country, modern, cosmopolitan
and wealthier, both in an economic level but also in
a cultural. If we manage to attract the right workers
with the right skills and do not use them only as
workers and exploit them, but also integrate them
totally in our society, the ones who will be benefiting
in the long term will be ourselves.
If we become a cosmopolitan society, groups like
the Golden Dawn won’t be able to thrive. The old
established elites, either the religious or political
ones, won’t be able to manipulate or blind us with
their outdated ideologies, holding us ransom to
achieve their goals and promote their interests. We
won’t fall as easy for their propaganda.
And there will be economic benefits as well. When
a lot of these immigrants eventually return home,
provided of course they have a positive experience
in our country, they will form strong links with
Greece that will ease trade and cultural exchanges.
They will become what most of the Greek Diaspora
have become: ambassadors of Greece in far and
away places. If we beat them up and abuse them of
course, that will never happen.
Yes there are challenges to face with immigration
and we should learn some lessons of the failures
of many other European countries like Britain,
France and Germany in integrating their immigrant
population. Most of them still have problems. But
we should normally have the advantage to learn
from their mistakes. Do we have this ability; are we
mature enough or we get what we deserve in the
end?
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