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    I read with real sadness an article by Mr. Nikos Dimos on a political website, entitled “When will children be taught the truth about 21?” The article attempts to discredit the great Revolution, to which Mr. Dimos owes the fact that he is a free man and not a slave in an unfree state. In his hate-filled text, he quotes expressions such as: “The revolution began not with the heroic charioteers and thieves (on the contrary, they fought like mercenaries for reward and loot during the Struggle)….”, “The Patriarchate excommunicated it. The Prelates and Hierarchs mocked it. Kapodistrias turned his back on it. Korais told us about it", "The Church not only did not take the lead in the Struggle but fought it in every way.", "Of course, no one was at the Holy Lavra on March 25 and the German of Old Patras not only did not raise the banner (which was made after 50 years) but also cursed the revolutionary Papaflessas as 'exolysateton'", "The revolution of 21 failed completely", "Acts of atrocity were committed by the Greeks during the Revolution. In the occupation of Tripolitsa, over 30.000 civilians were slaughtered - among them many Jews who were not involved in the struggle. Reason: the looting….. (On the contrary, the Turko-Albanian defenders of the city left unharmed after an agreement. Which means that Kolokotronis had control of his army and therefore allowed the ethnic cleansing).” Etc. etc.
    The author of the article's claims have not been produced from a study of the sources but from stereotypes, prejudices and a lot of empathy. To summarize: the alleged issue of the Holy Lavra has already been resolved by the (not at all nationalistic newspaper KATHIMERINI, I imagine that Mr. Demou would agree with this), with the publication of an unshakable document in the issue of March 18, last week, which proves that the event of the Holy Lavra did indeed exist exactly as conveyed by historical memory, although three days earlier than the anniversary. It is impossible that Mr. Demou, with a doctorate in Philosophy from a German university, did not subsequently revise his stereotype that "there was no Holy Lavra" from such a powerful document, which proves the exact opposite.
    Beyond this, the -I repeat- doctor of a prestigious German university, Mr. Demos, cannot use the term "ethnic cleansing" for events that occurred in the 19th century, like the old, now outdated Marxists, who characterized... Alexander the Great's campaign as imperialist, at a time when imperialism is defined by Marxist bibliography as the conquest of new markets by a capitalist state... Also, Mr. Demou certainly does not ignore (if he does, then what is he doing in an unknown territory to him) that Papaflessas initiated the entire Peloponnesian Demogerontia and Kleftouria into the Friendly Society, and certainly that the prominent people played a leading role, led and financed the Revolution, and a large number of them sacrificed themselves fighting the Turks (the most prominent families of prominent people had dead, such as the Krevvatades, the Deligiannai, the Mavromichalai, etc.), while the rest gave their property. And, indeed, atrocities were committed, as they unfortunately were and are committed in all wars, but Mr. Demou, an organization that would give freedom as a gift to enslaved nations did not exist in 1821 and probably does not exist today.
    Finally, the “failure” of the Revolution, which Mr. Demou mentions, would probably have led to Mr. Demou being a citizen of the Turkish Republic of Greek origin today (without a Twitter account to broadcast his views…). Navarino, Mr. Demou’s final argument to prove that “the Revolution failed”, would not have happened if Dervenakia, Messolonghi and all the events that caused the chain of events and the international developments that led to Navarino had not preceded it. Because then, in the best of times, three huge fleets would not have come to liberate a wise and happy person living in the “multicultural” Ottoman context….
    The sad thing is that all of this comes from a highly educated man. But education is never and nowhere stronger than the dark depths of the soul. I have known Mr. Nikos Dimou socially since 1986. He was born in 1934. He studied at the College of Athens, studied Philosophy in Germany and then worked as an advertiser. He even had his own company. At one point, he got bored, tired, closed or sold his advertising company and took up writing. He never developed into a significant philosophical figure (of the stature of a Konstantinos Tsatsos, a Despotopoulos or a Castoriadis). However, I was puzzled by the title he had given to a small, few-page work of his: “The Misery of Being Greek”.
    This title gave me the impression that the author himself is unhappy to have been born Greek. Because all of us here, in the dry, ancient but historical niche in which we have inhabited since the Stone Age, and together with all those who came in the centuries that passed as peaceful immigrants or warlike invaders Illyrians, Slavs, Franks, etc., are happy to be Greeks. That we see the Acropolis every day for which millions of tourists from all over the world travel here. That we walk on the same cobblestones that Solon, Socrates, Alexander the Great, George Gemistos Plethon, Karaiskakis and Kolokotronis walked. Where we see the same landscapes that inspired Gyzis, Parthenis, Theophilos, Palamas, Kazantzakis, Sikelianos, Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas and Elytis. Where we speak an unimaginably rich and expressive language. Where we live in a country of astonishing beauty. Where the brightest sky in the world shines upon us (incidentally, Mr. Demou has also written a study on the Greek Light, which, however, does not seem to console him for being born Greek).
    One wonders what repressed feelings towards his homeland (and ultimately towards himself) a man has who, at eighty, on the day of the national anniversary, feels the need to denigrate the shocking Revolution that gave us back our light.