OPINION — Traveling in Greece on personal business during late October, it was remarkable to hear from a variety of Greeks, their unvarnished views of the Trump administration as well as their overall opinion of where America sits in the current world order. It was a unique experience for me, as I recently retired from the Central Intelligence Agency, where my last position was overseeing all European operations, yet this trip was completely personal in nature and would not entail a visit to the Greek government. Those days are in the past.
I should say that my comments here are not at all based on where the actual US-Greek security and political relationship now stands, as there is reason to be optimistic with the recent visit to Athens by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
I went looking for a highly unscientific feel from an admittedly small sample size about the Greek view of Trump’s America. The subject of how the U.S. is perceived in Greece - has always had special meaning for me as a Greek-American. Tackling the subject isn’t easy. My father warned me when discussing the merits of writing this article, that “This is a complicated subject to Greeks and Greek-Americans and you are going to piss someone off.” It didn’t stop me.
I spoke with taxi drivers and waiters, many of whom are holding multiple jobs struggling to make ends meet, and retirees who have seen their once generous pensions shrink precipitously, to the Greek elite that live in the fancy suburbs of Psihico who are breathing a bit of a relief that a “Grexit” did not occur after the recent financial crisis. Most of them had opinions of America that they were eager to share.
Greeks love to talk politics, so it was a delight to speak with family, friends, and of course strangers during my travels. It was evident that while Greece’s ongoing battle to emerge from financial catastrophe was always front and center in their minds, the American political scene and the pending impeachment proceedings was also a topic to be debated. I uncovered no consensus per se, as Greeks have had plenty of experience with corruption and poor government.
Historically, one can analyze the Greek view of America as having many competing and at times conflicting layers. Most significantly, the U.S. role in supporting the right-wing Greek Junta in the 1970s led generations of Greeks to shelter deep suspicions and resentment towards the U.S. That said, Greek’s dependence on NATO, and in particular the close bilateral military relationship with the U.S., were cornerstones of Greek national security policy, even under previous leftist Greek governments. I always saw the critical linchpin of the U.S.-Greek relationship was the power of Greek expatriates living in the U.S. The Greek communities in states like New York, New Jersey, Michigan and Illinois enjoyed not only economic prosperity—which manifests itself in the return every summer of thousands of Greek-Americans to their place of birth as well as historic remittances to relatives in Greece—but also a growing political clout in Washington, with the Greek lobby seeking to rival the Israeli lobby for power in Congress. The bottom line is that despite the schizophrenic nature of Greek politics, with leftist and center-right governments changing power over the last several decades, Greece always saw the U.S. as a key international partner.
That is not necessarily the case under the Trump administration, according to Greeks I met with from Athens to the Greek islands. One member of the Greek elite noted that he now characterized America as having two distinct eras, which he defined as Pre and Post Trump. This was not a positive statement, as he looked at Washington in a state of significant decline on the international stage, both in terms of actions and also a new and simplistic ideology, that encompassed disengagement and amoral values centering on business transactions vice America as a “shining city on a hill.” This comment to me was what stung the most, as I truly believe in the concept that the U.S. is a model to be emulated across the globe.
I noted from many of the Greeks I spoke with, a longing for an America of the past, where both economic and political ideals had weight, even if Greeks previously had loved to object to them. The irony of this was not lost on me, as I recalled the virulent anti-American streak that defined the 1980s Andreas Papandreou government, when their support for radical Palestinian movements and their strong socialist bent would cause obvious strains when politics were raised between Greeks and Americans. This year, however, I braved a walk to the old Polytechnic Institute in the Exarchia neighborhood, the infamous center of anarchist and leftist life in Greece that for decades was a no-go zone for Americans. While students have taken over the decrepit buildings and the police by law could not even enter the premises until recently, I sensed no danger in taking a picture of the front gates or walking through the seedy cafes that dot the area.
A consistent opinion I found was that America had become disengaged from the world, and thus it was others turn to take up the slack. From a resurgent Russia, who many Greeks now view with high suspicion, given Moscow’s role in stirring up troubles regarding North Macedonia and their potential entrance into NATO, to the U.S. exit from Syria, Washington – in their view - is now seen as a far less reliable partner, willing to abandon their traditional role of the guarantor of security in Europe.
Most worrisome in the streets of Athens and in the Greek press was an emboldened Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had in their view played President Trump in their now infamous phone call that had led to the U.S. withdrawal from Syria. With Erdogan now stating—quite shockingly to the Greek public— that he was done with the East, Syria, and will now look West, towards Greece’s far eastern islands who some Turks view as their own, Greeks questioned who will be Greece’s key friend and ally in protecting them from a resurgent Turkey. Previously the U.S. was relied upon to do so, yet now the U.S. is seen as distracted and disengaged unlike anytime that Greeks have seen since prior to World War Two. Even significant U.S. victories on the international stage are clouded by the actions of President Trump. His performance at the press conference announcing the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was panned by several of the Greeks I spoke with, as a resounding victory in the war on terrorism turned into a 50-minute monologue about himself that many found bizarre and uncomfortable to watch.
This unscientific poll has reminded me that Greeks are a resilient lot, and as I took a cab to the airport in Athens, the driver spoke endlessly about his current personal and financial travails. He was an engineer by trade, had found work in Denmark so was about to leave Greece, and drove a cab to make ends meet until his date of departure. Denmark was his place of refuge. Yet he also fixed Harley Davidson motorcycles in his spare time — which is as distinct and iconic an American product as you can find in this world. This image of the Harley stuck in my mind.
Ultimately, I left Greece with a sense of sadness that America under Trump is diminished in the eyes of the birthplace of democracy, yet all is not lost. A keen observer of Greek domestic and international affairs asked me “What the hell has happened to you guys?” To me, this question reflects not only stinging criticism, but more importantly, the Greek belief that the U.S. can do better.
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