As Veteran United States Air Force Officer who, along with seven other Greek American military officers — all U.S-born — was transferred in 1957 for two years from Germany to Greece for language communication purposes, since English was not yet spread adequately among the Greek population and its military and government leaders, I take very strong issue with Mr. Andy Manatos for the many inaccurate contents in his grammatically-deficient article: “The Stars Are Aligning in the US for Hellenic and Orthodox Issues.”
His very demeaning introductory statement that “In light of the United States’ past record, the people of Greece have every right to be wary of American officials becoming deeply involved in Greek matters,” is falsely inaccurate and very disturbing. With the sole exception of the Henry Kissinger diabolical foreign policy that hurt Cyprus, Greece and the United States, the Greek people have not “witnessed…bad {American} policies.” Indeed, “the proof is in the pudding” — as the wise saying goes, for Mr. Manatos’ erroneous assertion that American policies have been against Greece for the “over 80 years…” of his “American family that has been fighting in Washington, DC for Hellenic and Orthodox issues at the highest levels of the American government,” is almost comically ludicrous. 80 years ago puts the calendar in 1935. American policies indeed were NOT against Greek national interests in 1935, or thereafter, where and when, indeed, the United States was for years during World War II glorifying Greece for its heroic stand against the Axis and, after the War, supported Greece in every way possible to defeat insurgents and save itself from Communism. In fact, it was because of Greece’s most important position in the Mediterranean area that we eight officers were transferred to Greece to assist in the communicative necessities with the Greek military and government authorities.
It is also shameful for Mr. Manatos to misinform that it is his “family” which has been the force that has worked the American political establishment for Hellenic issues. This is an embarrassment to the other Greek American organizations and most of all to the hundreds-and-hundreds of Greek Americans from across the country who have worked across the country for over four decades with their senators and representatives, and who have visited and lobbied Congress for Hellenic issues that coincide with America’s best national interests in the Mediterranean area.
Mr. Manatos’ false claim that Vice President Joe Biden is to him “a lifetime loyal friend” is twisted with hope that it were true. Then-Senator Joe Biden and the Greek American Community of Delaware, through the then-American Hellenic Institute Public Affairs Committee (AHIPAC), worked in unison together until the turn of the millennium. Andy Manatos and then-Senator Joe Biden became close from the early 2000s when Biden expressed his serious presidential aspirations and, Andy Manatos, being the excellent political fund raiser that he truly is — which he truly is and is faithfully credited for it — took advantage of the opportunity to be Biden’s main Greek-America fund raiser, to which he has truly succeeded, and to which we wish him continued success.
However, Mr. Manatos’ inference that it is he who coined the term “Joe ‘Bidenopoulos’ immediately following Biden’s election {as Vice President} in 2008,” is also false. Joe Biden was first called “Bidenopoulos” in the late 1980s or very early 1990s by Greek journalists at the Athens Airport during his stopover to somewhere. The reason was because of the Greek journalists’ knowledge of then-Senator Biden’s position on Hellenic issues.
If Mr. Manatos truly believes in astrology that “the stars are aligning in the US for Hellenic and Orthodox issues,” he better double-check with the Oracle at Delphi to make sure that the pie in the sky is not a nightmare for, unless Vice President Biden runs and wins the presidency, Mr. Manatos will have met Ephialtes.
Sincerely
Dean C. Lomis, Ph.D.
