(αντιγραφή από τον κ Ἀποστόλη Βρανᾶ)
Από κάτω, το κείμενο στα Ελληνικά
Mr. Schäuble,
I would honestly not have written this letter if you had not made your comment on the debt of Germany to Greece because of the Occupation Loan.
Some years ago, I took part in an excursion of a multinational group of tourists at Kalavryta of Achaia in the Northern Peloponnese and I was asked to do the tour-guiding, as I am knowledgeable in history and a fluent speaker of English. In Kalavryta, whether one likes it or not, the Monument to Those Executed by the Nazi Occupation troops is a ‘must’ (from the architectural point of view, it is also very interesting).
I protected the German People, attributing the hideous crime to the Nazis that I did NOT call ‘Huns’ as we often do in Greece! I have German friends (whether you believe it or not) and I did not want to equate them with the barbarians that levelled my country.
Towards the end of the tour-guiding, one of the tourists asked me what kind of people committed such an atrocity and I invited them to compare our two ancient Gods (perhaps, with a touch of inaccuracy): our Zeus/Dias, for whom entertainment on Mount Olympus meant to gather all of them together, for him to chase the beautiful goddesses, to feast on ambrosia and nectar and to listen to soft melodies about nature and love – and your Odin/Woden, for whom entertainment in Walhalla entailed gathering his favourite dead warlords, singing war songs and drinking mead and beer out of the skulls of their killed enemies!
In the silence that ensued, a member of our groups raised his hand and commented: “We are not all of us like that!” No matter how many times I apologised to him, for me, they were few!
I watched you after the ‘funeral’ of Cyprus commenting (without being the Head of the Eurogroup) that it is not necessary for some secondary issues to be approved by the Parliament of Cyprus but that, if it became necessary for these to be voted on in your Bundestag, they would be surely passed. Truly, do you think that it is more important for you to approve the measures that will be taken on the expense of another country than for these measures to be approved by the country itself?
You accused Cyprus of being a ‘laundry machine’ of black money. Truly, do you ignore that everybody knows by now (as it was disclosed by the German journalist Jürgen Roth) that Germany launders money of the Italian Mafia and that it possesses a worse position than Cyprus in the ranking of the ‘laundry machines’?
You told us that Greece should not be expending effort claiming back the war reparations and the Occupation Loan but that it should be focusing on the structural reforms and the Memoranda that it has signed. Truly, do you feel no responsibility for all those that the Nazis had committed and you consider it moral to have money lent out repaid to you when you do not repay your own debts, shaking at us the finger reproachfully at the same time? If your answer if ‘Yes’ to the above questions, then – indeed – I have wasted my time writing this letter and my advice to you would be to go to a History Museum and exchange your suit with the Nazi uniform of Himmler of Bormann or any similar subhuman.
In the hope that you will take the time to answer to me
Apostolos M. Vranas
PS: On purpose, I did not address you either as ‘Your Excellency’ or as ‘Dear’. My late maternal grandfather said that respect is earned, not awarded and, in my opinion, you have NOT earned it!
Dear Wolfgang,
As an individual, I invite you to come to my house (with your family, if you so wish) to spend a few days enjoying the Greek hospitality, which was protected as an institution by (Hospitable) Zeus and is now protected by the Virgin Mary. Naturally, it is not a house of the level that you are used to because I am not affluent – yet, the hospitality does not change!
I promise you some interesting tour-guiding, on the Acropolis of Athens (where I give my best), at Olympia, in Delphi, on Meteora, in beautiful places – which we will select all in common. I also vow not to take you to Kalavryta, to Orchomenos, to Distomo, to Komeno, to Kandanos or any other place from which the plague of the ‘Huns’ had passed. But, if you dare even cast a side glance at our Presidential Palace, our Parliament or any of our Ministries, know it well that I well take you to the Airport pushing you through the streets of the city and I will buy you myself the return ticket so that you get out of here the soonest possible!
>>>•<<<
Κε Σόιμπλε,
Εἰλικρινά, δὲ θὰ σᾶς ἔγραφα αὐτὸ τὸ γρᾶμμα ἐὰν δὲν κάνατε τὸ σχόλιο σχετικὰ μὲ τὸ ὀφειλόμενο Κατοχικὸ Δάνειο τῆς Γερμανίας πρὸς τὴν Ἑλλάδα.
Πρὶν ἀπὸ μερικὰ χρόνια, στὸ πλαίσιο μὶας ἐκδρομῆς πολυεθνικῆς ὁμάδας τουριστῶν στὰ Καλάβρυτα Ἀχαΐας εἶχα κληθεῖ νἀ κάνω τὴν ξενάγηση καθὼς εἶμαι φιλίστωρ καὶ ἀγγλομαθῆς. Στὰ Καλάβρυτα, καλῶς ἤ κακῶς, τὸ Μνημεῖο τῶν Ἐκτελεσθέντων ἀπὸ τὰ ναζιστικὰ στρατεύματα Κατοχῆς θεωρεῖται ἀπαραίτητο (ἀρχιτεκτονικὰ εἶναι καὶ πολὺ καλαίσθητο). Προστάτεψα τὸ Γερμανικὸ Λαό, ἀποδίδοντας τὸ ἀποτρόπαιο ἔγκλημα στοὺς Ναζί τοὺς ὁποίους ΔΕΝ ἀποκάλεσα ‘Οὔννους’, ὅπως συχνὰ κάνουμε στὴν Ἑλλάδα! Ἔχω Γερμανοὺς φίλους (ὅσο κι ἂν ἴσως δὲν τὸ πιστεύετε) καὶ δὲν ἤθελα νὰ τοὺς ἐξισώσω μὲ τοὺς βάρβαρους ποὺ ἰσοπέδωσαν τὴν Πατρίδα μου.
Πρὸς τὸ τέλος τῆς ξενάγησης μὲ ρώτησε κάποιος τὶ ἄνθρωποι διέπραξαν τέτοια φρικαλεότητα καὶ ἐγὼ τοὺς κάλεσα νὰ συγκρίνουν τοὺς δύο ἀρχαίους Θεοὺς μας (ἴσως μὲ κάποια δόση ἀνακρίβειας): τὸ δικό μας Δία, γιὰ τὸν ὁποῖο διασκέδαση στὸν Ὅλυμπο ἦταν νὰ μαζεύονται ὅλοι μαζὶ, νὰ κυνηγᾶ τὶς ὄμορφες θεὲς, νὰ γλεντάει μὲ ἀμβροσία καὶ νέκταρ καὶ νὰ ἀκούει ἀπαλὴ μουσικὴ γιὰ τὴ φύση καὶ τὸν ἔρωτα – καὶ τὸ δικὸ σας Ὁντίν, γιὰ τὸν ὁποῖο διασκέδαση στἠ Βαλχάλλα ἦταν νὰ μαζεύονται οἱ προσφιλεῖς του νεκροὶ πολέμαρχοι, νὰ τραγουδᾶνε πολεμικὰ τραγούδια καὶ νὰ πίνουν μελόκρασο καὶ μπῦρα μέσα ἀπὸ τὰ κρανία τῶν νεκρῶν τους ἐχθρῶν!
Στὴ σιγὴ ποὺ ἀκολούθησε, ἕνα μέλος τῆς ὁμάδας σήκωσε τὸ χέρι του καὶ σχολίασε «Δὲν εἴμαστε ὅλοι ἔτσι!». Ὅσα συγγνώμη καὶ νὰ τοῦ ζήτησα, γιὰ μένα, ἦταν λίγα!
Σᾶς παρακολούθησα μετὰ τὴν ‘κηδεῖα’ τῆς Κύπρου νὰ σχολιάζετε (χωρὶς νὰ εἶστε ἐπικεφαλῆς τοὺ Γιούρογκρουπ) ὅτι δὲ χρειάζεται νὰ περάσουν κάποια δευτερεύοντα μέτρα ἀπὸ τὸ Κοινοβούλιο τῆς Κύπρου ἀλλὰ, ἂν χρειαστεῖ νὰ περάσουν ἀπὸ τὸ δικό σας Μπούντεσταγκ, θὰ ψηφιστοῦν σίγουρα. Ἀλήθεια, κρίνετε ὅτι τὸ νὰ ἐγκρίνετε ἐσεῖς τὰ μέτρα ποὺ θὰ ληφθοῦν εἰς βάρος μίας ἄλλης χώρας εἶναι πιὸ σημαντικὸ ἀπὸ τὸ νὰ ἐγκριθοῦν τὰ μέτρα αὐτὰ ἀπὸ τὴν ἴδια τὴ χώρα;
Κατηγορήσατε τὴν Κῦπρο ὅτι δρᾶ ὡς ἕνα πλυντήριο μαύρου χρήματος. Ἀλήθεια, παραβλέπετε ὅτι ὅλοι πλέον γνωρίζουν (ὅπως ἀποκάλυψε ὁ Γερμανὸς δημοσιογράφος Γιούργκεν Ρόθ) ὅτι ἡ Γερμανία ξεπλένει χρήματα τῆς Ἰταλικῆς Μαφίας καὶ ὅτι κατέχει χειρότερη θέση ἀπὸ τὴν Κῦπρο στὴ λίστα τῶν ‘πλυντηρίων’; Μᾶς εἴπατε ὅτι ἡ Ἑλλάδα δὲν πρέπει νὰ ἀσχολεῖται μὲ τὶς ἀποζημιώσεις καὶ τὸ Κατοχικὸ Δάνειο ἀλλὰ νὰ κοιτάει τὶς προσαρμογὲς καὶ τὸ Μνημόνια ποὺ ἔχει ὑπογράψει. Ἀλήθεια, νιώθετε άνεύθυνος γιὰ τὰ ὅσα διέπραξαν οἱ Ναζί καὶ θεωρεῖτε ἠθικὸ νὰ σᾶς ἐπιστρέφονται τὰ ὅσα σᾶς χρωστοῦν καὶ νὰ μὴν καλύπτετε ἐσεῖς τὶς δικές σας ὠφειλές, κουνώντας μας ταυτόχρονα τὸ δάχτυλο ἐπιτιμητικά;
Ἐὰν ἡ ἀπάντησὴ σας εἶναι ‘Ναι’ στὰ παραπάνω ἐρωτήματα, τότε - ὅντως - ἔχασα τὸ χρόνο μου γράφοντας αὐτὴν τὴν ἐπιστολὴ καὶ θὰ σᾶς συμβούλευα νὰ πᾶτε σὲ κάποιο Μουσεῖο Ἱστορίας καὶ νὰ ἀνταλλάξτε τὸ κουστούμι σας μὲ τὴ ναζιστικὴ στολὴ τοῦ Χίμμλερ ὴ τοῦ Μπόρμανν ὴ κάποιου ἄλλου τέτοιου ὑπανθρώπου.
Μὲ τὴν ἐλπίδα ὅτι θὰ λάβετε τὸν κόπο νὰ μοῦ ἀπαντήσετε
Ἀπόστολος Μ. Βρανᾶς
ΥΓ: Σκόπιμα δὲ σᾶς ἀποκάλεσα οὔτε ‘Ἐξοχώτατε’ οὔτε ‘Ἀξιότιμε’. Ὁ μακαρίτης ὁ παπποὺς μου ἔλεγε ὅτι ὁ σεβασμός κερδίζεται, δὲν ἀπονέμεται καὶ, κατὰ τὴ γνώμη μου, ΔΕΝ τὸν ἔχετε κερδίσει!
Ἀγαπητὲ Βόλφγκανγκ,
Ὡς ἄτομο, σὲ προσκαλῶ νὰ ἔλθεις σπίτι μου (καὶ μὲ τὴν οίκογένειά σου, ἂν θέλετε) νὰ περάσετε λίγες μέρες ἀπολαμβάνοντας τὴν Ἑλληνικὴ φιλοξενία, τὴν ὁποία ὡς θεσμὸ προστάτευε ὁ (Ξένιος) Δίας καὶ προστατεύει ἡ Παναγία. Σαφῶς καὶ δὲν εἶναι σπίτι τοῦ ἐπιπέδου τὸ ὁποῖο ἔχεις συνηθίσει διότι δὲν εἶμαι εὐκατάστατος - ὅμως, ἡ φιλοξενία δὲν ἀλλάζει!
Σοῦ ὑπόσχομαι καὶ καλὲς ξεναγήσεις στὴν Ἀκρόπολη τῆς Ἀθήνας (τὸ φόρτε μου), στὴν Ὀλυμπία, στοὺς Δελφοὺς, στὰ Μετέωρα, σὲ πανέμορφα μέρη - ὅπου διαλέξουμε ἀπὸ κοινοῦ. Δεσμεύομαι, δέ, νὰ μὴ σὲ πάω στὰ Καλάβρυτα, στὸν Ὀρχομενό, στὸ Δίστομο, στὸ Κομενό, στὴν Κάνδανο ἤ ὅπου ἀλλοῦ πέρασε ἡ λαίλαπα τῶν ‘Οὔννων’. Ἂν ὅμως ρίξεις ἔστω καὶ μία κλεφτὴ ματιὰ στὸ Προεδρικὸ Μέγαρο, στὴ Βουλὴ ἢ σὲ κάποιο Ὑπουργεῖο, νὰ τὸ ξέρεις ὅτι θὰ σὲ πάω σπρώχνοντας μέσα ἀπὸ τὴν πόλη στὸ Ἀεροδρόμιο καὶ θὰ σοῦ ἀγοράσω τὸ εἰσιτήριο ἐγὼ ὁ ἴδιος γιὰ νὰ ξεκουμπιστεῖς μιὰ ὥρα ἀρχύτερα!
Ἀπὸστολος
