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What have you observed of how globalizing economics have changed life in Crete, and/or the presentation of its thoroughly amazing past? Imagine all the would-be conquerors who have invaded and tried to change the central ways of Cretan life: Mycenaeans, Romans, Turks, and even Nazi Germany gave the domination of Crete their best shot, and failed. And yet, today, MONEY itself---or more specifically, PROFIT---is doing more damage than all those invaders combined.
I have seen huge sums of capital take over parts of Crete for "development" that is really destruction. Hotels for foreign tourists that virtually confine them and prevent their truly visiting/experiencing the real Cretan culture, which of course destroys whole towns built by local Mom&Pop businesses. I have seen golf courses drinking up the water for agriculture so that millionaires can amuse themselves with a game that has never belonged there.
What can be done? Cretan activists have pulled off some quite amazing victories in recent years to defend their landscape and life-ways---specifically against the Northern European cartel called (ironically) "The Minoan Group"---and yet these invasions continue. Should Crete secede altogether from a Greece that pays it so little respect? Why should a self-sufficient island stand for such mistreatment? We'd love to see your observations and thoughts on these problems!
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