Tactical silence

When it comes to issues of national significance, how they are presented and by whom is always important, particularly if that person is in a responsible position. Naturally such issues are rich fodder for the media and are propagated with alarming speed, usually under catchy titles, but this serves no purpose in solving the real problem.

Greece has often paid a high toll when national sentiment has been pushed too far. In one case, the Turks reached all the way to Domokos because an elite had stirred public sentiment into a frenzy without first considering the overall situation. We also have a terrible record in allowing such issues to divide us into those who think Greece needs to take back Constantinople and those who confuse realpolitik with finding any solution to whatever problem, regardless of the consequences.

Diplomacy is an art that requires consensus, a...