Westernizing the Semi-Orient and De-Westernizing the Semi-Occident: The Past, Present, and Future of Athens (Greece)

Abstract

Negotiating the current state of cities held hostage by dysfunctionality and poverty caused by the global financial crisis has been a great challenge for the cities' residents. Athens, a case in point, is currently in a state of between-ness, grounded in its turbulent history and the precariousness of its current trajectory, which so far has been unsuccessfully dealt with by social movements, and political and economic bodies. This article explores the reasons behind this failure by providing a brief overview of Athens past and present, considering current directions of the political situation and the city's ability to sustain itself, and making some recommendations about potentialities and future actions.