As I was reading Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War this evening I was struck by a quote about taxes. Thucydides says that the archaic Athenians were only taxed "a twentieth of their incomes, yet they greatly improved the appearance of their city, carried through their wars successfully, and made all the proper religious sacrifices" (Thucydides, Rex Warner-translator, 444). I had to read the sentence twice. One twentieth? They were still able to thrive? Taxes, and the issue behind them-big versus small government, are a consistent subject of debates in the States. I expected the modern Athenians, the ancestors of the founders of democracy, to share in this debate. There is a lot of debate and democratic protest here, but I was shocked to discover the apparently unanimous discontent with big government.
I came to this realization over the weekend when I went to the local taverna I've been frequenting for a late pre siesta lunch of horiatiki (Greek salad). I have become so accustomed to my taverna over the past few weeks, studying over warm mezhedes on the weekends. It felt incredible to be able to walk in and greet the staff and the regulars; I've been integrated so quickly! The restaurant is owned by Lili Armenis, a kind woman in her fifties. I have seen her take on any and every role in the taverna: chef, hostess, server. So I was surprised to see her taking a break when I entered this Saturday. She had just survived the daily lunch rush and sat down in the seat next to me to enjoy her lunch. She asked me what I was studying and why I came to Athens. As I told her in mixed Greek and English, her eyes lit up. Something I had said had lit a fuse in the taverna owner. With fire in her voice, Lili told me “the Greeks do not want to be told what to do…they do not listen to the government”. Even with three decades of consistent democracy, memories of former subjugation and misrule have created mistrust in government. Lili blamed the recent Greek economic trouble on this attitude, explaining that her countrymen do not pay their taxes. She continued to say that even those who do wish to pay the government have a difficult time because civil servants like to complete work on their own time. Lili has been trying to pay taxes on her new apartment for the past four years, but cannot get government employees to cooperate.
My conversation with Lili received some reinforcement yesterday evening when peaceful tourist activity became a tear gas controlled disruption. Three bus loads of young Athenian sports fans were visiting the Marble Stadium just outside of CYA's offices. The police guarding the stadium felt uncomfortable with the young visitors' behavior and tried to control the fans. The young Athenians seemed to resent the government's attempt to control their activities and the scene evolved into chaos. I was not there to witness the disarray, but some of my roommates had evening classes and came back with great stories. Their professors acknowledged the events occurring just outside of the classroom, but continued lecturing as if the disruption was equivalent to the lawnmowers that seem to run constantly at Tufts. Professors even encouraged students to go outside and get a closer look at the riotous activities. It's all just a part of the interaction between Athenians and their government. Citizens don't always want to listen, express their opinions by ignoring government or protesting loudly, and continue on with life.
This experience and my discussion with Lili gave me something else to think about in my study of democracy: where are today’s democracies going? What will happen when everyone’s dissatisfaction with increasing government influence reaches a saturation point? Maybe the next time I go visit Lili I'll ask for her thoughts on these new questions and her reactions to the fact that the Athenians once did pay their taxes, back in the days when taxes were 1/20 of income!
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