O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek Americans c v A wEEKly GREEK AmERICAN PUBlICATION www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 14, iSSUe 693 January 22-28 , 2011 $1.50 Arianna Huffington: What’s the Purpose of Greek America? Big Deal, Big Target, An interview with Stavros Niarchos Faces Suit Over Site Foundation’s Andreas Dracopoulos By Constantine S. Sirigos the site” and that “On December TNH Staff Writer 12, 2004, they wrote to David By Antonis H. Diamataris Thorne (a friend and former Publisher/Editor of NEW YORK – How do big ideas brother-in-law of John Kerry) The National Herald become big deals? In the ab - stating “They had entered into stract, talk and money, for sure, a partnership with Huffington NEW YORK- A conversation much luck and hard work, defi - and (Huffington Post Co- with Andreas Dracopoulos, co- nitely, but at the human level, it founder) Kenneth Lerer to de - president of the Stavros Niar - is hard to apportion credit. The velop a liberal news aggregation chos Foundation, is always an Huffington Post has become one and blogging website.” invaluable experience. His fresh, of America’s dominant news Cohan calls the conflict a unconventional thought opens sources – and a financial gold “She-Said-We-Said collision, up new horizons in the discus - mine. Few would disagree that and, though apparently sympa - sion, making you think and ele - it was born of the energy and thetic to the challengers, the vating the conversation to a charisma of the indefatigable start and end of the piece raises whole new level. It stays with Greek American success story the question of why they waited you for quite a while afterwards. Arianna Stassinopoulos Hunt - six years after the launch of the The entrance to the Stavros ington, but some of her former top-ranked Web site to take ac - Niarchos Foundation offices in colleagues said they played a tion? That issue was addressed Manhattan is adorned with a part too and are attacking her in the August 30, 2010 e-mail bust of the Foundation’s for taking too much credit – and they finally sent to Huffington, founder. The “presence” of the success – and want a piece of it which Cohan quoted, saying great Greek entrepreneur isn’t back. In a article titled Huffing how they were “unhappy and AP PHOTO/PETROS GIANNAKOURIS limited to that, however. You and Puffing in February’s Vanity deeply disappointed’ they were The Lines Form in Greece can feel it in every corner of the Fair, William D. Cohan examines in subsequent weeks and frugal office space. Talking to the lawsuit filed by two political month” after the breakfast meet - It looks like a Soviet bread line from the Cold War, but indicative of how Greece’s staggered Andreas Dracopoulos, the un - consultants, Peter Daou and ing in Brentwood “when they economy and constant strikes are taking their toll as people wait to buy medicine outside one suspecting correspondent would James Boyce, in seeking credit discovered they were ‘not in - of the few open pharmacies in Athens, Jan. 20, 2011. Greek pharmacists were on a three-day hardly guess that the humble, for the creation of the Post. The cluded in the continuing devel - strike to protest government plans to open so-called closed professions as part of efforts to sweet-spoken, unpretentious parties involved being progres - opment of our ideas concepts heal the debt-ridden country's finances. (See story, page 11). man who welcomed him is at sive Democrats and licking their and plans’ ... they had ‘kept the same time so influential, wounds after John Kerry’s Pres - silent about our feelings,’ partly both through his role in the idential defeat in 2004, they because ‘both of us had relation - Foundation and through his said they felt what was needed ships with third parties who strong, charismatic personality. was “a Democratic answer to would be harmed if we were to Patriarch’s Move On Paisios, Vikentios I ought to confess that Andreas the Drudge Report” the conser - provoke a dispute over this is - and I are friends. Transparency vative Web site. sue,’ and because ‘we genuinely everywhere and in everything, The basis of the claims of believed you would do the right By Theodore Kalmoukos 21 at which the changes were to Elias of Philomelion authorizing as he himself always insists on. Daou and Boyce is a 15-page thing.’” TNH Staff Writer be made. The National Herald him to represent him at the I don’t think, however, that I November 24 memo that they Huffington fired back an E- learned that Ecumenical Patri - meeting. Legal problems arose, let that affect me. On the con - gave to Huffington prior to the mail of September 7: “I read BOSTON. – Patriarch arch Bartholomew directed a however, as to the validity of trary, I worry that I might not December 3, 2004 glittering your email,” she wrote. “I must Bartholomew has moved to meeting be held in New York on Paisios’ proxy since he has re - do him justice, because of the gathering of progressive nota - say, it left me speechless. Your change the administration of the Jan. 21 under the chairmanship signed from his positions of Ab - self-control I’m exerting in bles at Huffington’s Brentwood, suggestion, after nearly six scandal-scarred Monastery of St. of Metropolitan Theoliptos of bot, and the Monastic Brother - preparing this piece, due to our California mansion - where years, that you understood all Irene Chrysovalantou in Astoria, Ikonion of the Ecumenical Patri - hood of the Monastery. The Holy friendly relationship. My close - ideas for rebuilding the Democ - along that we were in a ‘part - permanently ousting Metropoli - archate, the only one who can and Sacred Synod of the Ecu - ness to him, however, gives me ratic party were discussed - and nership’ to create and operate tan Paisios of Tyana, charged convene the meeting as Chair - menical Patriarchate accepted his the opportunity to express the a breakfast meeting with Huff - the Huffington Post is stunning. with sex abuses, and also Bishop man of the Legal Corporation of resignations and issued an offi - thought shared by almost every - ington and Kenneth Lerer the And ridiculous.” The legal war Vikentios, who has no involve - the Stavropegial Patriarchal cial communiqué. one who’s met him: That he following day. Cohan wrote that had begun. Cohan did not get a ment in sex allegations. There Monastery of Saint Irene, and to The Chairman of the Corpo - stands out both as a man and a few days later, according to comment from Huffington, but has been a snag though because reclassify its members. ration is Metropolitan Theoliptos as a Greek and that, along with the complaint, Huffington and “Mario Ruiz, the suave media- of technicalities in the structure TNH has learned that Metro - of Ikonion of the Ecumenical Pa - all the other members of the Lerer asked Daou and Boyce to relations man for the Huffington and state laws governing such politan Paisios, who was the Ab - triarchate, and the members are Board of Directors and their col - provide “a refined blueprint and Post, responds, “According to institutions, as well as the charter bot, through the recommenda - Metropolitan Paisios and Bishop leagues at the Foundation, they strategic plan for the Huffington given by the Patriarchate. A tion by the Patriarchate, sent a have turned it into a model in - Post” and “to begin constructing Continued on page 4 meeting was scheduled for Jan. proxy to acting Abbot Bishop Continued on page 3 ternational philanthropic insti - tution, making significant con - tributions worldwide while also focusing on Greece and Hellenic affairs at large. He is, without The Ships of Greece Still any doubt, one of the leaders of his generation and a true star of Hellenism. Rule the Seas Worldwide The interview follows. The National Herald: You are known for your dedication Its economy floundering, its such as Aristotle Onassis and to the goals and the principles image crumbling, its reputation Stavros Niarchos, men whose set by the founder of the Stavros in tatters, Greece still has one achievements still ring bells on Niarchos Foundation, and for place where it is number one in ships and around the world, and the perfection that you seek in the world: shipping. The ancient who have some worthy succes - everything related to it. Your occupation of Greeks and their sors, whose stories – and those stance honors him and turns the abilities not just to sail but to of their companies – will be told love and pride you feel towards navigate the tricky waters of the here. The shipping industry is a the late Stavros Niarchos, the shipping business help account key element of Greek economic man, into a legacy that will im - for why the Greek maritime activity dating back to ancient mortalize him. fleet is the largest in the world, times and today it still accounts Andreas Dracopoulos: In re - about 18.5% of all the commer - for 4.5% of Greece’s $330 bil - sponse to your statement, I cial vessels in the water, and lion Gross Domestic Product, would like to point out, however, why it’s poised to remain so, de - employing 160,000 people, that it is no coincidence that spite the difficult economic about 4% of the workforce, Stavros Niarchos didn’t establish times. To celebrate that stand - ranking second only behind and run the Foundation while he ing, The National Herald is pre - tourism in its economic impact was still alive.