Memories melted down

The revelations on the activities of two gangs accused of smuggling gold out of Greece have thrown light on a hidden aspect of the human tragedy of the past few years. In addition to undermining the present and the future, with the sudden drop in living standards and incomes, the flight of young people and more deaths than births, the crisis is also robbing us of the past. Bank deposits have gone toward paying debts and taxes, social security payments are spent on today's needs and many of us are forced to give up personal and family treasures for a little money to get by.

The two gangs moved gold worth about 400,000 euros daily, the police say. This gold came "from the melting down of jewelry and other precious items which had come into their possession through purchase or pawning, but there are also indications that some of them were stolen," said the head of Attica's...

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