The last angry shots of World War II were fired more than 60 years ago, but the spectre of catastrophe is once again rising in Europe, threatening the world's stability.
Europe is embroiled in economic crises brought on largely by Greece's enormous and unsustainable public debt. Greece can't pay its bills without a bailout and strict austerity measures.
Europe today stands united, at least in theory, under the common euro currency and a reasonably unified governance. For the first time in its history, it has a working structure in place to peacefully resolve its political and economic problems.
Greece's problems need to be fixed. If they are not, and the nation defaults on its loans, it will set off a second round of bank collapses that will mimic the 2008 American crisis that staggered the world's economy. Fortunately, European leaders meeting this week were able to broker a deal that will force banks to both accept substantial losses on the money they have loaned Greece and increase their reserves to help them weather future crises, provides the country with another $140 billion in loans, and boosts the European Union's bailout fund to $1.4 trillion.
"These are exceptional measures for exceptional times. Europe must never find itself in this position again," Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission's president, declared. And the initial reaction from world markets was positive.
Germany, the largest economy in Europe and a major investor in Greece, has, to its credit, taken a lead role in the talks. But German chancellor Angela Merkel made two provocative statements this week — that Greece is in need of more permanent "supervision" and that its default could lead to the dissolution of the euro and the collapse of European unity. Perhaps, she warned, it will someday lead to war.
Greeks have long felt an anti-Mediterranean-nation bias on the part of Germany. For many Greeks, Germany's positions and pronouncements have rekindled old enmities brought on by Germany's 1941 invasion and conquest of Greece. Images of black-booted Nazi soldiers have returned to the media, and resentment is shown toward German tourists.
Such is the depth of the animosity, it's returned a spotlight to a nearly forgotten wartime act of anti-German defiance. Greeks are admiring once again an 89-year-old lawmaker who, some 70 years ago, climbed to the top of the Parthenon and pulled down a German swastika flag.
Germany will never be fully absolved of its Nazi past, nor will European countries ever fully overcome jealousies and hatreds nurtured over the centuries.
But the world has moved on. It needs Europe to hold together and fix its financial problems now.
Wild weather for Memorial Day weekend
Inspiration for the class of 2012
Colorado College Student Shot While Trespassing
Will Smith & Josh Brolin on "Men in Black 3"
80-Year-Old Skydiver's Nightmare Jump
JWoww Sizzles in a Black Bikini
Sliders on the Grill
Cruise ship crunch
Backstage With Beyonce
Ultimate Creamy Potato Salad
Pope's Personal Butler Under Arrest
Jenny McCarthy's New Man
Tyler's Classic Coleslaw
Britney Spears Under X Factor Fire
Flesh-Eating Bacteria Victim Hits Milestone
Hurricanes and Heat Waves Across America
Kristen Stewart Is Red Hot
Shark Attacks Australian Fishing Boat
Bradley out for playoffs
Kayaker Survives Trip Over Washington Waterfall
