They invented math and didnt figure out that spending more than you bring in leads to financial ruin?
Aristotle, Socrates, Pythagoras ,etc.. were not christians. Today the christians dominate the Greek religious landscape. Christianity is the leading cause of poverty in Greece.
You are hopeless or racist. Greeks control over 25% of worldwide shipping (see NM, DRYS, TEN, BALT and many others). The problem is that those wealthy Greeks have left their country and live in England and elsewhere because they are scared of communism rising. The first step to communism is socialism that was going on in Greece for many years since 1981. The same forces are rising in the US unless stopped now. Wealthy Americans will leave the US if they realize that they will be paying for those that seek welfare. They will take production and wealth with them. This is already happening. Greece has probably huge oil and natural gas resources but Turkey threatens of war in case they explore them. Cyprus, a nearby island which is Greek-speaking is going to exploit them with Israel. I don't know where you are from but when I visited some monasteries in the north of Greece I saw wealth that can possibly buy out your country. The problem is the Church controls about 70% of the Greek wealth, including land ownership and old treasures. Only the gold I saw in one church I was told was about 2 tons worth. Greece is a victim of control by church and corrupted politicians that work for other countries in Europe.
i think they saw how great this country was and figured they were doing it wrong and that spending more than you take in was the way to go.
the USA is in for its own day of reckoning... if they can't balance the increasing debt and inflation.. we are all doomed... i'm long interest rates! and long volatility!