In this Newsletter
Chair’s Message
Upcoming Events
ICYMI
Volunteer Opportunities
DAGR News and Views
On our RADAR - DA Priorities
Friends,
The tide is turning. This week, millions of Americans swept Democrats and Democratic initiatives to triumph in key local elections from coast to coast. Decisive victories in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, California and elsewhere were the clearest rejection yet of the Trump Administration’s policies.
The elections brought new faces to the Democratic party leadership, and also showed the way forward. With your help, we will take back Congress in next year’s mid-term elections.
From the government shutdown to his vanity ballroom project, from his mishandling of the American economy to his weaponization of the Justice Department, Americans are starting to tire of President Donald Trump’s schtick. That’s evident from opinion polls which show that more than half of Americans – in some cases two-thirds – disapprove of his job performance. And last month, seven million Americans joined more than 2,500 rallies – the largest one-day protest in U.S. history – to voice their opposition.
Change is coming and here in Greece, we’ve been doing our part to keep the fires burning. We were present at last month’s No Kings / No Tyrants Day protest, our members have been reminding us why democracy matters, and we’ve been speaking out about issues of concern to all of us: Greeks and Americans alike.
As always, we want to hear from you. And encourage you to join us at our monthly happy hours in Athens and Thessaloniki or Saturday morning coffee in the symprotevousa. And remember to Save the Date: we’re planning an end-of-year gathering in Athens on December 9.
Thank you for staying engaged.
Alkman Granitsas
Chair, Democrats Abroad Greece
Tuesday, NOV 4 - All day
Election Day: Oops, that was Tuesday!
Democrats Abroad must have sent out a zillion emails, social posts and phone bank calls around the world. Hope you got one of them and acted on it. The results were better than hoped for. Feels good to be a part of it!
Tuesday, NOV 11 - 18:00-20:00 EET
Happy Hour in Athens
Athens Chapter meets at En Aithria, the Monastiraki-Thission venue. This month, Athens returns to ‘winter hours,’ a 6 p.m. start, so that folks working downtown can make the meet-up and then get on home for the evening. The milieu invites lively conversation about next steps in the resistance. Friends are welcome, too. No RSVP is needed. Details on the DAGR Events page.
Tuesday, NOV 11 - 19:00-21:00 EET
Happy Hour in Thessaloniki
It’s Veterans Day, always honored in Thessaloniki. But this year, a week after the Nov elections, it also marks ‘political vets day,’ i.e. the folks who’ve been getting the vote out for Dems across our organization. So, come on out. Mix politics and pleasure with fellow Americans over a drink at Cafe Bazaar. There’ll be a lot to talk about this time! Details on the DAGR Events page.
Sunday, NOV 16 - 19:00 EET
Connect the Dots Speed Networking and Leadership Development
DA’s Global caucuses and committees are recruiting volunteers for the campaign year ahead. If you’d like to step forward, or just find out more about what our international teams do, this is a good place to go. This session is at 7 p.m. There’s also one at 10:00 Sunday morning.
Tuesday, NOV 18 - 19:30 EET
DAGR ExCom Meeting
The Dems Abroad Greece board, aka ExCom, meets every month. Members are welcome to sit in and come up to speed on the many things your board has to handle. Get a leg up on upcoming events in planning, and much more. Reply on this email for the WebEx link.
Saturday, NOV 22 - 11:00 EET
Saturday Coffee in Thessaloniki
It’ll be a good two weeks past Election Day, and we’ll have a clear view of what went well. Now? Now, we start planning for the year ahead. Let’s make it even better. Hope to see you at Xarchakos Cafe! Details on the DAGR Events page.
Tuesday, DEC 09 - 18:00 - 21:00 EET
Athens Winter Party at En Aithria
It’s the regular happy hour day, time and friendly venue, but this one is special. Full finger-foods menu, drinks, dessert, plus fun, some games, and camaraderie as always. Stay tuned for full information later this month. And get ready to join the celebration.
And that’s not all …
See what other country committees and global caucuses are doing, on the DA website Events page.
Moving House?
As noted on Oct 30, by Heather Cox Richardson: “Michael Scherer, Missy Ryan, and Ashley Parker of The Atlantic reported today that political appointees Stephen Miller, Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have moved onto military bases.”
Democratic Socialists of America Explained
Before the election, all eyes were on the NYC mayor’s race, with some still questioning Zohran Mamdani’s stance as a Democratic Socialist. Grace Mausser, co-chair of DSA in New York City, joined a Dems Abroad panel to fill in the headlines before the election. Video, 1 hour. On the DA YouTube channel.
We Are America - All Of Us, Indivisble
Rev. William Barber’s message to No Kings in Durham, NC, on Oct 18, as millions of Americans gather for the largest mass nonviolent demonstration in US history.
AI and the Future of Work
If you’re intrigued by LInda Manney’s book review in our News and VIews section, you may want to follow up with this panel discussion. The panel includes two Nobel laureates in economics, a professor of technology in business and a writer-researcher in the sociology of emerging technologies. Will AI replace workers? Who’s getting paid for using my data to train AI? Should it be regulated and if so how? CUNY Graduate Center, recorded live Oct 7, 2026
Phone Bank is coming! It’s time to throw your earphones in the ring!
As you read this, Charity and Elissa are sorting the call-lists and phone scripts. Pandora in Athens and Linda in Thessaloniki are rounding up the phone crews. Come early December, we’ll have a training call (Zoom? WebEx? TBD) and possibly a hybrid pizza party. In January, after a quick refresher, we’ll hit the phones and fire the first salvo of 2026 at Trump’s sycophants and storm troopers. That is, we’ll remind DAGR members to get registered to vote the dirty dealers OUT!
If you’re ready to sign up now, OR want to know more details about Phone Banking, click HERE.
No Tyrants Day in Greece
Eliana Klathis recalls the joyful determination of the Athens No Tyrants protest, October 18 in Monastiraki Square. It doubled the June turnout and looks like it might be growing even more.
Fighting for Democracy on No Tyrants Day
Basil Scaperdas looks back at his youth in Greece during the junta years and ties the lessons to the assaults on democratic rights that we’re facing today. There are lessons to be heeded.
Book Review - The Coming Wave: A.I., Power and the Future
Linda Manney dives into the topic on everyone’s lips … and annoyingly, pushing into everyone’s apps … A.I. This review is a succinct overview of potentials rushing toward us. And what we may be able to do to yet save a future we’d like to live in.
IMMIGRATION: Studies and Experience - Part 2
Thessaloniki graduate student, Rebecca Fox compares her knowledge gained from immigration studies in progress with her own experience as an immigrant to Greece. Here, she recalls going to school in a diverse environment. This is the second of a four-part series.
An Open Letter to the New Ambassador
Expressing our hopes for a productive association during her posting to Greece, this letter was reviewed and approved by the Democrats Abroad Greece Executive Committee.
DAGR’s Weekly Reader: Last Month This Week?
Once again, we’ve collected those mostly longer, outside-sourced items favored by political wonks (like us). We try to keep them off the fast-moving social platforms. Have a look! And do send us articles you think might fit here in the month ahead!
OCT w1 OCT w2 OCT w3 OCT w4
Music to ‘Take a Stand’ By
It’s a New Day - Nina Simone
What Democrats Must Do Now!
Before Tuesday’s bellwether local and state elections turned out, final count, Robert Reich laid out the next steps in 10 points. Read or watch the video. These are marching orders!
Answering the Call: Mamdani Names Transition Team
Some are excited that the team is led by an all woman crew. Yeah, okay, but look at which women, and get really excited. Lina Khan, Biden’s FTC head has national recognition. The others look like NYC powerhouses. For joy!
Just Eat It
Jon Stewart framed Trump’s tone for the first election period of his 2nd term. You don’t like it? Tough nookies! Just eat it. I am the King. Ask anyone in my cabinet. Ask my Republican Congress and Supreme Court. Ask the American voters. Wait. No. Don’t ask them!
Renewable Energy in the USA: Stupid is as Stupid Does
“The days of stupidity” are alive and well in the USA after the Department of the Interior cancelled a Nevada solar farm slated to become the world’s largest.” The article lists the drop in costs, the rise in production, and the US lag behind China et al due to Trump’s love affair with fossil fuel money. This piece wraps it all together!
Whitehouse for Sale! Pay at the Trump Window
In a snappy 15-min video Jen Rubin with Rob Weissman of Public Citizen go over the first report on who’s donating to Trump’s pet project, the Ballroom. And these are just the donors who wish to be named. They don’t have to, and the rest haven’t. Might even be some foreign governments. Bring on the tawdry vulgarity! Can this be stopped? Yes, actually.
Nuremburg, the film
Starring Russell Crowe, this one looks like it might just be very timely, given the rise (burrowing?) of the new Reich in the East Wing bunker. The trailer will likely show in Greek if you tap from a Greek ISP. Like the old ketchup commercial, anticipa-a-a-tion, it’s makin’ me wait!
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Americans came through this week, opting for a ‘more perfect union’ in the face of the most egregious attack on democracy we’ve seen in nearly ninety years. It’s not over yet. And some of our leaders warn it may get worse before it gets better. But we know we can do it. We voters did it again on Tuesday. The next battle for the Republic starts now.
https://www.democratsabroad.org/
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