June 6, 2025 • 30 mins
The American Dream may feel fragile today, but for Greek immigrant and entrepreneur George Danis, it’s alive, achievable, and worth fighting for. In his new book "Go Far, Give Back, Live Greek" Danis shares his colorful life story with anecdotes and lessons on being successful in life and business. On this episode we're getting a dose of inspiration and a look at America from outside it's borders.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to Virginia Focus. I'm Rebecca Hughes of the Virginia
News Network. The American dream may feel fragile today, but
for Greek immigrant and entrepreneur George Danis, it's a live,
achievable and worth fighting for. In his new book, Go Far,
Give Back, Live, Greek Dana shares his colorful life story
with anecdotes and lessons on being successful in life and
(00:28):
in business. On this episode, we're getting a dose of
inspiration and a look at America from outside of its borders.
Welcome to the show, mister Danis. I'm so glad you
could be with us today. I'm really anxious to talk
to you. I'm anxious to hear your perspective on things.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Thank you very much for inviting me Alberica.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So why don't you give us a little bit of
background about yourself first?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, yes, I was born in a small village and
Atte Island in Greece. And when twelve years old, day
took me to Athens and the high school because there
was no high school there and I was able to
or survive on my own. And when I fined, I
(01:11):
finished three years old high school. Then I went to
a engine getting marine engineering school to to my objective.
Who was to come to the United States, And the
only way to come was a merged marine, and so
that's what I did. I ended up at the age
(01:31):
of eighteen, I left. I left Greece and I went
to Germany pick up a job an afraida from Germany
to Japan and Japan to to West Coast California, UH
and and UH for repairs and back and forth Japan.
(01:54):
Long story short, from there to from Japan to Canada.
We lording with to all the way to Poland. Came
back and I got out in a jump ship in Norfolk, Virginia,
by the way, and from there I took a bus
to New York. I lost the train. I slept over
(02:17):
or whatever. I don't know exactly where and how, but anyway,
the next day I took the train to Boston. A
few months working a dina and outside Washton Wartown, Massachusetts,
I got apprehended by the immigration and into jail and
(02:38):
deported back to Greece. Served the Navy there and when
I finished, I picked up another board to Mobile from
Italy to Mobile, Alabama, and jump ship again all the
way to Massachusetts. Work, got married and I stay here,
got my citizenship in nineteen sixty. For that's the sort.
(03:03):
But if your listeners have a curious, there's a lot
to the story, both from a young age and when
you said before a curious and say why. I've always
used to tell my parents why, and they were telling
you because I told you so. And so I'm here.
(03:28):
I feel very strongly on two particular things. A full
citizen ship and full cities and means to participate in democracy,
not only to vote, but to participate across the spectrum
of democracy, including service your country. Serve your country is
(03:50):
so important to learn, to understand, to participate, to give
back to your country. And so that's something that we
must do, yes and if dem if democracy and capitalism
is to survive. And also the things that I am
(04:12):
stating on the book through my experience of the beginning
of my time two last year, I I analyze and
look at what we are missing and what we need
to do really to intertwine democracy and capitalism and democracy
(04:41):
again is part of citizenship. And so the more we
are complaining without participating, without serving our country, the less
we will get right. So those are the things that
I believe I learn. I put on a book, and
(05:05):
the reason that the book and to burn the book
is three things. One is to remind myself my journey
and how I got here. Second is to really think
all the people that will help me in the way,
in every way possible. People are good, people want to help,
(05:30):
people want to participate, people want to learn, want to succeed.
And the last start or least is to give back
to every to give back as much as you can,
not necessarily money and materials, but training, participating, organizing, be
(05:54):
part of the system, be part of democracy. Right now,
I listen to the reptiles, to the financial centers, and
they're only talking about the market. The market, the market
three hundred and fifty million. Guess what, I don't think
they're more than five percent that they really live from
the market, except that the market is utilizing the retirement
(06:22):
of all the citizens of our country. And so we're
forgetting the main street and the people that make the difference.
A lot of the big companies, especially the public trader companies,
take money from the get the public to buy their shares,
(06:43):
give them their money. They do whatever they want to
and sometimes go up, sometimes go down, and it depends
whether you sell it or not, it has any value.
The dividends are very minimum at benced and who makes
the money the working people. I am a capitalist. I
(07:06):
have three hundred and fifty people who work with us,
but I share, I give. This is why I named
the book go Far, because that's exactly what has had,
what happened to me. I went far from Greece to
here three and a half thousand miles and around the world.
Go far, give back, and live. The Greek doesn't mean
(07:32):
how much olive, oyl or fat that you eat. It
means the book. Democracy means participating. We're talking about democracy. Really,
how many people do really understand or participate? Everybody says,
and especially in the pundits and the politicians, democracy and democracy,
(07:54):
and guess what, I don't think they practice any of it.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
How many or by elector officials, I have served our country.
I don't mean a military only, but serve the country
in the logistics and different things for the citizens of
our country.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Go volunteer if nothing else.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Well, volunteer is okay, but it's not mandatory, so this
is not really happening. You volunteer what you like. You
have to do what you go like as well exactly,
and the democracy. So you need to be serving the
country and in return, and my advice is to have
(08:47):
mandatory serving the country, not the military per se, but
serving your country in everything. And from there you volunteer
for the army like we have now for the armed forces,
but serve your country and everything you exists out there.
(09:08):
All the logic is all the employees that our federal
government and our state government employees, and then from that
they in return pay your education, your college education. So
the government is saving all the labor that you're up
(09:34):
there employing now with this national service, and then you
have much more in the open market for labor that
we lack of labor today and we cannot really produce
or manufacture or grow or manufacturing business without the labor
(09:58):
that we need.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
That's true, That's very true. So can I ask you
a question, Yes, please, I grew up, of course here
in America, and I've always wanted to visit around the globe,
but I've never had the desire to go live in
another country. And you said that you had this desire
(10:19):
when you were very young. Can you tell us what
it was like to grow up in Greece, and what
was it about America that was so appealing.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Personally? It was two things. But one was the Greece
at the time, right after during the war. I grew
up during the occupation of Greece by Germany, and so
it was very, very difficult to imagine what was going on.
Second is that it was very poor and the Germans
(10:52):
were really confiscating the art forces, confiscating anything that existed
that for survival, and so that propelled me to feel
that is not a place to stay and and continue on.
After the war was the Civil War? Then how why
to America? Because America around the world has the best
(11:17):
reputation and the dream that people like and like to
accomplish to to fulfill. And so the other part, which
was very compelling is that my mother had a broather
here and so he used to send us things, including
(11:39):
toys and things like that, and so I thought America
was the place that held all these beautiful things, and
it does, and I've enjoyed it. I enjoyed it very much.
I feel good. I participated in every and every aspect
incurring in politics, not not in that elected, but always
(12:01):
participated in advising, in working towards democracy and expanding and
making making the difference and creating an equality as much
as you possibly can be in an outsider.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Okay, okay, So I assume that you hear it like
I do. It's particularly the younger generation. There. There's a
group of them, and I don't think it's very large,
but they're very loud, and they're very anti capitalists and
anti America, and they think that all the rest of
the world. You know, those countries they get so many
(12:41):
months off for vacation paid, and they get this for
their you know, they don't have to pay for their
hospital bill when their child is born. All these things,
and they point to one or two instances in different countries,
but not the country. You know what I'm saying. They
don't talk about the country as a whole. What is
your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Absolutely? Absolutely, and they're wrong, totally wrong, including some of
our people that I'm expecting here to be, to be
to be pamper or to be giving. I absolutely the
part that is important again, I think we need to
(13:21):
earn what we get. We should not be expecting free
any free of anything. Nobody gives. Nobody can get anything free.
So the only thing that I will say is that
there's no fairness when you see a CEO of ABC
(13:43):
company receives one hundred million dollars and a worker that
makes the money for the CEO and the upper management
and the board of directors. This person makes fifteen dollars
an hour and cannot fit HISA or health Airbly. This
(14:05):
is where I think we need to really look at it.
Do we exploit these people are our work is or
need to look at to see to make sure that
they have been taken care of. And so an example
of I believe and this is something that I've heard.
(14:26):
A teacher in northern Florida makes thirty five thousand dollars
a year. Is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Right? And that's the question. I mean, obviously it would
depend on where in Florida, what the cost of living is,
those types of things.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But yeah, but the cost of living is one thing.
But at the same time, healthcare is pretty much expensive everywhere.
The second parny is that if you want to send
your to educate your child, it becomes in upon because
every school everywhere is too expensive to be able to
(15:07):
So capitalism is I'm a capitalist, but I take care
of my people, full insurance bonders, good pay and and
so I appreciate what they do right and serving serving
our customers. But it's also again for instance, the the
(15:30):
an example, and I don't mean that Bill Gates a
stare of the money, no, but who did make the money?
Bill Gates alone or his people? Now he's allowed to
put on his on his state whatever they call the
(15:50):
two hundred billion dollars acts free. Is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Right?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
And that's that's the question. I think that's the reason
and the young people have the attitude they have is
they see the people at the top instead of taking
care of employees. You know, we we see these and
as a reporter, I do these stories about you know,
quarter one, quarter two more revenue, We've made more than ever,
record breaking profits, and yet the employees are not seeing
(16:18):
any of that come down to them.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
That's that's the point exactly. I need we need to
be like perish on Bill Gates or many of course
the board I just used because we were telling that
to is going to break down his foundation two hundred
billion dollars and things like that. Now, if you pay
his taxes of the two hundred billion dollars and the
(16:45):
balance of what, let's say, thirty five forty percent of
the sixty percent left. Yes, but we have the countries
in dead am I correct? Thirty six thirty seven trillion
dollars and these people the private foundations. And to be
honest with you, I have a small amount of pudder
(17:08):
side tax free to give my pat projects tax free.
Now across the country is supposedly to be over one
hundred and fifty hundred and thirty trillion dollars in foundations,
and the country is in debt of thirty six trillion dollars.
(17:30):
Pay the taxes and put it away or give it
a friend of mine boss, The scientific gave to do
University one hundred and twenty million dollars. What is wrong
to be taxed before either the score or my friend
(17:50):
of the one hundred and twenty reducing it down to
what one hundred to twenty to eighty million dollars to
the school? What is wrong with that? And so the
government doesn't borrow to do its business.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, And as my understanding, and I am not an
economist by any means, but is my understanding that that's
actually part of the draw to come to America, is
that our tax law encourages people to build jobs. And
once you become a business owner and you amass even
a small amount of wealth, then you have options. And
(18:29):
even before that, you have options to do things like
put your house or your car or whatever into a
trust and that saves you on taxes. You can start
an LLC for like one hundred and fifty dollars in
some states it's not expensive. And once you have an LLC,
you can then run some of your tax liabilities through
(18:50):
that company and that lowers the amount of taxes that
you pay compared to paying them as an individual person.
And so a lot of these multimillionaires and billionaires, Yeah,
they may be quote unquote worth that much money, but
that's if you were to liquidate all of their companies,
and you know, their salary that they pay actual income
(19:13):
tax on probably isn't as much of as all of that.
It's all the bonuses and the stuff that they're worth
in other ways, they're sheltered in our tax system.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Well, that's the point, or repeca. I agree with all
what you said. What I believe is if that's the case,
for instance, the working the low paid people, low paid
people save for their retirements or for one key, but
(19:44):
they are attached when they take it out, right, all right?
So what is wrong these people that they put fifteen
dollars one hundred dollars, two hundred dollars and they accumulate
two three, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars one hundred
thousand dollars, but they pay taxes or they take it out. Now,
what is wrong with the billionaires and why should they
(20:09):
able to shelter it and not pay taxes? And they
give it to the to their to their to their projects. Again,
it's it's a it's a fairness that I think we
should look at them. And why I'm saying this and
why I feel strongly about it, is that we are
killing a golden goose because eventually, and historically across the globe,
(20:36):
the countries go into a revolution, not because people want
a revolution, but because the unfairness that persists throughout the
generation of two thousand years where there was the Greeks,
the Romans, the English and so forth. So those are
the things that we need to prevent by being more fair.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Right, And I think the problem down to it's actually
more of a heart problems, and I don't know that
you can do anything to solve that specifically from an
outside you know, working towards someone's heart, because it's greed.
If you make enough money for your grandchildren to be millionaires,
(21:18):
there's nothing wrong with you sharing it because they're still
going to be okay, you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That's the point to shay it not unfair, but like
the people that make fifteen dollars an hour, but they
make your money. And example, years ago, a couple of
years ago, it was the CEO of Home Depot was
very upset because the people, the workers are lazy and
(21:45):
this and that and this and that and so forth.
And at the end of it he says, I'm going
to be I'm going to sell everything and just no
take my money and not to do anything to it. Now,
that's what he has taught. He has I don't know,
one d one thousand people, one hundred thousand people across
the country and they make the money for him. That's nice.
(22:10):
They need to be taken care of well.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And I think there was a big shift and this
is just my opinion, of course, I think there was
a big shift when we started seeing a pull away
from pensions because I know my grandparents. They always talked
about if you get in with a good company and
you're devoted to them, they'll be devoted to you. You
take care of them, they take care of you. And
somewhere in my parents' world of work, before I got
(22:36):
into working, all that started changing and my dad was
promised a pension through the Bell system. He went to Vietnam,
he came home, he started working for Western Electric. He
worked his way through the Bell system for thirty five
years or so. He was supposed to have a pension.
He was supposed to have insurance for him and my
mother until they both passed away. Guess who got forced
(22:58):
into early retirement. Guests who never got his pension that
got taken away from him. He never got insurance to
the end of his life.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
The way they is, is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (23:09):
No. They all the promises, and there's nothing he can
do about the fact that it was all those promises
were taken away. There's no legal action to say, hey,
wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
You know this is where this is exactly the point,
precisely perfectly experienced, and this is where our government would
I'm not taking not to cut the taxes, I'm not
taking to change the percentage of them. I'm saying, the
people that they hold the money, including an example, they're
(23:41):
putting in foundations, one hundred and thirty trillion dollars in
profit founditions, and if they pay, if they pay a
fair affair doxes, our government would be not will be
not debt to our economy, for to our future generations. Really,
the other part which is so important the shareholders. And
(24:05):
you read it and you see it all over the
place obviously data information, in public information. And so they
they have billions of dollars in reserves, and their dividends
are very very a week. They give very little to
the plush. The CEOs and all the oppen management received
(24:30):
millions of dollars in pay and they hold a lot
of the money in reserve the company and the shareholders
that they own the company that they have shared see,
they get very little dividends. That's unfair.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Agreed, Agreed, We're almost at the end of our time.
But I want to ask you one other question. If
if for some reason we could, you know, do a
little magic, and you were a child now in Greece,
you know, not during wartime, but now, and you know
America was what it is today, would you still think
(25:11):
that you would still have the drive to be here
the same way?
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Absolutely? Absolutely, the American dream is still around. We need
to really we need to educate our political leaders to
look at the fairness. I don't want to take you
because if they if I want to take away money,
they're going to be taken out of me as well.
I have been able to do exactly what everybody else
(25:36):
in a smaller scale, and I am very comfortable. But
I don't even give my children, and they have their
own work, they do their own things. And if I
at my and so even I give out a lot
of people a lot of things, a lot of things,
because that is what I believe. But at the same time,
(25:58):
we really need we need to make sure that we
upgrade our tax system. That there are few things that
they aren't there, and especially the private foundations and the
gifts to institutions that they go without taxes. The school
(26:22):
systems first, the education system. All the universities get hands
of free tax money, and guess what, the tuition goes
up and up continuously. So and what we.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Really need is money in the lower education system so
kids can get into college.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Surely, and so why do I feel comfortable and fear
for ABC school to get billions of dollars tax free
in if I send my my kids go to school
or my grand children go to school, get some eight
(27:01):
ninety thousand dollars. What is the fairness of that?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Right? Agreed? Agreed? I think we probably have to be
able to go ahead and say one thing and then
we got to wrap it up. But yeah, go ahead, Rebecca.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
The only thing is what I wanted to The book
is really my story, my experience, and what I have
learned through my experience to sustain and continue to maintain
our democracy and capitalism. Neither capitalism can survive without democracy
(27:40):
or democracy can prosper without capitalism. Right, And this is
my story. This is why I wrote the book. Biographies
are all over numbers are all over the place. My
difference because I have experience from World War to Occupate,
(28:01):
the occupation to today, and I've seen everything under the
sun that has been and I believe that we need
to really sustain ourselves, our democracy and capitalism by being
fair with a system.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yes, I agree completely. So where can we find what
is the name of your book and where can we
find it?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Is? Go far, give back, Live Greek. Live Greek again,
is not how much only boil or feta you eat.
It is to live like a and to feel like
to live like a full citizens, serve your country. Okay,
(28:45):
you can get it an Amazon and or you go
to my website George Danis dot com. Okay, Amazon, go
far give back Live Greek. You'll find it.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
And I'm gonna enjoy the olive oil and the feta
cheese because great food is some of my favorite food
in the world.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I'm not gonna thank you very much. I love Virginia.
I was loved for my lending in the United States.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yeah, I love that. I love that. And thank you
so much for your time today. I really appreciate you
coming on and sharing some of your story and sharing
some of your insights. I know it will benefit some
people that listened. I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Thank you, Ms Rebeck. I have a great day. Thank you,
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
I hope you've enjoyed today's show. Thanks for tuning into
the show on your favorite local radio station. You can
now listen to this show or past shows through the
iheartapp or on iHeart dot com. Just search for Virginia
Focus under podcasts. I'm Rebecca Hughes with the Virginia News Network,
and I'll be here next week on Virginia Focus.
Welcome to Virginia Focus. I'm Rebecca Hughes of the Virginia
News Network. The American dream may feel fragile today, but
for Greek immigrant and entrepreneur George Danis, it's a live,
achievable and worth fighting for. In his new book, Go Far,
Give Back, Live, Greek Dana shares his colorful life story
with anecdotes and lessons on being successful in life and
(00:28):
in business. On this episode, we're getting a dose of
inspiration and a look at America from outside of its borders.
Welcome to the show, mister Danis. I'm so glad you
could be with us today. I'm really anxious to talk
to you. I'm anxious to hear your perspective on things.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Thank you very much for inviting me Alberica.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So why don't you give us a little bit of
background about yourself first?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Well, yes, I was born in a small village and
Atte Island in Greece. And when twelve years old, day
took me to Athens and the high school because there
was no high school there and I was able to
or survive on my own. And when I fined, I
(01:11):
finished three years old high school. Then I went to
a engine getting marine engineering school to to my objective.
Who was to come to the United States, And the
only way to come was a merged marine, and so
that's what I did. I ended up at the age
(01:31):
of eighteen, I left. I left Greece and I went
to Germany pick up a job an afraida from Germany
to Japan and Japan to to West Coast California, UH
and and UH for repairs and back and forth Japan.
(01:54):
Long story short, from there to from Japan to Canada.
We lording with to all the way to Poland. Came
back and I got out in a jump ship in Norfolk, Virginia,
by the way, and from there I took a bus
to New York. I lost the train. I slept over
(02:17):
or whatever. I don't know exactly where and how, but anyway,
the next day I took the train to Boston. A
few months working a dina and outside Washton Wartown, Massachusetts,
I got apprehended by the immigration and into jail and
(02:38):
deported back to Greece. Served the Navy there and when
I finished, I picked up another board to Mobile from
Italy to Mobile, Alabama, and jump ship again all the
way to Massachusetts. Work, got married and I stay here,
got my citizenship in nineteen sixty. For that's the sort.
(03:03):
But if your listeners have a curious, there's a lot
to the story, both from a young age and when
you said before a curious and say why. I've always
used to tell my parents why, and they were telling
you because I told you so. And so I'm here.
(03:28):
I feel very strongly on two particular things. A full
citizen ship and full cities and means to participate in democracy,
not only to vote, but to participate across the spectrum
of democracy, including service your country. Serve your country is
(03:50):
so important to learn, to understand, to participate, to give
back to your country. And so that's something that we
must do, yes and if dem if democracy and capitalism
is to survive. And also the things that I am
(04:12):
stating on the book through my experience of the beginning
of my time two last year, I I analyze and
look at what we are missing and what we need
to do really to intertwine democracy and capitalism and democracy
(04:41):
again is part of citizenship. And so the more we
are complaining without participating, without serving our country, the less
we will get right. So those are the things that
I believe I learn. I put on a book, and
(05:05):
the reason that the book and to burn the book
is three things. One is to remind myself my journey
and how I got here. Second is to really think
all the people that will help me in the way,
in every way possible. People are good, people want to help,
(05:30):
people want to participate, people want to learn, want to succeed.
And the last start or least is to give back
to every to give back as much as you can,
not necessarily money and materials, but training, participating, organizing, be
(05:54):
part of the system, be part of democracy. Right now,
I listen to the reptiles, to the financial centers, and
they're only talking about the market. The market, the market
three hundred and fifty million. Guess what, I don't think
they're more than five percent that they really live from
the market, except that the market is utilizing the retirement
(06:22):
of all the citizens of our country. And so we're
forgetting the main street and the people that make the difference.
A lot of the big companies, especially the public trader companies,
take money from the get the public to buy their shares,
(06:43):
give them their money. They do whatever they want to
and sometimes go up, sometimes go down, and it depends
whether you sell it or not, it has any value.
The dividends are very minimum at benced and who makes
the money the working people. I am a capitalist. I
(07:06):
have three hundred and fifty people who work with us,
but I share, I give. This is why I named
the book go Far, because that's exactly what has had,
what happened to me. I went far from Greece to
here three and a half thousand miles and around the world.
Go far, give back, and live. The Greek doesn't mean
(07:32):
how much olive, oyl or fat that you eat. It
means the book. Democracy means participating. We're talking about democracy. Really,
how many people do really understand or participate? Everybody says,
and especially in the pundits and the politicians, democracy and democracy,
(07:54):
and guess what, I don't think they practice any of it.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
How many or by elector officials, I have served our country.
I don't mean a military only, but serve the country
in the logistics and different things for the citizens of
our country.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Go volunteer if nothing else.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Well, volunteer is okay, but it's not mandatory, so this
is not really happening. You volunteer what you like. You
have to do what you go like as well exactly,
and the democracy. So you need to be serving the
country and in return, and my advice is to have
(08:47):
mandatory serving the country, not the military per se, but
serving your country in everything. And from there you volunteer
for the army like we have now for the armed forces,
but serve your country and everything you exists out there.
(09:08):
All the logic is all the employees that our federal
government and our state government employees, and then from that
they in return pay your education, your college education. So
the government is saving all the labor that you're up
(09:34):
there employing now with this national service, and then you
have much more in the open market for labor that
we lack of labor today and we cannot really produce
or manufacture or grow or manufacturing business without the labor
(09:58):
that we need.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
That's true, That's very true. So can I ask you
a question, Yes, please, I grew up, of course here
in America, and I've always wanted to visit around the globe,
but I've never had the desire to go live in
another country. And you said that you had this desire
(10:19):
when you were very young. Can you tell us what
it was like to grow up in Greece, and what
was it about America that was so appealing.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Personally? It was two things. But one was the Greece
at the time, right after during the war. I grew
up during the occupation of Greece by Germany, and so
it was very, very difficult to imagine what was going on.
Second is that it was very poor and the Germans
(10:52):
were really confiscating the art forces, confiscating anything that existed
that for survival, and so that propelled me to feel
that is not a place to stay and and continue on.
After the war was the Civil War? Then how why
to America? Because America around the world has the best
(11:17):
reputation and the dream that people like and like to
accomplish to to fulfill. And so the other part, which
was very compelling is that my mother had a broather
here and so he used to send us things, including
(11:39):
toys and things like that, and so I thought America
was the place that held all these beautiful things, and
it does, and I've enjoyed it. I enjoyed it very much.
I feel good. I participated in every and every aspect
incurring in politics, not not in that elected, but always
(12:01):
participated in advising, in working towards democracy and expanding and
making making the difference and creating an equality as much
as you possibly can be in an outsider.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
Okay, okay, So I assume that you hear it like
I do. It's particularly the younger generation. There. There's a
group of them, and I don't think it's very large,
but they're very loud, and they're very anti capitalists and
anti America, and they think that all the rest of
the world. You know, those countries they get so many
(12:41):
months off for vacation paid, and they get this for
their you know, they don't have to pay for their
hospital bill when their child is born. All these things,
and they point to one or two instances in different countries,
but not the country. You know what I'm saying. They
don't talk about the country as a whole. What is
your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2 (13:00):
Absolutely? Absolutely, and they're wrong, totally wrong, including some of
our people that I'm expecting here to be, to be
to be pamper or to be giving. I absolutely the
part that is important again, I think we need to
(13:21):
earn what we get. We should not be expecting free
any free of anything. Nobody gives. Nobody can get anything free.
So the only thing that I will say is that
there's no fairness when you see a CEO of ABC
(13:43):
company receives one hundred million dollars and a worker that
makes the money for the CEO and the upper management
and the board of directors. This person makes fifteen dollars
an hour and cannot fit HISA or health Airbly. This
(14:05):
is where I think we need to really look at it.
Do we exploit these people are our work is or
need to look at to see to make sure that
they have been taken care of. And so an example
of I believe and this is something that I've heard.
(14:26):
A teacher in northern Florida makes thirty five thousand dollars
a year. Is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Right? And that's the question. I mean, obviously it would
depend on where in Florida, what the cost of living is,
those types of things.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But yeah, but the cost of living is one thing.
But at the same time, healthcare is pretty much expensive everywhere.
The second parny is that if you want to send
your to educate your child, it becomes in upon because
every school everywhere is too expensive to be able to
(15:07):
So capitalism is I'm a capitalist, but I take care
of my people, full insurance bonders, good pay and and
so I appreciate what they do right and serving serving
our customers. But it's also again for instance, the the
(15:30):
an example, and I don't mean that Bill Gates a
stare of the money, no, but who did make the money?
Bill Gates alone or his people? Now he's allowed to
put on his on his state whatever they call the
(15:50):
two hundred billion dollars acts free. Is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Right?
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Right?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
And that's that's the question. I think that's the reason
and the young people have the attitude they have is
they see the people at the top instead of taking
care of employees. You know, we we see these and
as a reporter, I do these stories about you know,
quarter one, quarter two more revenue, We've made more than ever,
record breaking profits, and yet the employees are not seeing
(16:18):
any of that come down to them.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
That's that's the point exactly. I need we need to
be like perish on Bill Gates or many of course
the board I just used because we were telling that
to is going to break down his foundation two hundred
billion dollars and things like that. Now, if you pay
his taxes of the two hundred billion dollars and the
(16:45):
balance of what, let's say, thirty five forty percent of
the sixty percent left. Yes, but we have the countries
in dead am I correct? Thirty six thirty seven trillion
dollars and these people the private foundations. And to be
honest with you, I have a small amount of pudder
(17:08):
side tax free to give my pat projects tax free.
Now across the country is supposedly to be over one
hundred and fifty hundred and thirty trillion dollars in foundations,
and the country is in debt of thirty six trillion dollars.
(17:30):
Pay the taxes and put it away or give it
a friend of mine boss, The scientific gave to do
University one hundred and twenty million dollars. What is wrong
to be taxed before either the score or my friend
(17:50):
of the one hundred and twenty reducing it down to
what one hundred to twenty to eighty million dollars to
the school? What is wrong with that? And so the
government doesn't borrow to do its business.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
Well, And as my understanding, and I am not an
economist by any means, but is my understanding that that's
actually part of the draw to come to America, is
that our tax law encourages people to build jobs. And
once you become a business owner and you amass even
a small amount of wealth, then you have options. And
(18:29):
even before that, you have options to do things like
put your house or your car or whatever into a
trust and that saves you on taxes. You can start
an LLC for like one hundred and fifty dollars in
some states it's not expensive. And once you have an LLC,
you can then run some of your tax liabilities through
(18:50):
that company and that lowers the amount of taxes that
you pay compared to paying them as an individual person.
And so a lot of these multimillionaires and billionaires, Yeah,
they may be quote unquote worth that much money, but
that's if you were to liquidate all of their companies,
and you know, their salary that they pay actual income
(19:13):
tax on probably isn't as much of as all of that.
It's all the bonuses and the stuff that they're worth
in other ways, they're sheltered in our tax system.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Well, that's the point, or repeca. I agree with all
what you said. What I believe is if that's the case,
for instance, the working the low paid people, low paid
people save for their retirements or for one key, but
(19:44):
they are attached when they take it out, right, all right?
So what is wrong these people that they put fifteen
dollars one hundred dollars, two hundred dollars and they accumulate
two three, one hundred and fifty thousand dollars one hundred
thousand dollars, but they pay taxes or they take it out. Now,
what is wrong with the billionaires and why should they
(20:09):
able to shelter it and not pay taxes? And they
give it to the to their to their to their projects. Again,
it's it's a it's a fairness that I think we
should look at them. And why I'm saying this and
why I feel strongly about it, is that we are
killing a golden goose because eventually, and historically across the globe,
(20:36):
the countries go into a revolution, not because people want
a revolution, but because the unfairness that persists throughout the
generation of two thousand years where there was the Greeks,
the Romans, the English and so forth. So those are
the things that we need to prevent by being more fair.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Right, And I think the problem down to it's actually
more of a heart problems, and I don't know that
you can do anything to solve that specifically from an
outside you know, working towards someone's heart, because it's greed.
If you make enough money for your grandchildren to be millionaires,
(21:18):
there's nothing wrong with you sharing it because they're still
going to be okay, you know exactly.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
That's the point to shay it not unfair, but like
the people that make fifteen dollars an hour, but they
make your money. And example, years ago, a couple of
years ago, it was the CEO of Home Depot was
very upset because the people, the workers are lazy and
(21:45):
this and that and this and that and so forth.
And at the end of it he says, I'm going
to be I'm going to sell everything and just no
take my money and not to do anything to it. Now,
that's what he has taught. He has I don't know,
one d one thousand people, one hundred thousand people across
the country and they make the money for him. That's nice.
(22:10):
They need to be taken care of well.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And I think there was a big shift and this
is just my opinion, of course, I think there was
a big shift when we started seeing a pull away
from pensions because I know my grandparents. They always talked
about if you get in with a good company and
you're devoted to them, they'll be devoted to you. You
take care of them, they take care of you. And
somewhere in my parents' world of work, before I got
(22:36):
into working, all that started changing and my dad was
promised a pension through the Bell system. He went to Vietnam,
he came home, he started working for Western Electric. He
worked his way through the Bell system for thirty five
years or so. He was supposed to have a pension.
He was supposed to have insurance for him and my
mother until they both passed away. Guess who got forced
(22:58):
into early retirement. Guests who never got his pension that
got taken away from him. He never got insurance to
the end of his life.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
The way they is, is that a fair game?
Speaker 1 (23:09):
No. They all the promises, and there's nothing he can
do about the fact that it was all those promises
were taken away. There's no legal action to say, hey,
wait a minute.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
You know this is where this is exactly the point,
precisely perfectly experienced, and this is where our government would
I'm not taking not to cut the taxes, I'm not
taking to change the percentage of them. I'm saying, the
people that they hold the money, including an example, they're
(23:41):
putting in foundations, one hundred and thirty trillion dollars in
profit founditions, and if they pay, if they pay a
fair affair doxes, our government would be not will be
not debt to our economy, for to our future generations. Really,
the other part which is so important the shareholders. And
(24:05):
you read it and you see it all over the
place obviously data information, in public information. And so they
they have billions of dollars in reserves, and their dividends
are very very a week. They give very little to
the plush. The CEOs and all the oppen management received
(24:30):
millions of dollars in pay and they hold a lot
of the money in reserve the company and the shareholders
that they own the company that they have shared see,
they get very little dividends. That's unfair.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Agreed, Agreed, We're almost at the end of our time.
But I want to ask you one other question. If
if for some reason we could, you know, do a
little magic, and you were a child now in Greece,
you know, not during wartime, but now, and you know
America was what it is today, would you still think
(25:11):
that you would still have the drive to be here
the same way?
Speaker 2 (25:14):
Absolutely? Absolutely, the American dream is still around. We need
to really we need to educate our political leaders to
look at the fairness. I don't want to take you
because if they if I want to take away money,
they're going to be taken out of me as well.
I have been able to do exactly what everybody else
(25:36):
in a smaller scale, and I am very comfortable. But
I don't even give my children, and they have their
own work, they do their own things. And if I
at my and so even I give out a lot
of people a lot of things, a lot of things,
because that is what I believe. But at the same time,
(25:58):
we really need we need to make sure that we
upgrade our tax system. That there are few things that
they aren't there, and especially the private foundations and the
gifts to institutions that they go without taxes. The school
(26:22):
systems first, the education system. All the universities get hands
of free tax money, and guess what, the tuition goes
up and up continuously. So and what we.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Really need is money in the lower education system so
kids can get into college.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
Surely, and so why do I feel comfortable and fear
for ABC school to get billions of dollars tax free
in if I send my my kids go to school
or my grand children go to school, get some eight
(27:01):
ninety thousand dollars. What is the fairness of that?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Right? Agreed? Agreed? I think we probably have to be
able to go ahead and say one thing and then
we got to wrap it up. But yeah, go ahead, Rebecca.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
The only thing is what I wanted to The book
is really my story, my experience, and what I have
learned through my experience to sustain and continue to maintain
our democracy and capitalism. Neither capitalism can survive without democracy
(27:40):
or democracy can prosper without capitalism. Right, And this is
my story. This is why I wrote the book. Biographies
are all over numbers are all over the place. My
difference because I have experience from World War to Occupate,
(28:01):
the occupation to today, and I've seen everything under the
sun that has been and I believe that we need
to really sustain ourselves, our democracy and capitalism by being
fair with a system.
Speaker 1 (28:17):
Yes, I agree completely. So where can we find what
is the name of your book and where can we
find it?
Speaker 2 (28:23):
Is? Go far, give back, Live Greek. Live Greek again,
is not how much only boil or feta you eat.
It is to live like a and to feel like
to live like a full citizens, serve your country. Okay,
(28:45):
you can get it an Amazon and or you go
to my website George Danis dot com. Okay, Amazon, go
far give back Live Greek. You'll find it.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
And I'm gonna enjoy the olive oil and the feta
cheese because great food is some of my favorite food
in the world.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I'm not gonna thank you very much. I love Virginia.
I was loved for my lending in the United States.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Yeah, I love that. I love that. And thank you
so much for your time today. I really appreciate you
coming on and sharing some of your story and sharing
some of your insights. I know it will benefit some
people that listened. I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Thank you, Ms Rebeck. I have a great day. Thank you,
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
I hope you've enjoyed today's show. Thanks for tuning into
the show on your favorite local radio station. You can
now listen to this show or past shows through the
iheartapp or on iHeart dot com. Just search for Virginia
Focus under podcasts. I'm Rebecca Hughes with the Virginia News Network,
and I'll be here next week on Virginia Focus.
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