Brother of American Missing on "Big Blue" Greek Island of Amorgos Slams U.S. for "Doing Nothing" to Help in Search
The institutional arrogance of the Department of State appears to be on full display
The brother of an American tourist who has been missing on the island of Amorgos for more than week has slammed the U.S. government for doing “nothing” to help find his brother.
59-year-old Albert Calibet is a retired L.A. County police officer who set off on hike from the village of Aegiali to the port of Katapola alone during hot June weather.
Amorgos is famous as the island where scenes from the hit French film “Le Grand Bleu” was filmed. It is popular with European tourists but fairly remote, and the terrain while scenic is also very rugged.
In a sense, Amorgos is the polar opposite of Mykonos or Santorini. Greek Column recommends visits to Amorgos only for seasoned travelers who are ready to take on terrain that can be challenging to navigate by foot or by car in any weather.
By way of example, during our visit last July, we drove from Katapola in the direction of Aegiali. The narrow road rose in elevation quickly above the port, and as soon as we drove through Chora, the main village, the landscape was enveloped in a thick fog.
Later that day the sun shone again brightly, and it was hot.
Greece is facing a summer of heatwaves, and many tourists are not prepared.
Meanwhile, in his YouTube video, Oliver Calibet said “I would expect a little more from the United States.” Of his brother Albert, he said that “he might as well be stuck in Afghanistan or something.”
We all know how a great a job the United States did in Afghanistan.
The State Department has long been accused of a kind of institutional arrogance. It is worth recalling that the American embassy in Athens is very large and a lot of Americans work there, but they are generally cagey about telling anybody what exactly it is that they do.
Could it be that they many of them are actually doing nothing? That would be in keeping with the work ethic of most federal bureaucrats in general. Did anyone ever go though high school saying to themselves, “Gee Mom, I’d love to get a job in the government!” If so, perhaps they were psychologically challenged.
Washington, D.C., is one of the most mismanaged and corrupt cities on Earth. The lethargy and the toxicity manifests itself in interesting ways, from the ease with which illegals walk across the Mexican border and into the California healthcare system to the air of detachment that obtains when an American gets into a difficult situation abroad.
None of this is to say that the State Dept. is making zero effort to find Mr. Calibet. But the fact that his brother, who flew to Greece from L.A. at his own expense to try to find his brother, felt compelled to make an emotional plea via social media speaks volumes about what you and I mean to the swamp people in D.C. whose salaries you and I are paying — nothing.
We did not reach out to the press section at the embassy because in the past all relevant minions have taken a stuck-up, dismissive attitude to other, non-related inquiries. It is worth recalling that when given the chance President Biden, who is senile, calls professional journalists “son of a bitch”, etc.
That’s the state of our great nation: you get what you vote for. Anyway, we hope for a break in the Greek heat and that the missing Mr. Calibet is found alive and well. Soon.