On the competitive advantages of countries (and USPs)

Athens has never had a Manhattan (like NYC) and imo it never should.

Or a City (like London).

The solution is for those who want a City to move to London and for those who want Acropolis, Greek, islands, and a different way of life to stay or move to Greece. Especially true in an EU context, since intra-EU freedom of relocation is high (not perfect or as high as within the USA, but high). That same rationale could apply globally if global freedom of relocation of persons was anywhere near a descent level, but it is not (the WTO and capital freedoms are not enough, humans' freedom is the key premise in my rationale here, because humans are the basis for all econ/fin, biz and other dimensions, w/o humans what the point of economics, biz etc, not a Caprica (see US TV series)).

Trying to import US, UK, German and other models to Greece and other PIGS (and vice-versa) is wrong Strategy (and wrong philosophy).

One does not give up one's USP (unique selling proposition) to try to copy another's. In spite what many think re the success of copycat products in recent years (aka survival of the cheapest).

For example, US and other foreign educated Greeks (and tdes me) have the challenge to develop suitable original models for Greece not try to copy or transpose other models or patches of the UK, US, German, Dutch etc models.

My scepticism includes study of best practices, not in principle, but in practice. Imo, at best, best practices should be examined as a mere part of a brainstorming process, not as an excuse to shortcut original (and systemic) thinking in models of competitiveness.