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Yes of course it is some else fault LOL.Is it the Greek way ?

Greek have played hard ball all the time since they got into Europe (I never understood why Greece, Malta, Cyprus are in it)

by fredouil (fredouil@gmailgmailgmail.com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 12:36:47 AM EST
Maybe Cyprus and Malta are in because both used to be British colonies, and as a concession to "balance" the Eastward expansion of the EU in 2004.

Not that that makes a lot of sense, but it's EU policy we're talking about.

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 02:43:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
What do you mean. I'm not sure I get your point. Greece has been the most pliant little country in the EU after 1990.

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake
by talos (mihalis at gmail dot com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 05:19:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]
why can't the EU take on conflict of interest in germany with the same fervor it berates greek corruption?

if this austerity really purged the state government of back-handing then it would have a point, but all it's done is cause capital flight and lower tax revenues, while raising nationalistic hackles to boot.

a high price to pay so people don't look too hard at the history, a. of austerity ever doing what it's touted as being good for, and b. ever being really shared sacrifices across the socioeconomic board, just gouging the weak and voiceless while rewarding the real criminals.

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 05:49:06 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Thank you for your well-informed and convincing contribution.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 05:24:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Greece should have told all its foreign creditors to fuck off and die the second it became clear that the ECB was unwilling to do its job and print unlimited amounts of money to cover unrestricted fiscal defence of full employment.

So yes, this entire crisis is the Bundesbank's fault.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 08:59:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Why pay taxes, why even work/be innovative/export ? we just have to print.

AWESOME, no consequences I swear.

by fredouil (fredouil@gmailgmailgmail.com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 11:36:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Ah, the Greeks don't work!

Here we go again.

by Upstate NY on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 12:30:45 PM EST
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YOU can't print money--the state can. States don't work anyway, so I don't know what you wanted to express with your comment.
by Katrin on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 12:48:08 PM EST
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Your remark is a caricature of Jake's comment.

Not that caricature is anything new for you.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 01:03:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You have to stop trying to get the Greeks to pay for your industrial subsidies.

You want to pursue an export-led protectionist economic strategy? Fine, but don't expect the Greeks to honour any foreign debt that results from stabbing them in the back like that.

- Jake

Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Fri Feb 17th, 2012 at 01:31:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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