This stuff in Athens (Greece, not OU) is starting to get bad

Politics 39 replies 1,255 views
M
Manhattan Buckeye
Posts: 7,566
May 5, 2010 12:02pm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

Horrible news.

Beautiful, historic country (was there for only 2 days), strange attitudes from the population. We'd move to many other countries if the opportunity presented itself, Greece isn't one of them.
majorspark's avatar
majorspark
Posts: 5,122
May 5, 2010 12:12pm
Babies can get quite angry when you pull them off the teet.
C
cbus4life
Posts: 2,849
May 5, 2010 12:12pm
Yea, absolutely terrible there at the moment. Erupting into chaos.
ptown_trojans_1's avatar
ptown_trojans_1
Posts: 7,632
May 5, 2010 12:13pm
This has the potential to radically transform the EU. It will be very interesting to see the economies and leaders of the other EU countries respond.
C
cbus4life
Posts: 2,849
May 5, 2010 12:25pm
Greece never should have been allowed in the EU in the first place.
derek bomar's avatar
derek bomar
Posts: 3,722
May 5, 2010 12:26pm
Where would you rather live right now, Greece or Detroit?
IggyPride00's avatar
IggyPride00
Posts: 6,482
May 5, 2010 12:28pm
Welcome to America circa 2015 or so. After Goldman and their cohorts get done taking out the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) they will have their sites set squarely on the U.S.
C
cbus4life
Posts: 2,849
May 5, 2010 12:28pm
I was in Detroit last weekend, would much rather be there.
M
Manhattan Buckeye
Posts: 7,566
May 5, 2010 12:33pm
^^^

Yeah, Detroit isn't THAT bad, Greece is an odd country...it has unbelievable wealth on the high end (sort of like Mexico), practically no system in place to enforce any type of government funding, and a coddled workforce (to the extent they actually work). The short time I was there I had to pay cash for everything, even for the somewhat upscale hotel. Not a good indication of their attention to abiding by laws.
F
Footwedge
Posts: 9,265
May 5, 2010 12:36pm
No one is getting the point here. The IMf has forcibly told Greece that that must have a maximum of 3% annual debt ratio to their GDP. Greece, just as America, has exceeded this amount. America's annual deficit is about 6% in relation to the GDP this fiscal year. Think about THAT for a second.

The message is clear. Deficits accrued have accountability factors. What would Americans do if the IMF forced the US into compliance? Where would the 800 billion in cuts come from? If any of the social nets in place were drastically cut, then you can bet your ass that Americans would have riots 10told the severity that Greece has today.

Folks...don't think this can't happen here. Because it can. Fortunately for the US, the IMF gives us more latitude than they do smaller countries. But once the financial shit hits the proverbial fan, all hell can and will break loose.
believer's avatar
believer
Posts: 8,153
May 5, 2010 7:00pm
Footwedge wrote:Folks...don't think this can't happen here. Because it can. Fortunately for the US, the IMF gives us more latitude than they do smaller countries. But once the financial shit hits the proverbial fan, all hell can and will break loose.
Sounds like the kind of stuff that can initiate...oh I dunno...a war?
Cleveland Buck's avatar
Cleveland Buck
Posts: 5,126
May 6, 2010 12:28pm
It's like looking into a mirror that shows 10 years into the future.
Belly35's avatar
Belly35
Posts: 9,716
May 6, 2010 12:36pm
Example of Socialism Hope and Change

Greece is a domino that is toppling others quickly and the US is not devoid of impact

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703322204575226610969485910.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews
C
cbus4life
Posts: 2,849
May 6, 2010 12:40pm
So much more involved in there collapse than just socialism...
Cleveland Buck's avatar
Cleveland Buck
Posts: 5,126
May 6, 2010 1:35pm
Actually, socialism is pretty much the main reason for it. Government owned or backed companies are never as efficient as private companies, so when they lose money (and they lose lots of money) the government has to raise taxes or borrow to make up the difference.
C
cbus4life
Posts: 2,849
May 6, 2010 1:41pm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303828304575179921909783864.html

I don't think socialism is completely to blame, given what has been going on there, the place was destined to fall apart regardless of what economic model they were using...

Hell, Germany has a much more socialist economic system than Greece and they're the ones who are shouldering a lot of the burden to keep Greece afloat, and experienced solid growth this past year...

Hell, they couldn't even collect taxes properly. And that had nothing to do with socialism, it had to do with the culture that has pervaded the society for a long, long time.

Way too easy to just say, "look look socialism failed it is that simple blah blah blah." Greece is a unique situation, and has been doomed for quite some time. Like i said, regardless of the economic model, they were in trouble.

*Sorry, link i posted is only for subscribers, i subscribe so didn't even notice.*
Q
QuakerOats
Posts: 8,740
May 6, 2010 1:42pm
Cleveland Buck wrote: Actually, socialism is pretty much the main reason for it. Government owned or backed companies are never as efficient as private companies, so when they lose money (and they lose lots of money) the government has to raise taxes or borrow to make up the difference.
BINGO.

And yet I keep hearing the liberal drivel about how we're the only industrialized nation that doesn't have this or that or that ..........

There is damn good reason not to have this or that or that ....... or socialized medicine, or 30 hour work weeks, or the entire month of August as holiday and on and on and on ..................... NOTHING IS FREE.
FatHobbit's avatar
FatHobbit
Posts: 8,651
May 6, 2010 2:32pm
cbus4life wrote:Hell, Germany has a much more socialist economic system than Greece and they're the ones who are shouldering a lot of the burden to keep Greece afloat, and experienced solid growth this past year...
I know a few Germans who are not happy with their place in the EU and how much they have to pay to support all the slackers.
LJ's avatar
LJ
Posts: 16,351
May 6, 2010 2:49pm
Well the Dow is currently down 900 points
ptown_trojans_1's avatar
ptown_trojans_1
Posts: 7,632
May 6, 2010 2:57pm
Damn......We are all screwed. lol.
LJ's avatar
LJ
Posts: 16,351
May 6, 2010 2:58pm
Computer glitch apparently.... only still 400
ptown_trojans_1's avatar
ptown_trojans_1
Posts: 7,632
May 6, 2010 3:01pm
Glitch? That is one big ass glitch. That is almost Y2K material lol.
LJ's avatar
LJ
Posts: 16,351
May 6, 2010 3:01pm
Now it's plummeting again, down 500

Supposedly Protor and Gamble was down $45 when the market was down "1000"
Q
QuakerOats
Posts: 8,740
May 6, 2010 3:04pm
Minus 467 ........................ and the radicals in DC want us to be more 'europeanized' ........