greeks want their money & gold back from germany (nazis)

[star-warrior]

Greek Deputy PM Theodoros Pangalos: "I don't say they have to give back the money necessarily, but they have to say thanks"

Well, that seems clear enough.

 

[Corny]

I am sure their debt has nothing to do with their missmanagement and lies

[edit]
by the way .. greek debt in germany: 43 billion

Another thing to keep in mind. If they weren't in the EU they would have been bankrupt already.
If they didn't hide their bad numbers for so long, they weren't even in the EU ..

 

[ViennaExpat83]

I am sure their debt has nothing to do with their missmanagement and lies

[edit]
by the way .. greek debt in germany: 43 billion

Another thing to keep in mind. If they weren't in the EU they would have been bankrupt already.
If they didn't hide their bad numbers for so long, they weren't even in the EU ..

That about covers it. I find it amazing that they are engaging in this kind of nonsense given their situation. If it were up to me they would be thrown out of the monetary union (Euro) and perhaps even the EU -- it is a terrible example that a member country cheating on its data for so long should get off without any consequences.

 

[Lukeee]

not helpful towards what? that comment made me laugh.

 

[ViennaExpat83]

Portugal next...

huh? The Portuguese government has already stated it doesn't need any help from the EU and that it will reduce the deficit on its own.
The English-language financial media has been going nuts with this story about Greece, and it spreading to Portugal for a very simple reason -- because it distracts from the equally or more serious problems in the UK and US.
The fact is that even if it were as serious as they say, Greece and Portugal produce very little of the EU's GDP, so the theory the EU's economy and currency are about to melt is a bit nuts.
By the way, this tactic is not new. 9 months ago or so, these same "financial experts" that are now writing about Greece and Portugal were rejoicing by predicting that the whole of Eastern Europe was about to melt and take their creditors in Central Europe with them.
I remember seeing so many articles foretelling the general collapse of the banks in Austria, where I now live, as well as the state's bankruptcy. Any person reasonably informed about the actual detailed state of the financial fundamentals of Austrian banks and state would have laughed at this. And, of course, they were wrong: the Austrian economy is pottering along quite well for one getting out of a recession, with unemployment under 5%, and the banks are showing big profits.
The point is: don't believe everything you read in the financial media. My partner is specialized in the energy sector and he rolls around on the floor laughing while reading the analysis of the sector by "financial journalists". And it's not just financial journalism that sucks of course -- a lot of journalism in general is done by people who do very very shallow and ideologically-prejudiced analysis on a regular basis.

 

[cklover]

I suppose the next logical step would be for Greece to ask Great Britain and Turkey to return everything that they took.

 

[Knucklehead]

Geeze, these people need to get the fuck over WWII already..

 

[BearBoi]

not helpful towards what? that comment made me laugh.

He probably meant that dwelling on a horrible offence that took place before any of them were even born (okay, some of them might have been kids) is a little redundant and not helpful to furthering the goals of EU coherency.

I'd have to agree in this case.

 

[Corny]

oh it was a Bild interview.

That's kinda like the national enquirer. sadly more popular though

 

[cklover]

i wish a group of wealthy gays would buy one of those islands

*mind runs wild*

One or several islands and then I'd be visiting and probably looking to take up residence there.

 

[Telstra]

I know alot of greek here ... they do party hard and have a good time ... i'm not sure about hard work ...

Also my house mate said "Arabs are lazy" ... is that true ?

 

[LESAINT]

Geeze, these people need to get the fuck over WWII already..

stupid comment ...

i hope no one will ever get over WWII or WWI ....

 

[unloadonme]

Oh, but they do and have been doing that for a while. I don't know about Turkey, but when I was in Athens, I remember seeing a petition for the return of the Elgin Marbles from GB (among other things).

The Greeks have been bleating on about the Elgin Marbles for years. They'll be staying in London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles

 

[kallipolis]

The Greeks have been bleating on about the Elgin Marbles for years. They'll be staying in London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elgin_Marbles

Just a few Greeks. Predictably, politicians seeking a photo opportunity, and an all expenses paid trip to London, to present their demands to the British Museum. Tribal related issues are always the territory of the political class.

The rest of us Greeks have more mundane matters to occupy our attention.

 

[Corny]

Germany is in no regard obligated to bail out countries - which in turn is where the 'Nazi' element comes from - it's just the richest of the EU and is therefore frequently called upon. Which is hauntingly ironic given the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Someone these days calculated that Germany *already* has paid every single Greek 9000 EUR just through the standard EU subventions.

 

[kallipolis]

20% of Greek Government debt is in the hands of German banks. The EU and the financial markets would have been more impressed by Chancellor Merkel had she explained to her people that, it is in Germany's interest to help Greece rather than having spent the last month sending confusing signals. In other words the high interest loans (5pct) from Germany to the Greek Government will enable the Greeks to pay the German lending institutions their regular repayments.

Other EU countries are also contributing to this special loan package for Greece.

Bear in mind that Greece has been, and continues to be a popular sales market for German manufactured goods. Cars manufactured by German owned companies represent over fifty percent of the private cars sold in Greece.

The Greek armed forces has most of its trucks supplied by German owned manufacturers. Most of the tanks in the Greek Army are of German manufacture. German manufactured frigates, and German submarines for the Greek Navy. I could go on. But the Turks might be reading this post.

German manufactured products dominate the Greek market.

German industry receives a very significant benefit as a result of its banks lending to the Greek Government at interest rates well above that which is paid by the German Government.

 

[Corny]

no need to argue with me about this. that remark was more in reply to the original message of this thread (giving money *back*).

 

[kallipolis]

no need to argue with me about this. that remark was more in reply to the original message of this thread (giving money *back*).

I am not addressing your message. Just adding a little balance to the equation.

I will never argue with a mod. I am far too polite.

 

[kallipolis]

^Greeks and their balance...but are there riots on the streets yet with all the austerity measures???

There are minor riots, and strikes every day in Greece.

Greece has a very long tradition in anarchistic reactions to unpopular government policies.

Most of the street protests are peaceful, but anarchist groups often attach themselves to well marshalled street parades and create violence. For the foreign journalist, and foreign film crews this violence, appears to be a sign of popular discontent revealing itself in street rioting.

The current Greek government was voted into office in October, 2009 with a comfortable majority. I expect new legislation to be enacted within the next ten days that will introduce more reforms to enable the Greek economy to weather the current storm, and then in due time grow healthier. This should take some five years.

There will be riots, explosions and people will be very unhappy. But the reforms, and healing are now under way. We have to swallow our medicine.

 

[PhosphorousGiraffe]

You know, the Third Reich has become like the American Civil War for Europe. Anytime someone is broke or needs something for free, they just go to Germany, play the Nazi card, and demand reparations.

What a scam. Shame on Greece. Its not Germany's fault they are broke. It's their own mismanagement of the financial sectors.