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Main Greek Opposition Party To Vote Against Austerity Measures
The primary Greek opposition party to the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK, which currently has a Parliamentary majority) has announced in Greek daily Ekathimerini that it would vote against the Austerity bill, thereby splitting a tenuous and brief period of consensus with the ruling party. The conservative New Democracy, which controls a mere 91 Parliamentary seats (out of 300 total) has said it "will only back certain articles of the draft law when it is voted on in
Parliament today." Just more political posturing, or a catalyst for even greater social unrest? Keep an eye out on the euro for hints (so far, none).
ND leader Antonis Samaras made his most outspoken attack yet on the
government shortly after the measures were announced Wednesday,
labeling them an “asphyxiating mixture” of policies. Samaras said he
would not cut civil servants’ pay but would instead increase taxes on
alcohol, cigarettes and fuel while also cutting back on the operational
costs of the public sector.
He criticized PASOK for not taking
measures earlier and admitted that ND had made mistakes when it was in
government but underlined that the party is now under new leadership.
The
conservatives have also tried to take a neutral stand on the protests
by unions, who have planned a series of protests. Party spokesman Panos
Panayiotopoulos refrained yesterday from criticizing the unions, saying
they are free to act independently.
The PASOK retort was expected: after all we have been seeing it here in the US well over one year into the current administration - it is all the other guy's fault.
PASOK responded to ND’s criticism by reminding people that it
inherited the country’s fiscal problems from a conservative government.
“It is a bit late now for New Democracy to give us economics lessons,”
said government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis.
Yet, in what is probably the worst news of the day for Goldman basis traders, who have recently been pooling their 2011 bonus to LBO Mykonos (and pushing for a 2 for the price of 1, hoping to get Santorini on the free), Greece is stunning not interested in selling off any of its islands.
Petalotis also
dismissed as “not worthy of comment” suggestions by two members of
Germany’s ruling center-right coalition that Greece sell some islands
to pay off its debt. Prime Minister George Papandreou is due in Berlin
today for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Hopefully Turkey doesn't go getting any ideas and realizes that it can
get a five-finger (or Mig-29 as the case may be) discount, and grab
these right from under Goldman's nose.
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For sure... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PK0S5vCiZM&feature=player_embedded
Don't cry for me Argentinaaaaaaaa!!
No..wait I mean OPAAAA!!!
Edit.
Is the opposition just trying to gain enough leverage to somewhat redirect where the budget ax will fall, or are they trying to make the ax go away? If the former, then there is some hope for Greece and the Euro. If the latter, then the ax will sooner or later catch them, their fellow countrymen, Euromen, and others, in the throat.
P.S. Why Mykonos and Santorini? Both are nice, but Rhodes is better...
Sorry bud, been to all the islands. Milos and Kefalonia have the best beaches but no island can compare to mighty Crete, not even Rhodes.
I have heard Crete is a beautiful island. They enjoy a good bonfire aswell apparenlty. Why just recently in January there were two arson attacks on the synagogue in Chania. A 24 y.o. mental giant from Iraklion was the main perpetrator. He was spurred on and assisted by internal and diaspora Greek Nationalists. The response to the fire by the locals was muted to say the least.
WTF are you rambling about? And what exactly is your point? That Greeks and Cretans condone firebombing synagogues? I suggest you read some basic history. Pick up a book called "Ten Days to Destiny" and read about how many Cretans died fighting the Nazis in WWII. You sound like an imbecile.
The Kohen Brigade made up of Greek Jews mainly from Thessaloniki fought valiantly against the Germans. I am quite au fait with Hellenic history. I have many Greek contacts.
Three questions for you...
What percentage of Cretans and mainland Greeks who knew about the twin bombings in January fell on the "Happy that it occurred" side of the vox populi spectrum ?
Did you know that when a group of people respects centres of holiness it prospers ? (Undermine, attack, abuse, marginalise or slander these points of light and the place suffers. Simple metaphysical equation really.)
Have you heard of Seneca’s expression “For whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad.” ?
P.S. If after reading this you don't get "the point" then there is no longer any need to communicate with you. I also suggest you be very careful with your appellations...
Yes but how does any of this relate to the Irish plan to dominate the entire world?
-MB
May you be in a bar drinking your 3rd shot of Uisce beatha
half an hour before the devils knows your dead.
Crisis in Greece? Stock market is to go up, of course.
I would have thought that austerity was austerity, but there I go using my rational mind again. Perhaps the EU should just take over the show as it has no political interest inside of Greece after the measures are enacted.
How hard could it be? You're probably not going to get re-elected in the first place, and the majority of the country understands why you have to make the cuts. Let the Unions throw their temper tantrum.
Gov't official: Do you currently receive money/funding/grants/shelter/food etc. from the gov't?
Greek citizen: Yes.
Gov't official: Well, not any more.
Gov't official: Are you a Greek citizen/resident?
Greek citizen: Yes.
Gov't official: Here's your bill for decades of Keynesian/Socialist excess. Have a nice Day!
The End.
Greek citizen: Off with their heads!
I went to Greece, it was filled with ruins, large breasted women, garbage and stray cats. I don't think anything in their lives will change all that much.
In your last sentence on the possibility of "change" in the Aegean are you referring to the cats or the large breasted women or are the two in the same sentence a Freudian slip ?
P.S. Excuse my confusion. I failed finger-painting at kindergarten and suffer from learning difficulties. My day job is as a cleaner at OSSADM, the Ossetian South Secret Agency of Disgruntled Mensheviks. Our motto is...
"Through dylsexia we will salary raw !"
I see the hit in Dubai went well. Maybe next time a little more discretion.
Mahmoud Mahmoud was discovered as being a cheat after playing a game of shesh-besh with the head of OSSADM during an arms deal and thus had to be eliminated. The assassins were all from the head-man’s home village as a matter of pride. All the agents of the Caucasus spy agency in question suffer from the same affliction.
just to be clear -6hrs
Austerity Law Passes Greek Parliament
http://www.forexlive.com/91642/all/austerity-law-passes-greek-parliament
The New Democratic party got decimated during the last elections so who cares if they're pandering to the restless masses and voting against the austerity measures? As you stated, they have 91 of 300 seats. They're toast and now in a twist of irony, they are voting against austerity measures? What a joke! Politics in Greece was always a joke!
Hi from Greece.
If the oligarchs (local and international) want to loot the people, i think that they are going to have to fight for me, we are not going to give up without a fight
That's the spirit :)
Is it true that people have to pay "fakelakis" for upgraded hospital treatment ?
Papendreou will have to unite the people somehow. Belt-tightening will be required. Tourism will continue to the islands. The Defence Budget should be reduced. (Distrust of Turkey is endemic however in all age groups. This attitude seems to be entrenched as is evidenced by the Cyprus imbroglio. You can lead a Greek horse to peaceful waters but you can't make him drink.) Corruption should be cracked down on. The Black Economy should be mopped up and the shadow money directed into the legitimate tax base. Diaspora Greeks will not reach into their pockets to bail out their cousins. (Nana Mouskouri's effort is noble but insignificant as she is in a different situation than most. When push comes to shove people tend to worry about their own backyard.) They sympathise but would only respond financially or physically if Greece was attacked in a war situation. The Orthodox Church still holds a lot of sway in the country. If the Patriarch comes out and supports the government's moves and advises his underlings to do the same the religious base will respond. The students feel they are untouchable. The anarchists and groups like November 17 et al. are the real dangerous fire starters. The Unions and Public Service have become way too comfortable. There are many hard-working, decent, law-abiding, taxpaying private sector citizens. The police must be respected. The military should sit things out and worry about national security. The EYP, Εθνικ? Υπηρεσ?α Πληροφορι?ν, have their hands full and are waking up to prevailing power structures.
Interesting times...
Astanapanix !
Δεν υπ?ρχει πρ?βλημα
Tyler,
you sure have a starnge if not bitter sense of humor. Memories of the iron (or some other) curtain? Anyway, and to make a long story short, Greece would very easily give the middle finger to any demands for payment if things deteriorated much further - just like any other nation would. After all we all know these so-called bonds are just pieces of paper, no? What is Germany or any other nation gona do? Send the marines? Wake up boys. A country pays so long as it can, otherwise welcome to the local barber for a nice haircut (& free shave).
Regards (from the front line),
'Sell off a few islands - do they have any shaped like a big horse?!' That would be quite the 'gift' and hell, you can even hide some Greeks in it for the bidding bastards. "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" (I fear Greeks even those bearing gifts/selling islands).
Whatever the oppo party does, the upshot of all this is that Greek politics is fractious enough to make any guarantees by the current government meaningless in the long run. Germany knows this and will not allow bailout money (under any name or disguise) to be pissed away if nothing will be changed after it's all gone.
My question is, what actually happens in real-world terms if nobody does anything? Greece can't redeem maturing bonds, defaults. EU neither rescues nor punishes them. They are still in the EU and the EMU. Greeks have no credit anymore, but still have houses, agriculture, sunshine and nice beaches. Yes life would change, painful for many, but hardly a national death sentence. Can it happen this way? I really don't know, just posing the question.
Problem: lots of social spending.
Soloution: more social spending
Fcking morons
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes" (I fear Greeks even those bearing gifts)...Sell the islands, but make sure you put something 'special' in it before it goes to the special one with the highest bid.
Austerity means realizing that you've already been robbed and no one is ever going to make good on their promises to you. Rejecting austerity just means Youre not willing to come to grips with the fact that you've been had.
You were already robbed, they're not taking away benefits that don't exist. The money was never there. If you dismantle your government tomorrow and raid their coffers, you'll find nothing.
+1
Looks like the union supporters are beginning to serve Russian cocktails...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH401yPQw24
Samaras was a minister in the previous, shambolic ND government. As far as I remember, he was reasonably pleased with its performance, and he did not notice the balloning debt. His view (and the view of the Greek political oligarchy) was that the economy is "resilient" in the face of 2008 crisis...Btw, he has an MBA from Harvard.
Hey Goldman,
Can give me a bid for Karpathos (the nicest island for me)
Hey Goldman
Can give a bid for karpathos ?
the nicest island for me
The call for the Greeks to sell their islands is delinquent rabble-rousing. It would be like China buying Yellowstone and putting up flags in the midst of the USA. American patriots would quite rightly be up in arms. National Sovereignty is a vital concept for global health. Did you know the word "nation" is mentioned over one thousand times in the Tanach ?
I think the Germans were joking (yet serious about the gravity of the situation) and so is this guy. Calm down buddy, it's Friday.
Long live Petoria!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igOWR_-BXJU
Payin yo billz is a vital concept for National
Sovereignty and Independence as well...
Ya ya I know I know,
U.S. is going down the tubes too....but we'll be the last ones cuz....
We da Reserve Currency Bitches.....
What's wrong with selling an island or Jellystone Park? You get some needed cash right away and you property tax the island and park so heavy the new owners willingly give it back to you. That's a win win.
The entire system needs to be flushed of the entitlement crowd.
How long will it take the Greeks to figure out that it is not their cars and building they should be burning?
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