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European Commission's Advice To Staffers Visiting Greece: "Invent A Fake Life Story"
The European Commission is a little embarrassed over a leaked email that warns EC staffers of the threats of traveling in Europe (and most specifically Greece). As The WSJ reports, the note, among other things; encourages staffers to invent a fake life story; warns them not to stand near windows during a protest so as not to provoke “an aggressive reaction” from demonstrators: admonishes officials to avoid bringing sensitive documents to bars or restaurants; and observes that “even the mildest reaction can be misinterpreted by protestors.” The email, published on the To Vima website, has led to an uproar, with some in the Greek press accusing the Commission of scare-mongering and insulting Greek citizens. Seemingly taking a page out of a James Bond novel, the rage against the Troika appears very real as officials warn: people you meet "don't have to know that you work for the [troika], when asked, talk about your previous profession or the one of your best friend." Troika, shaken but not stirred.
The leak of a European Commission email providing security tips for staffers visiting Athens highlights just how much of a threat some European officials see from angry citizens, especially in Greece.
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Even on calm days, citizens rage against the so-called “troika,” blaming the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund for their country’s seemingly bottomless recession. A 27% unemployment rate and a loss of 20% of economic output in six years can make tempers flare.
The leaked email, among other things, encourages staffers to invent a fake life story; warns them not to stand near windows during a protest so as not to provoke “an aggressive reaction” from demonstrators: admonishes officials to avoid bringing sensitive documents to bars or restaurants; and observes that “even the mildest reaction can be misinterpreted by protestors.”
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He confirmed the authenticity of the advisory note itself, though he was unable to immediately say whether the Commission issues such advisory notes for staff working in other countries. In an email Saturday, the spokesman said that “the European Commission has a duty of care towards its employees. The document is common-sense travel advice, nothing more, nothing less. It is quite normal that that the Commission such safety advice is provided to officials. The recommendations were discussed with the Greek Police.”
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“The taxi driver driving you to your hotel, or the grocery store owner down the street, do not have to know that you work for the European institutions,” the note explains. “When asked, talk about your previous profession or the one of your best friend.”
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"Invent a fake life story." Unlike our dear Obummer, of course.
They should just say they are on a road trip hiring over-priced hookers for the rag headed sheep stealer circuit.
Quite plausible, and a profitable hobby.
“blaming the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund for their country’s seemingly bottomless recession.”
Those insolent little peons..
Why, before the European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund came along, they had absolutely no credit and were living simple, reasonably un-indebted lives in which they, themselves were responsible for their successes and failures and not beholding to all the rest of Europe.
Hmmm... Europeans... resorting to lying?
Shit must be getting serious!
If the Greek protestors catch them, they should carve a "T" on their forehead before letting them go.
invent fake life story?
wouldn't know anything about that.
hugs,
barry
We ALL know everything about that. Musical Chairs is our Life System. So we do "what we have to do" during the chase for a place to sit. Invent life stories, go to the mattresses.... We EXPECT people to do it.
Limted upside with Truth and Honesty... They're for sympathy. Their uses are measured.
Distortions and lies are tools we use compete.
James Bond ?
Does not the latest iteration in the franchise unmask Bond as a Double-O poofter ?
"Invent A Fake Life Story".....the correct term is 'Legend', which supports an 'Alias', typically for Clandestine Operations.
Just for interest sake.
The Greeks should invent fake lamp posts with fake rope & nooses to have a fake hanging of corrupt EUSSR-Euro banksters/politician/apparatchnik vermin.
Hey!
What's with that tar and all them feathers?
Don't they know we're from the Commission??
Invent a fake life story...four words...Fred Garvin, Male Prostitute
Dreams from my REAL father......
Fake Life Story - just have business cards printed up for male EUSSR stooges.
"Dr. Paul Krugman - Professional Douchebag"
"Princeton, NJ"
How long before this becomes the advice to Fed workers?
The Fed has adhered to proper economic policy; proper monetary policy; sound policy. What is with the disdain of the Fed? The Fed has done good for the U.S. economy.
Who is right here? The doomers who have lost 50% of their wealth buying gold miners? Or the investors who trust that Ben Bernanke and his cohort will successfully manage the U.S. out of a depression?
Remember, it was not the Weimar Republic that ushered in WWII, but Heinrich Bruning. Austerity is a sure fire way to collapse any semlance of a recovery.
Bernanke knows this; historians know this; economists know this. Doomers do not understand, and will clutch rocks in their hands until their hands are cold.
Re-post.
Meaningless re-post
Unintelligible meaningless re-post.
Yeah, right, the FED is my friend for all its machinations that resulted in ZIRP/NIRP reducing my bonds to junk status. Most people will eventually be forced to live on a fixed income; the FED's helpful policies will really make that standard of living a joy.
Dr. Krugmann, I ask you in all seriousness and professional courtesy, to please explain the following to me:
1. If the group of Western CB's each take turn inflating their money supply (QE by any name), then where is the comparative advantage? Each is simply handing fiat money to the top-end of the fiscal totem-pole, in the hope or pretext that this will trickle down. All I see is banking and stocks benefiting -- on paper -- by adding unnecessary liquidity to groups who don't have a solvency problem.
2. Using the Fed to add liquidity to people-with-solvency-problems (e.g. unemployed, home refis, short sale owners, or even 'me') for "a period of time", rather than giving it to banks, would help increase consumer demand for goods & services. Rather than just improve stats on a balance sheet (score card), and use these stock stats to 'lure' people with DI to 'invest' in more paper assets.
3. As long as QE happens in each country or region in rotational succession (US, Japan, UK, EU), all these stock markets keep getting 'juiced', and no one is singled out as using "currency wars". No Dominoes fall, or are allowed to. The USD keeps its GRC status, rather than coming under fire.
4. And as long as the USD's keeps its role as the GRC, the US can inflate away its China debt, and keep financing bloated military and social programs, and keep people on the Gov payroll. And it keeps forcing China to QE also, lest the CNY appreciate too much. If the CNY appreciates too much, their export suffer, hence their employment and domestic peace. So, it's also a currency war -- not with each other, but -- with China!
5. Oh, I get it... It's about circling the CB wagons to: (a) keeping the dollar's GRC status, (b) having high stock prices that lead to big exec bonuses, (c) enhancing consumer confidence in spite of lousy real-world stats in jobs and living costs, and (d) screwing China (inflate away our Chinese debt, while causing inflation and unrest over there). You've already addressed (e) paper vs PM assets: That smart fiat-money will pursue stock, bonds and Treasuries (paper/tertiary wealth), rather than real wealth (PM's).
If it's not too much to ask, please address each of these points. Thanks.
p.s. I hope I need not state that your answers, or their conspicuous absence will tell me/us if you are indeed The Dr. Paul Krugman, a Krugman knock-off, or an MDB-wannabee. Thx.
You get junked for being another me too MDB, even though
you are more to the point. Silly format , I assume.
MDB is back! Looking forward to more of your spot-on satire.
It's amazing there hasn't yet been any high-lelve assassination attempts or violence targeted at the monetary system managers. Guess people still haven't gotten to the required level of desperation and anger. With events going in one direction only, seems certain we'll get there.
People are not desperate because we have maintained the government syste that helps suplement those in need. If Ron Paul or Mitt Romney had been elected, then yes, there would be people in the streets, cold and hungry - but luckily the American people spoke, and we will continue to help out those in need by not cutting social programs.
The primary function of an 'american' government is to help We The People aka the 'american' middle class.
Any help to other classes must be thought so that they are helpful first to the 'american' middle class.
Charity is a business in 'american' societies, a business that must be run to the profit of the 'american' middle class.
Oh shut the fuck up already you troll.
Don't you have a dog to wok, or a Tibetan to force from his home, or something?
Paul, you are a paunchy, scraggly-bearded leprechaun with bad breath and worse morals, and your deer-in-the-headlights bugeyed stare is symptomatic of a dumb animal in the middle of the road about to be reduced to pulp by much larger forces utterly beyond your extremely limited comprehension.
You resort to ad hom attacks because you know that I am right.
I resort to the truth because I know that you are nothing but a morally bankrupt power-pandering lackey and Quisling without an ounce of intellectual or ethical integrity.
Now for God's sake, at least go buy some mouthwash.
+1000 :)
I love ZH; it's like watching a Cat Fight break out while a Death Star positions itself in orbit.
akak,
You know better than to feed the wildlife. It only encourages them to come out of their natural habitat. Lets try to keep Paul in his Ivory Tower where he can feed off of other economists.
Power pandering? That is weird because he has been saying the exact opposite of what the elites in this country would love for him to say. The elites all talk about deficit and the necessity of cuts to the social safety net in a thinly veiled attempt to transfer wealth to the top. Krugman is the most influential voice in the country saying the opposite-- that right now our most pressing problem is unemployment and cuts only increase the unemployment. I have no idea why people (other than the top 1 or 2 %) would hate Paul Krugman.
To people on this site who are Krugman haters-- You people are probably the same folks who hate government employees, teachers, and everyone not you. The thing people on this site fail to realize is that once these people become unemployed there will be higher competition for the jobs you have and your employers will know that and treat you like dirt.
And YOU resort to "Snarkey" comments like "Death Panels" because you know full well how this is going to play.
Dear, sweet, sexy, fuzzyface Doktor Paul
Pay no attention to these noisy opinionated rabble. I apologise in particular for akak, who lacks la politesse, and WillyGroper, who only shows up here for the great comedy and who I am reasonably sure is drunk.
Please do not ever, EVER feel you should lie about who you are if you come visit my town. We are not in the U.S., mind you, which means we are MUCH more understanding of the proper levels of society. As a higher form of human being, nay, of the EXALTED, with your "tools" and your helicopter and other godlike powers, you should never ever feel you need to lie when travelling outside the high walls of the American border. In particular, I would be honoured if you would sleep even ONE night in my house. Honoured!
We have the best medium-rare horse and "fish surprise" our small fiat can buy, and a comfywumfy mattress that is really really clean. Really. (I washed out most of the stains myself.) If you give me even one day's notice, we will go so far as to wash our faces and I can promise nobody will ask you to shake hands, so you need not worry about catching anything. I have prepared a lovely, special cask of wine that I have kept just for you. Every one of our household has contributed to this, what I like to call (in your honour) the Krugger. One little sip, and I promise you, you will feel the thanks from We The Little People for your tireless work on behalf of our betters.
Did I mention how much woolly-grey facefuzz and baggy white jowls turn me ON? And ignore that silly mouthwash - akak only uses that to rinse the blood from his teeth! I would never want your wonderfully recognisable - err, "famous" - face to be disfigured (by disguise) at all! How else will your adoring public, both foreign AND domestic, recognise you and shower you with the thanks you have so richly earned? I would love to lavish YOU, in particular, with the rewards I, in particular, have reaped from this...vigorous...virile...economy.
Dear Doktorlein Paulie - may I call you Paulie? - I can promise you one unforgettable night! Life-changing, even. And an omelette - made with a dozen "eggs"? - for morning. Maybe.
Oh, and bring that friend of yours with you. You know, tall grey-coloured guy with the purple lips. We can make him up a lovely suite too, and he also has many...admirers...at my house.
Love and big sloppy kisses
Renfield
I think the issue is the rhetoric you spout. It is great and all to help those who are unable to help themselves, but just giving them money each month isn't the answer. While we feed them, we need also to ensure they gain the skills they need to obtain gainful employment. I see nothing from the administration on this. Probably because there are simply so few jobs available for which to train. We need jobs.
What the Fed is doing is not creating jobs. the printing may allow some government jobs to continue to exist but in the private sector it is doing squat. That is because all the money is simply being used to improve the capital bases of the banks. If they started buying up consumer debt and then refinancing it at a break even level ... we would see some progress, but that isn't even on the table. Until the 80% do better / get debt relief, they simply can't spend more. As prices go up they spend less and less in real terms and that dominos through the economy.
We need you Paul. We need someone in the public arena to be heard and you are heard. We need drastic unconventional methods to get out of this. Such as having the government buy all primary mortgages and refinancing them at break even. Then let social security fund the current and on going mortgage market. Maybe just print the money and buy back all our national debt. Print what we need to govern. No more debt payments, no more deficit. No more bank leverage. No more income tax. A new, freer, prosperous America.
(deleted)
Krugman no-likey.
He resembles that remark;)
I believe the TSA has a similiar policy suggest in their employee manual. Of course, my two best of friends who now work for the IRS, weren't really congratulated by me on their new jobs at that monster.
I was hoping Tyler would run a story on this; the reason or the story? Greece should have never agreed to austerity measures. Austerity is what will kill any recovery Europe is hoping for.
Get that altar boy off your lap Paul and try and type out a sensible comment. Austerity? You really meant to type blowout Depression that was brought to all of us by your Monetary policy and raping by your Bankster masters.........You've got what you wanted a "Printing Lulapalooza".....have at it....You're filling the black holes of ALL BLACK HOLES......gl
Dear Paul
If you come to my town I will beat the shit out of you.
Constance Zelinopolis
Why are you guys arguing with Dr. Paul Krugman like it's actually Dr. Paul Krugman? Just wondering.
You never know.
At my next birthday, I want a Krugman pinata. I'll invite all my ZH friends.
Is it going to be filled with paper promises of a bankrupt government, invading aliens, or a slew of faux Nobel prizes?
Cans of tuna I mean oil-anal-discharge-causing-mystery-fish, Swedish horseballs, and little bankrupt-airline-sized bottles of watered-down Makers Mark.
Can they bring their AR-15s? You may wanna buy a few Krugmañatas...
I'd love to come can I have an invite? Hmmm.....second thought cancel that. If a ZH party is not on the top of the list for drone strikes I can't imagine what is.
Miffed;-)
And it's cathartic.
It's clearly not - but if you want to pick a fight with the actual Krugman he's at https://twitter.com/NYTimeskrugman
Krugman for Fed Chair-Satan!
I’d like to see gold price to the moon sooner than later, thanks, and Krugman can do it.
In all seriousness, of course, ZH’s Krugman used to be a funny, sarcastic character but has now decided to out-MDB our resident MDB.
Mmmkay….
I'm at least partially with Krugman on this. We are so far past the point of no return on credit that it's not funny.
So... We should be taking a look at fundamental monetary reform so we're not basing our economies on a Ponzi scheme. This is what isn't happening anywhere as far as I can see.
Germany implemented an austerity program (Agenda 2010) more than 10 years ago and did fine so far. But now Germans have to pay for countries who have lived above their means and you demand they should continue that? Essentially that means milking Germany, is that the secret agenda you support?
Mutti does not like your alter ego; unlike Draghi; thats the Euro conundrum. Looks like north won't even support ESM for Southern banks; thats awesome.
Sweet Doktor Pee:
A few of my fellow Hedgers were concerned last week that you were looking a tad...well...pale. Perhaps tired, even.
There was speculation that you may experience difficulty facing mirrors and such.
Please tell us you're not sick or going to die soon or anything. Some of us are all agog with suspense!
Huggies -
Ren
And still the greeks want to keep euro. Hahahaa, truly epic! The more these unelected fanatics push ordinary greeks off the cliff the more they seem to want to keep euro. Welome to Europe! LOL
'Americans' residing in Europe are fully aware that their only salvation is to be given by 'americanism' and that leads to the necessary urge to blob up in the European People in order to escape from the past.
Security in numbers say the extorters of the weak, farmers of the poor.
You are correct in only one point. Blobbing up is accomplished through social revolution but extortion of poor is accomplished throughout. It will happen either way within 'american' system of 'takking care of business.'
Also do not forget 'americans' residing in China. They have claim in good measure as well. Consumerism in China leading to eating their children as the 'americanism' takes its proper course. Chinese, its what's for dinner!
Above all don't say "I am richer than you are" to try to win an argument.
Cure for this problem: Post names, pictures, addresses of all such employees on helpful websites. Anonymously.
Edit: optionally with card suits and values.
Now that the military has said they will stand down, this is going to be great....
Payback time MF'ers
Do you have a link to article supporting that? I don't dismiss your comment. It's just that the source would make for a pretty good read.
Sure, there's many places on the web with the story but this is one...
http://politicalvelcraft.org/2013/03/02/greece-military-stands-down-in-s...
They have them on the run. Run banksters run. They're coming for you.
sniff them out...hunt'em down...and snuff them the fuck out...
IT IS OPEN SEASON ON BANKERS AND THEIR BITCH OWNED POLITICIANS..............
If your a banker invent a fake life story, your going to need it during the questioning.
Obama can help with that phoney life story. It's his specialty
Krugman re: "austerity"...your logic be the joke. your form of austerity is the goverment elites giving money they don't have, telling people the government can only give them less of what they (govt) don't have, and it will cause a recession to make these sacrfices. Krugman is always busy either trying to hide the fact that the public boat is sinking, or busy bailing out with a sponge. Borrowing like this, taking productive money and using it for non-productive reasons is a total perversion of economic justice, it should make one hurl, unless you are a quasi-psychopath like Krugman appears to me to be. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime >>>translated into Kruglish and Krugnomics>>> borrow money to give a man a fish today, borrow tomorrow again the next day and the next day, until no one is financially secure to loan or borrow the fish and there is no one left who either knows how to fish or has an incentive to teach people to fish. Nice world you advocate Krugs...NOT
I work for Universal Exports. Dr. Paul sent me to help!
<sarc off>
The Greeks shall now question every suspected EU visitor. Very closely. "You ain't from around here, are you?"
Simply question: At what point do these @ssholes run out of lies.
That’s a silly question. When will the common people refuse to TOLERATE obvious lies? The fact they can't run out of lies is what makes them assholes.
Everyone working in international relations and diplomacy should know how to act tactfully and properly in any country. If they don't teach such things to everyone from the interns to the diplomats themselves, on their very first day on the job, they are just asking for an international incident. This should not surprise anyone at all. People go for the low-hanging fruit, it doesn't matter to them that 99% of the Troika's staff are regular people the majority of whom have no comprehension of the nature and purpose of their organization or its leaders. It's like saying "I work for a bank" ... well are you a teller, or a CIO? And if the people of the various nations of the EU can't see difference between the paper-pushers and the masterminds, cannot figure out who their true enemies are, there is no hope for them.
Soon the EC Heads will want their own secret service.
Given that you also have to cover up your German/Austrian accent, I would suggest trying what Kennedy tried...try to pass yourself off as a jelly donut.
Wasn't that a 'hot dog'?
Although now I have a strange craving for a jelly donut!
Greece, Spain, Italy and the rest can just keep sucking in more of the Central banks's money.
Take all you can!! When the banksters want auserity give the EU the middle finger.
France, join in for the freebies!
The people of Germany will just have to work longer and harder.
Why work when you can get the same stuff for free.
Didn't someone once say about such things, something about when it gets serious you have to lie?
Call me Ben.
Ben Shalom Bernanke.
Agent Triple 000.
th EU has hired a new top salesmann for solving the problems of Greece : The sheikh of Qatar; he'll buy anything at the right price; even Italian debt!
We should sell him Sardinia/Sicily and Berlu in one off deal for 1 trillion Euros! And sell Spain's Costa del Sol to Putin for half that!
Qatari Emir Buys Six Greek Islands For $11 Million - Business Insider
Problem solved. Beppe can go back to being a clown.
Carry scissors, but don't run with them.
Nice story-line. As a Euro-Sage once said," when it gets really serious, you have to lie."