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Greeks Face First Product Shortages As Cash Runs Out, "It's Worse Than In 2012"
Just when you thought it was getting better (or so you would believe if you listened to the mainstream media's punditry) Greece faces what ekathimerini reports is a "situation worse than in 2012." From well-known Belgian beer to electronics equipment, the first occurrences of shortages in imported goods and raw materials have arisen as a result of Greek enterprises’ inability to pay with cash in advance.
Hundreds of people jostled for free vegetables handed out by farmers in a symbolic protest earlier on Wednesday, trampling one man and prompting an outcry over the growing desperation created by economic crisis.
Images of people struggling to seize bags of tomatoes and leeks thrown from a truck dominated television, triggering a bout of soul-searching over the new depths of poverty in the debt-laden country.
“These images make me angry. Angry for a proud people who have no food to eat, who can’t afford to keep warm, who can’t make ends meet,” said Kostas Barkas, a lawmaker from the leftist Syriza party.
Other lawmakers from across the political spectrum decried the images “of people on the brink of despair” and the sense of “sadness for a proud people who have ended up like this“.
People have seen their living standards crumble as the country faces its sixth year of recession that has driven unemployment to record highs.
…
The free food handout in Athens began peacefully as hundreds of Greeks lined up in advance outside the agriculture ministry, where protesting farmers laid out tables piled high with produce, giving away 50 metric tonnes (55.11 tons) of produce in under two hours.
Tensions flared when the stalls ran out of produce and dozens of people – some carrying small children – rushed to a truck and shoved each other out of the way in the competition for what was left.
One man was treated for injuries after being trampled when he fell to the ground in the commotion.
“I never imagined that I would end up here,” said Panagiota Petropoulos, 65, who struggles to get by on her 530-euro monthly pension while paying 300 euros in rent.
“I can’t afford anything, not even at the fruit market. Everything is expensive, prices of everything are going up while our income is going down and there are no jobs.”
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But now there are actual shortages due to no payments (as ekathimerini reports,)
The first occurrences of shortages in imported goods and raw materials have arisen as a result of Greek enterprises’ inability to pay with cash in advance for the entire cost of the commodities they import, and the situation is even worse than in 2012.
Market professionals have told Kathimerini that there are already some problems in the cases of mechanical equipment and electronic appliances, while in the food and drinks sector there are shortages in certain premium products such as a well-known Belgian beer.
Difficulties have also been noted in imports of chemical commodities, both end products and raw materials, which is hampering the production of fertilizers and pesticides.
Even reliable clients have been hit with the same demands from foreign suppliers, while the phenomenon is creating a chain reaction across other sectors as well.
“A number of tourism companies wanted to renew their equipment ahead of the new season but now face a serious problem,” Ioannis Papageorgakis, the president of the Athens Association of Commercial representatives and Distributors (SEADA), told Kathimerini.
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Of course the new radical left-wing government will have a solution... simply deciding what is 'fair' and what is not 'fair' food and beverage for Greeks to eat (or drink).
But Greece is not Venezuela... yet.
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When they run out of olives its all over!
Russia has all the natural resources Greece needs and they can lease bases to the Russians for deals on gas and oil and discounted vacation trips for Russians looking for Mediterranean rest and relaxation. Greece can also block further sanctions against Russia, that is worth some money too.
What's wrong with Venezuala? Venezuala and Cuba have the best healthcare systems in the world - our country still cares more about the interests of 'job creators' than working people.
Fuck electronics and TVs, the Greeks have olive oil, feta cheese, fresh vegetables and OPA.
I agree the Cuban docs are top notch.
On the positive side, Anal sex is still tax free. albiet Greece is getting it good and hard from the EU, Germany and the IMF.
A little olive oil lube would come in handy there too.
I am told that extra virgin olive oil is the best.
Money printing will solve all of Greece's problems. Print the Euro now! Free!
All this and yet they the EU and emz popularity in Greece is above 65%.
I just have no sympathy for them at all anymore.
So what if my olive oil has a little experience?
The women are on tap for the occasional 'swirlie'... They'll even TXT MSG you begging 4 it & we're not talking paid services here...
Don't ask me how I kno...
The paid confusiors are getting better as ZH ages. You are one of the better ones eliciting positive responsives from more than a coupple of posters. I hope your pay is good, and your family eats, but you will disappear like all the rest (too many to name) with time only to be reborn with a new identity. I will not ask you "how you" know but at some point in your life, I trust you will find reason at the tip of a sword.
Know your enemy
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Yes, I liked Thirst Mutilator's dissertation on running a marathon a lot more than most of his more recent comments. You're confirming a hunch I've been having for some time now.
Thank God for olive oil...when Zorba was a young boy many years ago, Zorba's parents
signed him up to be the cabin boy on a Greek Vasoline tanker. If it wasn't for olive oil,
Zorba's experience would have been very painful. Thinking back on it, I guess we could
have used some of the Vasoline.
Besides who wants to sit in front of a TV and watch Zion News Networks, when you can sit across from a friend or family member on a warm Mediterranean evening, and sip wine while you watch the moon and stars twinkle on the sea. As you munch a nice Greek salad, with cucumber, vinegar, tomatoes, onions, and a dash of olive oil and salt with some fresh baked french bread.
I'm waiting to hear trend-setter Kristy Burlington Turns III's opinion before i say anything.
She can't answer because she's like Sam Kinison's heckler's MOM at this moment...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=876pmxUFYmY
Sounds nice, but you'd even ruin that by yapping out your constant nazi ravings rather than savoring the moment.
Laaaame. Talking about yapping anti gentile ravings look up your stinkin little Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and the one million Jews that decided to turn out for that racist POS. What I should sit quietly while a nation of cheese puffs insults my gentile nature. FU
Make up your mind. First you say anal sex is good and tax free, then you complain that the Greeks are taking it up the poop chute from the very patient creditors trying to help them reach an enduring structural reorganization of their muddled affairs.
People keep missing the essence of the problem-- that Greece wants to continue enjoying an EU lifestyle without being able to pay for it. If they were willing to live free and honorably poor by telling their creditors to take a hike, then I'm on their side totally. But they want all the benefits and none of the contractual hindrances being offered by their partners. So, yeah, let them enjoy their tax-freeness to the limit.
With almost 30% unemploymeny, 1/3 people with no healthcare, 25% drop in standard of living, they aren't enjoying a grand lifestyle in the EU. In fact, things have never been worse in most people's lifetimes than they are now in Greece. Things were much better before the EU. Unfortunately, due to propaganda and/or collective insanity they see the EU as some sort of exclusive, high status club. It's probably the rich and middle class who see it that way. They're willing to let the poor starve, apparently, so as not to lose membership in this "elite" club.
They are willing to let the poor starve so long as their own Euro-denominated salaries continue to be paid.
That is the problem with any entrenched bureaucracy. It develops interests of its own contrary to those of the people it allegedly serves.
Term limits for all governmental employees.
See we can find common ground I upvoted you for that.
I think you mean....1/3rd of the people with no "free" healthcare.
I'd like to say the world will eventually learn that expecting healthcare to be some free and limitless government handout was a mistake.....but, we won't learn....and we'll spend the next 5 decades sitting around scratching our nuts telling stories about how cheap going to the doctor was in the good old days.
The only person capable of caring about their health is the reflection in the mirror.
All others don't give a rats ass about your health.
@ tacobell
. . . . patient creditors . . . . help them . .
you almost make me wanna weep for this vermin. These fucker's take the meat out of meat; the paper out of toilet tissue and the chocolate out of , well, fucking chocolate . . .
Luv ya!
If syriza put a tax on anal sex thats gonna make more difficult to make a deal with the troika "institutions" because Greece cant afford to pay that tax every time they get their ass hammered by the institutions.
Fuck electronics and TV. Yet here you are.
Cuban doctors are top notch. Be sure and book a flight the next time you need a liver transplant.
Plus, they are, unfortunately for them, used as medical slaves. Their services are auctioned off to other countries with even worse health care systems (such as Venezuela, incidentally) and they get nothing out of the deal.
Yeah fuck TV and electronics. I also fuck beautiful women. But I dont fuck bimbos like you dripping silicone and collagen on their bedsheets, and I dont watch Zionist Network TV. I dont see a problem. When I fuck my electronics Im on beautiful sites like ZH
If I stole all of my peoples money and spent it on my national aquarium infrastructure I would have the best aquariums in the world too, whats your point?
Hmmm. Didn't el caudillo ultimo Chavez have to fly to Cuba to get treatment for his cancer, since his own healthcare system was unable to offer any hope of recovery?
And didn't he get a botched operation in Cuba that shortened his time waiting for the long, dark train? And didn't he not survive his Cuban treatment despite constantly shouting about how he was cured? And isn't that the number one guy who can afford the best either country has to offer?
So, go ahead and fly to Venezuela the next time you have a twinge or a spot on your skin. They'll fix you right up, you betcha.
Speaking of botched operations you havent been keeping up with the malpractice suits in the USA have you.
Nothing wrong, health care is free, it is just not available.
Check with Mr. Panos !
.
MDB, I down voted you... just because I could.
You are old and tired MDB. Johnny Bravo was a better alt for you. Retire this one already, of I forgot you tried to go mainstream with MDB and your web site and all. I wish you a lonely death.
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Close.
Feta and olive oil, you can eat that three times a day and survuve.
Not just survive, but live longer than any other mofos in the world.
Belgian beer is the best, but the Greeks' own Mythos beer is not bad.
soon in usa
but with MOAR chaos and fire, and mobs shouting "Justice for Traytable!!1!"
The solution:
PIIGS and BRICS unite!
PIIGS and BRICS have had no constraints on buying and selling to each other. Russians and Greeks and Brazil have been able to extent credit and buy bonds of others for many years. I expect that the Germans, French, and Austrians wish that China would take them out of the Greek debt or provide trade financing immediately. Greece could be wealthy if they bought those Russian bonds at 15%.
Schauble - beer run dude - go get the beer and deliver - bailout programme, remember ?
No Belgian beer? Time to play "Taps."
Wake up. This is all great propaganda to get the Greeks to accept the "radical leftists" compromise(wink-wink) with the gangsters formerly known as Troika.
All these guys are full of shit. It's all a show.
Stupid comment nicxios.
Businesses cannot operate because they don't have to cash available to maintain the equipment.
Normally available food products not available because of COD requirements.
No chemicals available to the companies making the fertilizers because of COD on that as well.
Dumbasses suggesting that those suppliers are going to accept some paper with a picture of Zeus and called a New Drachma are equally ignorant. People and businesses that supply goods and services do require payment, no matter what a socialist may believe.
Is there anything new about this? This is SOP for the past 5 years or so. It's been gnawing at me that:
No, this is the latest in a long line of propaganda to get the Greek to accept the so-called radical leftists' so-called humiliation at the hands of the EC/EU/ECB and all the rest of the useless European techno-bureaucrats. The message is: Here's a taste of what we'll give you if you don't stay in line bitches. Syriza is playing their role of the humiliated vanquished at the hands of the Brussels bullies. Varoufakis gets his 5 minutes of fame. This shit should be nominated for Tony awards because it's all a nice scripted play. Because all of these motherfuckers have been co-opted long ago. If they weren't, they wouldn't be on the stage.
Socialists? Pay close attention to every move and utterance by Syriza since the election. Start off with taking the far right loony tunes Ind. Greeks as junior partners. WHAT?! If that isn't the biggest red flag-- and a sign that these guys are as full of shit as previous governments-- I don't what is. Forget about socialists, these guys are pretend social democrats. These guys are slightly left-of-center. Which in today's world means slightly left of the right wing--ie right of center.
BTW I didn't downvote you.
They're gonna luv the new '1 sheet of 1 ply toilet paper per person per day' law comin'!
From what I see there's tons of food on those shelves...
Are you sure they're not queueing up to vote for new leaders?
that's what struck me..... that photo did not look like hardship with empty shelves.
perhaps they are lining up for whatever exotic beer seems to be in short supply.
Listen, we’re not a bank. You want beer, you pay for it.
but we can negotiate... SEND US YOUR WOMAN AND WE’LL SEND YOU BEER!
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO WRITES THE RULES! HE WHO CONTROLS THE BEER CONTROLS THE COUNTRY!
WHY DO YOU THINK WE BOUGHT BUDWEISER!!?!
I know... it’s a excuse of a beer but the natives over the pond seem to like it...
Budweiser isn't beer. It's recycled slops from the drip tray with extra water.
That’s why they can’t import it and get it through customs in Europe.
We only get the good stuff...
Yet another shining example in a long line of glorious Socialist success stories! Viva la Revolucon!
you say that as if your shit stinks better than others.
maybe yours does, but who really wants to be known for having the best stinking shit?
And there's a pretty good reason why the likes of Venezuela & Cuba etc have a hard time trying to help their people: authoritarian facism & blockades until you croak & the West can get it's hands on your natural resources or any money that may have resided therein. Look at what these countires are tyring to do for their poor, then look at what America & the UK are doing to their poor & their middle classes.
Throwing the "lines of socialists" phrase out there just makes you sound stupid.
Edit: I see you've deleted the original phrase I was commenting upon. See the quote listed above for the exact missing verbiage.
You think your false, silly mumblings of a blockade make you sound educated?
The US has an "embargo" on trade with Cuba but does not interfere with other countries trading with the Communist shithole. If the USN were in fact to blockade Cuba, the Castro Dreamland would end very quickly.
The US, so far as I know, has no policies restricting trade or travel with Venezuela of any sort. Certain private parties are uncoupling from Venezuela due to the country's inability to pay for the stuff it orders, or due to the country's predilection towards stealing (i.e. nationalizing) the property of private individuals inside the country. Guess what that gets you? Nobody shipping goods and nobody operating domestic manufactures to provide items for the people of Venezuela.
It could be a democratic shithole, let us not forget that the USA has been squeezing Cuba for the past fifty some odd years. The govt there doesnt matter at the moment given the hostile actions of the USA against its economy.
Not trying to sound educated at all, just looking for a more the extensive kind of response such as your own, rather than a singular throwaway comment. Thanks Cosmos.
Greece needs about €43 billion through the end of 2015 to cover its funding needs. Greek total debt is €240 billion today.
Greece has enough cash to pay the second of four loan installments to the International Monetary Fund due on March 13, government and banking sources told Reuters on Monday.
Greece's newly-elected government must pay around 1.5 billion euros to the IMF this month, but its cash reserves are dwindling as it seeks to rework a bailout deal with its European partners. It made the first, 310-million-euro payment on Friday, and the final two installments are due on March 16 and 20
Greece only has money for the second installment. So who pays the third and four installments due March 16 and March 20? Will Greece default?
Product shortages will get much worse soon enough.
On the morning of March 20, the moon will pass in front of the sun - blocking light from reaching the earth.
According to experts, almost 90% of the sun's rays will be blocked in parts of Europe – with some of Scotland seeing 94% darkness.
We decided to check out the facts and fiction behind one of the universe’s most amazing events.
Angry GodsIn Ancient Greece, a solar eclipse was seen as a sign that the gods were angry and thought to be an omen of bad things to come.
The word eclipse actually comes from the Ancient Greek work ekleipsis which meant being abandoned.
...
European energy resources will be affectedPower levels across Europe will take a battering during the eclipse - due to the amount of sower power operations providing energy to the continent.
Boffins have predicted that once the sky goes black, 35,000 megawatts of solar energy will be lost - the equivalent of 80 medium size conventional generation units.
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/solar-eclipse-2015...
It will last less thgan an hour.
Not as much loss as a cloudy day.
Last article I read said ~ 3 hours.
Where did you read 1 hour?
I do also have fun kidding about all of this "mediterranean shit-dance" thing (being from Spain, so personnally afected), but make no mistake here, this will not end well.
Thousand miles away from ending well, actually. The same people being run out of food, think that it is "capitalism" fault. Or worse, they may think it's state fault for not providing them. They simply believe it, and will ask even for more "regulations".
Down spiral. Vicious circle. No way out. Prepare yourself for really tough times.
Loooooooooooong tough times.
newspaper kathimerini is against the greek people and supports the german authority in greece.So everything you read you must focus under this reality.Nowdays in greece happens nothing of all these things kathimrini says non exist.Greek people support the new government against the austerity and the main problem of the new government is to go back to austerity.For the greek people is the last chance to overthrow legally the german possesion of the greece.IN a different way the consequences will be very terrible for all the europe union.
it's disconcerting how people get off on mocking greece, yet they represent the main chance these days to TAKE THE POWER BACK
I despise the banksters and the EUrocrats but Greece brought most of their troubles on themselves. They've been living high on cheap borrowed money since they joined the Euro. What cannot go on will not go on.
Greece ain't taking shit back. There leaders are selling them down the river, campaing promises be damned.
Au contraire
Varoufakis admits Greece will never repay debts Finance minister describes his country as the most bankrupt in the worldTake notes.
This kind of problem only happens in cities.
Athens will burn.
The rest of Greece will party.
That is what you get when extreemists as Syriza gets voted in.
No shortage of government horseshit.
Those Farmers showed that there is some hope for humanity.
In the USA they may have been arrested or murdered for committing such a commendable act.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/church-homeless-arrest_n_381646...
http://patch.com/florida/sarasota/3rd-arrest-90-year-old-man-who-feeds-h...
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/feeding-the-homeless-banned-...
etc...
11 years after hosting the Olympics.
One upcoming product shortage will save all of Greece: TROIKA DEBT.
The Greeks better start growing vegetable gardens and fruit trees in every nook and cranny.
The humans better start growing vegetable gardens and fruit trees in every nook and cranny.
The big bad wolf will eventually huff and puff outside every door in every land.
Bitcoin $2F'n89 bitchez (and climbing--fast!)
Beautiful. With all opposition co-opted (Syriza) or in jail (Golden Dawn), now the banksters can get serious about austerity.
Not just three hours a day of electrical power, two of TV, and no internet at all. Now they can finally decide how much Greece's proles will be allowed to eat.
In Athens and other major cities and tourist traps, there'll be just enough food around to keep kleptocrats well-fed, tourist restaurants in business and (most) healthy proles from dropping dead in front of tourists. There won't be nearly enough to stop Athenian children crying at night from hunger.
Mind you, Athenians will be the lucky ones. Off the beaten track, what the locals can catch or grow had better be enough to sustain them. Failing that, their only realistic choices will be to flee or starve.
Welcome to 1980s Romania, kids.
They will have it much worse than the Romanians. Romania is probably one of the highest yielding agricultural areas in Europe. Abundant water, great soil and good long summers for robust crop yields. The Greeks have rocky soil and not enough water. Which is why they took to the seas so early on. Unfortunately a lot less fish around and a much bigger population.
and now troika is back on stage
wrestlemania
Cuba has done more with less, the Greeks are pussies.
They'd better start filling in those back-yard swimming pools and plant some spuds.
Peoples have been through this many times in many countries over the years/centuries. The smart ones survived; the idiots waited for the government to do something.
This is bullshit. There is no such problem...
You hav to love the world Media...it reminds me of the USSR when I was growing up.
Food shortages, very soon we will also run out of air.
THANK GOD..I can still have a full Mercedes Benz service for 51euro for all Bclass W245 models.
http://www.mercedes-benz.gr/content/greece/mpc/mpc_greece_website/grng/h...
Greece in Venezuela mode in 3...2...1...
Same causes, same consequences...