When the bill comes due, nations
that have fallen prey to the entitlement
vortex can foster street violence and class wars. Their leaders can also breed
denial once they run out of money.
That's the reaction of some Greek politicians who don't appreciate the futility of their fiscal situation. A year and a half ago, German officials averred that part of a Greek bailout plan could involve the sale or lease of state-owned assets, as well as, other austerity measures. This proposal did not amount to a wholesale transfer of Greece's sovereignty as its opponents claimed. Rather, it was part of a larger plan to lift a struggling debtor out of its self-induced mess through privatization of government assets including some Greek islands.
In response one Greek government official said, if such asset transfers came to pass, it will result in a Greek boycott of German goods. This threat seems to ring hollow. They're broke, they can't borrow and they threaten not to buy products. I'm reminded of the Black Knight from Monty Python and The Holy Grail. After being drawn and quartered, the dismembered knight vowed to attack his foe (who didn't want to fight in the first place).
YouTube Video
Above is the clip. Watch King Arthur's reply to the Black Knight, which could be Germany's reply to the aforementioned Greek official, "What are you going to do, bleed on me?"
I'm sympathetic to the personal suffering in Greece, but it's hard to abide politicians who want to perpetuate the irresponsible government spending and market meddling that caused their mess. At the end of a 99 year lease, the British honored their treaty with China and transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Life went on. Perhaps a lease of Mykonos to creditors would restore government credibility in Greece.
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October 2, 2011 - NEWS UPDATE - Reuters just released this report on the Greek financial crisis...
"The Greek cabinet is expected to approve a contentious plan Sunday to lay off state workers, and sign off on a draft of next year's budget, in a race to slash spending, free up bailout loans and stave off bankruptcy.
Without the release of an 8 billion euro ($10.7 billion) tranche of an EU bailout, massively indebted Greece could run out of money to pay state wage bills within weeks. European officials are scrambling to avert a Greek debt default, which could wreck the balance sheets of European banks, damage the prospects of the euro single currency and possibly plunge the world into a new global financial crisis."
That's the reaction of some Greek politicians who don't appreciate the futility of their fiscal situation. A year and a half ago, German officials averred that part of a Greek bailout plan could involve the sale or lease of state-owned assets, as well as, other austerity measures. This proposal did not amount to a wholesale transfer of Greece's sovereignty as its opponents claimed. Rather, it was part of a larger plan to lift a struggling debtor out of its self-induced mess through privatization of government assets including some Greek islands.
In response one Greek government official said, if such asset transfers came to pass, it will result in a Greek boycott of German goods. This threat seems to ring hollow. They're broke, they can't borrow and they threaten not to buy products. I'm reminded of the Black Knight from Monty Python and The Holy Grail. After being drawn and quartered, the dismembered knight vowed to attack his foe (who didn't want to fight in the first place).
Above is the clip. Watch King Arthur's reply to the Black Knight, which could be Germany's reply to the aforementioned Greek official, "What are you going to do, bleed on me?"
I'm sympathetic to the personal suffering in Greece, but it's hard to abide politicians who want to perpetuate the irresponsible government spending and market meddling that caused their mess. At the end of a 99 year lease, the British honored their treaty with China and transferred sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. Life went on. Perhaps a lease of Mykonos to creditors would restore government credibility in Greece.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2, 2011 - NEWS UPDATE - Reuters just released this report on the Greek financial crisis...
"The Greek cabinet is expected to approve a contentious plan Sunday to lay off state workers, and sign off on a draft of next year's budget, in a race to slash spending, free up bailout loans and stave off bankruptcy.
Without the release of an 8 billion euro ($10.7 billion) tranche of an EU bailout, massively indebted Greece could run out of money to pay state wage bills within weeks. European officials are scrambling to avert a Greek debt default, which could wreck the balance sheets of European banks, damage the prospects of the euro single currency and possibly plunge the world into a new global financial crisis."