The Greek People Have Punctured the Smugness of the “Moneymen”

[polly7]

by Adnan Al-Daini / January 30th, 2015

.........Successive governments in Greece and elsewhere in Europe have abdicated their responsibility to serve the ordinary people. Instead they have faithfully served the moneyed super-rich. Contrast that with the actions of Syriza with barely 48 hours in power. Helena Smith in an article in the Guardian summarizes thus:

First the barricades came down outside the Greek parliament. Then it was announced that privatisation schemes would be halted and pensions reinstated. And then came the news of the reintroduction of the €751 monthly minimum wage. And all before Greece’s new prime minister, the radical leftwinger Alexis Tsipras, had got his first cabinet meeting under way. After that, ministers announced more measures: the scrapping of fees for prescriptions and hospital visits, the restoration of collective work agreements, the rehiring of workers laid off in the public sector, the granting of citizenship to migrant children born and raised in Greece.

This is true democracy in action, promises made and delivered in the first two days of being in power. Syriza has been elected and now Europe and particularly Germany have a duty to listen respectfully. Thus far Greece has been treated shabbily with hardly a thought for the extreme hardship and suffering inflicted on its people.

It is instructive to remember that half of Germany’s post WWII debt was written off in the London conference of 1953. This led to a sharp increase in Germany’s economic growth. Why not do the same for Greece, asks Syriza?

The Greek people have seen through the fog generated by the elite and the “moneymen”. They have seen austerity for what it is – a con-trick to transfer more wealth from the 99% to the already bloated 1%.

Full article: http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/01/the-greek-people-have-punctured-the-smugness-of-the-moneymen/

[Fred Sanders]

1. I am glad Greece is doing all these Soverign things, but it is not their own Soverign currency they are using.

[pa28]

2. Good for them. Not sure how they'll continue on the euro and maybe that's for the best.

[quadrature]

3. is there some reason that Greeks can't use Euros and their own currency,

at the same time?

[TRoN33]

4. Gotta to love Greeks. They are very unafraid to speak up for what is right for them.

1% lost and no doubt the rich plebs will plot the big changes to Greece. At least thank to Information Age their plot will be exposed yet again and Greeks aren't going to be passive next time. They will target the 1% outsiders and give them the hell for what they has done to Greeks.

[uhnope]

5. Greek economy is wrecked because people don't pay taxes, it's totally corrupt and

It should never have been allowed in the EU in the first place.
See more at http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017240537

If they don't solve these problems, it won't matter who is in charge or what unlikely goals they have

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Here is the english home page of SYRIZA (Coalition of the Radical Left)

Interesting reading.

I hope Alexis Tsipras is well protected; his leadership is a powerful threat to TPTB in the Eurozone and in USA.

Spain is catching the same populist fever, according to the news, and protests are taking place.

[cheapdate]

7. I wish them sucess, but time will tell.

Greece needs things that come from elsewhere, like oil, MRI machines, and computers.

[Danascot]

8. Greece might take a page from Ecuador's playbook.

At the end of 2008, Ecuador announced that it wouldn't make a $31 million payment on its bonds, saying they were illegal, immoral and of questionable legality. In short order, the price of Ecuador's bonds fell into the 20 some cents on the dollar range. Thereupon Ecuador bought back 95% of its outstanding bonds for less than 35 cents on the dollar, saving itself $2 billion and sticking the losses to Goldman-Sachs and other international banks.

Crushing debt is the way the IMF and large banks are able to impoverish smaller countries by dictating austerity and all the corollary measures that go with it. Once brought to its knees, they can further control and exploit the victimized county's labor and resources just as past empires exploited their colonial holdings.

The powers that be had bitter criticism for Ecuador saying it wouldn't be able to return to the international bond market for a generation because it's bonds would be considered worthless. Instead, 5 years later, in June of 2014, Ecuador reentered the bond market offering $2 billion in bonds which were rated by S&P at a grade of B+.

In the years following its default, Ecuador made large investments in education, health and infrastructure. All the kinds of things the international community is saying nations like Greece can't afford.