Just so everyone is clear: as someone whose family comes from Greece, I think Greece can and should pay back. The current government is absurd and incredibly irresponsible, somehow more so than the governments that got us in this mess to begin with.
Tsipras is a grandstanding clown, who takes the classic "politicians make promises they know they can't keep" trick to the extreme. The idea that Greece can renounce the terms of their bailout agreement and still receive the money is so beyond stupid that it would be off-topic on a fantasy forum. Well, I'd be more horrified if the the guy whose self-proclaimed political heroes are Chairman Mao and Che Guevara was actually able to go through with his policies .
The truth is, if Greece is able to renegotiate the terms of its bailout (again, really) then the rest of Europe will basically be accepting that Greece will never, ever, ever pay back its debts. That will never happen. Tsipras basically sold snake oil and the people bought it. The ironic part is that Syriza, a party that claims to be international socialists, are at war with the actual practice of international socialism.Yet the worst claim is that Greece will get reparations from the Germans for World War II, almost as ridiculous as people in the States asking for reparations for slavery. If the Greeks can demand that, then I think we need to pay back the Phoenicia and Carthage for the Greek-Punic Wars . Syriza is a circus, and Tispras isn't even a good ringleader.
I imagine they get kicked out and lose the euro, one of the reasons why staying on the pound was a fantastic idea.
According to an article I read Foreign Policy there is actually no mechanism for expelling a member state from the EU, and you cannot leave the currency alone without actually ditching the EU as a whole. So it is pretty much a mess. The problem with these multi-national governing bodies is that all the bureaucratic tangles that exist in smaller regimes are tripled when dealing with multiple governments.
I imagine there's some sort of international bailiff that could be used in a last resort but really it's pathetic that they even tried the WW2 reparations thing. Why would they believe that would ever work?
The EU felt like a good idea at first. But tying such disparate economies together?... very happy the pound was kept.
I still think we're better off in than out but currency sharing across that many countries is a disaster waiting to happen, one country with a terrible economic policy and things go spiralling out of control for the rest.
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
bloody europeans!
She was also Scottish (like all good biologists), who from what I understand tend to be more pro-EU than the rest of the UK, making it a little more interesting.
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
bloody europeans!
She was also Scottish (like all good biologists), who from what I understand tend to be more pro-EU than the rest of the UK, making it a little more interesting.
I've heard that the scottish are more EU friendly but I never understood why so many people hate the eu, I suppose it's probably UKIP and such with all their scaremongering. Sure the EU treats us like a mouldy turd at times but we still gain more than we lose from them.
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
Yea but surely a law student turned politician knows all there is to know about science. What does he need an advisor for? If anything removing that position means he can advise himself on science. Just imagine all the positive things this could lead to!
The EU's record on science is pathetic at best. When their Chief Scientific Adviser concluded that the EU's opposition to genetically modified crops was nonsensical (which is in fact the scientific consensus) the new president gave in to green groups and not only removed her from her role for simply stating facts... they axed the entire position.
Yea but surely a law student turned politician knows all there is to know about science. What does he need an advisor for? If anything removing that position means he can advise himself on science. Just imagine all the positive things this could lead to!
Politics needs more engineers! What, don't look at me. Never!
Funny, that's what Neil deGrasse Tyson* keeps saying in USA. However, there might be some problems with this. Even though, many science/engineering people do possess heaps of something that's called "common sense", on the other hand they are usually quite bad with all that pesky social stuff, like talking to people, giving speeches or leading a party. Also, they are quite generally worse with all those law or economics terms. People with lots of common sense tend to avoid politics.
Regrettably, speaking from my own experience. Not a politician and never was, but I work in IT and I'm one of those very few IT people who are not only technical, but also good in other areas (talking, leading, managing ppl) and I know how hard is it to find people like me.
* for those, who don't know him - a well-known astrophysicist, trying to educate the general public on "science". A good guy,
Politics needs more engineers! What, don't look at me. Never!
Funny, that's what Neil deGrasse Tyson* keeps saying in USA. However, there might be some problems with this. Even though, many science/engineering people do possess heaps of something that's called "common sense", on the other hand they are usually quite bad with all that pesky social stuff, like talking to people, giving speeches or leading a party. Also, they are quite generally worse with all those law or economics terms. People with lots of common sense tend to avoid politics.
Regrettably, speaking from my own experience. Not a politician and never was, but I work in IT and I'm one of those very few IT people who are not only technical, but also good in other areas (talking, leading, managing ppl) and I know how hard is it to find people like me.
* for those, who don't know him - a well-known astrophysicist, trying to educate the general public on "science". A good guy,
He also nitpicks physics in films which is awesome. Still, until he sings Monty Python he can't be the most awesome physics guy alive.
Just so everyone is clear: as someone whose family comes from Greece, I think Greece can and should pay back. The current government is absurd and incredibly irresponsible, somehow more so than the governments that got us in this mess to begin with.
Tsipras is a grandstanding clown, who takes the classic "politicians make promises they know they can't keep" trick to the extreme. The idea that Greece can renounce the terms of their bailout agreement and still receive the money is so beyond stupid that it would be off-topic on a fantasy forum. Well, I'd be more horrified if the the guy whose self-proclaimed political heroes are Chairman Mao and Che Guevara was actually able to go through with his policies .
Yes, the situation in Greece is not good. But they dont have the money to pay their lenders back. How would you resolve the situation?
The nazi-regime "payback" thing is of course ludicrous. But the people seem sort of desperate. Which is understandable. Having half the population without work through frugality doesnt seem like the best idea (and not a good way to get the economy going again?).
Slightly different note, is it really fair that Italy is being left to deal with the masses of people fleeing the Middle East and Africa on it's own? I hear on the news this morning that France and the UK have opted out of taking any more and Italy is concerned it may have to look after them all? What ARE we supposed to do? In the face of the practical concerns of looking after around 100 000 people that had arrived by June. . .
Turns out our government 'Stopped the boats' by paying the people smugglers to turn around or not come here. . . which is just bloody wonderful.
If the Greeks can demand that, then I think we need to pay back the Phoenicia and Carthage for the Greek-Punic Wars
As someone who is part French-Canadian, part Irish and part Scottish, but who is also part English, I'm still working out who exactly I complain to about various English conquests of the past 800 years or so. Do I charge myself?
South Africa. The last country in the world where Sudan's al-Bashir can still go without fear of being arrested by the International Criminal Court. Also still the one of the few places (China?) that won't grant the Dalai Lama an entrance visa. Rude words go here.
South Africa. The last country in the world where Sudan's al-Bashir can still go without fear of being arrested by the International Criminal Court. Also still the one of the few places (China?) that won't grant the Dalai Lama an entrance visa. Rude words go here.
Yup our country sucks big floppy donkey..... I'll let you finish that.
Can we please just take Zuma and Malema out behind the garden shed and put them out of our misery.
I get very depressed every time I read SA papers. I keep reading them because my 90 year old mother is still there (but luckily in a nice secure retirement village) and I still find it hard to believe how totally and catastrophically the ANC have (expletive deleted) up the entire country and made the vast majority of it's citizens financially and morally poorer in the process.
Comments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Tax
But as it turns out elminster is behind the times. They scrapped the idea.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/05/you-wont-be-taxed-for-buying-games-on-steam-yet/
Tsipras is a grandstanding clown, who takes the classic "politicians make promises they know they can't keep" trick to the extreme. The idea that Greece can renounce the terms of their bailout agreement and still receive the money is so beyond stupid that it would be off-topic on a fantasy forum. Well, I'd be more horrified if the the guy whose self-proclaimed political heroes are Chairman Mao and Che Guevara was actually able to go through with his policies
The truth is, if Greece is able to renegotiate the terms of its bailout (again, really) then the rest of Europe will basically be accepting that Greece will never, ever, ever pay back its debts. That will never happen. Tsipras basically sold snake oil and the people bought it. The ironic part is that Syriza, a party that claims to be international socialists, are at war with the actual practice of international socialism.Yet the worst claim is that Greece will get reparations from the Germans for World War II, almost as ridiculous as people in the States asking for reparations for slavery. If the Greeks can demand that, then I think we need to pay back the Phoenicia and Carthage for the Greek-Punic Wars
All in all its an embarrassing time to be Greek. According to an article I read Foreign Policy there is actually no mechanism for expelling a member state from the EU, and you cannot leave the currency alone without actually ditching the EU as a whole. So it is pretty much a mess. The problem with these multi-national governing bodies is that all the bureaucratic tangles that exist in smaller regimes are tripled when dealing with multiple governments.
Regrettably, speaking from my own experience. Not a politician and never was, but I work in IT and I'm one of those very few IT people who are not only technical, but also good in other areas (talking, leading, managing ppl) and I know how hard is it to find people like me.
* for those, who don't know him - a well-known astrophysicist, trying to educate the general public on "science". A good guy,
[https]://www.youtube.com/watch?t=15&v=XfcC6FYyL4U
How would you resolve the situation?
The nazi-regime "payback" thing is of course ludicrous. But the people seem sort of desperate. Which is understandable. Having half the population without work through frugality doesnt seem like the best idea (and not a good way to get the economy going again?).
Turns out our government 'Stopped the boats' by paying the people smugglers to turn around or not come here. . . which is just bloody wonderful.
I'll let you finish that.
Can we please just take Zuma and Malema out behind the garden shed and put them out of our misery.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/11684492/South-Africas-long-walk-to-decline.html