Greece Votes Communist

[Atilla60]

And round 3 of the Greek tragedy. All Greek embassies now has to send all available Cash back to greece. Yup if you ever wanted to know how much a government can fuck up in just 4 month, just follow greece ::)

Adding to the tragedy is apparently ignorance:

Jewish groups are expressing outrage and concern after Greek officials demanded that the Star of David be removed from the outside of a new Holocaust museum on the eve of its opening, according to multiple statements released by these groups.

...

Only two days before the ceremony, the mayor and a majority of the city council are insisting that the image of the Star of David be removed before the monument can be displayed," the AJC said in a statement.

"There are no words to express adequately our shock and dismay at this news," said AJC executive director David Harris was quoted as saying in the group's statement.

Greece, like other countries in Europe, continues to be plagued by growing anti-Semitism. Nearly all of Greece's once-vibrant Jewish population was murdered during the Holocaust.

source: http://freebeacon.com/issues/greek-officials-demand-jewish-star-be-removed-from-holocaust-museum/

Really?
I can come up with a few sentences.

At the top of my lungs.

[LongBlade]

Greek hospitals have run out of supplies such as painkillers, scissors and sheets as swingeing budget cuts have left the health service unable to provide even basic provisions for operations and medical procedures.

Huge cuts to the healthcare budget, amid the economic turmoil which made millions unemployed, have left than 2.5m Greeks uninsured, up from 500,000 in 2008, the Times reported.

On coming to power the Syriza government scrapped the €5 fee for attending state hospitals and pledged to hire 4,500 more health workers, despite the need for austerity and criticism from creditors.

Notwithstanding the government's promises, healthcare spending has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009, creating shortages of the most basic surgical equipment and leaving too little money to pay nurses' salaries.

Reports have surfaced of patients being turned away from hospital because there was no meter to measure their high blood pressure, while others have had to do without painkillers during medical procedures. One patient was even asked to bring their own sheets to hospital.

A trainee surgeon at KAT, a respected state hospital in Athens, said the situation was at "breaking point".

source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-hospitals-cannot-afford-painkillers-scissors-or-sheets-as-budget-cuts-bite-10271819.html

One sentence stands out here - the lack of blood pressure meters. I'm not sure about how long blood pressure meters last, but something in my experience suggests their utility is not expressed in weeks.

[Nefaro]

Greek hospitals have run out of supplies such as painkillers, scissors and sheets as swingeing budget cuts have left the health service unable to provide even basic provisions for operations and medical procedures.

Huge cuts to the healthcare budget, amid the economic turmoil which made millions unemployed, have left than 2.5m Greeks uninsured, up from 500,000 in 2008, the Times reported.

On coming to power the Syriza government scrapped the €5 fee for attending state hospitals and pledged to hire 4,500 more health workers, despite the need for austerity and criticism from creditors.

Notwithstanding the government's promises, healthcare spending has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009, creating shortages of the most basic surgical equipment and leaving too little money to pay nurses' salaries.

Reports have surfaced of patients being turned away from hospital because there was no meter to measure their high blood pressure, while others have had to do without painkillers during medical procedures. One patient was even asked to bring their own sheets to hospital.

A trainee surgeon at KAT, a respected state hospital in Athens, said the situation was at "breaking point".

source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-hospitals-cannot-afford-painkillers-scissors-or-sheets-as-budget-cuts-bite-10271819.html

One sentence stands out here - the lack of blood pressure meters. I'm not sure about how long blood pressure meters last, but something in my experience suggests their utility is not expressed in weeks.

Waiting for the Commie Toilet Paper theory to be triggered.

Some point after a new communist leadership takes over any country and starts mucking things up, widespread toilet paper shortages are a great indicator of the moment their economy entered free-fall.  :))

[besilarius]

On another note about Greece, new developments on Philip's tomb.

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/05/16/new-evidence-for-king-philip-ii-tomb-in-vergina/

[LongBlade]

This is some pretty good analysis of the impact of a withdrawal of Greece from the EU currency band. It is clear that Greece is going to default on a payment due next month.

Withdrawing from the EU would be "catastrophic" for the Greek economy, its banking system, and also the EU as it is feared a domino effect could happen with other countries withdrawing from the Euro.

In addition there has already been a withdrawal of 30 billion Euros from the Greek banking system, with more likely to come.

Anyway, more at the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11626969/Greece-to-miss-IMF-payments-amid-fears-of-catastrophic-eurozone-rupture.html

[Staggerwing]

This is all happening at a very convenient time for a certain other Orthodox country, being that it is having a bit of a crisis on it's own border (albeit of it's own making). I have to wonder if there has been some secret mischief making, a little nudge here, a sweet bribe there, by the the aforementioned outside party which is causing some of these Greek politicians to make the choices they are.

Perhaps a little offshore accounting forensics may prove enlightening to the Greek public.

[jejo68]

This is some pretty good analysis of the impact of a withdrawal of Greece from the EU currency band. It is clear that Greece is going to default on a payment due next month.

Withdrawing from the EU would be "catastrophic" for the Greek economy, its banking system, and also the EU as it is feared a domino effect could happen with other countries withdrawing from the Euro.

In addition there has already been a withdrawal of 30 billion Euros from the Greek banking system, with more likely to come.

Anyway, more at the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11626969/Greece-to-miss-IMF-payments-amid-fears-of-catastrophic-eurozone-rupture.html

You mean more catastrophic then the rest of EU having to pump 100' of billions of euros into the Greek economi every year indefenately because Greek doesn want to pay its own bills ?

[LongBlade]

You mean more catastrophic then the rest of EU having to pump 100' of billions of euros into the Greek economi every year indefenately because Greek doesn want to pay its own bills ?

It could. The article goes into it in more depth.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

The money that leaves makes other economies stronger.

[Atilla60]

This is some pretty good analysis of the impact of a withdrawal of Greece from the EU currency band. It is clear that Greece is going to default on a payment due next month.

Withdrawing from the EU would be "catastrophic" for the Greek economy, its banking system, and also the EU as it is feared a domino effect could happen with other countries withdrawing from the Euro.

In addition there has already been a withdrawal of 30 billion Euros from the Greek banking system, with more likely to come.

Anyway, more at the link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11626969/Greece-to-miss-IMF-payments-amid-fears-of-catastrophic-eurozone-rupture.html

My own opinion on the EU and the EU currency aside

I still believe leaving the Euro-zone (currency) is the smartest move for Greece. If not the only option.

However, considering the current government in Athens, I can't help thinking their "solution" would be printing Drachmas in abundance and then some.
Which, kind of, brings up Stagger's Toilet Paper theory above ....and a 5 year plan on top of it

So, at some point the ordinary Greek realizes that his standard of living has dropped below that of an ordinary Albanian.

Then what?

[Boggit]

So, at some point the ordinary Greek realizes that his standard of living has dropped below that of an ordinary Albanian.

Then what?

They emigrate to other EU countries. Our local bakery employs Greeks who have no illusions that their country has imploded on itself, thanks to the wealthy elite who did not pay their taxes, and the political classes who traded jobs for votes. Now they have a wave of illegal immigration (as with Italy) via Turkey threatening to destabilise their country further with demands on social spending etc. It will not end well.

I have a lot of sympathy for the ordinary Greeks who are paying the price of government folly, nepotism, and self-interest of the very rich in Greece. They should never have gone into the Eurozone, and there are a lot of people in the EU Institutions who could have dissuaded them for sound economic reasons. They didn't because the Eurozone forms part of another agenda of creeping EU power, which was more persuasive for the Eurocrats. Now they are "a problem" for the rest of Europe, so I'm glad we have the referendum coming up so we in the UK have a chance to get out of this protectionist, self-promoting, and unaccountable quasi state. With Spain, Italy and Portugal all looking very shaky economically it is all a disaster waiting to happen with Greece just being an early indicator.

[JasonPratt]

When I think of all my fellow evangelicals over the decades who have decried the EU as the coming Ten Heads of the Beast, I just want to roflol.

[airboy]

Greece failed to make a loan payment on time.  They claim they will "cover that payment and 3 other required payments by the end of June."

Don't hold your breath.

[jejo68]

IMF just announced that they will stop further negotiation with greece.
So now its up to the euronations if they still wants to continue the farce, or stop the show for good.

[Mr. Bigglesworth]

Greece is done, nobody will give them the time of day. They will roll on the floor screaming till they are blue in the face.

The question will be italy and spain.