Riots erupt in Athens

[chutem 0]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

Looks like some unhappy campers in Greece.

James

[kallend 1,677]

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100505/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_greece_financial_crisis

Looks like some unhappy campers in Greece.

James

The Balkans AGAIN! Remember Serbia, June 1914 and the trouble that caused for Europe.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Gawain 0]

The unhappy reality is that this is one result of unsustainable social programs. This could be only the beginning. Who's next? Spain? Portugal? What happens if too big to fail becomes, too big to save?

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[skycop 0]

I hope the POTUS is watching this, we will be there as well if we keep spending money we don't have.

"Just 'cause I'm simple, don't mean I'm stewpid!"

[Bolas 5]

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The unhappy reality is that this is one result of unsustainable social programs. This could be only the beginning. Who's next? Spain? Portugal? What happens if too big to fail becomes, too big to save?

What's to say that isn't the case already and may have been all along.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[shropshire 0]

I personally think that it's too late ... we are pretty much all in the same boat (Yes America too), we've hit our iceberg and we're going down ... just because some of us are in the back of the boat only delays the inevitable!!

Our governments have spent all of our money and then some. It's not Socialism that has caused these problems it's economic stupidity. There seems have been a global game of Emperors New Cloths being played over the past decade and no body stopped them.

- The fucking greedy idiots have squandered our inheritance and we're now fucked.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[lawrocket 3]

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Our governments have spent all of our money and then some. It's not Socialism that has caused these problems it's economic stupidity.

Governments spending all of our money is called socialism.

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- The fucking greedy idiots have squandered our inheritance and we're now fucked.

Who are the greedy idiots? I'm sure we can look all throughout the spectrum and find them. But - none of these greedy idiots could have squandered our inheritance UNLESS our inheritance was taken from us and given to them. Who has been skimming off the top and giving it away?

Then stop and think of "socialism" again...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[shropshire 0]

LR.. you appear to have a strange definition of Socialism (seems to be a common American battle cry, these days).

The Banks and car industries (just to name a couple) have been given/loaned an awful lot of our money (with out our by-your-leave) and still large pay rises and bonuses given.

The government, themselves never appear to be short of cash for their exotic life-styles (paid for by us)...

The list of greed and excess goes on and there's not a damned thing us lowly tax payers can do about it.

We have am election tomorrow ... but will anything change? I doubt it. After all, we don't have a real say. We get to vote for parties... baskets of policies, not specific ones - An illusion of democracy, no more.

Time for a revolution brothers .... assemble the Guillotine in the market square and let's have at them.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[kelpdiver 2]

There is definitely some brilliance at work here. Over the weekend I wondered how the people thought that striking was going to help matters when the core problem is that their economy cannot support their wants already.

[shropshire 0]

But what else do you suggest that they do to register their dissatisfaction.

The violence is wrong ... on any level. But the government has NOT governed them correctly and it's the people on the street that suffer.

The people did not cause this economic cock-up... the managers did.

Governments need to be reminded from time to time, that they work for us and not the other way around.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Andy9o8 0]

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Governments need to be reminded from time to time, that they work for us and not the other way around.

Only in theory. In fact, though, our respective governments work for those who own the nation; and I don't mean the common folk.

In the US, the country is owned by people with names like Rockefeller, Kennedy, Auchincloss, Walton, Forbes and Gates, and corporations like Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil Corp., General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and military-industrial complex heavies like General Electric, Lockheed, Northrop and Boeing.

In the UK, the country is owned (aside from the royal family, which is a given; the Duke of Westminster is possibly the single wealthiest Briton, much wealthier than the Queen) by the likes of Hans Rausing, Bernie Ecclestone, Lord Sainsbury, and Joseph Lewis, and corporations like BAE Systems, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyd's, and of course (drumroll) British Petroleum.

In each country, the government works to serve their interests, first and foremost. Republican or Democrat; Labour, Tory or Lib Dem, they're all bought, paid-for and put in place by See Above. Those who fail to recognize this are being naive.

[shropshire 0]

Absolutely ... it's the route that I was on, in the thread... Your post is essentially my punch line.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[broncoty 0]

Yea. Its a sad situation.

And the EU and IMF giving greece a loan is like having a terminally ill patient to give blood to an already dead one.

The one advantage greece has over us it that it cannot inflate its currency like the U.S can. So while they may have a debt crisis. We could very well in the U.S have a debt crisis AND inflation if people do not pull their collective heads out of their collective a$$es.

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."-William Arthur Ward

[kallend 1,677]

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Our governments have spent all of our money and then some. It's not Socialism that has caused these problems it's economic stupidity.

Governments spending all of our money is called socialism.

.

Nixon, Reagan and the two Bush's were socialists? (they all spent more than the revenues).

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Bolas 5]

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Governments need to be reminded from time to time, that they work for us and not the other way around.

Only in theory. In fact, though, our respective governments work for those who own the nation; and I don't mean the common folk.

In the US, the country is owned by people with names like Rockefeller, Kennedy, Auchincloss, Walton, Forbes and Gates, and corporations like Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil Corp., General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., and military-industrial complex heavies like General Electric, Lockheed, Northrop and Boeing.

In the UK, the country is owned (aside from the royal family, which is a given; the Duke of Westminster is possibly the single wealthiest Briton, much wealthier than the Queen) by the likes of Hans Rausing, Bernie Ecclestone, Lord Sainsbury, and Joseph Lewis, and corporations like BAE Systems, Alliance & Leicester, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyd's, and of course (drumroll) British Petroleum.

In each country, the government works to serve their interests, first and foremost. Republican or Democrat; Labour, Tory or Lib Dem, they're all bought, paid-for and put in place by See Above. Those who fail to recognize this are being naive.

So what's the solution other than revolution?

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[Coreece 190]

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So what's the solution other than revolution?

We can have a Jubilee!

Your secrets are the true reflection of who you really are...

[billvon 2,470]

>So what's the solution other than revolution?

Well, since both the French and Russian revolutions resulted in more socialist forms of government, that may not be a great solution either.

[Gawain 0]

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>So what's the solution other than revolution?

Well, since both the French and Russian revolutions resulted in more socialist forms of government, that may not be a great solution either.

Wait a minute...you're saying that the French revolution, which overthrew its monarchy and resulted in a republic...is more socialist?

No doubt that the government of France has gone well past that idea, but it would be hard to say that their revolution resulted in a more socialist government...quite the contrary.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[kelpdiver 2]

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But what else do you suggest that they do to register their dissatisfaction.

The violence is wrong ... on any level. But the government has NOT governed them correctly and it's the people on the street that suffer.

The people did not cause this economic cock-up... the managers did.

Governments need to be reminded from time to time, that they work for us and not the other way around.

The problem is that the government is finally try to address the problem, and the people don't want to let them. They would rather maintain the deficit.

Not that the people in the US are very different, however the US debt and deficit is far smaller in terms of GDP.

[billvon 2,470]

>Wait a minute...you're saying that the French revolution, which overthrew
> its monarchy and resulted in a republic...is more socialist?

No, I'm saying that the revolution resulted in a government that was more socialist. The previous government was dominated by the monarchy, the church and the landowners (i.e. the big industry of the time.) Capitalism reigned supreme; people starved to death because they could not afford food, taxation was immense due to war debts, and wounded soldiers (of whom there were millions) could not afford even the basic medical treatment of the time. The poor were taxed heavily - the nobility and clergy were exempt.

This perceived inequality was one of the primary causes of the revolution, and afterwards the government (actually governments; there were several successive ones during the revolution) went through a purge of the richer industrial leaders who had held so much control.

Here's a quote from Jacques Roux, a French revolutionary leader:

"Liberty is no more than an empty shell when one class of men is allowed to condemn another to starvation without any measures being taken against them. And equality is also an empty shell when the rich, by exercising their economic monopolies, have the power of life or death over other members of the community."

Sound like a free-market capitalist to you?

[shropshire 0]

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The problem is that the government is finally try to address the problem, and the people don't want to let them. They would rather maintain the deficit..

That may be the perception from the outside (or above - Big Business) but most certainly wont be on the street - by The People who are expected to suffer the austerity meassures whilst the people who caused the economic problems (Banks, government etc) appear to be getting away with it.

This is not going to get any better untill the people that caused the problems re brought to task ... Vive La Revolution

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Bolas 5]

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>Wait a minute...you're saying that the French revolution, which overthrew
> its monarchy and resulted in a republic...is more socialist?

No, I'm saying that the revolution resulted in a government that was more socialist. The previous government was dominated by the monarchy, the church and the landowners (i.e. the big industry of the time.) Capitalism reigned supreme; people starved to death because they could not afford food, taxation was immense due to war debts, and wounded soldiers (of whom there were millions) could not afford even the basic medical treatment of the time. The poor were taxed heavily - the nobility and clergy were exempt.

This perceived inequality was one of the primary causes of the revolution, and afterwards the government (actually governments; there were several successive ones during the revolution) went through a purge of the richer industrial leaders who had held so much control.

Here's a quote from Jacques Roux, a French revolutionary leader:

"Liberty is no more than an empty shell when one class of men is allowed to condemn another to starvation without any measures being taken against them. And equality is also an empty shell when the rich, by exercising their economic monopolies, have the power of life or death over other members of the community."

Sound like a free-market capitalist to you?

This is not capitalism as there would not be groups exempt from taxes just as the inequality here is actual, not perceived.

Had they charged taxes equally to all (percentage or some other method), they may have been able to pay off their debts, help their soldiers, and avoided a revolution.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[kelpdiver 2]

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The problem is that the government is finally try to address the problem, and the people don't want to let them. They would rather maintain the deficit..

That may be the perception from the outside (or above - Big Business) but most certainly wont be on the street - by The People who are expected to suffer the austerity meassures whilst the people who caused the economic problems (Banks, government etc) appear to be getting away with it.

This is not going to get any better untill the people that caused the problems re brought to task ... Vive La Revolution

How did the banks cause this one?

Greece seems to be like so many American cities and states - giving overly generous benefits and pensions to their employees with a growth rate well beyond the growth in tax base.

[rhys 0]

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How did the banks cause this one?

Greece seems to be like so many American cities and states - giving overly generous benefits and pensions to their employees with a growth rate well beyond the growth in tax base.

You obviouly don't know how a central banking system works. There is much propognda in place to make sure you don't. It is a complex system here is a fun easy explanation.
You can take to information and do some research yourself.

Who do you think all the money came from and who do you think they owe it to?

[url]

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, then the world will see peace." - 'Jimi' Hendrix

[SkyDekker 1,150]

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The unhappy reality is that this is one result of unsustainable social programs.

No, not because of unsustainable social programs. You are politizing the issue. It's because as a nation they spent significantly more than they earned.

Same thing the US (and many other nations) has been doing for more than 40 years. Unless drastic changes are made (cut spending and raise taxes) you are looking at your own future.

(minus the old buildings, you haven't been around long enough for that one lol)