Difficult Times :(

Really just writing to get it off my chest but it's something that has been bothering me for a few days now.

The financial situation in Greece, where all my family is, is just a disgrace!!! Once again the country is being made the testing ground for economic measures that would criple the richest country let alone the almost bankrupt ones.

Now the idiot of a PM has sent the country in turmoil by announcing a referencum vote!!!!

The worry and problems my family are experiencing is making their lives extremely hard!! Properties that my grandparents worked hard for to provide their children with some security are now either empty or being considered for sale. Mum's business is not doing well and she can't afford an employee anymore which means that at 60 almost she has to work 14hr days 7 days a week. Dad is similar......

Don't know what else to say or do really....I'm sad, disappointed, angry, anxious, worried.


Oh before anyone says "you should have paid your taxes then!" we were one of the stupid ones that did. Plus that argument doesn't really hold any truth. Maybe if we were to shoot all the corrupt politicians we could have solved the problem a lot earlier.

feel for you mate-its a sign of the times that the majority of people have been living outwith their means for years now all over the world and its down to those that graft to pay for the fix when it goes t1ts up.

[Mr Speirs]

Has the PM survived the confidence vote? I thought he would only get support if he didn't do a referendum vote?

It's going to go tits up for all of us soon.

Bonkers thing is though that out of Spain Portugal and Ireland..Greece owes the least.

I'm struggling to understand where all this money for bailouts is coming from. Although it's the tax payers that will ultimately pay for it, it doesn't explain who has that money to lend.

Originally Posted by Mr Speirs

I'm struggling to understand where all this money for bailouts is coming from. Although it's the tax payers that will ultimately pay for it, it doesn't explain who has that money to lend.

They are trying to tap China for it. There doesn't seem to be much detail on how else it might be funded.

Sad mate, I understand your frustrations and worries.

I know no one will agree but I think they are secretly just printing more money, I know it's supposed to destabilise economies if countries do this but they aren't, the EU are doing it in for them.

Initially the Germans paid most of the money that went to Greece but this was say before the figures got to trillions, the EU doesn't have this amount of money, it's money comes from it's members and half of them are in the sh1te as well.

Because Greece really only has tourism and no manufacturing or exports to talk of, I cannot see how they will ever get back in the black tbh.

[Spiderman]

I for one thought the PM did the right thing after readin some comment from greeks. After all he is not the "owner" of greece's riches, he is simply a guy voted to do a job for a few years so how would it be correct of him to decide that the acropolis is sold to Disney for example? Those are the countries riches, not his personal possessions to sell so its only correct to ask the people to choose.

The sadest part is that it feels like they are in a doomed if you do and doomed if you dont problem here.

What i would like to know is who exactly they owe all thsi oney to, the IMF? The World Bank? Whoever it is clearly has plenty of mney to lend this much out and not "need" it back in order to lend more and be able to write off 100billion of it too. So who are they and why do they need that money if they have so much already?

OK i know im not talking at the elevated level of world fiscal policies and monetary instruments etc but seriously cant we just reset all countries world debts and let all govts start from a position of not being in debt?

Confidence vote is midnight tonight.....noone really knows how this is going to go!!!

The reason why only Greece is going through this **** and not Spain, Portugal etc is because Greece was the first place where the austerity measures applied first. Then they realised that the measures where to strict and didn't apply them to the full extent to the other countries. BUT still went ahead with destroying Greece.

The money is coming from the banks! All that is happening is that the banks lent to EU and they give it to Greece (in theory). Then Greece pays it back to the banks and the circle starts again.

A farce really just to destroy peoples lifes.

Originally Posted by Spiderman

I for one thought the PM did the right thing

Greece has always been governed by two families Papandreou and Karamanlis. Between these two money has exchanged hands and riches have been built.

None of them has ever worked an honest days job and wouldn't have the vaguest as to how really money is earned.

They have been eating with golden cuttlery for all these years!!!

[Spiderman]

Sad truth is most "modern" countries are that way. 1% owns 98% of the wealth and the rest of us are wages slaves paying taxes to keep us poor.

My own country went thru years of turmoil, not financially but via a revolution so i totally know how you feel and how difficult it is to be so powerless to do anything but sit and watch the process destroy everything.

[Sid Squid]

Papandreou is not the problem - I think he's shown incredible decency by standing by the difficult decisions that have been obliged by the situation.
As for being an idiot for suggesting a referendum, I just can't understand that way of thinking. If the bailout succeeds the Greek nation will be in even greater debt for a very very long time. Surely the people who's taxes for a damn long period will be the payment of that debt should be the ones to decide. How is he an idiot for wanting to put the question to the people who will ultimately pay?

There is a vast debt that Greece owes, that's not in question and it's not the doing of the present government. Whether the debt is defaulted upon, or the bailout deal is accepted the burden of that will fall upon the Greek people - surely it's right that it's they that should decide.

The Euro is the route to, and the root of this horrible situation - make no mistake about that, Brussels wants the bailout to succeed for their own sake - nothing to do with Greece at all - they want it to keep their tool of control - the Euro - in being. Don't be in doubt about that.