Isn’t it ironic? Western Civilization started in Greece, and in Greece it is ending (at least from an economic standpoint). The government is broke, in debt, and can’t even pay for medicine or power anymore. The unemployment rate is massive. People are rioting. The suicide rates are skyrocketing. Austerity is bitch, but it’s coming to a town near you soon enough.
For Greece: “Nothing Is Gonna Be Alright”
During a week in which Americans are supposed to give thanks, we thought this inside look at the reality on the streets of Greece was worthwhile comprehending. From the May 2011 Syntagma Square uprising to “the ‘firesale’ of their country, their labor rights, and their livelihoods to corrupt domestic elites and foreign financial interests” the brief documentary follows the dramatic portrait of a country veering to the brink of collapse – and the people who choose to struggle to build a new world from the ruins of the old. “For [the elites] Greece is a guinea pig, to find out up to what point they can ‘milk’ [us]” is how one narrator describes the situation, adding that “they are refusing to see the reality [saying] it’s not happening, it’s not happening, it’s not happening, everything is gonna be alright; Nothing is gonna be alright” as “loans enslave people.” Utopia remains on the horizon…
taxSlave says:
“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
- Winston Churchill
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19th November 2012 at 6:11 pm
Eddie says:
“Loans enslave people.”
Well, it might be more accurate to say that loans enslave some people and enrich other people.
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19th November 2012 at 6:22 pm
llpoh says:
Greece is a joke. The people have been corrupt for too long. They talk about elites – the fact is the entire country feels themself to be elite. They have all feasted off the trough of borrowed money, retirement ages in the fifties, closed shops, heavy government protection, 1/4 of the population on the government payroll, etc etc etc. The entry into the EU was akin to offering Cadillacs with no money down to the FSA – they NEVER intended to pay it back. They still do not intend to pay it back. THey still have not reduced the size of their government workforce, nor have they addressed the closed shop issues, nor have they done any damn thing save cut wages.
They have no intention of ever paying the money back. They are trying to buy time, and keep as much of the free money coming in as possible for as long as possible.
The entire Greek poulation did this to themselves. A lazier, more corrupt bunch there never has been. Too fucking bad – welcome to the third world. Those assholes live on a fucking rock that will struggle to grow a weed. They have no resources to speak of, and they have made their living over the last decades on 1) tourism, and 2) spending borrowed EU money on wages and early retirement.
They are GREEK – they are ENTITLED – they are the CRADLE of CIVILIZATION – the world OWES them.
And they are FUCKED. Cry me a river.
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19th November 2012 at 6:41 pm
Hollow man says:
Greece sounds like us. Why get a job for 10 to 15 an hour when it is better to get on the goverment tit.
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19th November 2012 at 6:45 pm
Kill Bill says:
It used to be Greeks and Romans conquered lands thru war. Ironically they were defeated by men in suits with pens.
But…
Debts that cant be paid wont. When the banksters realize that they cant squeeze anymore blood out of the Greek turnips they will be forced to leave.
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19th November 2012 at 9:20 pm
Makati1 says:
“For Profit” Capitalism is dead. The zombies are still staggering around the Western countries but will ALL fall over when the first one falls. Ditto pure Democracy which never did exist and cannot in the human world.
And IIpoh’s description of Greece sounds like the Us in all areas. Insert “US” into every place the name “Greece” is mentioned and you have a perfect, in the mirror, description of the Empire of America. Does that hurt? lol.
P.S. The US has no resources to speak of either. Only war and killing, which they have been doing since 1492.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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19th November 2012 at 10:10 pm
llpoh says:
Makati – the US has many advantages to Greece, including far less corruption, a much freer market, a far smaller government base, and it has substantial natural resources relative to Greece – particularly in farmland, fresh water, coal, iron ore, etc.. Your points were far off the mark there.
But there is much else correct in what you say – the debt burden and the addiction to debt is a very serious problem and it will be a major factor in the crisis that awaits.
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19th November 2012 at 10:21 pm
crazyivan says:
The Greeks invented butt-fucking.
To think they may some day pull a rabbit out of their ass and return to normal disregaurds the question if said rabbit is still alive.
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19th November 2012 at 10:34 pm
John B. says:
I´m surprised by the level of ignorance among some of the comments. It is not as easy as it seems. Of course Greeks were living above their real economical level and it is also true that Greek people are (were) rich, while their state was poor.
But EU allowed them to go on like this.
But their politicians lied to them.
But they don´t want to live in an insecure reality.
Saying that Greeks in general are responsible for their situation is like saying that a factory worker from Nebraska was responsible for the financial crisis in USA. In reality, we are all just pawns in a bigger game. Greeks and Eu are being ruled by the elites, which have great difficulties to understand the nature of the economic crisis. Austerity plans or Keynesian spending (which is wildly misunderstood, as I have learned yesterday night), taxes, selling islands etc.
The only way out of the crisis for them is to go out of the EU, and start from zero. Their debt should be pardoned, their politicians abandoned, and the rest of the Europe can just hope that there would not be a new fascist regime in 10-years horizon.
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19th November 2012 at 1:57 am
Alex says:
I believe the US USED to have less corruption than most places, but any longer? I think we’re (rather our govs and cronies) are just far slicker about it that “slip Starvos some cash”. Our shakedowns are high-tech and get funneled to massive clearinghouses to be dispersed to the people buying their way in. We’re Greece with farmland, that, by the way is being snapped up by hedge funds and foreign sovereign funds.
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19th November 2012 at 2:10 am
Thinker says:
Speaking of slaves to debt…
Why One Poll Says 45% Would Rather Skip Christmas
Published: Monday, 19 Nov 2012 | 12:53 PM ET
Despite a whittling away of consumer debt that has been underway since the recession, many Americans are still entering the holiday season unprepared to cope with the expenses that crop up around this time of year.
Think Finance, a provider of payday loans and other financial services for consumers with limited or no access to banking services, recently surveyed 1,000 Americans across all income levels who use various forms of alternative financial services — including payday loans, prepaid debit cards and direct deposit advances.
Although many of these consumers are on better financial footing and optimistic about their economic future this year, the holidays are still a source of stress and strain on their precarious finances, Think Finance said in the poll.
Some 45 percent of those polled said the holiday season brings so much financial pressure, they would prefer to skip it altogether. Almost half said their level of stress related to holiday expenses is high or extremely high.
That’s probably because nearly the same amount — some 45 percent — say they do not expect to have enough money set aside to cover holiday expenses.
Although those percentages are high, they are an improvement over a survey Think Finance conducted last year. However, it should be noted that survey focused only on consumers who earned less than $50,000 and used alternative financial services, while this year’s survey also polled consumers in higher income brackets. That suggests the financial anxiety may be more widespread than it had been in prior years.
Eight-five percent of those in this year’s survey plan to spend the same amount of money or less on gifts this year, with 54 percent planning to spend $500 or less, and 27 percent planning to spend between $500 and $1,000 on holiday gifts.
To make those purchases, about two-thirds of these consumers are looking into various options to help ease the financial pinch of holiday gift buying. Still, they wish they had more options, according to Think Finance’s poll.
Some 41 percent planned to use layaway programs, an option that has grown easier and cheaper this year as retailers waive fees and extend the timeframe for making payments.
Yet don’t think of layaway as only a tool for the poor. Half of the consumers polled in the survey who make between $75,000 and $99,999, said they would put items on layaway, and 32 percent who earn more than $100,000 said they did.
Think Finance CEO Ken Rees said the fact that consumers of all income levels are using layaway shows there is a demand for financial options beyond just credit cards.
“The economy has shown gradual improvement in recent years, but everyday Americans are still working hard to cover expenses making holiday spending particularly stressful,” Rees said.
It’s easy to understand why the holidays are a source of worry when you consider how many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. About 41 percent said they would only be able to get by for two weeks without a paycheck, while an additional 25 percent say they could only survive a month.
The holidays are expected to only make the situation worse. About 59 percent of those in the survey expect to carry debt with them into the New Year, including more than half — some 54 percent — of those who earn more than $100,000 a year.
Some financial advisers recommend that if you must use credit cards to fund your holiday spending, you should be able to pay it off in two billing cycles.
The Think Finance survey comes as more Americans cranked up their use of credit cards in the third quarter, while also becoming less diligent about paying their bills on time, according to analysis of consumer credit data by TransUnion.
-By Christina Cheddar Berk, CNBC.com News Editor
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19th November 2012 at 10:53 am
Stucky says:
” … the US has many advantages to Greece, including far less corruption …” —- llpoh
I think you forgot to say, “just kidding”
or, “sarcasm: off”
or. “LOL”
or, maybe you just don’t read enough USA news
Whatever, that comment is funny as hell ….. “FAR less corruption” ….. bwaahahahahaha! Good one!
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19th November 2012 at 11:26 am
Maddie's Mom says:
“… making holiday spending particularly stressful”
Spend less.
It’s not about the money.
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19th November 2012 at 2:33 pm
Darwin says:
Loans, leverage, credit, etc., when applied properly actually help businesses start, grow, and people as well. It’s crony capitalism and the ensuing bailouts of private companies that took risks to be bailed out with public funds that enslave a country. Just let the banksters fail and the people will rebuild. Bail out the banks and it’s lifetime enslavement. I honestly think if Greece just defaulted a few years ago, by now, with a weaker currency and a new beginning, they’d be in a much better place than they are now. It’s the damn European banks; they don’t want to recognize losses and have the rest implode (France’s downgrade the other day was a timely event)
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19th November 2012 at 3:41 pm
Kill Bill says:
Why One Poll Says 45% Would Rather Skip Christmas
I rather like the having dinner with family and enjoying the festivities.
Its the materialistic BS I can do without. And IIRC Jesus was not a materialist.
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19th November 2012 at 4:10 pm
ASIG says:
It’s been well over 6 years that I’ve told everyone not to get me anything for Christmas, and to not expect anything from me. It’s just psychological and social pressure on people to spend to generate greater sales numbers. I’m disgusted with what Christmas has become and for me it was such a waste because most of what people gave me I just threw away. And how many were still paying for that crap on their credit cards?
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19th November 2012 at 6:50 pm
llpoh says:
Geez – youse guys really do not know much about some parts of the world. The US is RELATIVELY corruption free compared to Greece (or Indonesia or Russia or ….). The amount of corruption in greece far exceeds that of the US. The US is ranked # 24 most corrupt. Greece is ranked # 80, on blip ahaead of those bastions of honesty Bulgaria and Serbia, and below those roghteous countries like Gambia and China.
For fuck sake, get a clue before you start shooting your mouths off. I know it makes for a good “sound bite”, but sheesh, it is totally false to compare corrruption in the US to that of Greece.
Speaking of bite – bite me.
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19th November 2012 at 7:05 pm
TeresaE says:
Living beyond your means without any viable alternative is what enslaves people.
Lack of informed factual information and outright propaganda and circuses enslave people.
Government dominating all industries AND the money supply enslaves people.
We are as screwed – if not more so, our poor are more dangerous – as Greece.
And, we are connected to them. If (when) they go down, they just might be the first domino that knocks the rest of us over.
KB is 100% right, that which cannot be paid, will not be paid.
Ironically, we all are soon going to pay for it one way or the other.
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19th November 2012 at 9:52 am
IndenturedServant says:
The people interviewed almost seemed clueless. After to listening to the whole thing, near the end there is a banner shown that was made by the protestors that said FREE FOOD FOR EVERYONE.
How the hell can food be free for anyone? They claim to want to out from under the thumb of their corrupt govt but still want free food. From who? Those people could learn a thing or two on TBP.
I_S
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19th November 2012 at 5:45 pm
llpoh says:
IS – a voice of reason once again. Too bad he looks like a cocker spaniel or he would be a Big Dog Extraordinaire. Maybe he is bigger and meaner than he looks. I googled mean cocker spaniel, and this is what I got:
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19th November 2012 at 5:54 pm
IndenturedServant says:
Oh, the Cocker Spaniel in my Avatar is one tough bitch! Her name is Rori. I don’t have a bigger copy of that image handy but you can see how her right eye is half closed and the left side of her beak is all swelled up. In the full image, her head is nearly twice the size it should be. She decided to attack a yellow jacket nest she found and looked like she went ten rounds with Tyson afterwards. Never complained or acted like anything had happened at all. She was only about 12 weeks old.
About a year or so later I was cleaning out a huge and still occupied yellow jacket nest in my crawl-space. My crawl-space entrance is outside and I kept hearing a loud snapping noise coming from outside as I was ripping the nest down and trying to avoid getting stung. When I had finished, she appeared in the entrance and looked surprised to see me in there. She cocked her head sideways and relaxed her jaws enough for a few live yellow jackets to fly out of her mouth. Her jowls were packed with dead and dying yellow jackets. The snapping noise I heard was Rori snapping up yellow jackets as fast as she could as they exited the hole they were using to get in/out. She had been stung dozens of times but showed no signs of it all this time. She still snacks on yellow jackets or any flying bug whenever she can. She is a great guard dog too! I may not be a big dog but she is!
I_S
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19th November 2012 at 9:56 pm
IndenturedServant says:
Oh yeah, loans don’t enslave people. People who trust others telling them what they can afford to borrow, enslave themselves!
Here’s a tip…….when you need to borrow money, only borrow exactlly what you need or 2/3 of what you qualify for and plan to pay at least double principle payments with every payment. Understand the terms backwards and forwards and understand that failure to live up to the terms means YOU LOSE!
I_S
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19th November 2012 at 10:05 pm
randy says:
There goes llPOO…again…
Where are those stats from Poo? Are you sure that the US is less corrupt?
Are you sure that thebiggest banks in the world, the biggest mortgage companies in America, and the largest America insurance company, didn’t get the biggest tit suck of a bailout, AND a change in Generally Accepted Accounting Policies that allowed them all to mark assets to model, AND the largest investment banks in the world didn’t sell clients investment paper that those same investment banks were betting against?
Some say it was the City (London) that invented all of this alchemic vodoo paper, but critical thinkers can see that the American put that economic pozification on steroids….
Ever here of Re-Hypothecation? Look it up…Find the history of its use by companies like MF Global, where a fromer senator Corzine, allowed client money to be taken just before a bankruptcy filing….Money that went to margin calls by JP Morgan…
the US is less corrupt….Get a clue buddy…
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19th November 2012 at 10:59 pm
Colma Rising says:
Randy says:
“the US is less corrupt….Get a clue buddy…”
llpoh isn’t your buddy there, guy!
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19th November 2012 at 1:18 am
Stucky says:
178 countries ranked ….
Iraq is at 175
Afghanistan is at 176
I sure am glad our boys are dying and getting maimed to bring those towel heads Democracy!
http://www.transparency.org/cpi2010/results
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19th November 2012 at 1:53 am
Llpoh says:
Randy is a moron. I have worked inmany countries. The US is least corrupt of any I have seen. Fucking imbecile.
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19th November 2012 at 4:02 am