Greece/The EU

[GlesgaeHibby]

What a sorry mess Greece is in. Youth unemployment at 50%, 22% cut in the minimum wage, extreme austerity measures, and mass public sector unemployment (bailout terms equivalent to 800,000 public sector job losses in the UK over next 3 years). Their democratically elected prime minister left to be replaced by an unelected eurocrat, and it is only a matter of time before they default on their loan. The idiots in Brussels should never have let a country like Greece join the Euro in the first place knowing that Greece had massive debts and had been borrowing and spending way beyond their means for a sustained period of time. The whole 'one size fits all' economic policy that applies to the Euro is just idiotic, and I am starting to warm more and more to the UK leaving the EU. What is next for Greece? Will a revolution take place? Can they escape the Euro and re-establish the Drachma and devalue it to get their economy moving again, and remove the puppet prime minister they currently have?

[Hibrandenburg]

What a sorry mess Greece is in. Youth unemployment at 50%, 22% cut in the minimum wage, extreme austerity measures, and mass public sector unemployment (bailout terms equivalent to 800,000 public sector job losses in the UK over next 3 years). Their democratically elected prime minister left to be replaced by an unelected eurocrat, and it is only a matter of time before they default on their loan. The idiots in Brussels should never have let a country like Greece join the Euro in the first place knowing that Greece had massive debts and had been borrowing and spending way beyond their means for a sustained period of time. The whole 'one size fits all' economic policy that applies to the Euro is just idiotic, and I am starting to warm more and more to the UK leaving the EU. What is next for Greece? Will a revolution take place? Can they escape the Euro and re-establish the Drachma and devalue it to get their economy moving again, and remove the puppet prime minister they currently have?


Maybe they should go into administration, liquidation and then reappear as Greece 2012. It's the smart financial move to make.

[Leicester Fan]

Maybe they should go into administration, liquidation and then reappear as Greece 2012. It's the smart financial move to make.
Joking aside that is, essentially, what eventually will have to happen

[Eyrie]

It would help if the Greeks actually paid their taxes rather than regarding evasion as a national sport.

Fortunately, in a shining example of European solidarity that is absolutely not a further undermining of Greek sovereignty, the Germans have offered to send in an army of tax inspectors (http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/let_our_tax_inspectors_in_to_keep_an_eye_on_you_ge rmany_tells_greece_1_2140629).

But yes, Greece will have to leave the euro to sort this mess out, and the pain that they are undergoing is a direct consequence of entering a currency union.

[One Day Soon]

It would help if the Greeks actually paid their taxes rather than regarding evasion as a national sport.

Fortunately, in a shining example of European solidarity that is absolutely not a further undermining of Greek sovereignty, the Germans have offered to send in an army of tax inspectors (http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/let_our_tax_inspectors_in_to_keep_an_eye_on_you_ge rmany_tells_greece_1_2140629).

But yes, Greece will have to leave the euro to sort this mess out, and the pain that they are undergoing is a direct consequence of entering a currency union.

They will know where to go, they've been there before. This time they won't need parachutes though (probably).

[magpie1892]

It would help if the Greeks actually paid their taxes rather than regarding evasion as a national sport.

No, it would help the EU.

The Greek economy - based as it is in service and tourism - operated perfectly smoothly beforehand with a flourishing grey economy. Now Greece's uncomfortable position in the EU straitjacket (and inablity (for now) to devalue) is making the fascists in charge of the 'project' uncomfortable, so Greece must be made to suffer the withdrawal of democracy (how ironic) and the imposition of hand-picked technocrats and a permanent presence of German tax inspectors? Aye, sounds reasonable enough.

Whether Greeks pay their taxes or not shouldn't be the concern of anyone but the Greeks.

[RyeSloan]

No, it would help the EU.

The Greek economy - based as it is in service and tourism - operated perfectly smoothly beforehand with a flourishing grey economy. Now Greece's uncomfortable position in the EU straitjacket (and inablity (for now) to devalue) is making the fascists in charge of the 'project' uncomfortable, so Greece must be made to suffer the withdrawal of democracy (how ironic) and the imposition of hand-picked technocrats and a permanent presence of German tax inspectors? Aye, sounds reasonable enough.

Whether Greeks pay their taxes or not shouldn't be the concern of anyone but the Greeks.

Didn't see anyone forcing them into the monetary union in the first place though....now they are in such a union they're ability to pay taxes is everyone's (in the euro) direct concern.

They did also join the union promising to move to surplus and then cooked the books thereafter so hardly the innocent party. Sadly now the whole Nation is suffering as a result of their inept politicians.

This is a salutary lesson in making sure you understand all the potential outcomes of joining a monetary union or changing significantly your national approach to fundamental areas....maybe something for Scotland to note.....