Greece? What gives?

[MrJonno]

Seems to be a situation any country population could find themselves in, depending on circumstances, in striving to scale that capitalist ladder (not a comment on my views on that, just an observation).

I don't get how this can be pinned on "capitalism" -- LOL.

It seems more of a function on too much government spending - a very low number of hours in the work week, an exceedingly high minimum wage, a very early retirement age, huge government benefits and payouts creating a dependent society which is not producing enough to sustain the expenditures.

In other words - stuff costs money, and the Greek economy isn't producing enough to pay for the stuff. The thing spiraled out of control, and now they can't get anyone to accept that they can't have free stuff.

So, everyone is losing. Socialized misery.

Its partly this but also in part due to the usual people borrowing too much to buy houses. The tax evasion is also a major problem something shared by the Russians. The Russians got around this but not really bothering with actually finding people guilty of tax evasion but just locking them up and fineing them anyway.

I don't know why the Greeces don't selling some of their islands, I'm sure plenty of countries/rich business people wouldnt mind a few

[Rum]

Can I buy Lesbos please?

[Seth]

Can I buy Lesbos please?

Sure, just go down to your local dyke bar with a big wad of cash.

[Seth]

Greece now, Portugal next, Italy, then France and maybe Blighty could become members of an unenviable club, the "de-developing" nations, as wealth, expertise and hope are sucked out of them and civil society fractures under the cosh of austerity without end.

Bleak - I'm turning into Crumple!

Glenn Beck told you so two years ago, if you'd been listening...

[Svartalf]

Can I buy Lesbos please?

Why that one? want to make a "special" gift to your wife?

[Audley Strange]

Greece now, Portugal next, Italy, then France and maybe Blighty could become members of an unenviable club, the "de-developing" nations, as wealth, expertise and hope are sucked out of them and civil society fractures under the cosh of austerity without end.

Bleak - I'm turning into Crumple!

Glenn Beck told you so two years ago, if you'd been listening...

Actually I did listen to Glenn Beck quite a bit. However his wall to wall incoherence and non linear rambling meant he probably predicted everything that is happening, could have happened, wasn't likely to happen and was impossible. If you throw enough shit...

Still, did he rape and murder that girl back in the 1990's?

[Pappa]

I'm not sure if the overspending was really the cause. They cooked their books to enter the Euro in the first place... so they were already in a bad way before recession hit. It was a disaster waiting to happen really.

It's the overspending...well, I won't finish that so as not to insult you.

I'm perfectly aware that their overspending is a huge factor, but they were fucked even before they joined the Euro and as it's unlikely they would ever have changed their economic style in the process they were doomed even before all the borrowing and spending in recent years.

[Seth]

Greece now, Portugal next, Italy, then France and maybe Blighty could become members of an unenviable club, the "de-developing" nations, as wealth, expertise and hope are sucked out of them and civil society fractures under the cosh of austerity without end.

Bleak - I'm turning into Crumple!

Glenn Beck told you so two years ago, if you'd been listening...

Actually I did listen to Glenn Beck quite a bit. However his wall to wall incoherence and non linear rambling meant he probably predicted everything that is happening, could have happened, wasn't likely to happen and was impossible. If you throw enough shit...

Still, did he rape and murder that girl back in the 1990's?

Evidently you weren't listening very carefully.