I admit that I have new found respect for the people of Greece. While we all grieve for the deaths of innocent people, what major cojones these people have. And yet, what deafning sound there is in this country. We take it up the ass and sit back like pussies because as long as we can get our next latte and watch American Idol and shop, everything is ok. <object style="height: 344px; width: 425px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h-S90Uch2as"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h-S90Uch2as" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></object>
are you fucking KIDDING ME? The greeks are pissed because their welfare state can't pay it's bills so their salaries(welfare checks) are getting slashed. Oh, and no more retire by 55 with full pensions to drink shit on a beach.
Once we start losing our freedoms and we can no longer afford the lattes and cable subscription things may finally change... I lived in France in my teens and have seen many things that seem impossible here.....such as protests, strikes and riots heavy and violent enough to overturn governement decisions....and we're talking about a nation of "pussies".... Now Greece, little different story....famous for ultra violent soccer and basketball fans....nice people but pretty short fuse when they're getting shafted.... I guess if your boss told you that your paycheck is getting a hefty haircut because HE overspent (most likely a lot on non "business" related expenses) you'd be pretty pissed off too and would consider kicking his ass....that's pretty much what Greece is going through right now.... Wait, we're going through the same thing, but our "paycut" is ultimately an increase in taxes on the devaluated USD, at least for the 80% of people who still have a job.... And nobody is pissed?
actually, I saw a greek man protesting who said and I quote "I am a small businessman, I built my business and I never took any money from the government, and now I must pay for others." I got nothing in common with lecherous, lazy leftists, who probably comprise 75% of the greek protestors. But dont think for a second, that the contagion that is coming is not going to take everyone out. The bottom line is the banks are being bailed out at the expense of the people. Now you could argue that like democracy and depositors the banks and the governments are the people but we all know its bullshit. This is about power and the mobsters at the top are trying to hold on. They have been on a tear raping the system since LTCM in 98. The greek people had a right to sovereignty till they signed it away to the bankers at the EU The American people had a right to sovereignty till Hank Paulson walked out the door with a blank check to the bankers. Its a crazy fucked up world and there may come time where we are on the street side by side with an anarchist communist just like the small businessman in greece Crazy Fucked Up World.
Keep drinkin' that kool-aid......Too bad your talking point has nothing to do with reality. The Greek labor force totals 4.9 million, and it is the second most industrious between OECD countries, after South Korea. The Groningen Growth & Development Centre has published a poll revealing that between 1995 and 2005, Greece was the country with the largest work/hour ratio among European nations; Greeks worked an average of 1,900 hours per year, followed by the Spanish (average of 1,800 hours/year). A new mythology of Greek sloth and spendthrift behaviour has been successfully created when on the contrary, the crisis is largely a product of Greek participation in the Eurozone and the fiscal crisis caused by the financial meltdown of 2008.
Its not greece...its the difference between conservatives & liberals. When the liberals take something away from the conservatives, the conservatives keep there cool, sometimes let them get away with it, but usually just let it slowly build up until we start bringing guns to rallies and such, but we have a very long fuse. Just mentioning taking something away from a liberal is enough to make them want to slit your throat. Its not that all liberals are lazy welfare suckers, they just want everyone to be equal in a world where that is just not possible. They want healthcare for the old, poor and frail. They want nobody to lose their house to forclosure, they dont want anyone to hurt(unless you disagree with them, then they want you sent to gitmo to be tortured, if you can believe that logic ). Basically they want everyone to be happy happy joy joy singing kumbaya next to the fire. Its a very good intention, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Greece road is about to end, and the flames of hell are right there for all the liberals to see. Somehow they think the right is holding out on the water supply which is why they are flipping out right now.
Don't get me wrong - there are problems with all of the eurozone. Greece is just the low-hanging fruit so-to-speak for failure.
yes, americans are fucking naive and stupid rip-offs everywhere, there's fees here there, for this for that, 200$ here 600$ there, everyday some fucking company or branch of government comes up with a new fee for some random bullshit they claim that america's economy is a capitalistic economy, my ass, fucking bullshit all the way through, it's one monopoly (or at best; duopoly) after another when it comes to punishment it's socialism, when it comes to reward it's capitalism, what does that make you, but a fucking slave cost of living is so fucking high and it keeps rising at such a pace that with a 100K income you're still nowhere american dream is nothing but a fucking nightmare, the cost of maintaining that stupid dream is just ridiculous
Does anyone remember the great American Bailout. Happened quite recently. People squeaked and nothing else. When Beer and Bread dries out. Watch out.