You may be right. My wife and I considered going along with her European relatives. Even with my criticism I think Crete was great. Much more affordable than parts of Croatia and the water is warmer.
Government workers are a privileged class in most places. They have job security and better retirement and other benefits than those doing similar work in their locale.
It's Bush's fault. If he hadn't Willie Horton'd Dukakis, then things would be much better for the Greeks today.
greece has no economy, no service sector, no manufacturing, their sole source is tourism on a few islands. Yet, 30%+ of greece workers are employed by the government, retires around 50, works 4 days a week, and enjoy long lunch and a nap afterwards. Now their economy can no longer sustain such lifestyle, and they dont control the currency to be able to inflate the existing debt. What i dont understand is why everyone in greece is so mad at the government for taking the bailout trying to save their own country from a major depression. What exactly do they want the government to do? declare bankruptcy on all debt and push the country, along with the euro into a hole? Those greeks are so fucking stupid, if they continue to riot, the EU should just grant their wish - no bailout, dump greece from the union and euro, then let them go on their own. They could work 1 day a week and getting paid a major pension using the new greek currency, and inflate into zimbabwe. The world wouldnt give a ratass if that country collapsed, greece are so lucky they are in the EU which forces europe to bail it out. Yet their citizen bitch and whine instead of on their kneels giving a blowjob to the EU...especially germany.
+10. Beautiful post. I'd like to add a couple words on the topic of savings and the legitimate creditors of debt: Banks buy sovereign debt through monetization. But that act of monetization debases the money supply in which that bank operates. IOW, the bank steals the labor and savings of it's host Country, and lends it to another Country for use, to make an effortless return. Greece wants to default on the Banks, right? In other words, Greece wants to rob the Banks. But the Banks, in essence, robbed from us to get the money to loan to Greece! In the real world, us commoners have to labor and save to purchase an interest-bearing note. In the land of Bankers, they steal our labor and savings to purchase an interest-bearing note! At the end of day, it's the People who bear 95% of the cost, and get >5% of the profit. On the flip side, Banks just steal the cost and earn 95% of the profits! I agree with Misthos 10,000%. This is biggest scam of them all. The power to shape destinies and politics of entire Countries by stealing OUR CAPITAL then granting it out in accordance with their own agenda.
Here are Quotes from bankers that are very very interesting. Most people will skip this post which is exactly how bankers prefer it " The few who could understand the system will either be so interested in its profits, or so dependent on its favours, that there will be no opposition from that class, while on the other hand, the great body of the people mentally incapable of comprehending the tremendous advantage that capital derives from the system, will bear its burdens without complaint, and perhaps without even suspecting that the system is inimical to their interests." Quote by: John Sherman Protege of the Rothschild banking family Date: June 25, 1863 Source:in a letter sent to New York bankers, Morton, and Gould, in support of the then proposed National Banking Act "Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create deposits, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take it away from them, and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of Bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create deposits." Quote by: Sir Josiah Stamp (1880-1941) President of the Bank of England in the 1920's, the second richest man in Britain "The powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole. This system was to be controlled in a feudalist fashion by the central banks of the world acting in concert, by secret agreements arrived at in frequent meetings and conferences. The apex of the systems was to be the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland, a private bank owned and controlled by the world's central banks which were themselves private corporations. Each central bank...sought to dominate its government by its ability to control Treasury loans, to manipulate foreign exchanges, to influence the level of economic activity in the country, and to influence cooperative politicians by subsequent economic rewards in the business world." Quote by: Carroll Quigley (1910-1977) Professor of History at Georgetown University, member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), mentor to Bill Clinton