The elephant in the room

Athens News ^ | 11/08/12 | Athens News

[Rusty0604]

Of course, Greeks must tighten their belts. But is the decimation of the middle class - through a change in labour laws and unbearable tax burdens - the way out of Greece’s financial impasse? At the same time, next to nothing has been done about the ineffectual and massively unproductive public sector which brought the country to its knees in the first place. The entrenched fear of unions and political cost has for decades prevented successive governments from taking drastic action to reform and modernise an antiquated civil service which, in many ways, instead of serving citizens and their interests has burdened them.

[Rusty0604]

Yes, we are quickly turning into Greece

[Rusty0604]

More on Greece: There were pregnant women rushing from hospital to hospital, begging to be admitted to give birth. They had no health insurance and no money, and no one wanted to help them. People who used to be middle class were picking through discarded fruit and vegetables off the street as the stands from a farmers’ market were being taken down http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-12-15/price-%E2%80%9Ccollective-trauma%E2%80%9D-greece-brink-civil-war

[combat_boots]

More than a decade ago, in Greece, I was warned to keep my hotel window locked shut, as Albanians were flooding into the country and drug running was a big business. It was bloody hot, I was sick, and the room was not air conditioned. The entire thing was no fun at all.

I hadn’t considered the effects of the SE European, Balken, and so forth violence spilling over into Greece. Then again, I was sick.

The entire set of events make for quite a story, from start to finish, but Greece had a role to play.

[Rusty0604]

I read a pity story about the illegals in Greece from Africa being beaten and being jailed now because the economy is so bad. The Greeks think they take what few jobs and welfare there is left.