Hundreds of youths rioted in Athens on Saturday, throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at police
Posted on 05/01/2010 5:03:35 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
As Greeks face changing their way of life, rioters in Athens clash with police at the start of a very long, painful summer for the country.
The week was already going badly enough for mild-mannered Greek prime minister George Papandreou. After months of insisting that his country would be able to claw its own way out of decades of mismanagement and corruption, his belated SOS to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ensured that Greece's world famous ruins are now financial, not archaeological.
Hundreds of youths rioted in Athens on Saturday, throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at police
Cherished aspects of Greek life, from widespread tax evasion to the bonuses which transform Easter holidays, are set to be swept away by the flood of financial aid, and the preconditions accompanying it.
"The extent of tax evasion is not exaggerated," said Irini Skouzou, who runs Company Set Up, a consultancy helping businesses with tax and legal affairs in Greece. "And the bureaucracy is so bad that even companies that want to pay tax have found it very difficult. They have been unable to register with local tax authorities."
Mr Vasilopoulos says his company has been "inundated with calls" from residents of such elite residential neighbourhoods as to how to camouflage their swimming pools. At first blush, the requests seem bizarre.
In fact, they stem from the revelation that the Greek finance ministry is using Google Earth software to track down the owners of the pools, which tax inspectors consider an indicator of wealth, and which have often been built illegally.
"There are therefore two reasons to hide one's swimming pool," said a pool-owner who confessed guilt on both counts and, not surprisingly, asked not to be named.
Despite such inventiveness, even the most determined tax-dodger recognises
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Gads, it gets worse in Greece. How long before it devolves into outright civil war?
This article misses the whole point of the crisis! Unaffordable pensions, healthcare and other spending.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idINN2921657020100429?rpc=44
The same way the US is covering up its debt OFF BALANCE SHEET!
Fannie and Freddie, for example. Pension Guarantee Insurance Corporation, etc.
Reporters are so shallow and swayed by the Socialist Elites.
Forget about Greece, how about here?
Other quotes on the REAL cause of the Greek crisis!
http://imarketnews.com/?q=node/12636
The best one is:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/04/29/debt-secrecy-poisoning-greek-and-u-s-economies-panel-says/
Of course, Democrats will ignore it.
Forget about Greece, how about here?
Exactly. Coming to a street near you, courtesy of The One, our Spender-In-Cheif.
To Army Air Corp:
Read these:
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/04/29/debt-secrecy-poisoning-greek-and-u-s-economies-panel-says/
The main reason Greece’s debt ballooned out of control was because of its use of off-balance sheets, which allowed the country to conceal its actual debt.
“Greece could have solved the problem by bringing everything on-balance sheet and making it transparent,” said Sanders.
Congress must enforce the use of balance sheets to avoid growing debt problems in America, according to Sanders.
“Off-balance sheets are devastating. We have got to end that. We have got to bring it on the balance sheet. We should have all this stuff visible.”
“We know that one of the causes of the financial crisis was essentially these off-balance sheet vehicles, and yet essentially, we have Uncle Sam engaged in worse,” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas.
When discussing calls for Greece to sell territory to pay down its debt, he said, “I hope and pray that the United States is not on the path to becoming Greece without the Parthenon. There are lessons to be learned here for us.”
Sanders and Hensarling better check their cars before they start them.
In his written testimony (and mentioned it in his oral testimony, Anthony Sanders from George Mason University said:
“As of 2009, households earning $250,000 or more accounted for approximately 2% of all households. If we multiply the number of households (115,000,000) by 2%, we find that 2,300,000 households will bear the brunt of the $108 trillion of underfunded liabilities. This means that households earning $250,000 or more are EACH responsible for $47 million to pay for these unfunded liabilities.”
Obama and the Democrats are pure evil, if not just insane.
Just wait until America can no longer afford to pay the welfareites and all of the other entitlements!
Rotten German capitalists who loaned Greece the Drachmas for their 13th and 14th month bonuses rather than the Socialist government they elected to borrow it.
yitbos
Just a preview of what is to come here folks. Where and when will be the new Fort Sumter?
Courtesy of ignorant US voters actually. Most Americans have been happy to believe the impossible promises of politicians for years. Everybody wants some of his neighbor’s goods.
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