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Revolution from Greece's ruins as crisis deepens
The Telegraph ^ | 5/1/2010 | Harry de Quetteville and Paul Anast in Athens

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 05/01/2010 5:03:36 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
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To: bruinbirdman

Entitlement Zombies!!

http://tyrannysentinel.proboards.com


2 posted on 05/01/2010 5:06:27 PM PDT by GeronL (http://libertyfic.proboards.com << Get your science fiction and fiction test marketed)
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To: bruinbirdman

Gads, it gets worse in Greece. How long before it devolves into outright civil war?


3 posted on 05/01/2010 5:07:51 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: bruinbirdman
Redistribution is Theft IV
4 posted on 05/01/2010 5:08:56 PM PDT by Oceander (The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance -- Thos. Jefferson)
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To: bruinbirdman

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.


5 posted on 05/01/2010 5:10:47 PM PDT by NewSlavery
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To: Army Air Corps

Forget about Greece, how about here?


6 posted on 05/01/2010 5:14:30 PM PDT by DownInFlames
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To: NewSlavery

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.


7 posted on 05/01/2010 5:16:44 PM PDT by NewSlavery (uote)
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To: DownInFlames; All

Forget about Greece, how about here?

Exactly. Coming to a street near you, courtesy of The One, our Spender-In-Cheif.


8 posted on 05/01/2010 5:18:30 PM PDT by wingsof liberty
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To: NewSlavery

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.


9 posted on 05/01/2010 5:19:20 PM PDT by NewSlavery (uote)
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To: NewSlavery

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.


10 posted on 05/01/2010 5:24:12 PM PDT by NewSlavery (uote)
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To: bruinbirdman
I hope the Greeks enjoyed their hazy, lazy, crazy lifestyle with little work and lots of cash and freebies. Unfortunately, the party is OVER!!
11 posted on 05/01/2010 5:32:56 PM PDT by JPG (Mr. Gore, we have a warrant for your arrest...put your hands behind your back.)
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To: bruinbirdman

Just wait until America can no longer afford to pay the welfareites and all of the other entitlements!


12 posted on 05/01/2010 5:33:52 PM PDT by chris_bdba
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To: NewSlavery
"National humiliation is sharpened by the fact that the chief architects of Greece's bailout, and thus of conditions attached that will shape the Mediterranean country's future way of life, are Germany and the IMF."

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

13 posted on 05/01/2010 5:38:57 PM PDT by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds.")
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To: DownInFlames
"Forget about Greece, how about here?

Just a preview of what is to come here folks. Where and when will be the new Fort Sumter?

14 posted on 05/01/2010 7:08:15 PM PDT by ScottinSacto (W.W.M.R.D.? - What Would Mitch Rapp Do?)
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To: wingsof liberty

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.


15 posted on 05/01/2010 8:17:08 PM PDT by Pining_4_TX
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