Posted on 02/18/2012 5:33:00 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Plans for Greece to default, potentially leaving the euro, have been drafted in Germany as the European Union begins to face up to the fact that Greek debt is spiralling out of control - with or without a second bailout.
The German finance ministry is actively pushing for Greece to declare itself bankrupt and to agree a "haircut" on the bulk of its debts held by banks, a move that would be classed as a default by financial markets.
Eurozone finance ministers meet on Monday to approve the next tranche of loans from the EU and the International Monetary Fund, designed to stave off national bankruptcy while the new Greek government puts the country's finances in order.
But the severe austerity measures being demanded have caused such fury in Greece, and the cuts required are so deep, that Wolfgang Schäuble, the German finance minister, does not believe that any government would be able to implement them.
His pessimism has been tipped into despair with a secret European Commission, Central and IMF report that even if Greece made good on its promises, it would not be enough to reach the target of bringing total debt to 120 per cent of GDP by 2020.
"He just thinks the Greeks cannot do what needs to be done. And even if by some miracle they did what has been promised, he - and a growing group - are convinced it will not pull Greece out the hole," said a eurozone official.
"The idea instead is that the Greek government should officially declare itself bankrupt and begin negotiating an even bigger cut with its creditors. For Schäuble, it is more a question of when, not if."
The German finance minister's comments are certain to plunge the authorities in Athens into even deeper
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
(that means “correct” in Rio Linda)
You are cheating. How can a person comment on 對 and talk to you when you only say 對 ?
I will see your 對 and raise you Thailand.
NOW you tell us.
Thailand?
I’ll see your Thailand, and raise you a YouTube video of Katreeya English.
So there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_8PB88bo6I&feature=related
I didn't understand her either. ;>
THIS, however, anyone understands, and the movie was about stealing artifacts of the Greek national heritage: Gosh, that was a long time ago.
Heritage huh?
That’s your story?
OK those are very famous temples in the background of that video too.
Sure.
(actually they are)
Aha. THAT’s what they are! Temples!
In all seriousness, I hope every Greek knows how to fish and does so regularly. It is a pretty place. Well, parts of it.
I don’t know how to spell this in Greek, but kali nichta.
“If you think the USA is a third-world country then you have a real surprise when you go to places like the middle east, Africa, Asia and south of the border. You ain’t seen nuthin’ yet. THOSE countries are what makes US look like a first world country, so matter how horrible YOU think things are here. “
Actually I think he’s saying that we’re following the tracks of Argentina, which was a first-world country until about 80 years ago. They were kicking butt economically. But then they fell for Socialism and now you have boatloads of poor people, beautiful houses that are rotting, and a country that is anything but first-world.
That’s our path, and once China cuts off our lifeline, we collapse just like Argentina did. It’s only a (short) matter of time now for us, thanks to our debt.
I believe the temple is called Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn.
Downtown Bangkok by the Chao Phraya river.
Stunning temple.
If they go back on the drachma Greece will likely become the discount vacation destination of the world. It will be a good thing for them.
Really? Like when they took the Marshall plan money from US taxpayers to rebuild, when they started world war II?
Now they head NATO and write the rules of engagement for our troops that makes it impossible to win the war, and has helped the taliban increase their opium production significantly since our troops were sent there?
Yea, I’ll say they’re working their butts off. They created a phony trade union to consolidate their power without another european war, but they are destroying countries just the same.The pain and suffering they are causing to the people in Greece is equivalent to having declared war on them.
If you live in EUrotopia, you probably own equities bought on a European exchange, lets say Germany. Your stock is bought and sold, and you receive euros.
However, a big sell off of, lets say, Merck by Germans looking to get out of euros (to take to Switzerland and exchange for Swiss Francs) would also reflect the ADR in U.S.A. The price on the NYSE would reflect the sell off in Europe. A sell off of stocks in Europe would lower the NYSE Index.
Then again a U.S.A. investor who wants a little diversified monetary exposure might want to invest in euros by buying Siemans or Merck ADRs. He will still get paid in $ but the stock price will also reflect any foreign exchange differentials. Euro goes up vs. $, eurozone equities go up even if the stock is flat in Europe. And vice versa.
yitbos
Yeah. Krouts aren't too worried about defense. They're cozying up to Rooskies and U.S.A. is always there.
yitbos
From what I know of the situation, a Turk can get a low level job in Germany... and that’s still a decent job, for a Turk, compared to “back home”. For a Greek, it’s not quite so good. But that may change...
I have not been to Germany, but a cousin and my Dad have, for extended times. My cousin (who’s pretty lib) was in particular stunned by how “2nd class” the Turks’ status is in Germany.
A Greek can probably do better not working in Greece than he can working in Germany.
And a second class gastarbeiter is probably better off than they would be in their village in Turkey. Germany does, however, have a huge Muslim problem as a result.
Yes, this situation rhymes of something biblical. It is ironic that Greece was once a nation-power that was clearly named in biblical prophecy.
You do have a point.
Our debt will take us down the Argentina path.
I read somewhere and also heard in Germany that making the East Germans WEST cost West Germany some 40 billion euros. Today the OLDER former East Germans STILL don't want to work and want the government to take care of them.
It took the commies two generations to morph EVEN the work-ethic Germans into vegetables living off the nipple of commie socialism. Things will be "normal" when that generation finally dies off.
The Greeks should have never, ever been considered part of Europe. They were done after the Romans ascended into the scene, right after Aristotle died.
Mankind didn't come up with communism, Karl Marx did. Lenin bought into it because he and his cohorts saw the POWER of it: the selling of souls for the promise of "take-care-of-me-mommy/governmnet."
I think the Euro would be good for all those countries NORTH of the south Swiss border. The rest of Europe is a slightly "better-off" Greece.
What do you think?
“You do have a point.
Our debt will take us down the Argentina path. “
Yea, it’s the debt that’s killing us. Otherwise I would agree. I didn’t become paranoid (i.e., prepper, etc.) until 2009, once it was clear that no one in Washington was willing to take the debt seriously. But that is the case now, and it’s a ticking time bomb. People complain about all of our stuff coming from China - soon they won’t have to worry about it - China will get sick of sending their goods here for useless paper, and instead just keep them at home, where they’re really needed. Then it’s over.
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