[Lonesome in Massachussets]

How, exactly is Germany playing beggar-thy-neighbor? Especially against Greece? Germans maintain export surpluses with Greece by furnishing superior value for the money, not by export subsidies. There are no restrictions on German tourism to Greece, or other transactions with Greece. German prosperity enriches Greece economically, and infuriates their wounded national pride.

Lending money to Greeks who had no serious intention or plans to repay was foolish of the Germans, and short sighted by the Greeks, but more the fault of the Greeks, who wanted to be treated like adults, than the Germans who made the mistake of taking them even half seriously.

[Olog-hai]

You seem to be thinking Germany is capitalist when they aren’t. Here is a good start.

Again, Greece originally did not want to take the loans. But then external pressure caused their national government to fall and get replaced with a government that would accede to the demands to take the loans. That same thing happened in four other eurozone countries.