Brussels’ Hypocrisy Over The Closing Of Borders

Financial Times ^ | 12 February 2017 | (ikos Devletoglou

[Lorianne]

Sir, It seems remarkable that today’s leaders of the EU, encouraged by the overreaction of the global mass media, reserve for themselves the appearance of virtue and goodness and generally resent the refreshing American principle summed up by president Donald Trump as America First. Americans have shed blood, along with vast material expense, defending human rights in Europe — regardless of ethnicity, geography, culture or religion, demonstrably having guaranteed the continent’s survival in freedom and subsequent prosperity, including that of Germany, after the second world war.

The EU’s hypocrisy offends. Indeed, it remains a mystery how Brussels feels justified in its heavy criticism of America’s increasing vigilance over its own borders when the EU itself continues to turn a blind eye to the formidable barbed-wire militarised fortifications erected all along the northern frontiers of Greece by its neighbours, pitilessly blocking the passage of hundreds of thousands refugees desperately fleeing the war in Syria. These refugees still dearly hope to reach Germany first and eventually other parts of Europe, but are instead inhumanely trapped in Greece practically under the authority of the EU — which, further, even condones the closing of borders in Austria and Hungary. These are provocative double standards. The scant remaining resources in Greece are already stretched to their limits.

Previously prosperous islands in the Aegean Sea – Chios, Samos and Lesbos were until recently celebrated high-profile tourist destinations worldwide – are currently overrun by multitudes of refugees, understandably aggressively inclined by now, at the expense of social cohesion elsewhere in Greece as well. Still worse, the country remains undeservedly caught in a deepening economic and financial crisis, a result of blind austerity policies inspired by Germany that the EU rigorously enforces to this day, manifestly ruling out growth and prosperity in Greece any time soon. Both the IMF and the European authorities still fail to appreciate that reducing Greek debt by one-third in the present circumstances would consistently reflect the social, economic and financial damage they themselves have caused by arbitrarily depressing the Greek economy since 2010.

Nicos E Devletoglou, Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Athens, Greece

[petercooper]

I will never go to Europe now. Muslim hellhole.

[Boogieman]

The EU tried to stop Austria and Hungary, but they know if push comes to shove and they try to force them to take down the fences, there would just be 2 more countries exiting the EU.

[Boogieman]

Oh, and let’s be realistic. If Greece wants to force the EU to choose between helping Greece (even more) and keeping Austria and Hungary, they are not going to choose Greece.

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

The EU (and Germany in particular) created this migrant invasion. Asking to not be overrun and destroyed, is not the same as asking for help. I’m with Greece on this issue.

[Little Ray]

Y’know, if they just sink the boats and rafts before they get to shore, they could reduce the refugee problem significantly.

[Busko]

Really? This is the Capitol of the Cesspool that was once Western Europe!!!

[Boogieman]

Sure, morally it may be perfectly reasonable to side with Greece. However, I did say “let’s be realistic”, as in look at it from the perspective of realpolitik, as the EU bureaucrats probably will.

Greece is a drain on the EU, while Austria and Hungary are not. Austria is a solid state all around, and while Greece is still a bit ahead of Hungary in terms of GDP, Hungary far outstrips it in GDP growth rate (Greece’s growth has actually been negative for years). Also, Greece has one of the highest unemployment rates in the EU, while Hungary’s unemployment is quite low. Just from a practical standpoint, if Greece tries to force the issue, and Austria and Hungary threaten to leave, then Greece will lose.