Greece loses EU voting power in blow to sovereignty

London Daily Telegraph, U.K. ^ | Tuesday February 16, 2010 | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

[jpl]

The council of EU finance ministers said Athens must comply with austerity demands by March 16 or lose control over its own tax and spend policies altogether. It if fails to do so, the EU will itself impose cuts under the draconian Article 126.9 of the Lisbon Treaty in what would amount to economic suzerainty.

[Texan Tory]

“The only cheating socialist bloosuckers are the National Socialists of Germany. Pay up the reparations! You owe.” Greece was not the only country to suffer at the hands of the Nazis. Look how Poland suffered under the Nazis, and if that weren’t enough, she suffered decades longer under the fist of the Warsaw Pact communists. The transformation of Poland in recent years is stunning, and was accomplished without reparations from the Germans, so a lack of German reparations is not a valid excuse for the sorry fiscal situation in which Greece now finds itself.

[eleni121]

There are more radical left wing in the US government than on the streets of the Athens.

I think you missed the point...and that is Greeks must dissolve their chains to the the failed secular unified European concept - it deserves a quick death— and get on with taking care of their own business.

[eleni121]

That goes to show you that a nation under communist rule was of benefit in some says...

A lesson to all unthinking neo con capitalists: The spirit of freedom is not based solely on making money.

[Texan Tory]

“That goes to show you that a nation under communist rule was of benefit in some says...”

Whoa, communist rule a benefit in some ways? I’m guessing you mean that the Poles actually appreciate the freedom they now have, because it was denied to them for so long. Is that what you meant?

[monday]

“Hey, maybe they could call on Soros! He's Greek! “

Soros was born in Budapest. He's originally Hungarian.

[eleni121]

You’ve never heard of the “New Europe” have you. (It’s actually misnamed since new Europe is in may ways older than old europe)

[Watch Germany]

You done hit the nail right on the head ... The Holy Roman Empire Is Back

[Red Badger]

Read it ALL the time..............

[Texan Tory]

“You’ve never heard of the “New Europe” have you. (It’s actually misnamed since new Europe is in may ways older than old europe)”

I have heard of the “New Europe” in the sense that Donald Rumsfeld was referring to it. He was referring to former communist nations like Poland and the Czech Republic that are much friendlier to the U.S. than “Old Europe” nations like France and Germany.

[wolf78]

I think you missed the point...and that is Greeks must dissolve their chains to the the failed secular unified European concept - it deserves a quick death— and get on with taking care of their own business.

On the contrary, you missed the point. Namely that Greece WANTED to join the Euro so it could continue to borrow money to fund their communist experiment - basically at the same interest rates as low-risk Germany instead of the high-risk premiums that the market demands of failed socialist states like Greece.

You argue that Greece should leave the Eurozone or even the European Union so it can continue its leftist ways on a national scale. Greece is free to do that. If it wants to make it on its own, it can and it should instead of expecting a bailout. But the real point is that the implosion of Greece was of its own doing and had nothing to do with the European Union and its conservative monetary policy.

[the invisib1e hand]

there are probably worse things than can happen to you than being booted by the EU. it's probably a badge of honor.

it's probably God saving their souls.

[wolf78]

The transformation of Poland in recent years is stunning, and was accomplished without reparations from the Germans, ...

The matter is a bit more complicated than that. Germany and Poland basically agreed after the fall of the iron curtain to make the status quo permanent, because if Poland demanded reparations, so would German expellees (i.e. private citizens) from Danzig and Breslau. The solution is that Poland does not officially demand reparations and in turn expellees have no legal standing to demand property "re-appropriation".

However, there are EU structural and cohesion funds, which basically means that large parts of the EU budget (paid by taxpayers in the richer EU nations like Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany) go to building infrastructure in the poorer countries. So yes, Poland got / still gets some money, but more importantly it is access to the free EU single market that helped Poland's economy.

... so a lack of German reparations is not a valid excuse for the sorry fiscal situation in which Greece now finds itself.

Every Greek citizen receives approx. 750 dollars (at current exchange rates) per year in structural and cohesion funds courtesy of the taxpaying folks of Germany, France and the UK. In other words: The Germans still pay for Greek roads. And despite that additional revenue the Greek government still can't make ends meet?

[Maine Mariner]

There has been a very strong communist party in Greece for many years.

[steve0]

Lets join the EU, or start our own Amerounion. I guess for us Freepers even that last little doubt in our mind about what we might gain by handing over our sovereignty is pretty much forever gone. Can people finally be clear that we should never bow to the UN or any other loose global orbanization. HA ha, by by EU hello, next antichrist organization to take its place.

[gogogodzilla]

Best post of the thread!

:-P

[gogogodzilla]

Which puts the Greeks somewhat below Ethiopia in the realm of good fighters during WWII.

:-P

[gogogodzilla]

Zod says that he is now your king.

KNEEL before Zod!

[eleni121]

You obviously do not know much about the origins of the credit crunch.

For that we need to chcek out our own back yard.

The US deficit — is about 10 percent of GDP and climbing — liabilities that are rarely acknowledged. Costs of Medicare and Medicaid rising, and cost of veterans’ care. Markets assume that the vast debts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are underwritten by the government aka taxpayers - someday the government - WE - will be called upon to pay them.

The Greek govt last year tried to reform public pensions—leading to riots. If anybody tries doing that here - we will have blood in the streets - remember what happened when Bush tried to privatize a tiny percent of SS?

[rlmorel]

LOL...I think he is Hungarian, but hey, if it suits him, he would probably say he is Greek.

He was a Nazi sympathizer once, so he can probably be anything.