Greece Watch...

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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

PS_RalphW wrote:QE is not real money. It is simply a financial trick to increase the nominal value of assets owned by the rich without increasing resource consumption of the 99%. If Greece prints 200B and gives it to the 99% it would increase real consumption for as long as it takes for hyperinflation to kick in.

We have hit growth limits. Wealth is now a zero sum game, and the 1% are winning.
Imagine what could have been done with these enormous sums of money had they been used for directly creating jobs, or simply by giving it directly to working people, who would have gone out and spent it. Or by putting the money to productive use, such as rebuilding crumbling infrastructure.

Instead, what is planned is more austerity — that is, more punishment. The other component of the European Central Bank’s January 22 announcement is that favorite term, “structural adjustment.” A euphemism used by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund when ordering an end to job security and social safety nets as a condition for granting loans to developing countries, this is now being applied to the global North.
Source

What's more, many bondholders don't reside in the Eurozone, so much of this QEandFU will add a zero or two to the bank accounts of faceless, foreign and very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very rich people.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
AutomaticEarth
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Post by AutomaticEarth »

Greece has had historic ties to Russia. Would not be surprised if Putin welcomed them with open arms....and offer oil and gas in return :wink:
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Post by Tarrel »

When it comes to EU foreign policy, there's a real "Camel is a horse designed by a committee" syndrome appearing. They really don't seem to be able to see how their various moves over the last few months have handed Russia massive opportunities for influence and power in the region.

First, supporting the US-led coup in Ukraine, leading to the return to Russia of Crimea.

Second, making things very difficult with the South Stream pipeline in Bulgaria, leading to the gas transit deal with Turkey.

Third, pushing Greece to the point where it has virtually no choice but to seek alliance and sponsorship with another major power apart from the EU.

Strong relationships with Turkey* and Greece would give Russia virtually unimpeded military and trade access to the Mediterranean, providing a perfect complement to the other trade and communication routes being opened up with Asia.

EU foreign "policy" seems to be an ineffectual combination of reaction to events as they unfold plus blind following of US geo-political doctrine.

If I was your average Greek (or Ukrainian, for that matter), I think I would be well advised to look to Russia as the future and the EU as the past.

Life moves on...

* It would be interesting to see what would happen if Turkey declared that they intended to leave NATO. That would really set the cat among the pigeons. A sudden incursion of mysteriously beefed-up IS fighters from across the Syrian border perhaps?
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Little John

Post by Little John »

The anti-Rissian lies and propaganda has certainly shifted up a gear once more over the last week or two, that's for sure.

I actually had a significant issue with a colleague the other day at work over this. I am currently working on an open ended contract at a pupil referral unit. The other day, a pupil was required to complete an assignment on the Bay of Pigs incident and the subsequent missile crisis in Cuba. The pupil asked me about the specific sequence of event and I explained to him that the Cubans had thrown out Batiste and his cronies, who had all fled to California, in a socialist revolution. This was followed by a CIA-organised coup at the Bay of Pigs that was thwarted by the Cuban people and that Castro then asked the Russians to step in to protect Cuba from further attempts to overturn the revolution. This then led to the Cuban missile crisis and a stand-off between America and Russia where, in an exchange of letters, the Russians promised to remove the missile bases if America removed theirs from Turkey in addition to removing the blockade of the Bay of Pigs. But, that the Americans only promised to "consider" removing the blockade of the Bay of Pigs if the Russians removed their missile bases from Cuba.

Now, none of the above is particularly contentious since it is simply a reiteration of the known and documented facts. However, the head of the PRU, who does not, apparently, know her history too well and who has also, it would seem, been fully inculcated in the latest anti-Russian propaganda, then intervened to inform the pupil that the Russians were totally at fault for the Crisis and that America was simply protecting Europe from the Russian threat in Turkey and so to compare the two was erroneous. She then went on, by way of illustration of her argument to cite the current Russian "invasion" of Ukraine. When I asked her, point-blank, to cite a single shred of credible evidence for single unauthorised Russian boot on the ground in Crimea, she became very flustered and confused. when I then went on to reiterate the referendum that was held in Crimea for cessation and that over 90% of the electorate voted and that over 90% of the voters had voted for cessation, she became even more flustered and seemed to be completely ignorant of these facts.

This is a degree educated person we are talking about here.
Last edited by Little John on 30 Jan 2015, 16:32, edited 1 time in total.
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

Steve, she - and many, many others - needs to read this piece.

It is succinct, frightening and illustrates where she, quite possibly, is absorbing her 'views' from.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
Little John

Post by Little John »

Thanks for that E. I'm going to print it out out and shove it under her bloody nose on Monday morning.

Tickell is right. We are being softened up for the end game.
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

stevecook172001 wrote:Tickell is right. We are being softened up for the end game.
That's what it looks like. There's still room for manoeuvre - isn't there an election coming up?
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
Little John

Post by Little John »

Yep.

Sadly, even the new Green Partly Leader has chosen to snub Russell Brand. So eager is she, presumably, for her party to be accepted into the political system as it currently stands.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... arage.html
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

stevecook172001 wrote:Yep.

Sadly, even the new Green Partly Leader has chosen to snub Russell Brand. So eager is she, presumably, for her party to be accepted into the political system as it currently stands.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... arage.html
Aha! Just as I predicted. There's still hope but they're chipping away at it. Drip drip drip.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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Post by Tarrel »

Varoufakis totally "owns" BBC's Newsnight!

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-01-3 ... led-troika

Scroll down the Zerohedge article to the Newsnight interview clip. (Although the rest of it is interesting too.)

Finally, someone who is prepared to face full-square on to the BBC interviewing style of dumbing down, either-or, sound-bite questioning.
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AutomaticEarth
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Post by AutomaticEarth »

Good post Tarrel.

Emily Maitlis was indeed made to look very inferior on this exchange.
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Post by biffvernon »

Little John

Post by Little John »

biffvernon wrote:Greece may sink TTIP :)
http://www.euractiv.com/sections/trade- ... tip-311719
Get in there!..... :lol:
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emordnilap
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Post by emordnilap »

Tarrel wrote:Finally, someone who is prepared to face full-square on to the BBC interviewing style of dumbing down, either-or, sound-bite questioning.
Go Varoufakis. About time - we need more of his sort. Good luck to Podemos; they should gain confidence from Syriza.
I experience pleasure and pains, and pursue goals in service of them, so I cannot reasonably deny the right of other sentient agents to do the same - Steven Pinker
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