To absolutely no one's surprise, the Greek parliament has voted for the austerity package necessary to qualify for the latest round of the EU/IMF bale-out. By this means, the political classes have looked after their own interests, and condemned their country to a lingering death.

We now wait to see how the people react. So far, the violence looks pretty uncoordinated and the police seem to be coping with it. They do not seem to have been seriously challenged.

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The antithesis of the famous "Oxi ".

Το "Ναι" του Παπανδρέου.

Is my memory playing tricks again or do I remember that have been other recent uprisings uprisings in countries bordering on the Mediterranean?

I'm sure that it was customary for our media to report that these popular uprisings were a direct consequence of genuine economic hardship and entrenched, corrupt, undemocratic, and despised ruling regimes.

Why do they appear to take a different line with the current Greek crisis?

Wrong side of the Med, I guess ... this side, everyone's a democrat, doncha know.

Ban ki Moon said, in his best English, "Governments must listen to the people, no violence to get them off the street", he was referring to Tunisia and Egypt at the time.

The police who are protecting the Greek Politicians are also likely to have their pension cropped back in these latest measures, so it's not far from the tipping point right now. There are tens of thousands of protesters, the number needs to rise to hundreds of thousands and there will be a result.

Democracy in action is a beauty to behold.

You are always free to disagree ... but there is a price to pay!

Richard... I know you don't like UKIP, but here is a little vid of one of their lesser known (and pretty inarticulate MEP's) John Bufton Tufton, eliciting a response from Mr. Brezhnev, Mr. Kosygin, and Mr. Podgorny...

http://tinyurl.com/65qp88j

All that's missing is the botox...

Ooh errr Missus...

Absolutely, and it is to be expected that might will be used by those in power, especially if they feel threatened. I was reacting to those other 154 bent backs.....one example was enough to get them in line. Not quite the Spartans of old, are they, but then again, they will have a guaranteed income for the next 6 to 12 months....and then we'll see.

BTW here is the hypocrisy of the day (maybe even the week, one dares not hope for longer):



Data from UBS:

Exposure by bank to Greece



Bank____Country_____€m_____% of equity_____% of total assets
Dexia___Belgium___3,470________39_____________1

(Relatively to equity the most exposed bank outside Greece and Cyprus. Dexia has already been bailed out once by the Fed via QE2.)

A good remedy for tear gas is antacid



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/fina ... -live.html


Get some shares in Alka Seltzer before they go through the roof.

They also have some nice pics of the Greek Finance Ministry going up in smoke.....wonder if the antacid tablets help with putting out fires?

Greece votes for delay default until 2012
http://motls.blogspot.com/2011/06/greec ... until.html

So, Greekies, which would you prefer, the death of a thousand cuts or crucifixion: you pays us your money and we'll give you our choice!

Hmmm....the market for armour plated cars will be booming in Athens.

With ν-shaped hulls maybe — something nu to contend with?

The regular Greeks have a real problem on their hands. I strongly suggest they use the Alexander solution — the one he employed on the Gordian knot.

Turn right, plan ahead and get busy, Hellenes. Lots of heads to roll. Chop chop!