Greek Referendum on IMF/Troika deal

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well, that's it then isn't it. Probably.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It would have been so much better if all this were accompanied by a European program designed to somewhat soften the impact of what is coming up on the population. This is what they should have been discussing all this time. And none of it seems likely now.

I was idly wondering the other day whether maybe it would have made sense to propose some form of aid to social services alongside any demanded structural economic reforms of whatever. Bit late now I guess.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Greece literally cannot get out and cannot afford to stay in, right now as at every point over the past four years.

"But there is no escape, not through the bars."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Increasingly suspecting that going into bed with ANEL was an error.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Things are so crazy right now that, I don't know, the fact that Allende appointed Pinochet seems relevant.

But on your query, yes, of course they would have done (ANEL are also 'anti-austerity' and are the hardliners on military spending, geographical VAT differentials and so on). Not sure whether it would have mattered much though.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You say apathy, I say resignation. There's much enthusiasm for both options (of course: largely because the referendum is effectively a referendum on the government itself) but I don't think we should be surprised if a lot of Greeks see it as a choice between different forms of cancer.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well the reason for that is the influence of the military in society and the fact that a pro-military far-right party is the junior coalition partner currently.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Nonsense, you'd spend a fycktonne on your military budget no matter what. Official American irritation on this point largely stems from the fact that lower military budgets for allies mean that they are less likely to be buying America arms.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

And Antonio, what about their masterful application of GAME THEORY?

Where does this meme come from anyway?

Varoufakis is hugely into Game Theory.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The media care less about the issue here and as it isn't 'our' money at stake are less partisan in their coverage (first time for everything).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

By this point there's no way that things end well so people (irrespective of political sympathies) should avoid getting their hopes up. A pretty shocking display of incompetence (leaved with frequent complementary displays of pig-headed stupidity) by pretty much everyone involved going right back to the start of the crisis in 2009.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'll repeat an observation I made a few weeks ago: ever seen people argue over money? I mean, in real life? Generally speaking the person who is owed money wants it back whether the person who owes can actually pay and generally does not care a flying fyck about the fact that the debtor is in fact broke and living under a railway arch (or whatever) if the debtor is indeed actually living in such penury. It's much the same when countries owe each other money.* It is neither particularly dignified nor particularly pleasant, but welcome to finance: Paul was right, you see.

That point aside, do we really need all this queasy ethnic stereotyping? Of both creditor and debtor nation? It has no relation to what is actually happening and if I wanted to read it I could just check out the gutter press from either place...

_{*Actually when it's a third world country and a first world one it's even worse.}