Greece to Leave the Euro Zone

[Simfan34]

That wouldn't have been a bailout. That would have been unconditional debt forgiveness. And that is a desirable thing because... how, again?

[Simfan34]

That wouldn't have been a bailout. That would have been unconditional debt forgiveness. And that is a desirable thing because... how, again?

Because a default/Grexit will be way more expensive than debt forgiveness would have been back in 2010. Whatever you think should happen now, Merkel's original strategy has been proven a total disaster in that it only made the crisis worse and cost Europeans much more money.

And Grexit in 2010 even cheaper.

Merkel's strategy was dependent on the Greek government acting in the long-term interests of the country. The flaw of that, of course, was that such action was electorally harmful in the short term. Now the Greeks have gotten themselves a government that pledged the wonderful but impossible... and here we are.

Perhaps she was unwise to expect more from the Greeks. People anywhere rarely vote in line with their long-term interests when they're at odds with want they want in the short term. But simply writing off all their debt without any kind of consequences would have been the worst possible thing to do.

[Simfan34]

City College is not what it once was, I'm afraid. That is in a good way- it no longer has open admissions, for example- but it is mostly in a bad way.

Edit: incorrectly placed period.

[Simfan34]

City College is not what it once was, I'm afraid. That is in a good way- it no longer has open admissions, for example.- but it is mostly in a bad way.

It is a lot better than quite a few private (and, especially, for profit schools). If you cannot get into Stony Brook, tell me, which school is going to be a better deal than City or Hunter?

Fair point.

[Simfan34]

But what would happen? Yes wins, Tspiras resigns, new elections are held, Syriza wins again... and then what?

[Simfan34]

But what would happen? Yes wins, Tspiras resigns, new elections are held, Syriza wins again... and then what?

I assume a different Syriza leader takes office?

Yanis takes over as PM.  brilliant.

That would be interesting. But Varoufakis is a bit of a political outsider, no? He was teaching at UT Austin until just this year.

Never fully got his appeal, anyway. He gives off an odd vibe... and looks a bit too much like Voldemort with a nose for comfort.