Euro Blackmail 67

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Watching the international blackmail of Papandreou and Greece to cancel his referendum plan has been pretty ugly – I imagine the diplomatic style and atmosphere of the Munich conference was similar. The joy in the financial markets at the cancellation of the referndum may be foolish.

The Greeks have effectively given up all effective sovereignity over their economy. To do that without having voted on it is quite a difficult step for any people to take, particularly a people as nationalistic as the Greeks. There will be blowback.

There has been little reporting or understanding of what happened on the ground in Greece over the last week. 372 Foreign “advisers” moved in to take over Greek ministries, in some cases even sequestring minsters’ offices. They have absolute financial control of budgets and have to approve and sign off spending before money is paid out. In effect, these advisers are now the government of Greece. 28% of these “advisers” are civil servants from other Euro states. The majority are of bankers, and executives of private financial institutions, accountancy and consultancy firms.

Anybody who thinks this is going to work out is raving mad.

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67 thoughts on “Euro Blackmail”

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  • mary

    Thanks Nuid. Remember how Greece colluded with Israel in wrecking the sailing of the last flotilla to Gaza?
    .
    I put the link to the GPS tracking of the latest two boats on Craig’s post about Burnes.

  • mary

    Here come the Vultures and the Hyenas, blood sucking Libya to death.
    IMF will meet with Libyan leaders ‘shortly’
    .
    The International Monetary Fund said Thursday it was planning to meet with Libya’s new leaders soon to determine the financing needs of the war-torn country.
    “There will be a meeting with the authorities shortly. I don’t have a specific date but it will be soon,” IMF spokesman David Hawley said at a regularly scheduled news conference.
    The spokesman did not say where the meeting would take place.
    “The areas that we’re discussing with the authorities are preparation of a macroeconomic framework, assessment of the public financial management capacity, estimation of financing needs, and assistance we might provide in restoring the central bank’s payment system and operations,” he said.
    .
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8860684/Libya-revolutionaries-turn-on-each-other-as-fears-grow-for-law-and-order.html
    .
    Note the comments – first the best. And this in a ‘right wing’ paper.

  • mary

    The link to the IMF visit to Libya.
    http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2011/11/03/imf-will-meet-with-libyan-leaders-shortly
    .
    Did you spot Cameron announcing in Cannes that the UK were considering ‘boosting’ their contribution to the IMF? This is spite of his earlier promise that we would not be bailing out the Eurozone. What a tosser he is. I saw him seeing a photo op at the Cannes preliminaries. He sidled up to Obomber and Merkel who were talking together and did some glad handing and kissing (Merkel not Obomber. I got the impression they resented the interruption.

  • nuid

    Thanks Mary. They tweeted about 30 mins ago:
    “Both the #Saoirse and #Tahrir were in contact with each other minutes ago, no problems. No contact yet from Israeli army/navy.”
    .
    They’re about 75 nautical miles from Gaza. Fishing boats are taking to sea to meet them.

  • Komodo

    I have heard nothing substantive on Radio 4 News for 24 hours. They have been filling and padding. Something nasty’s up, I think.

  • havantaclu

    It looks to me as if we’re on our way to a new World Government – of the banks, by the banks, for the banks.

    Democracy – what’s that? Oh yes, something they dreamed up in Greece – well, that(a sharp right hook)’s for democracy

  • ingo

    Firstly, germany has had many coalition Governments in the past who had to make allegiances with the allies, as much as it went against the grain of Adenauer and Brandt, many of these Governments were with the CDU/ CSU rightwingers. Germany had chancellors Kohl and Merkel for some time with one bout of red green Government inbetween, so the surrent drive is distinctly to the right, pro NATO, something I’m not happy about, but thats how it is, another election might see this cabal removed.

    Guest all valid points, except, Germany discussed its entry into Afghanistan in arduous debates, in public and in Parliament, before they made a decision to help its NATO partners, something that can not be said about this country, who is debating going to war with Iran? All we get is tough talking Cl;egg ( wretch, how he has changed, must be preparing for his enrty into the Conservative partry). Germany also contributed to Saddams weaponry and built vast bunkers for him, it helped built up his chemical industry, whilst the Brits sold them arms manufacturing capabilities and many arms, the Us sold the precursors to make mustard gas and VX and and and, it was not a German thing, was it?

    There is no Friends of Greece contingent running our foreign policy, embedded in our party structure like a cuckoo in the wrong nest, otherwise we might even respect that Greece is a fellow NATO member and EU partner and help them when needs arise.

    Thanks for the update Nuid and Mary, looks like Turkey will not interfere in Israels piratry at all, becasue they said that there wetre sailing to Rhodes… doooh, how else to leave a Turkish harbour.

  • mary

    Well done Komodo for getting that Guardian page. Wonder who is objecting and to what?
    .
    Yes agree on ZBC output. Yesterday it was the endless Pakistani cricket trial and even a live link to the home of the mother of one of those convicted.
    .
    I think those strutting the stage in Cannes are like headless chickens. They haven’t got the remotest idea of how to fix it this time. Need Jimmy Savile back from the dead perhaps?

  • anon

    Komodo (or someone)
    Could you summarise or paste the deleted article somewhere? I can’t open it. Thx

  • Azra

    Rest assured whatever austerity measures are put in place in Greece, the great Greeks will find a way to get out of it, and good on them..the problem I can see is that 70% Greek still want to be in single currency (euro), and they better realize they cannot have it both ways, if they get the bail out money they will get the money and lose their sovereignty. Now will that solve the problems of Greece in the long run?? or get out of euro , have an orderly default.

  • Azra

    Anon, you do not know the Greeks! believe me, they will find a way, too proud, too independant to bow to the likes of France or Germany.

  • david

    @ingo…. Its not a cheap shot at Germany. Wether you like it or not the Greeks are very nationalistic, they do remember the 40’s. Is German the same country now.. no of course not.
    .
    As to German European perfection… sorry but thats just rubbish. Germany is as war and resource hungry as any other western nation. The british position is not good on that front either, but if you believe that Germany is a nation run by peace loving fair minded individuals you really are delisional. Germans are no better and no worse than any other industrialised nation.
    .
    Why wont Britain help Europe fully ? Simple… its not our problem. We do not want to be a part of a federal Europe, especially one that lose’s billion of pounds every year, one that can instruct a nation not to have a referendum. Europe hates the people having a voice in any of their matters. Until that changes I cant ever see the UK joining fully.
    .
    Lets not also forget that the UK is the 2nd largest contributor to the European pot. We used to be the largest per capita but that may have changed now.
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    Germany was prevented from having any sort of a military up until the 1st gulf war. Once that was lifted Germany has been steadily increasing its military power and has engaged in the same stupid wars that the UK and USA has been involved in. After all you wouldnt want to miss out on your slice of the pie.
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    So much for your image of an altruistic peaceful Germany.
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    As for cheap shots, what I wrote was not a cheap shot. Its a very simple and correct statement. This is a cheap shot……
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    Two world wars and one world cup 🙂 Now thats supposed to be a joke, but I doubt you’ll see the humour 🙁

  • Komodo

    Re the Guardian page: leading par here:
    “The legal battle that exposed Adam Werritty’s role at the heart of government will be settled today, the Guardian has learned.

    The high-profile court battle pitted the Ministry of Defence and Dubai businessman Harvey Boulter against US Post-it note maker 3M and led to Liam Fox, the former defence secretary, being forced to reveal his reliance on Werritty, his best man and firm friend of 13 years.

    It is understood that a US court will today rule in favour of the MoD and Boulter, but will only grant the pair about $1.3m (£800,000) in damages. The MoD and Boulter, who jointly developed MRSA-fighting technology called Baclite that was sold to 3M, had sued for up to £41m.”

    Turns out that the case isn’t sewn up after all, and the Grauniad had jumped the gun. 3M is now fighting something called an anti-SLAPP measure introduced by Lanny Davis, representing Boulter and the MOD, which alleges that the case was brought in order to suppress free speech. So no damages have yet been awarded, as far as I can tell.

  • Laurent

    Craig, what’s your source for the 372 advisors? I don’t doubt it’s true, but I can’t find the details reported anywhere. Thanks!

  • mary

    ‘All HSBC ATMs and First Direct and HSBC online banking services are not available.’
    .
    A frightener as you imply Mark? They must think we are not as green as we are cabbage looking.

  • havantaclu

    Still down at noon.

    This is a quote from the Rev. Giles Fraser (from the BBC website)

    “St Paul’s Cathedral is built on a deep theological fault line. On the one hand it’s set within the boiler room of global capitalism, and on the other it proclaims a theological story that has some pretty fierce things to say about money and wealth.

    “These two powerful tectonic plates, God and mammon, meet right under Wren’s magnificent baroque masterpiece.

    “It’s little wonder that St Paul’s can be one of the most challenging and uncomfortable places in which to do theology.”

    Considering that the baroque was exactly about that faultline, and trying to integrate the two plates, perhaps a bit behind the times?

  • ingo

    Thanks David, I never claimed that germany is better or was not involved in NATO’s ZioUS controlled agendas.
    Whjat I’m sayin is that there was no British involvement at the heart of the EU, that they had the chance to be fully part of the EU and could have shaped it differently.

    This concerted attack on the Euro is the last gasp attempt at eradicating a more stabile, less manipulated currency to the dollar.
    I agree with Craig that this will not make an iota of difference, but you want to blame it all on germany, obvious target to make for an indoctrinated Brit who’s learned ideas of contemporay history are about WW2, maybe american history and not much esle, very understandable, but wrong.

    The EU is not just a German cash cow everyone can milk and then slagg off for not giving enough of it, it has been shaped by bankers and unaccountable appointed commissioners, some 30.000 permanent lobbyists and the steering agenda’s of large international conglomerates, nothing to do with you or me, so how cvan you have the audacity to blame the Germans for it all.

    I worked in Glivkourissy and Sparta, Athens and on Crete, very hard work that cleared my head of all the militaristic nonsense I had to deal with for 8 years, it was q1982 one year aftyer Greece joined, not a single person I spoke to was positive about the move of their Government, these small farmers and hauliers of fruits did not believed the level of prosperity that was assumed by their Government, Greece joined under false pretences rweached by bankers and accountants, ther was no referendum to join and greece did not adopt the Euro until 2002.

    You bemoan the fact that the EU is loosing billions through fraud, so did I when standing on this issues as a EU election candidate, what have you done to change the situation? Secondly this country is loosing approx. 900 billion/annum through tax evasion via off shore havens, many still under the british protectorate, so please don’t lecture us on fraud.

    To your sabre rattlin, alluring assumption that the ‘German war machine’ is steadily getting bigger since the second Gulf war.
    Germany’s Bunderwher was established in 1955 and Germany was prohibited from developing nuclear weapons, not conventional forces,. With the un controlled spread of nuclear materials by the principled holders of Nukes, controlled or not, I could make a good case for germany developing its own capability, but, we do not have to why? its expensive and risky, once you got it, other s will want it, secondly, Germany is a member of NATO and does not need such dangerous attire, it already has one of the largest concentrations of US nuclear weapons stored on its soil, a legacy of the cold war that should have diminished since 1989, bu hasn’t, just as the UK still has beermat agreements for US bases on its soil, without having control over them.

    Then you talk of ‘German perfection’, a metaphor in your head I never mentioned, nor did I use the word peace loving, mein kleiner Hippy, but they have a law that stipulates debate and discussion as to whats going to happen, in public and Parliament. There is a constitunional law for debate without it there is no going to war. Whilst here, in the smelliest, most unreformed democracy around, its totalitarinism galore, no hint of debate, just sabre rattlin ala Clegg, plus an order from the FoI and your’re off to die.

    I did not remind you of the US/british massakers, because its borderline genocide, but you tell me where over 300.000 soldiers disappear to in 1945/46 after returning from all over Europe after the war, emaciated they had to dug their own holes in the ground and then were put on starvation rations in the field of Flanders and Northern France, most of them died and nobody ever heard of them. What better than to destroy all evidence of it, only the red cross archive in Geneva holds copies of their internment and treatment, al other papers have been destroyed by the allies. A bit of WW2 histroy they darenot tell you about at school.

    being the second largest contributor to the EU reflects the immense trade this country has with Europe, not its obstinacy towards change.

    I hope this will be educational and inspirational, maybe you will want to do something now, not just have a cheap shot at your b/pet(e) noire Germany.

  • Courtenay Barnett

    @ David,
    You sai, “That should have been reap what you sow”. Why not – sow what you reap, because the “banksters” do sow what they reap – money.
    Funny ol’ world when the cradle of Western democracy finds that it is no longer afforded true democratic expression from the other Western democratic nations – because a people faced with a choice of a future of penury once the banks are paid, instead of attention to social welfare, jobs, wages, housing – then the opportunity cost is that of payment and poverty – versus – non-payment and survival. The referendum result would not have been one for payment to the banks with poverty.
    As someone said, Greece might well make a claim for reparations and tell the Germans to stuff it for reason of what the Nazis owe and Germany never paid. The Jews got their reparations for similar atrocities – so – why not the Greeks at this critical time? Trade off the debt and survive.
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2056400/Greece-debt-crisis-Greeks-believe-Germans-owe-60bn.html

  • Courtenay Barnett

    @ All,

    Italy paid Libya reparations for war atrocities – so – I am not arguing in the abstract, when I suggest that the Greeks have a valid argument with precedents to establish that the Germans should absorb the Greek debt.

  • ingo

    Do South Africans and kenians, Indians who suffered during the Boer wars and Mau Mau attrocities or under colonial yoch also be liable to pay reparations for their attrocities?

    What if there was an attrocity that has been hushed up, such as the treatment of POW’s right after the war?

    Why should this matter now and has never mattered before could also be a point in question.

    Germany for decades paid reparations to Israel, of its own back, it has paid all sorts of reparations.
    What the Allies failed to do is to get rid of the top Nazi’s in industry and commerce, they were more interested in getting Germany back on its feet, they could not afford to feed an emaciated Europe, they needed them helping themselves, hence their leniancy, it was a crucial period when Britain itself was digging school grounds over for more veg.
    I remember some harrowing tales from those times, remembered and told to me by my Granny and aunties, nobody had enough of anything and bartering was king.

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