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[+]pipispapas0 points68 points68 points
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[–]pipispapas0 points
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people are mostly stressed because no one really knows what will happen next week. other than that it's business as usual. you must understand that we live in this climate for the past five years so it's not that big a deal for us
[–]mscomies0 points
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It's not quite the same situation though. Iceland's issues stemmed from it's three biggest national banks failing at the same time. The creditors went away when the banks failed. Greece's issues stem from sovereign government debt which won't go away even if the Greeks overthrow their government and replace it with a new one.
[+]Rea11yN0tMe0 points12 points12 points
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[–]Rea11yN0tMe[S]0 points
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I thought people would be more worried, but I guess living with this situation that long might make people fatalistic. Any preparations you are making? Stocking up on food or beer?
[–]RedSocks1571 point
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Can y'all motherfuckers stop trying to ruin the world economy? I mean seriously, I get that nobody wants to lose their benefits but the country is in the toilet. The rest of Europe is begging Greece not to jump while the leftist leadership giggles on the edge of catastrophe.
I feel that's a little unfair. Greece is trying, like every other country, to do its best for its citizens in a difficult world economic situation. They're certainly not "trying to ruin the world economy", and whatever the outcome of these problems it's unlikely that the world economy as a whole will be "ruined". We're talking about just one country, with a population of less than 11 million: that's less than Ohio.
[+]Guerilla0 points30 points30 points
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[–]Guerilla0 points
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A lot of lines at the ATMs waiting for the 60 euros but other than that not much is different. There's a lot of discussion and confrontation about the referendum but nothing describes the situation as despair simply because Greece has been suffering under the troika regime for 5 years and we have not much to lose.
A couple of days ago I saw someone offering a pita gyros (greek sandwitch) to a very old homeless lady sleeping at the bus stop, a common occurrence here the last few years so you can't expect us to panic over the banks closing. Most of us don't have anything in them anyway.
[+]Rea11yN0tMe0 points10 points10 points
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[–]Rea11yN0tMe[S]0 points
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Thanks, it sounds like what /u/pipispapas wrote, that people are fatalistic and tired. Are you going to vote yes or no in the referendum? ie stay in the Eurozone or leave?
[+]Guerilla1 point44 points45 points
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[–]Guerilla1 point
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I'm going to vote no.
I think that Euro is a disaster of a currency that no sane economist would have ever approved before an actual political and economic unification of Europe so the only logical assumption that I can make is that they wanted this. They wanted a crisis so that they can ruin Europe's social safety net, can cut pensions and salaries and sell off our countries' national wealth to corporations. Naomi Klein indirectly predicted everything that happens now in the Shock Doctrine, an excellent book explaining how neoliberals create and then exploit crisis to shock entire populations into submission and rob them of their rights, salaries, pensions and so on. I read that book in 2007 and watched history repeat itself with shocking accuracy three years later. Only this time it wasn't Latin America being attacked, it was my country. So hell no, no way I'm voting for neoliberal policies that will turn my country into a mere colony to corporate interests.
I don't read fatalistic or tired in their responses. On the contrary. I read resilience and solidarity. The corporations and their pet politicians may carve up a country as much as they like, people will find a way to survive. Besides, it is not as if there is no wealth in Greece. There is enough to carve up and share around to the people. Bet the corporations won't like that though.
[–]Soupias0 points
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People are surprisingly calm about it. If you exclude the ATM queues, everything is business as usual. After 5 years of being told that 'you are on the brink of the abyss' people do not care that much. We are on a difficult spot where we have to chose between:
Voting yes, and keep on an austerity program that clearly does not work and makes things worse.
Voting no, and go into uncharted waters with the hope that after some time things will get better.
I would like to stay that the dominant way of thinking about this is as follows:
-Most people thinking of voting no. Even if it leads to dangerous waters.
-People think that the austerity program is not working.
-People think that it is better to risk it all than stick with something that does not work. They see the program as postponing the inevitable. They are voting NO and it is not that they do not want to 'Pay the debts'. Most people are OK with austerity and recognise the need to reform. It is just that austerity brings further recession and the debt is getting bigger instead of smaller. The thing is that financially active people are getting less and less as more are joining the unemployment line. In order to get the results that Europe wants they are trying to squeeze more and more money out of a shrinking portion of the population, those that still have a job.
When you are about 30% unemployment and you vote for measures that are certain to bring further recession, what can you hope for?
TL;DR: The vast majority of Greeks would accept a painful program that would bring results but are against one that does not work. They feel that all this we have been through in the last five years are for nothing. It is not like we are ate square zero, we are in even worse shape than when all this started.
I think I would also go with no. There will be some time of chaos with a devalued Drachma because imports will become drastically more expensive, especially petrol. But at the same time Greece becomes more competitive as well. For example I can see a big upswing in tourism when Greece becomes an affordable destination again. So all the best from my corner of the Internet!
Not from Greece, but I am European and follow the Greece crisis quite closely. Personally, I think Tsipras is playing a game, and he's doing it really well. I don't believe for a second that the EU will exclude Greece from the Euro. They are far too afraid of the possible consequences, as well as the possibility of a 'Brexit', where Great Britain decides to 'exit' the EU, after a precedent has been set by the 'Grexit' (Greece exits the EU). Therefore, the trojka will help Greece again and Tsipras comes out a victor. If the referendum opts out of the EU, Tsipras also wins, because the people of Greece will thank him for giving them a vote in the matter.
Tsipras is in a win-win situation here, and the people of Greece can only hope they get to reap some of the benefits as well.
Afterthought: I'd say Greece's best bet is to get out of the Euro. With control over their own currency, they would be able to stabilize the country much quicker and much more efficiently, than they ever could under Brussels' control.
Usually when a country stabilizes the economy its due to an acute event. This has been going on for over a decade. Doesn't it seem like a more structural issue?
There are, of course, structural issues involved here as well. Greece didn't get into this bad a shape without some underlying reason. Greece hasn't had a budget surplus since 1973: essentially the governements have been overspending for more than 40 years. This means increased debt, to the point where Greece couldn't possibly meet their payment obligations. That on its own is enough to destroy an economy. Then add the outrageous austerity measures implemented because of EU and Trojka demands, which made everything even worse (if people can't spend money, the economy won't grow. It's a basic economy lesson many politicians seem to have missed).
So yes, Greece has had structural problems for over 4 decades, and something needed to be done. However, the foreignly imposed austerity measures have only aggravated the problem. Greece never should have been allowed to join the Euro until they had their affairs in order, and joining the Euro has meant they gave up sovereignty of their economic policy, which they now so sorely need.
I apologize for any typo's/grammar/weird sentence structure. English isn't my first language and I just got out of bed..
[+]RuckedUp0 points10 points10 points
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[–]RuckedUp0 points
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I don't know the ins and outs of the monetary problems in Greece but when I was there two years ago it seemed like it was running smooth enough. A few things they have in spades are beaches , culture and sunshine; things that people from North Europe will pay for no matter what money they have to carry to Greece! I say pull out of the EU Greece go back to the Drachma pour a few shots of ouzo and wait for the next boat load of tourist to show up. I loves me some Greece!!!
as they comments below pointed out, I was not trying to say Northern Europe did not have culture, just saying that Greece has a boat load of it!
All that mixed together they have a ton to offer.
Many parts of Northern Europe were nowhere near as civilized as Greece was 2000 years ago. Therefore, Greece's culture is both different and, in many ways, more ancient than culture in the north
Northern Europe doesn't lack culture, more that Greece has an abundance of culture in comparison going from Ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire.
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[–] pipispapas 0 points 68 points 68 points (+68|-0) ago (edited ago)
people are mostly stressed because no one really knows what will happen next week. other than that it's business as usual. you must understand that we live in this climate for the past five years so it's not that big a deal for us
[–] [deleted] 1 point 13 points 14 points (+14|-1) ago
[–] mscomies 0 points 13 points 13 points (+13|-0) ago
It's not quite the same situation though. Iceland's issues stemmed from it's three biggest national banks failing at the same time. The creditors went away when the banks failed. Greece's issues stem from sovereign government debt which won't go away even if the Greeks overthrow their government and replace it with a new one.
[–] pipispapas 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
thanks I hope we do.
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 12 points 12 points (+12|-0) ago (edited ago)
I thought people would be more worried, but I guess living with this situation that long might make people fatalistic. Any preparations you are making? Stocking up on food or beer?
[–] pipispapas 0 points 36 points 36 points (+36|-0) ago
lol I'm hiding a lot of cash under the mattress. like drug dealers do in movies
[–] RedSocks157 1 point 4 points 5 points (+5|-1) ago (edited ago)
Can y'all motherfuckers stop trying to ruin the world economy? I mean seriously, I get that nobody wants to lose their benefits but the country is in the toilet. The rest of Europe is begging Greece not to jump while the leftist leadership giggles on the edge of catastrophe.
[–] TelescopiumHerscheli 0 points 8 points 8 points (+8|-0) ago
I feel that's a little unfair. Greece is trying, like every other country, to do its best for its citizens in a difficult world economic situation. They're certainly not "trying to ruin the world economy", and whatever the outcome of these problems it's unlikely that the world economy as a whole will be "ruined". We're talking about just one country, with a population of less than 11 million: that's less than Ohio.
[–] Guerilla 0 points 30 points 30 points (+30|-0) ago (edited ago)
A lot of lines at the ATMs waiting for the 60 euros but other than that not much is different. There's a lot of discussion and confrontation about the referendum but nothing describes the situation as despair simply because Greece has been suffering under the troika regime for 5 years and we have not much to lose.
A couple of days ago I saw someone offering a pita gyros (greek sandwitch) to a very old homeless lady sleeping at the bus stop, a common occurrence here the last few years so you can't expect us to panic over the banks closing. Most of us don't have anything in them anyway.
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 10 points 10 points (+10|-0) ago (edited ago)
Thanks, it sounds like what /u/pipispapas wrote, that people are fatalistic and tired. Are you going to vote yes or no in the referendum? ie stay in the Eurozone or leave?
[–] Guerilla 1 point 44 points 45 points (+45|-1) ago (edited ago)
I'm going to vote no.
I think that Euro is a disaster of a currency that no sane economist would have ever approved before an actual political and economic unification of Europe so the only logical assumption that I can make is that they wanted this. They wanted a crisis so that they can ruin Europe's social safety net, can cut pensions and salaries and sell off our countries' national wealth to corporations. Naomi Klein indirectly predicted everything that happens now in the Shock Doctrine, an excellent book explaining how neoliberals create and then exploit crisis to shock entire populations into submission and rob them of their rights, salaries, pensions and so on. I read that book in 2007 and watched history repeat itself with shocking accuracy three years later. Only this time it wasn't Latin America being attacked, it was my country. So hell no, no way I'm voting for neoliberal policies that will turn my country into a mere colony to corporate interests.
[–] Homo_ludens 1 point 9 points 10 points (+10|-1) ago
I don't read fatalistic or tired in their responses. On the contrary. I read resilience and solidarity. The corporations and their pet politicians may carve up a country as much as they like, people will find a way to survive. Besides, it is not as if there is no wealth in Greece. There is enough to carve up and share around to the people. Bet the corporations won't like that though.
[–] Soupias 0 points 14 points 14 points (+14|-0) ago
People are surprisingly calm about it. If you exclude the ATM queues, everything is business as usual. After 5 years of being told that 'you are on the brink of the abyss' people do not care that much. We are on a difficult spot where we have to chose between:
I would like to stay that the dominant way of thinking about this is as follows: -Most people thinking of voting no. Even if it leads to dangerous waters. -People think that the austerity program is not working. -People think that it is better to risk it all than stick with something that does not work. They see the program as postponing the inevitable. They are voting NO and it is not that they do not want to 'Pay the debts'. Most people are OK with austerity and recognise the need to reform. It is just that austerity brings further recession and the debt is getting bigger instead of smaller. The thing is that financially active people are getting less and less as more are joining the unemployment line. In order to get the results that Europe wants they are trying to squeeze more and more money out of a shrinking portion of the population, those that still have a job.
When you are about 30% unemployment and you vote for measures that are certain to bring further recession, what can you hope for?
TL;DR: The vast majority of Greeks would accept a painful program that would bring results but are against one that does not work. They feel that all this we have been through in the last five years are for nothing. It is not like we are ate square zero, we are in even worse shape than when all this started.
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
I think I would also go with no. There will be some time of chaos with a devalued Drachma because imports will become drastically more expensive, especially petrol. But at the same time Greece becomes more competitive as well. For example I can see a big upswing in tourism when Greece becomes an affordable destination again. So all the best from my corner of the Internet!
[–] Delusion_of_Adequacy 0 points 13 points 13 points (+13|-0) ago
Not from Greece, but I am European and follow the Greece crisis quite closely. Personally, I think Tsipras is playing a game, and he's doing it really well. I don't believe for a second that the EU will exclude Greece from the Euro. They are far too afraid of the possible consequences, as well as the possibility of a 'Brexit', where Great Britain decides to 'exit' the EU, after a precedent has been set by the 'Grexit' (Greece exits the EU). Therefore, the trojka will help Greece again and Tsipras comes out a victor. If the referendum opts out of the EU, Tsipras also wins, because the people of Greece will thank him for giving them a vote in the matter.
Tsipras is in a win-win situation here, and the people of Greece can only hope they get to reap some of the benefits as well.
Afterthought: I'd say Greece's best bet is to get out of the Euro. With control over their own currency, they would be able to stabilize the country much quicker and much more efficiently, than they ever could under Brussels' control.
[–] Pewpewpi 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
Usually when a country stabilizes the economy its due to an acute event. This has been going on for over a decade. Doesn't it seem like a more structural issue?
[–] Delusion_of_Adequacy 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
There are, of course, structural issues involved here as well. Greece didn't get into this bad a shape without some underlying reason. Greece hasn't had a budget surplus since 1973: essentially the governements have been overspending for more than 40 years. This means increased debt, to the point where Greece couldn't possibly meet their payment obligations. That on its own is enough to destroy an economy. Then add the outrageous austerity measures implemented because of EU and Trojka demands, which made everything even worse (if people can't spend money, the economy won't grow. It's a basic economy lesson many politicians seem to have missed).
So yes, Greece has had structural problems for over 4 decades, and something needed to be done. However, the foreignly imposed austerity measures have only aggravated the problem. Greece never should have been allowed to join the Euro until they had their affairs in order, and joining the Euro has meant they gave up sovereignty of their economic policy, which they now so sorely need.
I apologize for any typo's/grammar/weird sentence structure. English isn't my first language and I just got out of bed..
[–] RuckedUp 0 points 10 points 10 points (+10|-0) ago (edited ago)
I don't know the ins and outs of the monetary problems in Greece but when I was there two years ago it seemed like it was running smooth enough. A few things they have in spades are beaches , culture and sunshine; things that people from North Europe will pay for no matter what money they have to carry to Greece! I say pull out of the EU Greece go back to the Drachma pour a few shots of ouzo and wait for the next boat load of tourist to show up. I loves me some Greece!!!
Greece 1
Greece 2
Greece 3
[–] TRBRY 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Do the north of Europe lack culture? I do get the lack of beaches with acceptable warm water, and cheap living but culture...
[–] RuckedUp ago
as they comments below pointed out, I was not trying to say Northern Europe did not have culture, just saying that Greece has a boat load of it! All that mixed together they have a ton to offer.
[–] Delusion_of_Adequacy ago
Many parts of Northern Europe were nowhere near as civilized as Greece was 2000 years ago. Therefore, Greece's culture is both different and, in many ways, more ancient than culture in the north
[–] mr_skeltal ago
Northern Europe doesn't lack culture, more that Greece has an abundance of culture in comparison going from Ancient Greece, the Byzantine Empire, Holy Roman Empire and Ottoman Empire.
[–] Vordea 1 point 9 points 10 points (+10|-1) ago
Griechen pay denbts
[–] Guerilla 0 points 11 points 11 points (+11|-0) ago
If you insist, but you should know that the ATM only allows me 60 euro daily withdrawals. You'll have to wait for a while... ;)
[–] [deleted] 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
[–] LuckyL00ser 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
Genau! Das gehört sich nämlich so.
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Cheers, have another Ouzo :-)
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago (edited ago)
You might also like: A queue at the ATM inside the Athenes parliament. http://veuwer.com/2ox9.png
And here is the thread:
https://voat.co/v/pics/comments/177917
Though the discussion revolved mainly around the bottom belonging to the lady with the yellow shoes.
[–] pipispapas 1 point 8 points 9 points (+9|-1) ago
lol just look who posted the top comment
[–] Rea11yN0tMe [S] 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
With all those upgoats you could save the Greek economy!
[–] froonspooncloondoon 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Is it ok to admit that I'm a fan of that picture because of the woman in the yellow high heels in front?
[–] froonspooncloondoon 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
Sorry, got distracTed after seeing the pic and didn't continue reading until it was too late!
[–] 404_SLEEP_NOT_FOUND 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/247/818/6ea.png
[–] slyguy42o 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
so is Greece a cash only society now? Banks may be closed and cash may be slim but are credit cards or debit cards not used any longer?