Financial Crisis in Greece

[Onur]

The Germans ought to step in and confiscate the 400 tanks, it is their money the Greeks are spending anyway

It doesn't matter if that money returns to the world capital. If they buy something from the war industry, that means this money will be secured in Swiss and/or NY banks in USA, hence it`s OK.

Rather than confiscating that used/old tanks, they would prefer Greeks to buy 400 more from Germany now. What else Greek politicians can do with all that money they took from EU central bank? Giving it to the poor Greek people?? LOL??? Lets be rational and think broader Daskalot. Am i wrong?

[Onur]

Share the pain, crisis-hit Greeks tell their Church - YouTube

[George S.]

its a case of double standards.

[lavce pelagonski]

Greece has finally exploded now we have to wait and see if Germany is going to reduce their debt.

German conservative MP says "Greece is bankrupt"

BERLIN | Sun Oct 2, 2011 7:47pm EDT

(Reuters) - Greece is bankrupt and it will most likely need a "haircut" forgiving at least 50 percent of its debt, a leading conservative member of parliament was quoted saying on Monday.

Michael Fuchs, a deputy parliamentary floor leader for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, told the "Rheinische Post" newspaper that Greece is broke despite all the financial aid from the European Union.

"Greece is bankrupt. Probably there is no other way for us other than to accept at least a 50 percent forgiveness of its debts," said Fuchs, who is also the chair of the influential CDU small business group in parliament.

(Reporting By Erik Kirschbaum)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/02/us-eurozone-germany-greece-idUSTRE79129Y20111002

[George S.]

greece deserves a boot up it's hellarse back to the drachmas & out of eu.

[ProMKD]

This is just another bid for the athenians to gain support from the Americans. Last year (or a couple of years ago) the Macedonian PM was scheduled to visit Washington to confirm support for our country. Ahead of this, the greeks quickly ordered 20-30 F-something fighter jets from the americans, hoping this would put the americans on their side. The Macedonian PM came, and received the support, and the greek newspapers PUBLICLY wrote things like "how could they be such traitors, we buy their weapons and this is how they repay us??". They are filthy whores and aren't afraid to show it. In the middle of a debt crisis they borrow one persons money to buy something they can't afford to maintain or use from someone else. They wouldn't have money for fuel!! Or weaponry, or cash for payroll for soldiers! Pathetic!

[The LION will ROAR]

Google translator

Greeks are killing themselves because of the crisis

http://www.kurir.mk/svet/region/45243-Grcite-se-samoubivaat-poradi-krizata

Strict economic measures and rising unemployment have pushed many people in Greece in despair and dependence on narcotics, and reducing health care costs show that fewer people benefit from medical help.

The image of health is worrying Greeks, highlights Stakler David, a sociologist at the University of Cambridge.

According to survey results published in the medical journal "Lancet" worrying trends are noticeable - nearly doubling the number of suicides, murders and increase growth by 50 percent HIV positive.

- According to the Greeks, their health deteriorates, but do not go to the doctor, although you should do, the author explains the research Stakler.

Stakler says that suicides in Greece increased by 17 percent from 2007 to 2009 and is expected to further increase from 25 to 40 percent.

Developments in Greece are warning of what can happen if done significantly reduce healthcare costs during a recession, says British sociologist.

[George S.]

do people know that greece will never repay the loan & they never intended.Thisiwas no borrowing this was a swindle of the highest kind.They desrve to get their butts kicked to kingdom come.

[Zarni]

do people know that greece will never repay the loan & they never intended

Yeah we do the EU will never ask for the money beyond say give us 30% of what you owe, introduce all the Economic reforms we tell you then you don’t owe us any more money.

Greece will keep all it infrastructure anything that can’t be thrown. Roads, buildings the concrete rock stuff all for nothing payed by someone else.

The Greeks shouldn’t care about their health or Jobs they have all that other stuff for nothing for future generations to enjoy, Greeks never questioned it Greeks never questioned retirement by 40, state Jobs for life, No Taxes it was all the good the Greek lifestyle their politicians gave them whom they the Greek Public voted for every time

[Risto the Great]

Greece will keep all it infrastructure anything that can’t be thrown. Roads, buildings the concrete rock stuff all for nothing payed by someone else.

No. There are consequences. Greece is now heavily compromised in the European (and world) community and will pay in many ways. It would be naive to think there are no consequences from such a flagrant abuse of fiscal responsibility.

If we follow your logic, Macedonia should do anything to get into the EU .... steal from the IMF and European Bank and then tell them they will not be paid back. Yeah right.

[ProMKD]

No. There are consequences. Greece is now heavily compromised in the European (and world) community and will pay in many ways. It would be naive to think there are no consequences from such a flagrant abuse of fiscal responsibility.

If we follow your logic, Macedonia should do anything to get into the EU .... steal from the IMF and European Bank and then tell them they will not be paid back. Yeah right.

You read my mind Risto.

This is the plan of the new world order, of the 'eurocrats' as another member puts them (i like that ). The whole plan is this: seduce a country like athens (before EU: very very poor) with money and building projects, investment, protection, etc. Then, let them live the good life for 50 years, and after they go bankrupt, you swoop in and 'save' them like a good cowboy, and basically control their country from now on.

The athenians have to accept this offer (an offer they can't refuse-EU mafia!) and then do exactly what the eurocrats tell them, like a puppet. Therefore, this is basically the end of the athenian state as they know it today.

[fatso]

It doesn't matter if that money returns to the world capital. If they buy something from the war industry, that means this money will be secured in Swiss and/or NY banks in USA, hence it`s OK.

Rather than confiscating that used/old tanks, they would prefer Greeks to buy 400 more from Germany now. What else Greek politicians can do with all that money they took from EU central bank? Giving it to the poor Greek people?? LOL??? Lets be rational and think broader Daskalot. Am i wrong?

What poor Greek people ? Have you been there ?

Most Greek are well off . Quit talking out of your ass .

I especially like your post on Greece getting ready to invade Turkey . LOL

[Zarni]

Actually we are all correct in little way

On Greece
On the Eurocrats
On the Consequences

And to add Macedonian Politicians care only to become personally wealthy that is what EU membership means

[vojnik]

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/19353/1/

The Greek Government has managed to put their citizens at ease by providing money for an exhibit at the Louvre in Paris titled is "The kingdom of Alexander the Great, Ancient Macedonia" to be presented by Greece's deputy Minister of Culture Giorgios Nikitiades.

Hopefully, this exhibit will put an end to the 475 days of strikes across Greece.

According to Mr. Nikitiades, this is something Athens must do, not just in Paris, but in other big cities because "we must tell our story to the world" he says. I absolutely agree with the Minister, after all, we all like to tell stories, like the boogeyman stories I tell my niece.

It's always nice to see Greece spending their money wisely with all the financial troubles they'are having. We all hope this exhibit will come to one of Skopje's musems. Who doesn't like a good story? //Novak Petrovski

LOL!!!

[Onur]

Greek crisis may change taboo on church wealth
As ordinary Greeks suffer from a massive austerity drive, the wealth of the Church is coming into the spotlight as some question its favored status. Still, nobody wants to talk about the issue, a Greek journalist says.

The riches of the Church of Greece could help Greeks shoulder the country’s mountain of debt, but any suggestion about redistributing the wealth has its controversies. With the Greek streets heating up, however, even the men of the cloth have started to question whether their favored status can last forever.

Speaking during an Oct. 9 visit to Mount Athos, a collection of 20 fortified monasteries in northeastern Greece, Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of Greek Orthodox Christianity, said the church should “cooperate with the government,” according to news agencies. Although Bartholomew’s words seemed to imply a change of status for the church, Dositheos Anağnastopulos, the press representative of the Fener Greek Patriarchate in Istanbul, refuted Bartholomew I’s words and told the Hürriyet Daily News that the patriarch simply “asked for help from God to aid Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and other government officials around the world who have been suffering due to the crisis.”

The Church of Greece has mostly been exempt from the austerity measures that ordinary citizens have been experiencing. A new tax on extra property was levied on citizens Sept. 11, but Athens was quick to announce that the church and its monasteries would not have to pay the tax.

The sacrosanct status of the church’s finances is engraved in the Greek Constitution. On top of that, the current finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos, is known for being “very close” to the Orthodox community. “Nobody would want to talk about this, because just by talking one confronts the church itself,” said Mihalis Vasiliadis, the editor-in-chief of the Istanbul-based Greek-language daily Apoyevmatini. “The autonomous status of the church is [guaranteed] with the third and 105th articles of the Constitution.”

Speaking to the Daily News, Vasiliadis described the “unity” of the Greek state and the church. “I wish it were like in Turkey, with the government and the church separated. Something has to be done about this urgently.”

“The church does not wish to pay a share of its income,” the metropolitan of Bursa, Elpidophoros Lambriniadis, told the Daily News. “But on the other hand, priests cannot even be sent to villages due to this crisis.”

Wealth hard to estimate
According to an estimate by daily Katimerini, the church’s assets amounted to 700 million euros in 2008, but Stefanos Manos, a politician who has held a number of Cabinet posts, estimated them at over 1 billion euros. However, these figures only take into account the portion of ecclesiastical assets that were directly managed by the central services of the church. Thus, property owned by parishes and the 80 Greek bishops, as well as the assets of 450 monasteries, was not included in the estimates.

The “crown jewel” in the church’s assets is a 7.6 percent stake in the National Bank of Greece (NBG), which also owns Finansbank in Turkey.

General government gross debt in Greece reached 143 percent of gross domestic product last year. The current debt load, estimated at around 325 billion euros, is nearly double the level most economists see as sustainable. “Beginning in the 19th century, the Church of Greece established its status as a founding partner of banks,” Vasiliadis told the Daily News. “Its shares grew in value each passing year. Today, the budget of every monastery and church depends on metropolitan bishops – even the Archbishop Ieronimos cannot intervene in this,” he said.

The Istanbul-based journalist said the archbishop, however, would “wish to support the government” in these hard times. “Of course, hard-line metropolitan bishops will oppose him,” Vasiliadis added.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=greek-crisis-may-change-taboo-on-church-wealth-2011-10-13