Herman Van Rompuy, the former European Union president told us all we needed to know about democracy in the EU when he spoke to a a gathering in Louvain (Belgium) in 2010. In his speech (September 8, 2012) – A Test of Solidarity – Von Rompuy said that the Eurozone meant a “loss of sovereignty for all”. He went on to wax lyrical about the need for solidarity – “Solidarity is a duty, not only a right”. Unfortunately, his behaviour when in power, and the policies pursued by other EU bosses was not consistent with their narratives. Their constant claims that solidarity and convergence marked the aspirations of the EU was never borne out in reality. In the case of Greece, the Troika inflicted such harsh policies that, not only has the material prosperity of the nation been trashed, but now, evidence is emerging that the underlying physical and mental health of the people has been significantly damaged. One step short of genocide. The slow-burn destruction of Greece and its people continues....Bill Mitchell – billy blog
The destruction of Greece – the slow-burn decline of a nation
Bill Mitchell | Professor in Economics and Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE), at University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
See also
Bill cites the following:
Jacobin
Syriza’s Repressive Turn
Stathis Kouvelakis and Costas Lapavitsas
1 comment:
“In the case of Greece, the Troika inflicted such harsh policies that, not only has the material prosperity of the nation been trashed, but now, evidence is emerging that the underlying physical and mental health of the people has been significantly damaged.”
Contrary to Mitchell, Greece’s problem is not the Troika, but Greek politicians. Greece has long had a trade deficit. Hence, when Greek politicians adopted the euro on 1 Jan 2001, Greek politicians doomed Greece to forever-worsening debt and austerity. The Troika had no power over Greece until politicians accepted bribes to adopt the euro.
It is Greek politicians who sustain the nightmare. They blame the Troika in order to divert public attention from the politicians’ own corruption.
“The more recent Jacobin article Syriza’s Repressive Turn shows how far to the right the so-called Greek socialists have become.”
Syriza was neoliberal from the start, since Syriza defended the euro. I wrote about this on several blogs back in January 2015 when Alexis Tsipras was voted prime minister. I called Tsipras a fraud and an arch-neoliberal. I called him an Obama; a Paul Krugman, i.e. someone who calls himself a liberal in order to get away with being an elitist ultra-right-wing neoliberal.
Readers all flamed me, since they had bought Tsipras’ lies. Two blogs banned me.
Even if Tsipras did not want to, he would be forced to impose ever-worsening austerity because of the euro that he loves.
On 27 June 2015, Tsipras announced a referendum to decide whether or not Greece should continue groveling to the Troika. The Greek masses voted 61.3 percent “No.” Therefore Tsipras ignored them and welcomed another debt bomb dropped by his beloved Troika.
“If there was ever any doubt of the need for nations to exit the Eurozone, and the EU and expunge these traitorous faux-Left governments from power, the Greek tragedy is there for all to see.” ~ Bill Mitchell
The Irish group U2 is giving a series of concerts in Europe, at which they unfurl a giant EU flag.
German crowds love it, since they are benefitting from the euro scam.
Naturally the sanctimonious U2 creeps will not go to Greece, since they know they might get lynched. (And yes, I checked their concert schedule.)
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