On the contrary - I do not think any of the Euro partners want to wash their hands of Greece - the question is how to aid Greece without losing more money into corrupt systems and politicians and business people.
I have every sympathy for the new Greek government and its task ahead
Message posted by jrk on 01 May 2010 at 2:46pm - IP Logged
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A Greek person told me in his opinion that if the Junta was still in power the country would not be in this mess. Not sure if this view is widely? But many (right wing)students supported the junta at the time just as many (more) left wing students opposed it. Reminds me a bit of Miss Jean Brode actually.
Some UK folks vastly overspend or lose money and have to sell their cherished house to repay the out of control debt. So sometimes such action may be necessary.
Message posted by SusieM on 01 May 2010 at 3:35pm - IP Logged
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There will be no easy solution; the biggest problem will be to educate the state that its not TAKE TAKE TAKE; Like Vinny I was there during the Junta and it was a frightening experience and selling an island would not be an option. Since joining the Euro its been a very long gravy train to Brussels. The perks have been unbelievable and to try and educate a country that in order to refurbish all the grotty schools, hospitals uniiverities etc the country has to give and contribute across the board to the tax system.
All options have been discussed and I think Greece will be bailed out with a huge price to pay.The Greeks will still be paying for the Olympics until 2020 and what a catastrophe that nothing was put into place for all the stadiums after the event.
HAPPY MAY DAY EVERYONE; the weather in Corfu I gather is just lovely today and well here in the south east of the UK, clouds are gathering and a typical Bank Holiday washout is on the horizon so those of you who can get your buckets and spades out lucky you.
Message posted by Lavinia on 01 May 2010 at 4:56pm - IP Logged
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I agree Susie, Happy May Day everyone. I am off to collect wild flowers to make into the garland for the door and may the garland keep Corfu Corfiot for many, many May Days to come!!!! Sorry to tease you Susie but I might even go for a swim tomorrow.
Message posted by Lavinia on 01 May 2010 at 5:45pm - IP Logged
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Sorry jrk, only just read your question. It was (the time under the Colonels) something you really had to live with to understand. I was living in Athens with my Corfiot husband who was towards the end of his medical studies at Athens University. We all had to be extremely careful what we said and we trusted no-one apart from our very closest friends (and one of our's turned out to be an informer for the dreaded secret police). We were not allowed to listen to music which had been banned, read literature which was banned, our phones were tapped, our mail was censored, even our rubbish searched and we were under constant fear of arrest for a minor misdemeanour. Several of our friends disappeared after the Polytechnic uprising.
I remember the night Konstantinos Karamanlis returned to Athens from France after the fall of the Junta and was in Syntagma square along with tens of thousands of jubilant Greeks who felt they were "free" at last. I also attended Mikis Theodorakis' first concert at the Herodus Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis after his return from exile and the ecstatic crowd all joining in with the chorus of "Andreas" (the song Theodorakis wrote about Andreas Papandreou (our present PM's father) fleeing the secret police across the roof tops of Athens. And then he sang Eimaste dio, eimaste treis (the ultimate song of revolution) with the wonderful Maria Farantouri and Adonis Kalogiannis - the place erupted, tears pouring down everyone's cheeks as we all sang our hearts out at last. Amazing experiences which I shall never forget. Left, right, royalist, republican, communist, idealist, anti-American - they all played their part. My experiences then obviously have a great bearing on how I feel now and maybe explain why I feel so strongly. Poor Greece has suffered so much and is so intrinsically part of Europe (indeed some say the mother of Europe), she must be saved.
Message posted by Eleni k on 01 May 2010 at 6:03pm - IP Logged
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Regarding your previous post jrk, it is true that a few younger Greeks think that a junta would be a good idea. But as Lavinia points out, these people did not have any experience of the junta and possibly do not fully comprehend what it actually means.
Message posted by J&L on 01 May 2010 at 6:22pm - IP Logged
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Lavinia, thank you for that graphic reminder of how it was under the Colonels - and the joy when they were got rid of. All we could do at the time was not visit Greece - and it felt about as much help as not buying South African apples! Now we are glad to live in Greece - and eat SA apples!!!
It is important to share the truth with new generations.
Message posted by mossa on 01 May 2010 at 7:05pm - IP Logged
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Several Greek students were interviewed for BBC news and they wanted an end to bribery and corruption in Greece.
One student was told that if he didn't pay a bribe his driving test would be made more 'difficult'.
Message posted by Lavinia on 01 May 2010 at 7:41pm - IP Logged
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That is terrible and the driving instructor should be reported to the police for intimidation and corruption. But reported to whom?? That doesn't mean that Greece should have yet another dictatorship, or does it for fakalaki were rife during the time of the Junta. The world of the "fakalaki" - envelope stuffed with money - should have passed and I would suggest that people refuse to pay it. Maybe the only way to deal with this is to name and shame and get some journalists on board? That is the only way it will stop. To make the police actually do some work would be a start.
Message posted by windmill on 01 May 2010 at 10:10pm - IP Logged
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I find it disappointing that the "eurozone" was supposed to be everyone under one umbrella and supporting one another through the shared use of the euro. As with most ideology, great in theory, disaterous in practice.
Greece has massive problems, so does the UK (on par with greece), but the big bullies of the Eurozone want to wash their hands of Greece, but are unable to.
All the money that was poored into Europe after WW2 to help rebuild it, had that not have happened makes you wonder what Europe would look like now.
I shall continue to visit Corfu, spend my money and hopefully retire there. It is a very special place.
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tully,
Dear Tully. Do you really comprehend. a) who bailed Europe out after the 2nd WW 2, mostly to rebuild Germany as a bulwark against the Soviet Union? answer, USA.
2) The EU: has given billions to Spain, Eire and Greece just to name a few of the main recipients of EU money, of which, UK tax contributions have been considerable. ie: Yes, Corfu is a lovely place to go on holiday but what has that got to do with such a serious post.
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