Protests intensify as austerity measures are voted in.
As almost impossible austerity measures are forced upon the Greek people, the pressure becomes unbearable. Meanwhile the propaganda machine goes into high gear and the disinformation stage is set in the mainstream media.
Who didn’t hear about “those lazy Greeks” that barely work a couple of hours per day. How they are finally getting the “just rewards” for sitting around drinking ouzo on the beach. Nothing could be further from the truth!
According to the latest Eurostat statistics, the Greeks work 40.6 hours a week, most of all 27 EU member states. According to OECD figures of 2009, the Greeks are the only ones among western countries who exceed the line of two thousand working hours per year. The average high school teacher now earns an average of 800 euros per month, of which 600 euros of this goes to rent and other fixed costs. You’re left with 200 euros to live off
Almost all of the regular citizens on the street work 2 jobs, some work 3 jobs. Retirement may be at the age of 65 but you’re expected to find other jobs immediately after retirement. NO ONE gets to retire to the beach except the very wealthy. In addition, the very wealthy… perhaps the ones that speculated and gambled with the future… do not have to endure the impossible conditions of austerity. They have the ability to leave the country.
The simple fact is that the Greeks are suffering the consequences of predatory investment banking practices and restructuring.
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Kostas Tsironis)
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Petros Giannakouris)
(Pict. by Petrosi Giannakouris)
(Pict. by Kostas Tsironis)
(Pict. by Petrosi Giannakouris)
(Pict. by Petrosi Giannakouris)
(Pict. by Getty)
(Pict. by Thanassis Stavrakis)
(Pict. by Kostas Tsironis)
Here's some austerity for ya, Banksters !!
Righteous. I get so sick of the nanny-state meme of the right. It is predatory capitalism that caused this and an attempt to “shock doctrine” them into accepting being enslaved.
Stunning choice of pics too. I am trying to figure out wtf the one chick is wearing in the 4th from the bottom image though. Heh. Wow.
Love a copy for the wwl.
Yes… Shock Doctrine and Predatory capitalism in it’s purest form. It’s become a sad state of the world when a certain very small percentage of the population has such control over vast amounts of people.
I will put a copy over on WWL if I can ever figure out how to post pictures or vid clips over there. For some reason.. I cannot get anything to do with HTML or links to work on WWL. Since I see you do it all the time, it’s gotta be something I’m doing I know.
It is very depressing to see both the carnage on the streets of Greece and the austerity measures which are being forced on them by the 1%. This lopsided eralth disparity must end!
The people of Greece are trying to end it. But the money controls the destiny it seems.
I wonder if they could do something like Iceland and just tell the government that they are not going to fund the mistakes of the bankster gamblers and tell them to just shove it. Probably comparing apples to oranges but it would certainly make a statement to the world. Probably get whatever government that is in power in Greece suddenly thrown out of power as well.
{BRUSSELS — After more than 12 hours of talks, the countries that use the euro reached an agreement early Tuesday to hand Greece euro130 billion ($170 billion) in extra bailout loans to save it from a potentially disastrous default next month, an European Union diplomat said.
The euro surged as the news broke, climbing 0.7 percent to $1.328 within minutes. While much depended on the details of the deal, a final agreement on the bailout for Greece will take some pressure off the 17-country currency union, which has been battling a serious debt crisis for two years.} – By GABRIELE STEINHAUSER and SARAH DiLORENZO posted yesterday on HuffPo
Despite the uproar of the People, the IMF will have it’s way. Because it’s the only chain linking Europe truly, the matter of currency has taken hold of total dictation in Europe. Currency has become the beast GOD, the end all save all. Right? The 1% reign-eth. Retrospectively, the needs of the many have never ever really outweighed the needs of the few. The Few’s have it. How do we change it? It’s not just our leadership, so easily bought, corrupted. It’s the everyday life of any individual with the responsibility of survival on the planet. And in that pursuit, the planet parishes, finally. I don’t see any other long view here, does any other thinking person? We must shift our paradigm. For simple survival. If that message is not clear, then what is?
Outstanding pictures, Krell. Good post.
I was listening to something on the radio that I feel has not been part of the picture in a lot of people’s minds. This was the opinion of a Greek villager, an elderly man, that remembers 1944 when German troops rampaged through village, killing his mother and father, and disemboweling his 2 year old brother with a bayonet.
Although times have changes and these were old emotional scars for this man, you can’t dismiss this so readily on the psyche of the nation. They were invaded before by the Germans and I can see how the perception may be that the Germans, being the strongest of the EU members and one of the principal countries that are asking for tough austerity, are invading their sovereignty again.
Justly or not, this also becomes part of the complex picture.