tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post4169246712688114825..comments2024-02-06T07:57:54.467+00:00Comments on underdogs bite upwards: Democracy's coming home.Leg-ironhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-76570111106716015252011-11-02T22:36:50.446+00:002011-11-02T22:36:50.446+00:00Either they vote YES and die or vote NO and be kil...Either they vote YES and die or vote NO and be killed.<br /><br />As some greek politician put it.A.K.A. Damo Mackerelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02617877822938199052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-16819359731718474632011-11-02T17:09:24.568+00:002011-11-02T17:09:24.568+00:00Err...okay they don't dish out free bus passes...Err...okay they don't dish out free bus passes until you're 60, but they do make out that capping rates and most of the other populist garbage that got them elected won't cost us a penny "once we're our own masters".<br /><br />And the "Athens of the North" also gets landed with a tram that no one wanted, that has no direct benefit to 95% of the residents and will cost a mint to subsidize.<br /><br />Not 100% about the cost over runs on the stadium they're building in Glasgow but the parallels are too close for comfort.<br /><br />Oh, but they do intend to let us have our say and they may give us the choice of... more powers or... more powers for Holyrood.<br /><br />As yet there's no minimum turnout that might allow the silent majority to tell 'em to "stuff it".Lounoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-65495995067513304132011-11-02T14:12:36.480+00:002011-11-02T14:12:36.480+00:00Great post, Leg-Iron - and thanks for the mention....Great post, Leg-Iron - and thanks for the mention.<br /><br />I really don't know what to make of Pap's gambit. It seems to me that it can't have come out of the blue. Therefore, one must assume that during last week's summit, Papandreou was already holding this card close to his chest.<br /><br />Someone else posited: <br /><br />"Papandreou is resisting a double-cross already being cooked up by the bankers. He is playing the one card he has: If the bankers walk away from the partial debt relief committed in principle at the recent EU summit, Greece will default. And Papandreou wants that decision to be made, knowingly, by the Greek people and not by technocrats."<br /><br />Clearly, Pap was getting it from all sides - the military, the EUrocrats, the bankers, the populace and from the opposition.<br /><br />With a slim parliamentary majority of 2, the promise of a referendum completely wrong-foots the opposition, whether or not it is likely to take place. As such, even if Pap loses the confidence motion, that promise of a referendum might just catapult him back into power, should a general election be triggered.<br /><br />However, the opposition are claiming that the constitution does not allow for referenda on financial issues - only on social issues, which is somewhat bizarre. Whether or not this is true, you can be sure that the EU will be putting its guns behind this argument.<br /><br />The ironies in this bit of theatre are abundant. Foremost amongst them, to my mind, is that France has spent the past several hundred years in mortal fear of the German threat and sought, via the EU, to slay that dragon. Now, the French are likely to become a vassal state of Germany, due to the folly (or greed) of its 'leaders. Asssuming, of course, that the EU survives.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-30188502598177078472011-11-01T23:29:55.541+00:002011-11-01T23:29:55.541+00:00Curmudgeon - there is already talk of the collapse...Curmudgeon - there is already talk of the collapse of the government and a possible coup. But as View from the Solent says, unless they default, they still owe the money.Leg-ironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04932361799889315359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-28701526249580352782011-11-01T23:12:37.072+00:002011-11-01T23:12:37.072+00:00Tim Worstal has an interesting post at Forbes.
The...Tim Worstal has an interesting post at <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/11/01/the-real-greek-solution-democracy/" rel="nofollow">Forbes</a>.<br />The Greece deficit is due to their interest payments. If they default totally, those payments become zero, as does the deficit.View from the Solenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00930587784230398787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2170981338945747646.post-71561339598115774292011-11-01T22:43:00.136+00:002011-11-01T22:43:00.136+00:00Doesn't Papandreou have to face a vote of conf...Doesn't Papandreou have to face a vote of confidence next week anyway?<br /><br />And I see tonight he's sacked all his military chiefs of staff (possibly to forestall a military coup).<br /><br />Better stock up on popcorn.Curmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02558747878308766840noreply@blogger.com