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#241187 - 02/15/12 03:07 AM Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters
Byrd_Huntr Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 01/28/10
Posts: 1174
Loc: MN, Land O' Lakes & Rivers ...
I heard on the radio today that well dressed Greeks have been seen discreetly foraging in dumpsters for food.

The economic situation there today may remind some (albeit to a lesser degree) of the days during WWII nazi occupation and subsequent civil war when 300,000 Greeks died of starvation. This is the type of scenario that few think can happen, but that can and does.


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/12...rvation-recipes
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The man got the powr but the byrd got the wyng

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#241191 - 02/15/12 03:32 AM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Byrd_Huntr]
Richlacal Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 02/11/10
Posts: 778
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
The Greeks are extemely resilient & proud,they will endure.This is a minor setback as opposed to war,or being occupied.For the time being,they will be using less Windex & More wine,Opahhh! Yassou! wink

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#241304 - 02/16/12 07:08 PM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Richlacal]
Arney Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 09/15/05
Posts: 2485
Loc: California
Originally Posted By: Richlacal
This is a minor setback as opposed to war, or being occupied.

Minor? I guess the Great Depression was just a minor inconvenience for Americans, too.

Have you been following what the Greeks are having rammed down their throats in the name of austerity? The mainstream media is not really reporting the details, but it's basically another example of what Naomi Klein describes in her book, Shock Doctrine. Your average Greek person is facing a Great Depression of their own which is unfolding as we speak.

It is not unlike how smart, prosperous middle class Argentines were suddenly literally digging through dumpsters during Argentina's crisis back in the 90's, too. Considering how many Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck and on their credit cards--just to eek by--we're certainly not immune to the possibility of ending up collectively in the poor house ourselves.

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#241323 - 02/16/12 09:48 PM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Byrd_Huntr]
JBMat Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/03/09
Posts: 745
Loc: NC
Trying to stay away from politics -

Most Greeks retire in their 50s, with government pensions. They contributed to them while they were working. Not a lot of money, but some went into the pension funds. A higher percentage went into taxes to pay all the people working for the Greek Uncle. However, when you figure that the average person lives into their 70s - who picks up the load for the 20 years of retirement? Retirement there is full health/dental and a monthly check.

The average worker has about a month off a year, paid, as does the rest of Europe. They had jobs for life, more or less. Their salaries were inflated and the government supported lower prices on food and other necessities. Hmm, bread and circuses, where have I heard that before.

It's more or less a Ponzi scheme. Now they are having to actually work and pay taxes to support their way of life. The government which was vastly overinflated with workers is cutting back, and the people who are being let go are screaming. They have to find actual jobs.

They will survive, but I betcha they will not like the post-insolvency hardline government at all. And in a few year, they will be right back where they were, having voted in those who promise the status quo ante.

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#241327 - 02/16/12 10:00 PM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: JBMat]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
Originally Posted By: JBMat
And in a few year, they will be right back where they were, having voted in those who promise the status quo ante.


If that happens, they will be risking getting kicked out of the EU.

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#241331 - 02/16/12 10:58 PM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: chaosmagnet]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
IMO Greece will be out of the EU before this year is over, Italy and Spain will follow. Nigel Farage (MEP) discusses Greece on KWN

$.02 (less inflation)
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Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#241340 - 02/17/12 12:38 AM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Russ]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
It's going to get really ugly and Greece is just the tip of the Iceberg. Greece is ... Much Much Worse The article only discusses various EU banks exposure to EU (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece & Spain) debt. "...when Greece defaults, the other PIIGS (Italy, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal) will have to ask themselves… “do we opt for austerity measures and more debt which obviously didn’t work for Greece and will only stifle our economies more? Or do we also default? ..." Bottom line, Europe is looking at a really bad situation, it's not just Greece. Think about multiple nations defaulting on their sovereign debt.

But what about banks in the USA and their exposure to European debt? This isn't going to end with just Europe having a recession (depression?). The good times they are coming to an end.


Emperor Turhan: How will this end?
Kosh: In fire.
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#241341 - 02/17/12 01:27 AM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Byrd_Huntr]
Byrd_Huntr Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 01/28/10
Posts: 1174
Loc: MN, Land O' Lakes & Rivers ...
I believe that we are seeing the gathering dark clouds of the financial SHTF scenario that we have been expecting.
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The man got the powr but the byrd got the wyng

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#241360 - 02/17/12 03:52 AM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: Byrd_Huntr]
Andy Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 378
Loc: SE PA
I had to read the topic twice because I couldn't grasp the image of computer nerds being both well-dressed and that short of caffeine and sugar...

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#241373 - 02/17/12 10:58 AM Re: Well-dressed Greeks foraging in dumpsters [Re: ]
Byrd_Huntr Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 01/28/10
Posts: 1174
Loc: MN, Land O' Lakes & Rivers ...
Originally Posted By: IzzyJG99
This certainly has a lot of parallels financially to the situation Europe was in after the first and second World Wars.

Begs the question....does Europe need a new Marshall Plan? Probably not, I guess. It's easier to go from total destruction to trying to undo what already has been done in many areas of the European economic zones.


The Marshall plan gave huge grants to many European countries to help them rebuild their bombed out bridges and factories. The recipients used the money to buy goods and services from the US and Canada and pay their workers to construct and repair. Everyone involved benefitted.

Nowadays, the situation is much different: the problems are financial not infrastructure, the US does not have the money to give, and the US no longer has the industrial base to provide massive goods and services as it did in the 40's and 50's.

I think the long dance is over, and it's time to pay the piper. This will result in the very likely scenario that I'm trying to prepare for: hyperinflation.
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The man got the powr but the byrd got the wyng

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