This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
Deepening Greek Tragedy
Greece is being raped and pillaged.
by Stephen Lendman
Greece is banker occupied. Ordinary people have no say. Parliamentarians get orders and obey. Despite multiple painful austerity rounds, Troika power demands more - the IMF, EU and European Central Bank (ECB).
Money power dictates bankers get paid first. People needs are sacrificed for them. Bankers also want implementation guarantees for enacted policies and more coming. For starters, they demand cutting another 325 million euros.
European Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said more had to be done no matter the human harm and economic ruin. Ordinary Greeks face impoverishment and neoserfdom. Since 2007, Greece's economy shrunk almost 20% en route to total collapse.
Its real debt burden approaches $650 billion, around double the reported amount. The latest bailout deal's for about $170 billion. Current debt exceeds what Greece can repay. Increasing it elevates crisis conditions. Forced austerity assures harder than ever hard times.
Rising unemployment exceeds 20%. Youth unemployment approaches 50%. Only a third without work get unemployment benefits. They're being slashed another 20%. Plans are for laying off another 150,000 state workers by 2015.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
1
1
1
