Greece discovers that the European Union has altered the deal.

I am really and truly trying not to laugh at this. No, seriously. I’m totally trying to cut out the schadenfreude this week.  But Greece refuses to make it easy for me:

A week ago, Greeks partied in the streets after voting to resoundingly reject terms of a new European bailout. On Sunday, those same streets were filled with a dazed and confused populace struggling to understand how they were now faced with swallowing a deal even tougher than the one they had just snubbed.

The answer is, of course, that the European Union has almost certainly made it privately clear to the Greek government that the former is more than ready to cut the latter loose. That’s the problem with running a bluff; somebody eventually calls you on it, if for no other reason than the principle of the thing. Apparently Alexis Tsipras wasn’t really ready to nuke his country’s economy just quite yet.

Anyway, there is honestly still no excuse for all the shocked looks on Greek faces today, if for no other reason than it’s frankly silly to trust a Communist (excuse me: ‘socialist’) on anything. The technically-ruling party (for right now, anyway) of Syriza has a lot to answer for right now, and not least in the field of ‘explaining to the voters what it’s been doing lately.’  I look forward to their explanations along those lines.

…In a completely not-grooving-on-the-misfortunes-of-some-rather-obnoxious-politicians sort of way, of course.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

27 thoughts on “Greece discovers that the European Union has altered the deal.”

  1. Now would be a good time for Greece to try out liberating its economy. They can’t play with their tax rates much and gov expenditures are heavily titled to creditors, why not dump as many regulations as possible/feasible? Sadly, it’s out of mental reach for the current bunch, but once they’re kicked to the curb the next bunch should give it a go. If the civil servants union rebels, well, good time to cut some fat.

    1. Eh. The tax thing is actually not that clear-cut .. tax dodging is like a national pastime over there .. but it’s all collected at a high level.
      .
      Flip it – make collection at the city level (or .. a very local level, anyway) while, at the same time, block-granting as many programs as possible back down to the city (or very local) level ..
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      So .. not paying taxes is felt *directly in the community* .. and it flips the tax-avoidance culture on its’ head.
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      Of course, that involves ejecting the statist slime from office first…
      .
      Mew

      1. eh, Greece is about the same size as a State. Tax Dodging should and arguably is being felt “directly in the community” the community however are deadbeats.
        I don’t think that’s going to improve simply because Sparta/any other city start collecting the Taxes instead of the National Government.

        1. You cannot treat a *cultural* problem as an *economic* one.
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          Making it a local problem means the number of potential squealers goes up .. which moves the risk/reward ratio for cheating.
          .
          Mew

    2. The Greek people elected real-deal socialists to power. Like, real ones, not the softies that we call Democrats over here. You don’t come back from that without some generational-level fiscal pain; that mindset kind of has to get beat out of ya by reality.

  3. They can’t pay what they owe now, so they get loaned another metric shit-ton of money.

    That they won’t be able to pay.

    How do I get in on some of that?

  4. You don’t pay taxes, you get no services. Gas? FU. Phone? Likewise. Also water and trash pickup.

    Have a nice day.

    1. They tried to attach the real estate tax bill to the gas bill , figuring you had to pay the taxes to get the gas to cook dinner. The gas workers then refused to disconnect the delinquents .

  5. The old John Wayne saying “Stupidity should be painful” works for countries, too.

  7. The Greeks vote to be rid of the EU, and yet remain shackled. My friends in the Eastern Ukraine voted for independence (twice), and got tanks from Kiev. States voted 31 times (or was it 33?) against gay marriage, yet here we are. Yeah, democracy!

    1. Your Friends in Eastern Ukraine had the opportunity in 1991 to become A) a part of Russia or B) an independent Republic from Ukraine.
      They squandered that opportunity. They don’t have the right to national determination anymore. They’re a part of the Nation of Ukraine.
      Same reason why *we* crushed the Confederates.

        1. Eastern Ukraine doesn’t have a right to secession. If they wanted to be a part of Russia or be an independent Republic they should’ve done so in the 90s.

    2. Also I should note the Greeks remain shackled to the EU because they owe the EU a crap ton of money. Even still if their national government had the will they could leave the EU.
      They lack the will because to leave the EU is to light their country’s economy on fire.

      1. Their country’s economy is already completely screwed.
        They can suffer greatly now, or suffer even more down the road.
        So of course, they’re going to kick the can, and pray for a miracle.

    3. If you believe that Ukraine vote was free and fair, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you….

      1. You’re right. We have a number of credible reports of Putin actively interfering. Up to and including poisoning an anti-Russian candidate.
        .
        Or were you talking about something rise?

        1. Well, any of them generally. But specifically the Donbass under pro-Russian occupation is about as legit as Assad winning 90% in Syria.

      2. Who are you replying to? And what are you referring? Putin’s shenanigans in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, or the Euromaidan protest/revolt/Presidential election?

        1. See above. I also think the pro-western government is a bunch of corrupt SOBs, but They’re our corrupt SOBs.*
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          .
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          *Classical Refference

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