What Happens When Economists Talk Politics
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Jack Delano Chicago & North Western Railroad locomotive shops 1942 As the “Varoufakis Files” provide everyone interested in the Greek tragi-comedy wit
[See the full post at: What Happens When Economists Talk Politics]Somewhere in the politics of this is something I infer but don’t know directly. Important people don’t like Greeks. Today’s important people have inherited this dislike from the upper classes of days gone by is my theory. Greeks were never quite ‘Western’. There is the Orthodox thing but Greeks are simply not very religious. To the extent they are it is in the Eastern Orthodox tradition so Roman Catholics have a dim view of them. Then too there is barely a hint of Protestantism in the culture either. Of course our elites are not religious at all but they don’t recognize that their prejudices actually stem from old religious differences which shape culture.
It was said the Greek population was gung ho to join the EU, precisely I think because they hoped it would end this prejudice against them. Sorry folks, old prejudices die hard.
I could be wrong on all this but I think in the end there is some deep prejudice going on here among the ‘right’ people that makes the politicians and the technocrats unwilling to bend.
“It was said the Greek population was gung ho to join the EU, precisely I think because they hoped it would end this prejudice against them. Sorry folks, old prejudices die hard.”
Robert, you hit the nail on the head. It looks more and more like pre-WWI in the Adriatic.
The recent Greece-Israel Defense Pact won’t help with the resolution of long-standing prejudices, and might even introduce some new ones. Only two nations now have defense pacts with Israel: the U.S. and Greece. Maybe somebody here can tell me where this is headed now because my crystal ball has gone dark. It’s been making a lot of terrifying noises, though.
If I were a Greek in Greece, I’d want and old SKS and plenty of ammunition in the house. Not for social work; merely for a smidgen of what American gun-owners call “peace of mind.” But then, I’m a sissy when it comes to being totally vulnerable when the ephemeral glint of another world war on the horizon seems to be getting brighter.
Apologies to all for the mere mention of firearms on this website. I realize it isn’t kosher. Maybe the solution to the world’s problems is democracy … cough … ahem ….
There’s no doubt I was veering into a large grey area. But then, that is exactly my point. Who has the capacity to decide purely political issues? Politicians. But who are they? How does one become one? In our present system(s), any power hungry nut can be elected. But that doesn’t make it right. The Troika-Greece talks are between an economist and a bunch of lawyers. Not the same skills, not the same language. In cases like this, the focus must be put on the highest leaders. Even if they are incompetent, they are the last resort. This gets deep into how our democracies work. They don’t.
“Cleaning lady” is exactly what I’ve been thinking. It was clear from the start that V is an academic type who is accustomed to overrating his own abilities. He thought he could win by plotting and drawing an academic map. He was up against brutes who don’t use maps or laws.
A stubborn hardass old codger or granny would have done the job properly. Someone who has been spat on and kicked by Krauts since 1946.
I don’t know if there’s a Greek word for babushka, but that’s who they needed.
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