Raúl Ilargi Meijer
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Variable, I’m working on Nicole.
Dio, 5 against 30,000 is never a fair fight. 30,000 scientists either all being bought off or being too thick to understand their own field, is not a credible position.
Tsigantes and others,
A few things:
• “Greek oligarchic wealth has risen from 14 BN in 2010 to 18 BN today”
I would love some info on that, haven’t seen any.• “Yanis Varoufakis was removed from the front line of the grindstone:”
I see no reason to believe that is true. Western media never tire of repeating it though. Yanis has always denied it.• I’m thinking of spending some time in Greece (Athens) soon.
I’d love contacts, people to talk to, maybe a place to stay (we avoid hotels as much as we can). Nicole is in New Zealand, so I’ll be traveling alone. I simply think it’s the place to be.Contact • at • TheAutomaticEarth • com
Christoph, Tsipras doesn’t have the mandate to write such a chapter. He has to very carefully guide his country there, and in the meantime he can’t say it out loud.
rapier,
I don’t see a contradiction. The statements involve different topics. The first concerns Draghi’s forays into politics, the second increasing German dominance of Europe.
Re: “flood the comment section with bullshit.”
How can you tell? All comment sections at ZH are full of it.
Indeed, Tsigantes, as I said quite a few times before, it’s all just political. Power politics. But those have no place in the EU.
Steve’s credits do not have to be repaid.
His plan is sound, but won’t be executed as long as our political systems are controlled by banks.
There’s another issue with it: a large portion of our private debts have been securitized and sold in international markets. Therefore, country X can enforce the Keen Debt Jubilee, and see much of the credit injected in its economy siphon off to country Y,Z or more likely to international private investors.
I see a major problem for any debt jubilee in the fact that financial markets are global. At the very least debts would have to be restructured, so it doesn’t all become a free for all for creditors. They would have to swallow large haircuts on their holdings to make things fair.
In the days of old when debt jubilees were used, it would be one mighty lord forgiving the debts of his feudal servants. And still have enough left over to keep ruling. The whole system is much more complicated now.
Maybe it’s a question of permissions?! I’m the big honcho, I can do anything, but I don’t know about other accounts. I can see what your code looks like in the source code, but it automatically translates it into <b> when I put it in a comment.
Jenny, and don’t forget Nicole’s Crash on Demand? A Response to David Holmgren. That completes the picture, as Dave would be the first to admit. We had a great time with him at the permaculture convergence in Tasmania in March. He’s the most graceful man.
mattila
No political party for us. That’s one system nobody should get caught in. It selects for sociopaths and psychopaths. Watching the UK elections goes a long way to confirm this once again. That and the still increasing blatant role of the press as propaganda machine. I don’t think we are psychopathic enough to survive that kind of thing.
Greek one, I’m open to other English language Greek sources. And of course I’m not blind to Kathimerini’s beliefs.
Ron Paul is in many respects a dinosaur. No doubt there. But calling him on that is not, in my eyes, the main takeaway from what he says and does.
It’s that the only remaining anti-war voice in America is just that, a dinosaur. That is a much bigger problem than Ron Paul’s view on certain issues is.
You’re not telling us much of anything, Eurrafex (I’m having to guess you’re a paid employee of Eurrafex, which makes their money off if European Affairs Expertise). The relevant info I think would be how much the lowest spender spends vs the biggest spender. And then look at why that is so.
But yeah, I’m biased, and I make no secret of that. What’s happening in Greece and Ukraine and the refugee crisis merely confirms to me yet again that Europe in its present shape and form is a morally bankrupt entity. And I don’t thnk that you guys see it that way, it’s your meal ticket after all.
I promise I will stay away from these sorts of far too obvious us presidential non-stories. I’m afraid I’ll be about the only one, though.
Since the American consumer will never be back, and I see no reason to doubt that assessment, the US economy is doomed as well: 70% of GDP comes from that same consumer. Keep that in mind when you read the next batch of ”just around the corner” statements. If and when 70% of GDP depends on people borrowing more than they already have, you’re looking at something that’s beyond repair.
rapier, you’re spot on, they printed it all and then use it not only to buy dollars but also to go buy assets abroad, land, homes, Athens harbors, you name it.
I’ve called it Monopoly money many times. And that’s all it is. The west is crazy to accept it. Then again, our money too is Monopoly.
”Nice” piece on Buffett’s mobile home empire:
https://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/04/03/17024/warren-buffetts-mobile-home-empire-preys-poor
Composer
I’m not sure what you’re asking. But when it comes to differences in predictions, what I can say is that many people out there are led by what they wish to see, instead of by analysis (no criticism of Barry, I haven’t read him for a while). If someone has a ‘nice’ lifestyle because he’s – literally or metaphorically – ‘invested’ in ”the system”, that will color his views. Not many people like to predict their own downfall.
As for my own writing, I think I’m still very cautious.
Same article, Nassim, check the byline, it’s not by Stockman, just posted on his site. Couldn’t get access to the original. Stockman always changes headlines, he does that for my articles as well.
That’s so far beyond left field I don’t even understand it John.
What I do know is that the European Commission has suddenly uncovered €2 billion in ”unused” funds which will now go towards Greece’s poor. Or so is the narrative.
I know from my years in Montreal that there are many homeless people who refuse beds in shelters. It often has to do with their mental state, not with breaking any rules. In the MTL case, they refuse even when it’s 30ºC below. These people, too, need help and compassion. For a church to send them away is one thing. To install sprinklers to chase them away is quite another one yet.
The China numbers are just about what I’ve been saying all along. But even then. China’s latest move is to allow local governments to roll short term into long term debt, but that doesn’t cover shadow banks. And 55% is still a low number at that particular level. Local officials have been making their numbers look good thru shadow loans for a long time. Much of it in roads to nowhere and land/real estate speculation.
I know, sinny, but the example sort of works if you just stick to the idea that leeches were once considered a cure all.
I have never said anything pro-Putin, and the fact that multiple people now claim I have, tells me something. It’s cute.
polistra, Illich never gave up on schools altogether, but he very much did on existing ones. if they just leave kids alone to learn on their own accord what life requires, and only add to that what they have to offer on a voluntary basis, there’s nothing wrong with a school. the problem is the education system seeks a monopoly, schools become mandatory, and the curriculum is enforced from somewhere high up there. and basic skills are nowhere to be found.
I’m reading this piece, can’t remember where it came from. Very much worth your time for background on Greece. It’s from late 2014, so pre-Syriza election victory.
Misrule of the Few – How the Oligarchs Ruined Greece
Greece’s accession to the European Union, in 1981, was supposed to improve things. EU membership, however, did not weaken traditional Greek hierarchies; it strengthened them. [..] By bailing out Greece without demanding fundamental reforms, the ECB, the EC, and the IMF have only strengthened the status quo.
Even worse, the troika has lined the pockets of the very forces that brought about the economic collapse in the first place.
And Greece is not an isolated case. European bailout funds have had a similar effect throughout the smaller economies of the eurozone, including Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. Leaders in these countries, too, have spent European funds to maximize their short-term political advantage..
There”s only one way to go, even if it remains to be seen if it will be a ‘solution’: people must again grow their own food, as much as they can. They will have to anyway, as they lose purchasing power. Much better to start now.
David H. is waking up, and he knows it; good on him. As for property, the crux for Nicole and I has always been: don’t go into debt buying property. If you have the money, you ‘re sure you want to stay where you are, and you have a solid plan for the property, which can’t NOT include providing for your own basic needs, then go right ahead.
Huge numbers of Russians have family members in Ukraine. A small part of them have gone over to prevent these aunt and uncles and nieces and nephews from being annihilated by the likes of Yarosh. So yes, there are Russians in Ukraine. And Putin does not try to stop them from going. There are a lot of funds collected in Russia to support these Russian fighters. Some of that goes to weaponry. But the majority of rebel arms is still Russian arms confiscated from the Ukraine army. If Putin sent over official army units he would play right into the hands of NATO. That the US, EU, NATO have never offered any proof for the presence of these troops is all you need to know.
wroblon, if there were proof, it wouldn’t be limited to one or two photographs. that in itself is a dead give-away.
How do we support them? What helps?
Call – or write to – your Congress(wo)man, or someone like him/her in other countries, and tell them you don’t want Greece to be sacrificed in your name on the Troika altar. Tell them if they don’t stop US/EU aggression in Ukraine, you will never vote for them again. Better yet: launch a campaign to this effect, and get thousands of people to do the same.
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