Posts Tagged ‘Greece’

Rolling Over, Playing Dead

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011

The ECB, which has to figure out what to do about the sovereign debt crisis.

The Northern European bankers, and the politicians they own, don’t want a “restructuring”, but they also don’t want to pay for another bailout.

So, the talk is of rolling old debt over into new, longer-maturing debt.

Essentially, it’s extend and pretend, and it won’t get the job done so long as the idiotic austerity regime and interest rate rises combine to keep Greece et. al. from ever growing.

Gorilla says: “What we have here is failure to renumerate!”

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Today In Fantasyland

Monday, May 30th, 2011

A second bailout of Northern European bankers appears to be on the cards…

And Greek conservatives, who presided over the sovereign debt mess and then covered it up, are as crazy as American conservatives: give us tax cuts and pile up more debt or we won’t go along!!!

Oh, and it looks likely that Northern European bankers will also need more money from Ireland, not to mention Portugal, Spain, Italy, and possibly France!!!

The level of denial, cowardice, and lying in Euroland is breathtaking. Very reminiscent of the current US non-approach to unemployment…

Gorilla says: “When you aren’t being honest with your own people, you can’t expect them to be happy about the disaster you’re giving them!”

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Better To Just Leave

Friday, May 27th, 2011

The Northern European Bank Protection talks continue in Athens…

And the Greeks really have only one choice: to leave Euroland, default on their debts, devalue their currency, and create the prospect of some future for the country.

Gorilla says: “Why keep bailing out the Germans and the ECB? They’ve done nothing but extend and pretend their own idiotic loans!”

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The Correct Headline Should Be…

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Actual headline from Bloomberg: “Europe’s Debt Crisis Deepens As Greece Cuts”

The correct headline should be: “German Banks And ECB To Remake Fantasy Island”

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More Pretending

Thursday, May 19th, 2011

Now, it’s the ECB, who say they won’t accept Greek debt as loan collateral unless the Greeks get more austere!

This empty threat once again disguises the reality: the Greeks need the loans to pay off their Northern European bankers.

The bankers will collapse if some form of extend and pretend and/or haircuts are agreed, and so far there’s no sign that Euroland authorities have either a plan or a serious understanding of what’s at state.

Gorilla says: “2013 has already started in Frankfurt, whether they know it or not!”

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At The Euroland Follies

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011

The IMF doesn’t think Greece is austere enough!!!

The obvious answer, Greece leaving the Eurozone and defaulting, is not being discussed at all.

A sensible alternative, namely giving haircuts to Greek bondholders on the order of 50%, is not being discussed seriously, because the Germans, French, and Dutch aren’t terribly interested in watching their banks collapse.

So, there’s silly talk about “reprofiling”, which is essentially Extend And Pretend: The Sequel.

Gorilla says: “It’s not exactly the hottest ticket in town!”

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Frankfurt Grows, Greece No Gos

Friday, May 13th, 2011

Germany and France, successfully demonstrating beggar thy neighbor works as long as you’re not the neighbor, are growing!!!

Meanwhile, Greece isn’t growing, amazingly austerity does not lead to growth!!!

And so there’s talk about additional measures Greece needs to take.

The best thing Greece could do is leave the euro.

There’s not a chance that the savage cutbacks demanded to appease German bankers will ever lead to anything other than a decade or more of crippling deflation and unemployment.

Gorilla says: “A swift exit stage drachma is better than this farce!”

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The Mess Continues

Monday, May 9th, 2011

Scrambling in Euroland, as it’s clear that Greece (and likely Ireland) needs more money and time.

The entire austerity regime is a joke: it’s not possible to drastically cut spending and produce economic growth at a time of low demand.

And the approach remains the same: the Germans are more interested in not telling their own people about their banks’ insolvency than they are in pretending an unworkable arrangement will work.

Gorilla says: “Greece should leave Chancellor Merkel to her fate!”

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Out The Door?

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Ah, Greece may be leaving Euroland, if the rumors are true

What’s most amusing about this is that Greece is doing absolutely the right thing.

Taking a short-term currency hit and banking run is far better than the 10 or more years of high unemployment and grinding deflation prescribed by German bankers.

It will also serve to concentrate the minds of European leaders, who so far have been in complete denial.

Germany, France, Spain, and the Netherlands need to stop lying to their voters and get serious about restructuring their banking systems.

Gorilla says: “Greece may even convince M. Trichet that nonexistent inflation and confidence fairies are no longer essential to moronic central bankers!”

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No, For the Umpteenth Time: Austerity Doesn’t Work

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

This time, it’s Greece (again), with a deficit well in excess of previous promises/forecasts.

Why? Because revenues and economic growth are (shock, shock!!!) way down in light of the ridiculous austerity measures insisted upon by Germany and her bankers.

Will we learn anything from this, start a jobs program, and get off our ludicrous deficit fetish? 25 million unemployed Americans can only hope, but our leaders refuse to lead.

Gorilla says: “Time to leave the Euro before the moussaka really hits the fan!”

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