.
εδώ είναι το γκέτο
γι αυτό πάλεψέ το
.
Πέμπτη, Σεπτεμβρίου 23, 2010
Τετάρτη, Σεπτεμβρίου 22, 2010
Σάββατο, Σεπτεμβρίου 18, 2010
Παρασκευή, Σεπτεμβρίου 17, 2010
υπάρχουν και άνθρωποι που έχουν να πουν κάτι καλό γι αυτή τη ρημαδοχώρα
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After further reading some of the comments left here by readers, whose opinions have obviously been influenced by Mr. Lewis's article and this Q&A, I have to say something else. Perhaps if England paid Greece for the priceless Elgin Marbles it stole from the Parthenon in the 19th century and now refuses to give back to the country, that would go a long way towards improving the national finances? Or perhaps if Germany would pay Greece reparation for the billions upon billions of dollars' worth of destruction it caused Greece (not to mention the tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of lives it took) during the Second World War, it would go a long way towards repairing the national finances? Perhaps if the Allied powers reimbursed Greece for the regained territory it forced the country to divest itself of after WWI in order to accommodate and shore up the new Turkish "republic" (the successor state to an enemy power in that war), and for the subsequent loss of life that occurred in the Turkish genocide against Greek, Armenian and other Christian populations in Asia Minor, that would go a long way towards stabilizing the national treasury and reassuring bondholders? Alas, who remembers these things or is willing to think about the historical context of the country's present day circumstances? No, it's just much easier to conclude that the Greeks are a bunch of lazy, venial, self-serving free-loaders who deserve what they get, isn't it? And by the way, I am not Greek - I'm an American who has some inkling of what is going on because I have spent time getting to know the Greek people, their culture and their history more than just superficially.
Posted 9/14/2010 1:16:35pm
As an American and a former banker living in Greece, I have to disagree strongly with many of Mr. Lewis's statements both in his article and in this Q&A. For one thing, the notion that Greek bankers are beyond reproach in this national tragedy is absolutely ludicrous. I've worked in the Greek banking sector, and personally know many Greek bankers, some of whom are lovely people as individuals. As a breed, however, they are certainly not beyond reproach, and Mr. Lewis would be shocked to learn of some of the things the Greek bankers have done to facilitate and exacerbate this crisis. For another thing, the notion that the average Greek is little more than a self-interested, greedy, lazy opportunist is not only appallingly stereotypical and offensive - it's also just plain wrong. When given the opportunity, Greeks are among the hardest working people I know. The problem is that the system they operate in has been moulded to fail. Historical factors aside, a large part of the blame for this present economic crisis falls squarely on the shoulders of the very same party that is in power today. Mr. Lewis has conveniently left this, as well as many other hugely important bits of context to many of the things he talks about in his article, out of his narrative. He also paints a misleading picture of a "shafted" Germany, while ignoring the dubious role German companies and politicians have played in "gaming" the Greek system in order to win very large and extraordinarily lucrative contracts (even using bribery and corruption to their advantage) at the expense of the Greek people. Finally, in response to the comment of ARJTurgot, if one makes the effort to do more than scratch the surface of modern Greek history, one will discover that the "mismanagement" of Greek public finances both during the war of national independence and in the century and a half since, have almost always been "facilitated" by foreign interests eager to get their hands on Greek public assets. Frankly the idea that selling islands or ancient monuments is even contemplated is offensive and arrogant. What country in the world has ever been expected to sell off its own sovereign territory, or part of its historic legacy, to pay off international bondholders? And more to the point, what country - besides Greece under a foreign puppet prime minister (Papandreaou) - would be foolish enough to do it?
Posted 9/14/2010 12:58:15pm
Πέμπτη, Σεπτεμβρίου 16, 2010
Τι ξημερώνει αύριο;
Μεταβάσεις 3,
Κάρβουνο και παστέλ σε χαρτί, Σεπτέμβριος 2010
Καθώς ελάχιστοι γύρω μας δείχνουν να έχουν έστω και την παραμικρή ιδέα του τι ακριβώς έχει συμβεί και τι μας περιμένει στη γωνία είμαστε καταδικασμένοι να πορευόμαστε στο άγνωστο με βάρκα την απελπισία.
Το πνεύμα και οι καρδιές των ανθρώπων είναι έτοιμα να σπάσουν σε χιλιάδες μικρά γυάλινα κομμάτια ή μπορεί να έχουν κιόλας σπάσει κι αυτά που βλέπουμε γύρω να είναι στιγμιαίες αναλαμπές του επερχόμενου χάους.
Η λογική έχει αποχωρήσει από την καθημερινή ζωή και έχει αποτραβηχτεί σε δυσθεώρητα ύψη αφήνοντας πίσω της την ανεξέλεγκτη υστερία του απόλυτου παράλογου να κυριαρχεί σε μια αιώνια νύχτα, σπαρμένη υποσχέσεις που δεν κρατήθηκαν, όρκους που πατήθηκαν και όνειρα που δεν θα γίνουν ποτέ πραγματικότητα.
Παγιδευμένοι στην περιδίνηση του πανικού βλέπουμε τις τελευταίες σταγόνες ανθρωπιάς που μας έχουν απομείνει να χάνονται, να εξαφανίζονται, αφήνοντας πίσω τους σφιγμένα σαγόνια και αγριεμένα βλέμματα.
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Δευτέρα, Σεπτεμβρίου 13, 2010
πως το είπες αυτό Μαρία Αντουανέτα μου;
"Δεν θα επιδοτούμε θερμαινόμενες πισίνες"
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... ως γνωστό στην Ελλάδα υπάρχουν μόνο θερμαινόμενες πισίνες και ο κ. Παπακωνσταντίνου έχει βαρεθεί να τις επιδοτεί
δηλαδή για να μην επιδοτούνται δέκα θερμαινόμενες πισίνες πρέπει να παγώσουν εκατομύρια δυαράκια
δεν μου κάνει εντύπωση
στον κόσμο που κυκλοφορεί ο κ Παπακωνσταντίνου υπάρχουν μόνο βόρεια προάστια και πισίνες
δεν υπάρχουν πτωχοί ή μικρομεσαίοι σε ημιυπόγεια και γκαρσονιέρες
δεν υπάρχουν οικογένειες που δυσκολεύονται να πληρώσουν τα κοινόχρηστα
δεν υπάρχει κρίση, ανέχεια, φτώχια
μόνο πισίνες και γιωτ που για να πάνε ένα Σαββατοκύριακο στη Μύκονο καταναλώνουν όσο πετρέλαιο καταναλώνει ένα χειμώνα μια πολυκατοικία στα Σεπόλια
Παρασκευή, Σεπτεμβρίου 10, 2010
αντικρύζοντας την άβυσσο
Το καλοκαίρι έχει τελειώσει, οι μέρες έχουν μικρύνει και ενώ προσεύχομαι για ένα πρωτοβρόχι νοιώθω ταυτόχρονα παγωμένος, σαν ένα κουτό ζώο που έχει ακινητοποιηθεί στη μέση του δρόμου υπνωτισμένο από τα φώτα της επερχόμενης θύελλας.
Ο κόσμος γύρω μου γίνεται κάθε μέρα και πιο σκοτεινός. Την ίδια στιγμή παρακολουθώ με την άκρη του ματιού μου, στην οθόνη του ζοφερού κουτιού, διάφορους οιωνοσκόπους που το παίζουν οικονομολόγοι, νεκρομάντηδες που δηλώνουν πολιτικοί, καφετζούδες που υποκρίνονται τους πνευματικούς ανθρώπους, φακίρηδες, βεζίρηδες και άλλους επισκέπτες από το διάστημα που ανακοινώνουν μέτρα, κάνουν προβλέψεις, εικασίες, διαβάζουν τους δείκτες και τα φύλλα τσαγιού, κάνουν εξαγγελίες, υπογράφουν μνημόνια, προβαίνουν σε δηλώσεις και ανακοινώσεις. Πρόκειται για ανθρώπους για τους οποίους είμαι βέβαιος ότι δεν θα κατάφερναν ποτέ να δέσουν τα κορδόνια των παπουτσιών τους και να μασάνε τσίχλα ταυτόχρονα.
Παρακολουθώ με ειρωνικό χαμόγελο τις ανθρωποθυσίες στις οποίες επιδίδεται αυτός ο υπανθρωποχετός σε ένα τρομερό τοτέμ που το λένε «ανάπτυξη» και το οποίο έχει πεθάνει προ πολλού, γεγονός που όλοι υποκρίνονται ότι αγνοούν.
Οι πάντες κάνουν ότι δεν έχουν καταλάβει πως το πάρτι έχει τελειώσει και ότι δεν μπορείς πια να δανειστείς για να αγοράσεις μαλακίες που δεν χρειάζεσαι. Ότι στα κόμματα έχουν μπει τελείες, ότι το τραίνο της αυτοκαταστροφής πάνω στο οποίο συλλογικά ταξιδεύουμε και μέχρι πρότινος αποκαλούσαμε «πρόοδο» έχει ξεμείνει από κάρβουνο.
Ότι τα συστήματα έχουν χάσει την οποιαδήποτε νομιμότητα και δεν λειτουργούν πλέον παρά μόνο από κεκτημένη ταχύτητα, σαν σκουπίδια που στροβιλίζονται γύρω από τη μαύρη τρύπα στο κέντρο τους.
Ότι οι εξουσίες έχουν χάσει τις μάσκες, αλλά και τους καθρέφτες με αποτέλεσμα να μη το έχουν πάρει ακόμα ακριβώς χαμπάρι. Γι αυτό και δεν διστάζουν να κυκλοφορούν εκεί έξω με τα άσχημα πρόσωπά τους, που σε παλιότερες εποχές θα είχαν την κοινή λογική να αποκρύπτουν.
Ότι το πιο τραγικό δεν είναι που αντικρύσαμε την άβυσσο, αλλά ότι μας άρεσε αυτό που είδαμε εκεί μέσα.
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Τρίτη, Σεπτεμβρίου 07, 2010
more Michael Lewis
Q&A: Michael Lewis Talks About the Banks That Brought Down Greece
Photograph by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson.
In the October issue of Vanity Fair, Michael Lewis investigates the cause of the Greek financial crisis, one that translates to nearly a quarter-million dollars for each working Greek citizen. In V.F.’s April 2009 issue, Lewis examined the financial disaster in Iceland, winning Loeb and Overseas Press Club awards for his report. Lewis differentiates the two crises in this month’s article, writing, “In Greece the banks didn’t sink the country. The country sank the banks.” Aside from rampant tax fraud, nefarious number crunching by the Greek government, and more than one riot, Lewis found an affable group of monks living on a peninsula in northeastern Greece. The Vatopaidi order has been the recipient of much of the Greek outrage and the center of a parliamentary inquiry into its real-estate empire, which some speculate to be worth more than $1 billion. Lewis spoke with VF Daily about how Greece is the Pittsburgh Pirates of Europe, why Germany has the right to be self-righteous (for once), and why he is betting against the U.S. Treasury.
UPDATE : SOME COMMENTS
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I'm quite surprised that Michael Lewis failed to mention the great boon to Germany, which is the softening of the Euro that followed the Greek Debt crisis. A weaker Euro made German exports more competitive globally. This is counter-cyclical as Germany's relative strength should have their currency much stronger, putting a drag on their exports. Many have argued that much of the Greek Debt crisis was fomented by Goldman Sachs and others to keep US Treasuries cheap, and the dollar strong. Of course this made American exports less competitive. We saw, in the wake of this crisis the American trade deficit grow.
Posted 9/8/2010 8:37:43am
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Mr Lewis the crème de menthe these two monksters offered you must have been very strong Let me explain to you that the unfairness Greek people fret about is that the only people who payed their taxes "the ones who could not avoid doing so" the salaried people of the private and the public domain who had their taxes withheld from their paychecks (only in Greece people have to prepay their taxes) are the same people who now must pay the bill, while all the rest - rich people, big corporations, politicians - they keep on doing what they were doing before : screwing the poor guy. If this is not unfair Mr Lewis I don't know what it is. Next time you come to Greece try some retsina wine instead of creme de menthe.
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Having read the accompanying article, I can only laugh at the sarcasm, holier-than-thou style and gross generalizations the author resorts to. When referring to anything negative, it's always "the Greek people" (not the Government, not certain individuals, the whole nation collectively). Should I also assume that the average American person in the street is responsible for the deaths of more 300.000 civilians in Iraq Mr. Lewis? Greece has become the black sheep of the global community lately, everyone thinks it's fair play to have a go at the country when it is down. But I can't help but wonder what is worse, being guilty of cooking the books, or the preemptive invasion and destruction of a sovereign country based on "cooked" evidence? And by the way, have you found the weapons of mass destruction yet?
Posted 9/8/2010 4:16:20am
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What a well written and entertaining caricature of an entire nation. God, these Greeks are so useless they can't even organize photo taking tourists on the Acropolis. My uncle is a retired Greek farmer who lives in northern Greece. He's in his eighties now and a look at has hands will tell you he's put in many more honest days work than either Michael Lewis or anyone else who sees Greeks as those lazy, conniving Mediterranean types. As a reward for interring his health in the soil of his meager farmland which lies in the shadow of Mt. Olympus he receives a pension of around 340 Euros a month. That, Mr. Lewis, is after working like a dog for 60 years. If Michael Lewis was interested in truth I’d be happy to accompany him to our village and introduce him to my uncle George where he could take a closer look at his hands. Then I could introduce him to three cousins of mine who are dedicated and hardworking teachers and earn 1200 Euros per month after 16 years of service. They’ve had a pay cut recently. And if his thirst for truth needed further quenching, which I assume it must considering he is a journalist, then I could introduce him to my good friend Niki who cleans the streets of her city Thessaloniki for 400 Euros per month and has zero prospects of ever getting a pension. At the end of our investigating we could then sit down in a Greek café and cry over the terrible fate that’s befallen German finance and industry; which has completed its conquest of this country far more thoroughly than any colonizer could ever hope to do and did it way before this current mess materialized. But then you need to open your eyes to truth to see all this rather than fall in love with sleazy monks and borderline racist stereotypes....
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Δευτέρα, Σεπτεμβρίου 06, 2010
read
[...]
That’s how it feels in the financial markets too. The question everyone wants an answer to is: Will Greece default? There’s a school of thought that says they have no choice: the very measures the government imposes to cut costs and raise revenues will cause what is left of the productive economy to flee the country. The taxes are lower in Bulgaria, the workers more pliable in Romania. But there’s a second, more interesting question: Even if it is technically possible for these people to repay their debts, live within their means, and return to good standing inside the European Union, do they have the inner resources to do it? Or have they so lost their ability to feel connected to anything outside their small worlds that they would rather just shed themselves of the obligations? On the face of it, defaulting on their debts and walking away would seem a mad act: all Greek banks would instantly go bankrupt, the country would have no ability to pay for the many necessities it imports (oil, for instance), and the country would be punished for many years in the form of much higher interest rates, if and when it was allowed to borrow again. But the place does not behave as a collective; it lacks the monks’ instincts. It behaves as a collection of atomized particles, each of which has grown accustomed to pursuing its own interest at the expense of the common good. There’s no question that the government is resolved to at least try to re-create Greek civic life. The only question is: Can such a thing, once lost, ever be re-created?
Read More http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/10/greeks-bearing-bonds-201010?printable=true#ixzz0yka1kfub
Τετάρτη, Σεπτεμβρίου 01, 2010
ας αφήσουμε το γεγονός ...
ότι τις "επίμαχες" δηλώσεις ο Τσόκλης τις έκανε το 2000 και ειλικρινά δεν θυμάμαι να είχε γίνει τότε κανένας αναβρασμός
ας ξεπεράσουμε την ειρωνία του να γίνεται σάλος για κάτι που κάποιος είπε πριν από 10 χρόνια
επί της ουσίας : η εμφάνιση ορισμένων γυναικών είναι ένα είδος βιασμού ...
I think so
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btw δεν μου αρέσουν καθόλου αυτά που κάνει σαν ζωγράφος τα οποία θεωρώ πιο αποτρόπαια από τις δηλώσεις του
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