Andreas Papandreou would be proud -- but he's dead. Greeks are alive but miserable.

Never since the '60s has Greece been headline news as now! Then it was Sirtaki, Sophia Loren on Hydra, Greek kefi (

Later, in the '80s, noises from a premier Andreas Papandreou (father of the current premier @ the same name) renewed lukewarm interest in the country, as the man amusingly referred to terrorists as "freedom fighters" and incessantly frustrated Americans & US policy in public (he was a US citizen) , there was something to say.

Since then, not much -- until now, that is. ever since Greece voted its Socialists back to power in October 2009, Greece has hit the headlines.

Not directly because of the Socialist government; rather, because of its huge debt and a reported ethical lassitude that hit the news very hard.

Andreas Papandreou, the father of the current premier, is reportedly the man who led Greece onto the path that led to the financial and ethical bankruptcy of today

He is also the man who first in Greece used the media to practise Goebbels type propaganda with Soviet euphemisms in official statements; for example, the tax increase in the current austerity plan in Greece is called "Measures to re-establish justice in taxation"... Since his time, politicians particularly those of Socialist persuasion, have been able to hoodwink Greeks into believing that the earth is flat.

* That others are all the root of all evil; not "us".

* That successive Greek governments will hoodwink "others" into lending us money for nothing ("...and the chicks for free" said the song).

* That others made us goes into a spending spree...


Anyway, Greek governments since the 1980's continued in Andreas Papandreou's glorious footsteps and now we have two important money men travelling to Germany to meet up with the chancellor for the sake of Greece. And other matters no doubt.

Because as we all realise, now is the time to pay the bill and "others" have to lend us the money. Not only that, but it is a lot of money: at least half total estimated public debt! The money-men DID think of Greece's near future in their proposed rescue plan.

And all must pay back money some have pocketed.

And Greek television still stars its politicians!
Goodness, the Romanians would have hanged them, and Romanians are known to be temperate people!

Greece hit the headline and is there to stay! What about 2012?

Two important money men are flying to Germany to talk about giving money to Greece!


Mr D. Strauss-Kahn, boss of the IMF and Mr C. Trichet, boss of the ECB. Wow!



They are flying to see Mrs Merkel, the East German chancellor of West Germany. They will, ostensibly, discuss aid to Greece.



I think this is a relatively sexy (if I may be allowed the expression) photo of Chancellor Merkel.


Let's hope they discuss, not the present bail out plan -- which is in the works -- but the future: what happens in 2012?? Greece is being lent enough to survive 18 months. What then??

Greece does not produce anything;
It is expensive to vacation in;
It does not welcome strangers anyway (see cruise boats help in Piraeus);
What are the sources of income?

What then??

NOW THAT WE'VE BAILED OUT GREECE, WHO'S BAILING OUT THE GREEKS?

Greece's Minister of Labour put forth an ambitious plan to send 22.000 people to unemployment.

In a revolutionary law reform, he proposes to eliminate flexible labour, temporary employment, part-time occupation, and contractual employment in Greece. In the words of a Ministry of Labour official he is sending 22.000 people to the dole.,

This worthy of 1930's type Stalinist Soviet absurdity, wouldn't you say?

As stupidity of this magnitude defies rational justification in a country of Greece's stature, presumably the objective of this legal blunder be political marketing & the pursuit of brownie points for "assiduity"... How tragic for Greece's workforce!

Greeks are not all lazy, corrupt, civil servants, with their shovel in the till: amazing though it may sound, very many decent hard-working people live in Greece.

Those people really do not deserve this.

In the light of such great news, hours after the country has been out, would someone please bail out the Greeks?