The devastated mediterranean countries are not “turning the corner”, they are twitching briefly in their national death throes. They are no longer countries.They are no longer democracies.Their young people no longer have the home of their parents nor any prospect of returning since they are now the nomadic work fodder of multi national corporations and the European Superstate – in other people’s countries.
German Europe and the Greek Government (with 79% support of its people) are in a dance of death. Neither side has the slightest credibility. German Europe has destroyed constitutions, democracies and economies and condemned German taxpayers to pick up the massive bill for its new and bankrupt empire. The Greek Government under the left wing Syriza wishes to remain in the Euro but will not accept the hideous economic consequences. German Europe did not allow Greek exchange controls so the Oligarchs withdrew some 240,000 million Euros which was funded by massive and unrepayable State debt. That “euro-corporate” money will not return until Greece leaves the Euro – but the Greek Government will not leave the Euro. The Germans know they have guaranteed ECB loans to Greece which will not be repaid whether Greece leaves the Euro or not.
One of the ironies of the European Union in general and the Euro currency in particular is that regardless of economic growth or recession in the world in general and regardless of signs of recovery or depression within individual European national economies the EU always fails politically and the Euro always fails economically.
Towards the end of 2014 some favourable economic growth figures emerged from Germany (quarterly growth of 0.7%) – but France grew by a nugatory 0.1%. Even Greece had a small economic bounce as did Spain, whose export performance has been very creditable – but two revolutionary left wing parties – Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain – stormed the polls and have marginalised the historic parties of left and right. But Spanish export are not Spanish exports – they are the exports of multi national corporations using Spain as an “industrial aircraft carrier”. In Italy the revolutionary 5 Star party and the two other main opposition parties all want to abandon the Euro. Greece, like Cyprus, is selling assets to the Chinese and asking Russia for help.
The reason why there has been a small recovery in the trade, budget position and even employment statistics of some of these otherwise bankrupt nations is that they have driven out their young people (to northern Europe, mainly the UK and Germany). They have so decimated the social and health fabric of the country that money has been saved only at the cost of their sick, their old and their young, their entrepreneurs, property owners and domestic industry. Paul Thomsen the Danish IMF official responsible for the Greek austerity plan was trapped in his car by Greek cleaning ladies who rocked his SUV and Amnesty International called the Greek police’s use of force against demonstrators excessive.
This is not sustainable policy and no one would have voted to accept this devastation as a “price worth paying” for Germany’s power and the “success” (as that British political buffoon Kenneth Clarke calls it) of the Euro.
Elected leaders in both Greece and Italy were replaced by European Union appointed former functionaries of the Commission and the recently defeated Greek New Democracy leader Stavros Dimas was a former EU Commissioner!
The devastated mediterranean countries are not “turning the corner”, they are twitching briefly in their national death throes. They are no longer countries.They are no longer democracies.Their young people no longer have the home of their parents nor any prospect of returning since they are now the nomadic work fodder of multi national corporations and the European Superstate in other people’s countries.
At last and too late the grotesque mandarins of the European Commission and the ECB are to engage in money printing (quantitative easing) but it is probably too late to stop the worst effects of deflation. Italy’s GDP is down 24% in 7 years and despite having a basic budget surplus before debt servicing Italy’s debt has risen from 116% of GDP to 133% of GDP – the road to disaster! Greece has lost 25% of its GDP and investment is down 63% since it was “rescued” by the EU! while youth unemployment is 44% in Italy, 49% in Greece and 55% in Spain.
And yet the controlling force in this obnoxious political farce, Germany, continues to turn a blind eye to suffering on a gigantic scale, its politicians and bankers seem more worried about the loss of trade with Russia than the loss of a generation of young unemployed in their own jurisdiction. As throughout the construction of German Europe intimidation and threats come from Berlin.
The Greek Finance Minister recalls ”Officials of an important Italian institution approached me and told me that they are in solidarity with our country, but they cannot tell the truth as Italy is threatened by bankruptcy and they fear the German consequences…….In recent years, a cloud of fear has covered throughout Europe. We risk becoming worse than the former Soviet Union”
So bad has the situation become that even President Obama, not the world’s greatest economist!, has called on the EU (as a number of US economists have called on Germany in recent years) to stop driving the EU and world economy to recession. Obama has called on the EU to ease the burdens on the Greek people.
Perhaps Obama in his muddled way believes is fact what should in fact be the truth – that Germany and Greece are the same economy and Germany should be helping their fellow citizens with massive fiscal transfers. But no – Germany refuses to accept the responsibilities of its new empire which is there to serve German industry and German geopolitics, not to be a burden on German taxpayers!
As Dr Srdja Trifkovic has rightly said the revolution against German hegemony could be catching:
“…the government in Athens can have momentum. Once you have the first voice countering the dictates and faits acomplis from Brussels, then maybe some other countries will follow suit. In particular Budapest, Bratislava and Nicosia are to be watched in this respect.”
It is perhaps in the matter of Ukraine and the absurd image of a new communist Soviet Union which will lead to a political rebellion against the EU. Alexis Tsipras joined the Hungarian Government in objecting to calls for further sanctions against Russia as a result of rising violence in Ukraine. “We are against the embargo that has been imposed against Russia” said Panagiotis Lafazanis, the energy minister “We have no differences with Russia and the Russian people.” The first foreign official Mr Tsipras invited to Athens was Andrey Maslov, Russia’s ambassador.
Like Putin, Tsipras has recognised the horrendous reactionary and crypto fascist nature of the Ukraine putsch organised by Washington and Berlin:
“It’s a regression for us to see fascism and the neo Nazis entering European governments again and for this to be accepted by the EU. The EU is shooting itself in the foot with this strategy.”
It would be an irony if by promoting fascist groups to overturn an elected Government in Ukraine German Europe and the idiotic Washington should have invited Russian and Chinese into the eastern Mediterranean just as Turkey is proving the totally unreliable Islamic NATO ally it was bound to be and a previously declared anti NATO party, Syriza, should form the Government of Greece.
But that is what happens when the EU and USA, devoted to nothing but multinational corporate profit and geopolitical military power ignore the ideological lessons of history.
