Greece: Teachers to start protests today

[Joanne98]

Source: Focus Today

Athens. The protest rallies in Greece against the tough economic measures of the cabinet will continue today, Greek radio Skai reports. The entrance of the Financial Ministry was blocked this morning by 877 not appointed tax and customs employees, who had been approved for the positions in April 2009.

The teachers in Greece will start 4-hour strikes from today, protesting against the announced reforms in the education sphere. Their strike will continue on April 29, 30 and May 3. The teachers’ trade union and the trade union of private teachers decided to organise a 48-hour strike on May 4-5 and to hold a protest rally from the Athens University to the building of the parliament, tomorrow.

The two biggest trade unions in the crisis-hit country – the General Confederation of Greek Workers and the Federation of Public Sector Workers, announced that a 24-hour strike will be organised on May 5 against the anti-crisis measures of the government.


Read more: http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n218025

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I thought I'd look for news about what the Greek people think instead of the steady drum of pro-bondholders spin.

[Joanne98]

1. Fresh strikes rattle Greece

http://www.news24.com/World/News/Fresh-strikes-rattle-Greece-20100428

[dkf]

2. Greece should drop out of the Euro.

And start printing money.

[Joanne98]

4. Yep.

[dmallind]

3. Would any people like budget cuts?

Does that mean they are never necessary?

What SHOULD GReece do about its inability to repay, or affordably renew, debt?

It only has two choices, which could be combined: Cut costs or raise revenues. Based on GINI indices Greece does not have a particularly large pool of superrich who could be taxed to close the whole gap, so what's the answer regardless of what the Greek people, or some of them anyway, may think about austerity measures?

[dkf]

5. They could print money if they drop out of the Euro.

It's their lack of ability to control their money supply that handicaps them.

[dmallind]

6. Well that's a proximal cause

But simply printing money eventually means massive inflation.

Yes it would mean that here too before anybody chimes in - but we are nowhere near as much in debt as a percentage of GDP as Greece is and so it will happen a damn sight sooner ther than here.

The reason the Euro zone won't allow them that monetary control is because it would be irresponsible to take that option.

[dkf]

7. Well if there were inflation people can't complain about a cut in pay.

[tonysam]

8. The World Bank likely has its dirty hands involved in this. n/t

[Igel]

9. You need to look?

I mean, really.

"Employees don't like pay cuts." "Employees don't like vacations curtailed." "Employees don't like increased working hours." "Employees don't like layoffs."

"Those benefiting from government programs don't want benefit cuts." "Those benefiting from government programs don't want reductions in numbers of recipients."

"Those paying taxes don't want taxes increased." "Those paying low taxes want other people's taxes increased more than their own."

Yes, it really is that simple. When sort of overseeing food service, somebody else on the board asked what people wanted from food service. My answer: "Food at the right temperature, made with fresh ingredients, prepared to their specifications, delivered at the time and place of their choosing, for free--with somebody to refill portions as necessary and remove clutter as desired."

What do people really want from their government? "Lots of government services according to what they think is proper, lots of help for themselves and those they emphathize with, good jobs and working conditions guaranteed both in and out of government, maximum liberties as they define them, with no taxes--expect perhaps on those that they envy and no limitations except on those they think unrighteous or undeserving."

All the other stories are details and variations, just as an assigned 1000-word essay for a 10th grade class on "Based on class discussions, explain the role of the Great Depression in formulating public policy in the US in 1933."

All politics is finding a compromise so that a majority can agree on how to direct benefits to them and theirs and direct burdens to others, how to impose their agenda on everybody and to keep anybody else from imposing their agenda.