Broke? Buy a few warships, France tells Greece

[Joanne98]

Source: Economic Times


In a bizarre twist to the Greek debt crisis, France and Germany are pressing Greece to buy their gunboats and warplanes, even as they urge it to cut public spending and curb its deficit.

Indeed, some Greek officials privately say Paris and Berlin are using the crisis as leverage to advance arms contracts or settle payment disputes, just when the Greeks are trying to reduce defense spending.

"No one is saying 'Buy our warships or we won't bail you out', but the clear implication is that they will be more supportive if we do what they want on the armaments front," said an adviser to Prime Minister George Papandreou, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivity.

Greece spends more of its gross domestic product on the military than any other European Union country, largely due to long-standing tension with its neighbour, historic rival and NATO ally, Turkey.

"The Germans and the French have them over a barrel now," said Nick Witney, a former head of the European Defense Agency.

"If you are trying to repair Greek public finances, it's a ludicrous way to go about things."


Read more: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/Broke-Buy-a-few-warships-France-tells-Greece/articleshow/5715953.cms

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BUSTED!

[xchrom]

1. Oy - such a mess. Nt

[Crowman1979]

2. Looks like some countries are gonna have their embassy's vandilized.

You know a massive protest is gonna result from this.

[rfranklin]

3. This is the U.S. modus operandi....

Have you heard, in the gnashing of teeth over the deficit, anyone calling for the reduction of "defense" spending?

[The Genealogist]

4. Rule #1 in American money making

You don't slaughter the cash cow of Defense spending; you just milk it indefinitely. If the cow starts to flag, you just smack around the farmer (the US government) until the cow is fully brought back on line.

[The Genealogist]

5. What will be the US gov's response to this snotty little demand?

I am not sure what to call this, but it sounds like blackmail. You want help? You better start buying up the crap we don't want any more so we will have some money in our defense budgets to buy new shiny blowey uppy things, Greece old bean. WTF?

[Regret My New Name]

14. Why would the US response be relevant?

Am I missing something here?

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. So it's "We will lend you a lot of money if you promise to spend most

of it on stuff you don't need, bought from us."

[LiberalFighter]

7. Why does Greece need gunboats and warplanes?

[saigon68]

10. To get their asses handed to them by the Turks

[Joanne98]

11. They don't. It's extortion. They're saying "We'll bail you out only IF

you spend the money on our weapons you don't need"

[Dappleganger]

8. And pay for it with lemons and olives?

[wordpix]

9. and we wonder how the planet got so messed up - geesh

:crazy:

[BREMPRO]

12. they've learned from our economic hitman- the real legacy of American Empire

[Blue_Tires]

13. even if there was some logical reason to buy the war toys

in what fantasy universe does Greece even have the money to GO to war?