Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

[don]

it's alive, it's alive . . . but for how long

[don]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

[don]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

Nigel Farage . . .

[dcarrigg]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

Thanks for posting these. It's good stuff to keep in your mind. The turn from democracy to guardianship is happening in many places.

It is most disturbing in Italy and Greece. An unelected government installed by creditors can hardly be called anything other than guardianship. It is more reminiscent of dictatorship than democracy.

I've been following it from the municipal end in the states for a few years now. Cate Long at Reuters does great work on this, I highly recommend her.

In the meanwhile, here's a short list of counties, cities and towns in the U.S. where the "financial receiver" or "emergency financial manager" rules over municipalities without elections, accountable to no one but banks.

Central Falls RI, USA - Recent article on losing democracy.

Highland Park, Flint, Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Detroit, & Pontiac MI, USA.- all under the rule of "Emergency Financial Managers."

Harrisburg, PA - Article from last week about a receiver plunging the town into bankruptcy, undoubtably on worse terms than the first time it was tried. Forced privatization of city land and power.

Jefferson County, AL - This was about as clear of a "smash and grab" combination of Goldman Sachs and local politicians as you could get. Very much reminiscent of Greece on a smaller scale.

[yernamehear]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

it's alive, it's alive . . . but for how long

"Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence."
-- Napoleon Bonaparte

I find Hudson interesting, but tending toward a conspiracy hack. I think the "leadership" is just not very smart. They (Germans, mostly) thought they could do vendor financing, and their patsy turned out to be a deadbeat. Plenty of incompetence to go around.

[dcarrigg]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

"Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence."
-- Napoleon Bonaparte

I find Hudson interesting, but tending toward a conspiracy hack. I think the "leadership" is just not very smart. They (Germans, mostly) thought they could do vendor financing, and their patsy turned out to be a deadbeat. Plenty of incompetence to go around.

Arising by incompetence or by malice, a dictatorship is a dictatorship. I think you are right. I think the results are the same.

[Southernguy]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

I would not offend people like Merkel, Sarkozy, Shlaube, etc accusing them of imcompetence. This is a global push by big and rich corporations and individual to increase their riches and power. As countries fall into disarray through austerity, their assets devalue and are being actively preyed by those.
There is no incompetence, thereīs a carefully planned operation.
Itīs the only logical explanation for facts.
The small group of politicians, technocrats and CEOīS that make the decisions know perfectly the consequences of each of their acts.
The creation of unsustainable loads of private debt, which ends turning public through bail outs generates big benefits for you know who. Then comes austerity; assets devalue and can be taken at dirt cheap prices by those who are in the planning.
Thatīs no conspiracy theory, thatīs just a description of whatīs actually happening, big German corporations (eg. Siemens), Dutch (Philips), etc are grabing assets of indebted corporations. Privatization is rampang everywhere.
And of course, profits soar as wages go down mercilessly.
This not a result of incompetence. Itīs a shrewd maneuver.
When a new cycle begins, some years from now, debt shall begin to grow again, and consumption with it. By then wages and benefits shall be near to non existent and profits, by those who hold the big business shall be even more unthinkable than now.

[Raz]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

I would not offend people like Merkel, Sarkozy, Shlaube, etc accusing them of imcompetence. This is a global push by big and rich corporations and individual to increase their riches and power. As countries fall into disarray through austerity, their assets devalue and are being actively preyed by those.
There is no incompetence, thereīs a carefully planned operation.
Itīs the only logical explanation for facts.
The small group of politicians, technocrats and CEOīS that make the decisions know perfectly the consequences of each of their acts.
The creation of unsustainable loads of private debt, which ends turning public through bail outs generates big benefits for you know who. Then comes austerity; assets devalue and can be taken at dirt cheap prices by those who are in the planning.
Thatīs no conspiracy theory, thatīs just a description of whatīs actually happening, big German corporations (eg. Siemens), Dutch (Philips), etc are grabing assets of indebted corporations. Privatization is rampang everywhere.
And of course, profits soar as wages go down mercilessly.
This not a result of incompetence. Itīs a shrewd maneuver.
When a new cycle begins, some years from now, debt shall begin to grow again, and consumption with it. By then wages and benefits shall be near to non existent and profits, by those who hold the big business shall be even more unthinkable than now.

This is why I've been saying for the past two years than not only is Henry Paulson a criminal - Ben Bernanke is one too.

[don]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

This is why I've been saying for the past two years than not only is Henry Paulson a criminal - Ben Bernanke is one too.

Raz: Don't you love the "Get Out of Jail Free" card that's so often extended to these guys. They're not criminals, they're incompetent . . . or they just didn't know. Why do the rich and powerful, and their facilitators, have to be shielded behind the "conspiracy theory" mantra? When a sober, thoughtful evaluation of events leads to the possibility of a coordinated program, the CT shields invariably fly up. Why the entrenched powers that be, equiped with the information that millions spent on confidential think tanks provides, would not have a strategy to maintain their position of dominance, has always escaped me.

[dcarrigg]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

Raz: Don't you love the "Get Out of Jail Free" card that's so often extended to these guys. They're not criminals, they're incompetent . . . or they just didn't know. Why do the rich and powerful, and their facilitators, have to be shielded behind the "conspiracy theory" mantra? When a sober, thoughtful evaluation of events leads to the possibility of a coordinated program, the CT shields invariably fly up. Why the entrenched powers that be, equiped with the information that millions spent on confidential think tanks provides, would not have a strategy to maintain their position of dominance, has always escaped me.

To me it does not matter whether it was incompetence or a well coordinated plan in the case of the Euro Zone. Installing 'technocrats' from banks as unelected leaders to bleed the population is criminal either way. I don't care if you screwed up democracy because you're malicious or incompetent. If the results are bad, you should be fired either way. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, nor is willfully breaking it.

[Thailandnotes]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

I think the idea that Greece is an "experiment" is a bit of conspiracy theory, but it's clear there was a plan to gobble up public assets at fire sale prices.

http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?...4&jumival=7950

[dcarrigg]

Re: Doktor Hudson on the Greek Experiment

Thanks for posting these. It's good stuff to keep in your mind. The turn from democracy to guardianship is happening in many places.

It is most disturbing in Italy and Greece. An unelected government installed by creditors can hardly be called anything other than guardianship. It is more reminiscent of dictatorship than democracy.

I've been following it from the municipal end in the states for a few years now. Cate Long at Reuters does great work on this, I highly recommend her.

In the meanwhile, here's a short list of counties, cities and towns in the U.S. where the "financial receiver" or "emergency financial manager" rules over municipalities without elections, accountable to no one but banks.

Central Falls RI, USA - Recent article on losing democracy.

Highland Park, Flint, Benton Harbor, Ecorse, Detroit, & Pontiac MI, USA.- all under the rule of "Emergency Financial Managers."

Harrisburg, PA - Article from last week about a receiver plunging the town into bankruptcy, undoubtably on worse terms than the first time it was tried. Forced privatization of city land and power.

Jefferson County, AL - This was about as clear of a "smash and grab" combination of Goldman Sachs and local politicians as you could get. Very much reminiscent of Greece on a smaller scale.

Regarding Central Falls, RI, not only did Meryl Streep now give $10k, but here is the 'receiver' joking about being a dictator [The link won't work right while embedded - it's at 3m 38s - and sorry to your ear drums in advance]:

Normally I give these things latitude. People should be able to poke fun at themselves. But a former state supreme court judge should probably have better taste than to so openly mock democracy.