Glezos

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Greg Palast: Greece Surrenders to Germany 2013

Euro Krieg!
Greece Surrenders to Germany 2013
Greg Palast Interviewed by Greek Radio


Monday, August 12, 2013
By Michael Nevradakis for Truthout
In his career as an investigative journalist, economist, and bestselling author -Vultures' Picnic, Billionaires and Ballot Bandits, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy - Greg Palast has not been afraid to tackle some of the most powerful names in politics and finance.
From uncovering Katherine Harris' purge of African-American voters from Florida's voter rolls in the year 2000 to revealing the truth behind the "assistance" provided by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to ailing economies, Palast has not held back in revealing the corruption and criminal actions of the wealthy and powerful.

In a recent interview on Dialogos Radio, Palast turned his attention to Greece and to the austerity policies that have been imposed on the country by the IMF, the European Union, and the European Central Bank.
"To me, Greece is a crime scene," said Palast. "Greece is dying, and austerity is one of the things that killed it." He rebuked the recent proclamations made by Greek and EU officials deeming Greece an economic "success story," describing them as "nonsense."

"Austerity has destroyed Greece and the euro has destroyed Greece," said Palast. "Austerity in the middle of a recession is a death sentence."

One of the hallmarks of austerity programs is privatization. Palast, who has investigated the impact of privatization programs in Latin America, drew parallels between those countries' experiences and the demands now being imposed on Greece.

"You see the kind of brutal practices which were first tested on Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil brought to Greece with more severe consequences," said Palast. "You get ripped off. You still need water, you still need electricity. You privatize these things, you're still going to have to buy water and electricity, but now you'll pay a fortune to German and American and Canadian companies."

In his critique of privatization programs, Palast referenced Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist who had been the World Bank's chief economist prior to being fired for expressing dissent against its policies. "[Stiglitz] called privatization 'briberization' because ... when we talk about privatization, we talk about a couple of guys who are close to the government in Greece, who are close to the German government, and they pick up the properties for next to nothing."
One of the biggest controversies in Greece over the past year has involved the Skouries gold mine. Originally transferred to private hands by the Greek state in 2004 for the paltry sum of 11 million euros, the mine has since come into the possession of the Canadian company Eldorado Gold, which has commenced mining activities. This has resulted in a vociferous grassroots movement, protesting the mine on both economic and environmental grounds. According to Palast, companies like Eldorado Gold prey on vulnerable countries.

"What they do is, they wait for the moment where a nation is really weak and on its back, and has to give away its gold. Tanzania sold its gold mines for nothing under IMF pressure to Barrick Gold. They've made billions and billions and billions."

"Let's not kid ourselves," added Palast. "Nobody gets a gold mine without making a payoff to the powers that be. That's just how it is ... they're not privatizing, they're stealing your gold."
For Palast, the solution for Greece is to leave the Euro.

"You don't want to be in the euro, take my word for it," said Palast. "To stay in the euro zone is like saying we want to stay in the leper colony. The euro is a monstrous creation. The euro is not about having a happy trade zone. It's about imposing the elimination of the progressive state. The euro is the Fourth Reich ... and you have to give it up."

Palast drew upon the paradigm of several Latin American countries as examples that Greece could follow.
"The Argentines ... disconnected from the dollar; they told the creditors to go to hell and they are a booming economy," said Palast, adding that determined leadership is needed in Greece in order to accomplish this.
"The difference between Greece and Argentina is that the Greek people are gutless. Greek people are cowards by nature, whereas the Argentines are tough. I'm trying to push people to not give up. There's no one standing up against the euro. You had one independent party [Syriza] which completely caved in ... you do need that third voice." Such third parties, according to Palast, were able to attain electoral success in Latin America by saying no to the IMF and to policies imposing austerity and privatization. As a result, he argued, those countries' economies are now booming.

Palast was sharply critical of Germany for its role in the Greek crisis. "I keep saying that the Germans want to change the name of the euro to the Panzer. They're accomplishing through economic manipulation what they tried to do with tanks during World War II. You're going to become a German colony unless you get out of their currency."

Palast also had harsh words for Greece's political establishment. Describing Greece's two major parties, New Democracy and PASOK, as "indistinguishable," he stated: "Morally, the leadership of both main parties is equally responsible for lying to the people and causing massive harm to the public, and I think that they should be held accountable."

Palast cited the actions of Goldman Sachs and other banks in helping successive Greek governments hide the country's deficit."It was a fraud, and they charged almost a half a billion dollar fee to the Greek government to help it hide its deficits. Why would you hide your deficits? For a single reason: to stay within the euro."
Palast's harshest criticism was addressed towards Theodoros Pangalos, a prominent former government minister with PASOK. Palast recently interviewed Pangalos at the Eurasia Media Forum in Kazakhstan.
"I couldn't resist the temptation to interview him," said Palast. "He weighs about 300 pounds, he has a stomach that's about three feet ahead of him ... If someone's overweight, that's usually a personal issue, but in his case, it isn't, because you have people in Greece that are literally starving ... and he's saying that if you complain about austerity measures, you're a communist or an anarchist. You're not a communist or an anarchist: you're just someone that's trying to feed your kids."

"Pangalos has a phrase, 'We ate it all together'," added Palast. "No we didn't. He's fat, and other people are starving."

Palast urged the people of Greece to respond to the crisis by protesting the ongoing austerity measures. "Why are the Greek people agreeing to their own destruction? It's crazy! This is when you have to act. You cannot give up now ... I've seen successful movements formed around the world by people who thought their situation was hopeless."

Palast stated his desire to provide his support to Greece, while expressing his interest to hear from ordinary Greeks, in advance of his upcoming visit to the country in September.

"I would like people to contact me and give me their stories, their ideas, their information, and when I come to Greece, I want to meet you and speak with you. I would like to really speak with people about what the people of Greece think are the best solutions. Let's work this out together, and I will bring the best minds in the field of economics to your side, to discuss how movements are formed."
* * * * * * * *

Thursday 1 August 2013

Parliamentary Committee on Mass Immigration 1993: The Left Knew



The Left knew there would be a massive problem in Greece they are co-signatories to this Parliamentary Committee (1993) both Syrizas predecessors Sinaspismos and the KKE. They didn't integrate or unionise the first thousands of illegals that arrived. They allowed through their leadership in unions for the situation to spiral out of control. We have now had riots in two major cities untold citizens committees being created on the issue and they are concerned alongside the Troika only about Golden Dawn, the retro fascist fake nationalists in order to give themselves a boost. When an indigenous working class is overrun by a similar number of illegals then a national question re-emerges. How one deals with this and what will happen next we leave to history. Suffice to say when Greeks are being killed on average 5 a month by illegals it wont be peaceful...

VN Gelis


GREEK PARLIAMENT
Crossparty Parliamentary Committee
For the study of the demographic problem of the country and the presentation of proposals for their more serious confrontation.


CONCLUSION



Chairman Vasileos Sotiropoulos Argolida MP New Democracy
Vice President Vasileos Geratidisi Thessaloniki B’ COnstitutency PASOK
Secretary Manolis Drettakis A’ Dsitrict Athens MP, Sinaspismos




Athens
February 1993
The demographic Problem of Greece and the proposals for confrontating It



Page 1
In our country which has one of the lowest birth rates the demographic problmes takes important national characteristics which may threaten our national independence and territorial integrity


Page 2
In the National Committee we also discusees two further questions of Manolis Drettakis (12/279 and 14/2/86) plus proposal of laws of MP’s of PASOK ‘motivations for the confrontation of the demographic problem of the country’ on 7th and  28th November 1991.
Committee Members
1. Σωρηρόπουλος Βασίλειος
2. Ανδρακτάς Παναγιώτης
3. Βαρδαρινός Βασίλειος
4. Γεωργολιός Κωνσταντίνος
5. Κανελλοπούλου Κρινιώ
6. Καραγκούνης Ανδρέας
7. Μπακογιάννη Ντόρα
8. Πάλλη Πετραλιά Φάνη
9. Παπαγεωργόπουλος Ελευθέριος
10. Παπανικολάου Ελευθέριος
11. Τατούλης Πέτρος
12. Χωματάς Ιωάννης
13. Γερανίδης Βασίλειος
14. Κρητικός Παναγιώτης
15. Κωνσταντινίδης Ελευθέριος
16. Μπαλτάς Αλέξανδρος
17. Παπαδόπουλους Βασίλειος
18. Παπαθεμελής Στυλιανός
19. Πάχτας Χρήστος
20. Σμπώκος Ιωάννης
21. Δρεττάκης Μανόλης (ΕΑΡ) Sinaspismos
22. Κοσιώνης Παναγιώτης (ΚΚΕ)


The members of the Committee Andreas Bakoyianni Dora, Palli Petralia Fani were replaced later, due to them undertaking ministerial duties from the MP’s Theodoro Georgiadis, Dimopoulos Demetrios and Theodoro Katsiki whilst the position of the recently deceased in July 1992 Papadopoulos Vasiliou was received by the MP Skoulakis Emmanuel.



Pg 15
The repatriation of political refugees and the mass arrival of compatriots (Pontion and Northern Ipirus) with a correct political intervention will have positive results. The state should help them base themselves and work, not only in the city centres but also in the agricultural and semi-agricultural areas and to provide a new dynamic to many agricultural areas primarily in Northern Greece. The common cultural roots and Orthodoxy whouls help them adapt and assimilate into Greek society.


Particular attention should be place by the entrance and employment of tens of thousands of foreign immigrants legal (but mostly illegal) arrive in our country in the two last decades. Whilst the percentage of unemployment is around 8% in many sectors there is a lack of labour hands which has been covered primarily by foreign illegal immigrants.


With the illegal arrival of immigrants – mostly muslims from Afro-asian countries, Greece is being transformed into an area of receiving  immigrants which creates social economic problems (conflicts in the labour market, increase in tax evasion with many consequences in the national insurance coffers, an increase in criminality, movement of drugs etc.) and they cant adapt to Greek society due to the totally different culture of Islam, which isn’t simply a religion but a way of life...


Page 24
-The distance from the traditional forms of life and the arrival of events of social decay with the undermining of the principles of marriage, family life and children have a significant influence on the demographic issues.
-The highest form of individualism, the weakening of morality, drugs, AIDS and generally the social undermining and the world insecurity influence negatively the demographic problem.
-Future population development of Greece


Page 27
If the demographic indicators aren’t improved and the same indicators of birth in 1990 (1.4 roughly average children per woman) and if they don’t develop significant events (war, immigration) then the total population of the country in 2015 will be reduced by 500,000 people from todays numbers. The increase in these demographic indicators which started in 1985 creates severe problems of population  in our country. The empty spaces which are created cover by a larger part from Pontius and NothernIpirus but also from muslims from Asia and Africa and from others who illegally enter Greece  (and remain with a variety of fake conditions adding new problems)

Socialeconomic factors which influence the demographic problem


Demographic consequences


Page 30
Our country with the dramatic reduction of births in the last decade has the possibility of big dangers (which are being intensified due to the geographical position and the lack of cooperative peoples);
-The reduction of births in the 1980’s decade whereby the indicators fell from 2.09 children per woman to 1.4 in 1990, threatens quite severely the re-birth and continuation of our Greek race.

-The demographic gaps which are created in various geographic areas (Aegean islands, Ionian etc) have as the danger to be occupied by immigrants (mostly Muslims) with sever endless consequences.
-In the armed forces we will create serious problems with the lack of numbers of those in the armed forces.

Page 31
If for the  re-birth of our labour dynamic and generally the course of our economy and our social security we are based on the immigrants from Asia and Africa very soon we  will have serious  problems of social and national


Aims of Greek Demographic Politics - Proposals

Pg 36
-To emphasise at every available moment Greek tradition and religious feeling (practically with proposals of the Church)

Administrative measures

Page 40
-The illegal and easy entrance of illegal immigrants from countries of Asia and Africa either directly or via other countries of the EU must be observed closely for many socialeconomic and national reasons. There must be severe control regarding the legality of the entrance in our country and the legal presence and employment.

Athens 10th February 1993