> So prior governments didn't falsify financial records like they say themselves?
Yes they did. Goldman Sachs did it for Greece and many other countries like Italy for example. France, Italy, Greece and many others never respected the 3% budget deficit imposed by Maastricht crieria.
> Greece did not take on more debt than even the faked statistics supported?
Greece did, but everyone knew it and allowed as long as they saw fit. Also there are hints that many other countries did. Goldman Sachs didn’t offer it’s services only to Greeks. That was a very well known method of falsifying the statistics.
As a side-note… The man who acted as the middle-man for this fraud, was Lucas Papademos. It was Merkel’s first choice for Technocratic Prime Minister in the short period Greece stayed without PM. It’s a little bit weird to choose the man who is responsible the very thing you blame them, to lead the way.
> You are saying, contrary to propaganda, the greek government sector and the state-run enterprises were in a splendid and efficient state a couple of years ago?
No of course not. But in many cases they were almost entirely forced to make uncomfortable choices by Germany and France. Local army companies were out of business because of forced contracts the country did with Germany in order to buy things that could be produced at home, while at the same time paying the employees to buy votes. The national railway got into debt because of accounting tricks more than anything else.
Greece since 1821, was never a 100% free country, in the sense that was able to make sane choices. Take a look a this submarine[1] story or the Siemens[2] scandal.
> Furthermore, contrary to propaganda, their is no problem with the completely ineffective and unefficient tax collection system?
Even if you assume that Greek corruption is the problem in Greece, does not explain what is happening elsewhere. Let’s say in Greece the problem is corruption. What’s the problem with Italy, Ireland and Spain?
You are mixing two different problems: The Euro zone allowed Germany to export it’s expensive products, for 20 years to all these countries they are trashing now as PIGS, by allowing them to expand their credit.
Give it another two years and the German economy will sink like everyone’s else, since exports to Mars are not possible as of today :-)
> I didn't know that, I am very sorry...
You’re sorry for what? I’m Greek and I’m not sorry for Greece. I know that to an extent it’s getting only what it’s citizen deserve by being so afraid of change. But really, what is happening in Greece has absolutely nothing to do with Greece’s flaws and everything to do with Euro-zone structural problems. The problem is political, not economical, at every level.
To give a perspective: 3 years ago, in 2009, my Italian uncle made the same exact reasons of why Greece is in trouble and Italy will never get there. I told him the same things and that Italy was right on track, because what is happening in Greece is not related to Greece but to Euro. After a year we had the same conversation again and he agreed. Because he saw the same thing happening to Italy, which has corruption at all levels, but it’s way more balanced than Greece (which has no division of powers, French revolution didnt pass by).
Yes they did. Goldman Sachs did it for Greece and many other countries like Italy for example. France, Italy, Greece and many others never respected the 3% budget deficit imposed by Maastricht crieria.
> Greece did not take on more debt than even the faked statistics supported?
Greece did, but everyone knew it and allowed as long as they saw fit. Also there are hints that many other countries did. Goldman Sachs didn’t offer it’s services only to Greeks. That was a very well known method of falsifying the statistics.
As a side-note… The man who acted as the middle-man for this fraud, was Lucas Papademos. It was Merkel’s first choice for Technocratic Prime Minister in the short period Greece stayed without PM. It’s a little bit weird to choose the man who is responsible the very thing you blame them, to lead the way.
> You are saying, contrary to propaganda, the greek government sector and the state-run enterprises were in a splendid and efficient state a couple of years ago?
No of course not. But in many cases they were almost entirely forced to make uncomfortable choices by Germany and France. Local army companies were out of business because of forced contracts the country did with Germany in order to buy things that could be produced at home, while at the same time paying the employees to buy votes. The national railway got into debt because of accounting tricks more than anything else.
Greece since 1821, was never a 100% free country, in the sense that was able to make sane choices. Take a look a this submarine[1] story or the Siemens[2] scandal.
> Furthermore, contrary to propaganda, their is no problem with the completely ineffective and unefficient tax collection system?
Even if you assume that Greek corruption is the problem in Greece, does not explain what is happening elsewhere. Let’s say in Greece the problem is corruption. What’s the problem with Italy, Ireland and Spain?
You are mixing two different problems: The Euro zone allowed Germany to export it’s expensive products, for 20 years to all these countries they are trashing now as PIGS, by allowing them to expand their credit.
Give it another two years and the German economy will sink like everyone’s else, since exports to Mars are not possible as of today :-)
> I didn't know that, I am very sorry...
You’re sorry for what? I’m Greek and I’m not sorry for Greece. I know that to an extent it’s getting only what it’s citizen deserve by being so afraid of change. But really, what is happening in Greece has absolutely nothing to do with Greece’s flaws and everything to do with Euro-zone structural problems. The problem is political, not economical, at every level.
To give a perspective: 3 years ago, in 2009, my Italian uncle made the same exact reasons of why Greece is in trouble and Italy will never get there. I told him the same things and that Italy was right on track, because what is happening in Greece is not related to Greece but to Euro. After a year we had the same conversation again and he agreed. Because he saw the same thing happening to Italy, which has corruption at all levels, but it’s way more balanced than Greece (which has no division of powers, French revolution didnt pass by).
[1] http://www.lepointinternational.com/it/politica/europa/550-t... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siemens_Greek_bribery_scandal