The only empty heads around are the DF's wasting taxpayers money. It was known 5 years ago that Greece was unable to repay its debts, yet here we are, 5 years on.

Why the delay in making a decision?

AS for "that" conspiracy dept, just how many governments have you yanks overthrown since your existence?

The most well known empty heads on this planet are currently situated in Washington & Brussels & that's not going to change for some years yet.

Woe is us, they want to put higher taxes on our profits... something more than zero per cent... how undemocratic... start immediately squealing about dictators and fascists and nazis...

I can think of plenty of non Greeks who would react in the exact same way when confronted with tax hikes. No one likes to pay more taxes.

Russia starts to turn the screws on the DF's...

"While eurozone ministers debate, Russia has said it plans to help Greece's economic recovery. The country's Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters that Moscow is considering organising direct energy supplies to Greece. He added that he hoped an agreement would be reached within the next few weeks."

...& considering this "leaked" document obtained by Reuters, it seems the DF's really are blind.

"'Leaked' Eurogroup statement

Reuters says it has got hold of a draft memo from the Eurogroup leaders - and they are playing hard ball.

It indicates that a deal is not going to happen today because not all the proposed austerity measures have been passed by the Greek parliament.

The Eurogroup... came to the conclusion that there is not yet the basis to start the negotiations on a new programme.

It goes on to say that negotiations can begin only once Greece implements the austerity measures. These would include VAT and pension reforms, along with stronger taxes.

Only subsequent to legal implementation of the above mentioned measures can negotiations on the memorandum of understanding commence, subject to national procedures having been completed.

This echoes what leaders were saying earlier that the Greeks needed to take the first steps before a bailout could be agreed."

However, one tweet from an "ordinary" citizen says it all...

"I feel for the Greeks. They have dared to question the EU and will now pay a terrible price as a warning to others."

As for bribery & corruption in Greece, can any Yank here tell a "non-yank" this: - Did "ordinary" American citizens cause the Wall Street crash?

As I said, Tsipras is nobody's fool. That old quote comes into play here & he's done it well...

"Cast a sprat to catch a mackerel". The more the EU dithers, the more Moscow will rush to assist.

Hmm, wouldn't it be funny...

US Bases in Turkey

...Russian bases in Greece - all that lovely income to assist them in recovering their economy - OUTSIDE of the Euro :-)

Oxi, oxi, oxi. Give Großdeutschland the finger.

IT'S OFFICIAL! GREECE SAYS ‪#‎OXI‬!!!

Well that's the G from PIGS giving Europe the bird, now all we need is PIS to do the same & it's goodbye EU :-)

Yup, now we only have to wait for the people in Portugal, Italy, and Spain, to demand their own referendum on the EU crime syndicate.

Greece 1 - Großdeutschland 0. Take that Großdeutschland :-)

Edit: Oh btw Großdeutschland, you can look at your billions of Euro to Greece, as a small installment of War reparations, for what you did to Greece during your last attempt to create a Großdeutschland, and Lebensraum. Expect to pay out more war reparations to Greece, and the rest of Europe, for as long as your country exists.

We who lost families and friends in your death camps, will never ever forget or forgive.

If a deal gets done...

"Renzi demands deal

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has insisted Greece must not be allowed to leave the eurozone.

"Now common sense must prevail and an agreement must be reached. Italy does not want Greece to exit the euro and to Germany I say: enough is enough," Mr Renzi was quoted as saying by Rome-based daily Il Messaggero."

...the Fourth Reich just got legitimised.

Being a too kind a person, I am still willing to give them a chance.

Wow, how gracious of you. A 1%er are you?

It also rules out the EU :-)

Don't worry about it Clyde. Had much worse thrown at me & I'm still breathing :-)

Of course, it would help if those that do disparage, get their facts correct.

Here's a random pre-SYRIZA wiki entry on a lawyer called Wolfgang Schäuble:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wolfgang_Sch%C3%A4uble&oldid=611163265

Pretty squeaky clean for a guy that has admitted taking a suitcase full of cash from an arms dealer (to fund a Christian Party ironically) and, instead of being ousted, is now running Europe!

How 'bout we come back to this after a few biographies have been written about the dude? Say maybe in about 5 years from now? Should be fun :)

Michiel, I'm afraid The Swede is a bit rough around the edges but that alone is no reason for him to be incorrect. Unfortunately Germany is digging its own grave right now and soon enough you, me and everybody else are gonna have a real hard time coming up with a logical argument against statements like

Even the blindest of Homo Sapiens, will soon have to admit where Europe is heading (again).

and

...the Fourth Reich just got legitimised.

... no matter how hard we try or feel it is unfair. It may be still be taboo to call a German a fascist today but if Wolfgang keeps acting like he's paid for Greece and can now do whatever the **** he wants with a whole country and its people then... that taboo may soon reach a tipping point and evaporate.

And they (ed. Greece) caused it themselves.

Oh dear. It takes two to make a tango.
The creditors from the euro-zone has been very naive.
Even IMF had done predictions that is now very faulty.
Faulty Towers:)

+1

I'm pretty sure that Sten & I did not take pleasure in posting those statements, after all, we are just two individual citizens of our respective countries.

However, when ordinary citizens see elected leaders telling Germany that enough is enough, what do those citizens infer from that...

"Peace in our time" a la a piece of worthless paper from Munich(Berlin/Brussels in this case)

...& we all know what happened afterwards.

With what one poster has continuously stated regarding non payment of taxes, this has been known about Greece for many a year - Even before the EU became the EU.

So the question is: -

Why did the Eurocrats allow them in & why were the bailouts 5 years ago permitted?

THEY knew then so why continue the farce now?

To turn this issue on it's head...

WHY haven't the Eurocrats gone after the bankers who caused the economic crisis in 2008?

Answer - Too damned big for "little" pen pushers to go after - Who has to guts to hit the US where it hurts & get away with it?

WHY haven't the Eurocrats gone after the bankers who caused the economic crisis in 2008?

Very good question. And Greece had at that time a bad economy.
When the economic crisis in 2008 started the Greece economy plunged.
And here we are at ground zero...

Hummmm. What are those ivory tower bankers going to do when Greece selects the third option, the one they didn't think possible. It refuses to reform and it refuses to exit.

---

Hummmm. What are those ivory tower bankers going to do when Greece selects the third option, the one they didn't think possible. It refuses to reform and it refuses to exit.

Personally, I'd welcome Greece going for that option :-)

Hummmm. What are those ivory tower bankers going to do when Greece selects the third option, the one they didn't think possible. It refuses to reform and it refuses to exit.

Personally, I'd welcome Greece going for that option :-)

Unfortunally it's not bankers that lend Greece money.
It is taxpayers who now are very irritated.

Hummmm. What are those ivory tower bankers going to do when Greece selects the third option, the one they didn't think possible. It refuses to reform be plundered and it refuses to exit.

Since Pasadena nailed it and the cat's out of the bag...

That's how Varoufakis always intended to sacrifice Greece's "queen" in this high-stakes chess game:) I just didn't want to spoil it for you guys in case it ever really happened!

Je suis Varoufakis :)

Hummmm. What are those ivory tower bankers going to do when Greece selects the third option, the one they didn't think possible. It refuses to reform and it refuses to exit.

Personally, I'd welcome Greece going for that option :-)

That is the option which will force Germany to continue paying war reparations, or come out of the closet, fully dressed again with brown shirts and black boots.
What will they choose? What path have they taken before?
Stay tuned.

You mean like this? Golden Dawn:(

Well, why do you think Merkel wants not only an economic union but a political union as well. What do you think the single currency & central control from Brussels (really Berlin) remind you of: -

"Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuehrer"

Well, why do you think Merkel wants not only an economic union but a political union as well. What do you think the single currency & central control from Brussels (really Berlin) remind you of: -

"Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuehrer"

Yup, that's the path we're on....(again)

Don't think so, not this time around, it'll be nasty agreed but it will be totally different: -

As mentioned on the Europe series of threads...

...26,000,000 unemployed so far, what lovely missiles aimed at the heads of those DF's who are as blind as pig ***t.

Oh & we'll have Greece to add to that total. So whose next? Portugal? Ireland? Spain?

Britain is part of the EU correct?

So why should I have to retire at 67 because the kitty is bare while the frogs retire at 62? After all, we are one of the highest NET contributors to the EU. Is that money going to frogs so they can retire early?

Well, Greece should be thanked for bringing the corruption of the EU to the fore. It was time someone did!