Striking Greeks take to streets as dissent rumbles over austerity

[MowCowWhoHow III]

Source: Reuters

Striking Greeks took to the streets on Thursday to protest austerity measures, setting Alexis Tsipras' government its biggest domestic challenge since he was re-elected in September on a promise to cushion the impact of economic hardship.

Many flights were grounded, hospitals ran on skeleton staff, ships were docked at port and public offices stayed shut across the country in the first nationwide walkout called by Greece's largest private and public sector unions in a year.

As Greece's international lenders met in central Athens to review compliance with its latest bailout, thousands marched nearby to protest the relentless round of tax hikes and pension cutbacks that the rescue packages have entailed.

Five years of austerity since the first bailout was signed in 2010 have sapped economic activity and left about a quarter of the population out of work.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/12/us-eurozone-greece-strike-idUSKCN0T10N120151112

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Greek general strike: Police fire teargas during anti-austerity protest - live updates

http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/nov/12/greek-general-strike-against-austerity-measures-business-live

[cstanleytech]

1. Yes I am sure rioting will help solve their problems.

[Demeter]

2. 11 million people in Greece. And however many thousdands of refugees

Can you define Failed State, Mr. Tsipras? All so the Euro-Fantasy could drag on a few more months or years?

I wash my hands of Greece. And Europe. They were warned, they were told. They listened to the wolf, with his fantastic tales of wealth and plenty and freedom, and now the wolf is at the door and the door is wide open to loss, starvation, disease and death.

[geek tragedy]

3. They voted for this clown, twice, rewarding his utter incompetence

and dishonesty in the process.

Greece needs to leave the Euro.

[branford]

5. It didn't matter who the Greeks voted into office.

Despite any promises made by candidates, including originally by Tsipras, the Greeks were unable to vote to receive yet more money without strict conditions from other Europe states without the consent of the people from those countries, something that had no chance of occurring.

Leaving the Euro was also hardly a panacea. Besides the fact that preparations were never (and still haven't) been made to transition to a new currency, the rapid inflation and inability to import would be devastating, and at least for the short and mid-terms, and the economic conditions in the country would be far worse than now. Many of the demanded reforms are also things that even many Greeks acknowledge are absolutely necessary if they ever wish to have a modern and sustainable economy.

Simply, after generations of economic incompetence, fraud, clientelism, etc., the Greeks only had a limited number of very bad and painful choices. There's a reason that despite the many other small European countries with weak economies that suffered in the economic downturn and faced austerity, we're still discussing Greece today.

[FLPanhandle]

4. Exactly what is their alternative solution?

Do they really think the EU governments are going to keep loaning them money without some assurance the Greeks will balance their budget?

Are they advocating leaving the EU?

What is the strikers solution? They can't continue to borrow forever.

[Blue_Tires]

6. Maybe they can have another referendum