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KansDem

(28,498 posts) Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:10 PM Jul 2015

Tax increases, pension cuts, reduction in military spending, & privatization of public assets

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has submitted a bailout proposal which includes harsh austerity measures just days after the Greek people overwhelmingly rejected such measures in a historic referendum. The proposal submitted to Greece’s creditors reportedly includes tax increases, pension cuts, a reduction in military spending and the privatization of public assets. It comes after Tsipras himself had urged the Greek people to reject creditors’ demands for further austerity. In exchange for the reforms, Greece would receive a three-year, $59 billion bailout package. Germany meanwhile appears to be yielding to demands to provide at least some measure of debt relief to Greece. European officials have expressed approval for the Greek offer ahead of a key meeting on Saturday. The Greek Parliament is expected to vote on the bailout proposal today, just five days after an overwhelming 61 percent of Greek voters rejected similar terms. We’ll have more on Greece later in the broadcast.

DemocracyNow!: Greece Submits Bailout Plan with Harsh Austerity Measures

8 replies

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Tax increases, pension cuts, reduction in military spending, & privatization of public assets (Original Post) KansDem Jul 2015 OP

...... daleanime Jul 2015 #1

I'll join you... KansDem Jul 2015 #2

Exactly..... daleanime Jul 2015 #3

Well, #1 and #3 don't seem like such bad ideas tularetom Jul 2015 #4

It does,much like the Koch Brothers buying Wellstone ruled Jul 2015 #5

So Greece won what exactly? ananda Jul 2015 #6

That sounds like what a FAR LEFT political party would agree to, n'est-ce pas? stillwaiting Jul 2015 #7

Mr. Bean got elected PM by blowing smoke up the asses of Greek voters. geek tragedy Jul 2015 #8

daleanime

(17,796 posts)

1. ......

Reply to KansDem (Original post)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:13 PM

Jul 2015

KansDem

(28,498 posts)

2. I'll join you...

Reply to daleanime (Reply #1)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:17 PM

Jul 2015

It's a terrible list, but the "privatization of public assets" is particularly egregious.

daleanime

(17,796 posts)

3. Exactly.....

Reply to KansDem (Reply #2)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:20 PM

Jul 2015

right. Property that would then be permanently in the hands of the .1%.

tularetom

(23,664 posts)

4. Well, #1 and #3 don't seem like such bad ideas

Reply to KansDem (Original post)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:32 PM

Jul 2015

#'s 2 and 4 sound like the 2016 republican party platform here in the US.

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)

5. It does,much like the Koch Brothers buying

Reply to tularetom (Reply #4)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:41 PM

Jul 2015

our National Parks. Greece is a tourist destination for the Germans and other Wealthy EU folks. Their only export is Olive Oil and Trinkets.

ananda

(28,862 posts)

6. So Greece won what exactly?

Reply to KansDem (Original post)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 01:57 PM

Jul 2015

This sounds horrible.

stillwaiting

(3,795 posts)

7. That sounds like what a FAR LEFT political party would agree to, n'est-ce pas?

Reply to KansDem (Original post)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 02:16 PM

Jul 2015

They weren't elected to do this. So, I doubt they'll maintain power.

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

8. Mr. Bean got elected PM by blowing smoke up the asses of Greek voters.

Reply to KansDem (Original post)

Fri Jul 10, 2015, 02:23 PM

Jul 2015

He promised them austerity would end, without having any clue how he would do it.

Great at posturing for crowds and the media, complete amateur at doing the grown up work of governing.

Case in point: the referendum he called then promptly ignored

He finally had to face the music.

Austerity is a really awful as a policy.

But, there are two kinds of austerity (fiscally):

1) Austerity because a country decides to balance its budget; and

2) Austerity because a country can't borrow, because no one will lend to it.

Greece went from not enough of (1) to a horrible dose of (2).

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