Those Hardworking Greeks!

[Perknose]

Lol! <------ My commentary.

Link.

 

[dainthomas]

Looks like Germany should just take over Greece.

 

[nehalem256]

Looks like Germany should just take over Greece.

Why would the Germans want to take over a country of lazy people?

 

[CPA]

LOL. You got to love Greece's response. I guess they believe they are the most hardworking at corruption. Idiots.

 

[nageov3t]

Looks like Germany should just take over Greece.

they're already doing it.

I have to commend the current German government for finally figuring out how to control all of Europe after the previous attempts ended in disaster.

 

[Bitek]

they're already doing it.

I have to commend the current German government for finally figuring out how to control all of Europe after the previous attempts ended in disaster.

This one's going to end in disaster too.

Many Greeks already believe this is the Fourth Reich.

 

[yllus]

That "Most Hardworking" column with the one outlier actually made me laugh out loud. I have no idea what the truth of it is, but it's funny to see everyone else agree on a choice except for the one likely very deluded nation.

 

[DigDog]

bullshit.

just because the germans are all hard faced and can't smile for the life of them doesn't mean they work harder; swiss folks are all about work, that's why they have a 35h working week; your average italian works 55h/w, like greeks, and who even knows how hard those miserable bastards the rumenians work.

polls are not fact.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

At least everyone can agree that Germany is the least corrupt. That seems even more significant than the delusions of the Greek work ethic.

 

[Doppel]

Greeks are living a fantasy and the goose is nearly cooked. Once they leave the Euro many economics are predicting about a 50% reduction in the purchasing power of their new currency, which will have a crushing effect on their quality of life, launch unemployment even higher, and re-calibrate their entire economy away from the farce it has relied on (crushing and ever-growing debt) and will force it onto a more sustainable path. And, I'm sorry to say, that will mean no more retiring at 50 with a full pension for a hair dresser.

Greece is demonstrably corrupt as hell, and that isn't helping.

 

[rcpratt]

My two favorite things about this: (1) half the people think that their own country is the most corrupt...the other half think it's Italy, and (2) Britain and France are literally so boring that everybody has absolutely no opinion about them.

 

[ShawnD1]

Lol! <------ My commentary.

Link.

lol. Everybody except Greece thinks Germans are the hardest working.

My hat goes off to Italy, Greece, Poland, and Czech Republican. Each of them think their own country is the most corrupt.

 

[CrackRabbit]

That makes me think of an old joke...
Heaven is a place where...
The British are the police.
The French are the chefs.
The Italians are the lovers.
And the Germans run everything.

Hell is a place where...
The French are the police.
The British are the chefs.
The Germans are the lovers.
And the Italians run everything.

 

[ShawnD1]

That makes me think of an old joke...
Heaven is a place where...
The British are the police.

I don't get it. One thing we know for certain is that UK's police are completely useless.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/5712573/UK-is-violent-crime-capital-of-Europe.html

 

[spidey07]

I'm surprised France didn't get least working.

 

[davmat787]

Greeks are living a fantasy and the goose is nearly cooked. Once they leave the Euro many economics are predicting about a 50% reduction in the purchasing power of their new currency, which will have a crushing effect on their quality of life, launch unemployment even higher, and re-calibrate their entire economy away from the farce it has relied on (crushing and ever-growing debt) and will force it onto a more sustainable path. And, I'm sorry to say, that will mean no more retiring at 50 with a full pension for a hair dresser.

Greece is demonstrably corrupt as hell, and that isn't helping.

But what does this mean to the price of imported olive oil and vinegars from Greece?

Actually I ask in seriousness, but in regards to all of their exports in general. I would assume they will sell for less, but on the other hand, if their purchasing power will be halved, raw materials will be double which will of course be passed on to the end price.

 

[ShawnD1]

But what does this mean to the price of imported olive oil and vinegars from Greece?

Actually I ask in seriousness, but in regards to all of their exports in general. I would assume they will sell for less, but on the other hand, if their purchasing power will be halved, raw materials will be double which will of course be passed on to the end price.

Depends where the raw materials come from. If they're grown in Greece and pressed in Greece, the price of everything will go down.

If the raw goods are imported, it should have no effect on price. The raw material costs $10 US or 10 Euro, then it doesn't matter what stupid currency Greece has. You are still paying $10 or 10 Euro for the raw material.

 

[alkemyst]

They made me a good salad tonight...I can't complain.

 

[werepossum]

That makes me think of an old joke...
Heaven is a place where...
The British are the police.
The French are the chefs.
The Italians are the lovers.
And the Germans run everything.

Hell is a place where...
The French are the police.
The British are the chefs.
The Germans are the lovers.
And the Italians run everything.

 

[mshan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvl9N9GdraQ (spoof video (foul language warning) that was linked in some article from Zerohedge website a while ago)

I believe there is some truth to his statement that Greeks have always been using Drachmas or something like it when they barter and trade with each other, they just use Euros for European tourists.

Segment on Nightly Business Report weeks ago showed how Greeks were going back to a barter system among themselves, using paper IOUs with someone with an old Dell computer also entering entries into computer. Found this BBC video clip talking about same thing with google search: http://potentnews.com/2012/04/24/greek-town-implements-revolutionary-barter-system-without-euro/




edit: was trying to find link to old Washington Post article about political class parasites in Italy (I think article said something like Italy spends $1 billion / year on car service for this professional class of political bureacrats that are well entrenched and like their comfortable status quo (most corrupt might come from that, plus the three different mafia organizations that might have their tentacles all over their economy, plus http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/italys-tax-evasion-culture/2011/11/24/gIQAvSletN_graphic.html ), but found this link from some poster in Greece:

- average hours worked: http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=ANHRS

- graph of relative wage competitiveness of Greeks (page 3 graph): http://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/images/user5/imageroot/2012/05-2/Cembalest%2005-29-2012%20-%20EOTM%20-%20WFG.pdf

(there was article a few days ago about some German bureacrat acknowledging that they might have to accept higher inflation than they would otherwise want so that, relatively speaking, other countries that they have trade imbalances can become more competitive by not having their wages go up as fast as Germans (e. g. flat in nominal terms, but losing purchasing power against inflation http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/bundesbank-signals-germany-would-accept-higher-inflation-a-832457.html)

 

[manimal]

lol. Everybody except Greece thinks Germans are the hardest working.

My hat goes off to Italy, Greece, Poland, and Czech Republican. Each of them think their own country is the most corrupt.

evolved cultures know their shit does stink.

 

[Doppel]

But what does this mean to the price of imported olive oil and vinegars from Greece?

Actually I ask in seriousness, but in regards to all of their exports in general. I would assume they will sell for less, but on the other hand, if their purchasing power will be halved, raw materials will be double which will of course be passed on to the end price.

External currency will go further and thus Greeks will pay a huge premium importing, and buying exports from them will cost less. Would also cost less to visit them and should help their tourism industry out a lot. I knew a person who visited Iceland after their currency went to sh*t and it was amazing how cheap his trip was.

 

[bradley]

Pretty Hysterical. It appears as though only the Brits and Germans got it 100% right.

 

[JohnnyGage]

Reminds me of a SNL sketch where two black prison inmates start talking world politics. The best line uttered was: "What's Greece's number one export?" "Hard working Greeks." Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[FoBoT]

they're already doing it.

I have to commend the current German government for finally figuring out how to control all of Europe after the previous attempts ended in disaster.

basically

economic control >>> military control


especially since military control requires so much $$$