Category: Greece

  • Yanis Varoufakis in Conversation and Democracy and Europe

    (the conversation is with Gerardo Pisarello, Barcelona’s First Deputy Mayor). It’s a good talk … but over-reaching. When Varoufakis starts to lay out his “4 stage plan” I noticed how the energy and clarity and relevancy (applicability) of his ideas faded. It is a good example of ambitious thinking that attempts to reach out too…

  • Greece: Firesale Phase

    … and so it begins … and though it may seem like I don’t think this the end game … it is the beginning of the end game … a systemically destructive chess game: “But the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, dismissed that view, supported by a number of northern and eastern European states. “These…

  • Bernard Lietaer on Greece: Two Currencies?

    Bernard Lietaer is in a position to offer a refreshing perspective because he is both a mainstream economist who was involved in the creation of the Euro and a thought leader in the world of alternative currencies. In this interview you will hear him bring up interesting points: That the original design of the Euro…

  • Greece and (economic) Growth

    “… a sustainable debt reduction is only feasible if the economy grows …” source but what if growth is over or nearly over? even the robust German economy may be showing signs of slowing down … so what can be expected of Greece? could that also explain the position of people like the German finance minister…

  • Debt is Risk

    It is amazing how this basic truth, that every capitalist knows, about debt is veiled from public consciousness when it suits creditors: “From the beginning, Merkel and the EU have operated from the position that because Greece took on debt, Greece now needs to pay it back. That position assumed — bizarrely, in hindsight —…

  • Crisis: Taking a Stance

    Though its 2 or 3 years old this talk by Maria Scordialos feels even more relevant on this day that Greece is holding its referendum. Two ideas shimmered for me in her talk: That the word for “crisis” in Greek does not mean something broken or tragic but that it means taking a stance. That…

  • Euro as “Creative Destruction”

    Can it be that the Greek (and Portugal and Spain and … ) crisis is inherently built into the design of the Eurozone? “The euro would really do its work when crises hit … Removing a government’s control over currency would prevent nasty little elected officials from using Keynesian monetary and fiscal juice to pull…

  • Greece and Changing the Rules

    It seems that the standoff between Greece and its creditors is reaching yet another critical point. What shimmered for me in this article is: “At issue is just a €2bn financing gap between what the Greeks are prepared to offer and what the creditors are demanding, but the problem goes deeper into questions of power…

  • Greek Leadership – Fruits of Austerity?

    Though the Greek prime minister in this video describes austerity as a failure. I would argue that at least in one sense austerity has been a success … there is a new Greek prime minister who is direct, realistic, able to address painful truths and to do softly (even when facing an ultimatum). He is…