Greece's horror story.

When the TV pictures from Greece bounce round the world we see ordinary people grappling with their futures. They are rational and intense as they try to work through the meaning of the choice they will have to make on July 5. Often we see parents with children referring to their lives and their children's prospects. They talk about the fear they have that, as parents, they may be placed in a situation where they will have to build their children's lives starting from a great leap backwards, without help, outside of Europe's 'advanced civilisation' and on their own. None of the world's or of Europe's great and powerful institutions seem to be lined up with them. These massive machines of wealth and power are not there for them. On the contrary, the European institutions appear to be trying to ruin Greek democracy and to maintain, for the foreseeable future, Greek poverty. Imagine, for a second, how brave you will have to be on July 5 to defend your own, your family's and your country's integrity.

And what of the other side of this 'argument?' Most of the main EU lead actors simply repeat their lines, shaking sad heads or remonstrating with the absent Greeks as though they did not understand the real world. (The point of course is that they want to change it.) Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, has a particular shtick. She 'demands' that the Syriza leadership
'Act as adults.'
Leave it to us grown ups eh? In fact Christine Lagarde has only one merit. She replaced Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the sleazy would-be French President, just found 'innocent' in a second court action involving the legality of his sexual predilections.

Christine Lagarde has consistently headed up neo-liberal cause in Europe. No talk of debt relief (the heart of the matter with Greece) yes to permanent austerity and an infinitely 'flexible' Greek labour force. This is, presumably, being 'grown up.'  Lagarde's economics and her Greek policy have never been credible, even at a personal level. This is what she said about taxes and austerity.
'Asked if she is essentially saying to the Greeks and others in Europe that they have had a nice time and it is now payback time, she responds: "That's right." ' (Guardian 25 May 2012.)

As an official of an international institution, her salary of $467,940 (£298,675) a year plus $83,760 additional allowance a year is not subject to any taxes. This is of course already a higher salary than that of the French President, the German chancellor or the British PM - all of whom do pay taxes. Lagarde is also under renewed police interrogation for her role in the award of 420 million euros 'compensation' to Bernard Taple, a well known French crook with a prison record, from the time she was Sarkozy's Finance Minister. And finally ...
'The International Monetary Fund has electrified the referendum debate in Greece after it conceded that the crisis-ridden country needs up to €60bn (£42bn) of extra funds over the next three years and large-scale debt relief to create “a breathing space” and stabilise the economy.... The IMF revealed a deep split with Europe as it warned that Greece’s debts were “unsustainable”. According to the IMF, Greece should have a 20-year grace period before making any debt repayments and final payments should not take place until 2055. It would need €10bn to get through the next few months and a further €50bn after that.' (Guardian on-line 2July.)


It is likely that whatever trials yet face the Greek population, the Greeks have managed to split the debt question in Europe wide open - and Madame Lagarde's future now looks pretty bleak.