When Austerity Meets Reality

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Zorz wrote: »

Chrysi Aygi (Golden Dawn) went from 0.29% in October 2009 to 6.97% yesterday.

What happened in Greece in the meantime?

2 years of Austerity causing poverty and desperation.

That's all it takes for the unthinkable to happen.

And the danger is clear, as the lessons from the 1930's (not to mention the growth rate shown above) show that such a cancer can spread frighteningly quickly.

Europe is running out of time.

Did the neonazi, remnants of the Colonels' junta, royalists and fascists suddenly perfected human cloning?

Indeed.

Graham_Devon

You know Hamish is worrying when all he can do is shout constantly "no to austerity, or the nazi's will get you".

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

You know Hamish is worrying when all he can do is shout constantly "no to austerity, or the nazi's will get you".

That you think it's funny to joke about such a matter only shows how little you understand history.

Anyway, it's of no relevance whether you understand the risks or not.

Austerity without growth is no longer politically sustainable in Europe.

Another path will now be tried.

A._Badger

Isn't it time someone invoked Godwin's Law?

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

That you think it's funny to joke about such a matter only shows how little you understand history.

Anyway, it's of no relevance whether you understand the risks or not.

Austerity without growth is no longer politically sustainable in Europe.

Another path will now be tried.

I'm not joking about it Hamish, it's just you have been banging on about austerity being wrong for a while. Several people have proved you wrong, so you now appear to have simply moved on to scare tactics surrounding the nazis.

It would be wise not to have a pop at myself for making "jokes about the nazis" when infact I was making a joke out of you. Especially considering your the one conviniently using such a tradgey to back up your very tired viewpoint, as you can't answer any of the questions directed at you.

The far right were advancing BEFORE austerity. Infact the BNP did better before austerity than they did in the recent council polls, having lost all their seats.

chewmylegoff

The BNP went from 1% to 6% in the 2009 euro elections. We don't seem to have become a far right pariah state yet.

The Greeks are right effed off, but I don't think there is really anything to suggest it's anything other than effed off protest voting at this point in time. The idea that unless we all abandon austerity (or as it's known these days increasing public spending a bit less quickly than before) we'll all be Nazis by Christmas is laughable.

A._Badger

In all seriousness, I am far more worried (far more worried) about the reality of the EU's unaccountable, undemocratic, authoritarian elite than I am a bunch of Greek loonies play-acting Nuremberg rallies.

The EU arrest warrant is a real threat, as is imposing a government they didn't elect on the Italians. The likelihood of a knock on the door at 3 am by a Greek in jackboots - not so much.

the_flying_pig

this has the makings of a good midmarket tabloid headline.

WILL NAZIS AUSTERIFY HAMISH'S HOUSE PRICES?

I can easily imagine him trembling under his bedclothes in fear at the prospect.

Generali

CLAPTON wrote: »

let's remind ourselves that after the war the UK had debts of 250% of gdp

we started on a period of social change (NHS, education etc) and also a period of unprecedented economic growth and full employment

so there is nothing inevitable about debt of 80% of gdp and nothing evitable about a lost decade of stagnation and high unemployment.

Full employment in the post WW2 period was probably connected, in part, to a rather large proportion of the workforce having been killed by fighting in 2 massive wars in less than 30 years.

The conversion of the economy from a war footing back to a civilian one was not pain free as many seem to imagine. Try looking up the rations in the post-war period to see what people had to go through.

A._Badger

Generali wrote: »

The conversion of the economy from a war footing back to a civilian one was not pain free as many seem to imagine. Try looking up the rations in the post-war period to see what people had to go through.

It also sowed the seeds of what was to follow - notably the collapse and industrial unrest of the late 1960s and 1970s.