Happens In Greece The economic crisis from another point of view

1. 

   Vietnamese norwegian
   February 13th, 2012 - 15:10

   This site is completely lame bullshit! I dont defend what the nazi did, but the current german people are NOT to blame for what Hitler did 60 YEARS ago, 60 YEARS AGO. You cant blame the current German people! The german did pay an amount in the 1960s, maybee it was too little for you because you wasted that away, what do I know. The current crisis are your fault. How long are you gonna play the Nazi Card?????

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   • 

     longue durée
     March 4th, 2012 - 18:13

     Dear Vietnamese Norwegian,

     The site is not playing any Nazi or other ‘card’ at all. Nor does it blame any peoples.

     The text states historical facts. Present situations are related to the past. Any situation, such as the crisis in Greece cannot be ‘cut’ into time periods as I or you think convenient; it should be analysed in all its complexity.

     For example, the fact that Germany has been able to thrive post-WWII is partly due to her being released of obligations to pay for the destruction she caused to the rest of the world during WWII. Likewise, Greece’s present situation would have been a very different one if she wasn’t so severely destructed during that time.

     The fact is that, human loss and material destruction put aside, Germany is still indebted to Greece, in purely financial terms. During WWII, Germany by force borrowed money from Greece, this money was never paid back, it amounts to anything between 80billion to 150biillion euros according to different sources. To have a comparison, the current debt of Greece is about 300billion euros.

     Considering these facts it is at least hypocritical that present day Germany demands of Greece to honour economic responsibilities without firstly honouring her own, long overdue, war debts.

     Further, it is severely upsetting, that German elites and politicians have not acknowledged their own country’s responsibilities towards Greece, but on the contrary, have contributed towards stigmatising “the greek thieves” or “the greek lazy workers” etc. This is how German political, media and other elites are actually blaming the Greek people, in a purely racist manner devoid of rationalism and historical perspective.

     Finally, history is not about blaming the people but holding their leaders into account. Nobody is blaming the current German people. However, many can rightly blame the current, and past, German, and Greek, political elites.

     Thank you,
     Longue Durée

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     Ares
     March 29th, 2012 - 02:11

     That’s funny you say that. Greece finished paying a loan to England for the 1821 Revolution in the 1980′s, ( a loan by the way that never reached Greece). Nobody said it was too long ago then.
     The current crisis is the fault of Greece you said? Please do not think with you ass, unless you are used to it.
     As far as the “Nazi card” is concerned…., as long as the Germans use the same tactics the card will not go away. You must know that. You have experience with Cambodia yourself as well, don’tyou?

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     Amy May
     April 11th, 2013 - 06:53

     Germans continue to pay reparations to the Jews. BMW just settled their share of war reparations to the Jews…Better consider these reparations to the Greeks as a thank you because if it weren’t for the Greeks, you would still be swinging from trees. When they were building the Parthenon, Germans were crawling on all fours. Take your German pride elsewhere. Your beloved Germany is now ransacked by Muslims who outnumber you.

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2. 

   Madhu
   March 6th, 2012 - 13:40

   Please do not forget, this whole situation is Political and played very much in favor of few Elite People. They are smart and they know, this is exactly how normal people will start reacting.

   Why was this money never collected all these years?
   There were people of interest from both the countries for this.

   But now, its time, Greece needs help and Germany is obliged to help them, instead of blaming the poor citizens whose salaries are half or less than half of Germans, and definitely they don’t have any right
   to call Greeks lazy or whatsoever.

   Lets admit, it is a collapse of the system, that happened, bunch of people on the chair decided to steal the country and later blame the whole country for it.

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     Anastasia Douris
     March 7th, 2012 - 15:37

     I beg to point out to you that if you had read the article you would have known that Greece has requested payment of this debt a number of times since the end of the War.. It is Germany ie the Country that is responsible for the debt and as the country of Germany still exists then the debt should be honoured…

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3. 

   GREECE AND WORLD
   May 19th, 2012 - 08:22

   In 2010 Germany paid war reparations to France and Belgium for WWI. After 92 years

   AGAIN: AFTER 92 YEARS

   AFTER 92 YEARS!!!!

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4. 

   Greek Malaka
   September 7th, 2012 - 04:00

   Vietnamese norwegian: Ohh boy, only if you were right here standing in front of my face at this moment. I’d slap you in the face with a fresh trout. I completely agree with longue durée, enough said AMEN

   Bien dit longue durée, vraiment apprecie

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5. 

   Matt
   September 11th, 2012 - 14:16

   Time to send Greece a bill for Alexander.

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6. 

   chris @ sydney
   September 20th, 2012 - 16:52

   Hey Matt,
   you would’ve been funny but are so wrong i cant find it amusing…Alexander the Great built 70 cities in the places the hellenes conqured… http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/alexander_the_great.shtml
   i.e. it be the same if the Germans built the Greeks a few car factories, updated their roads, touched up the acropolis and renovated all the villages on their way out, following their successful military campaigns in Greece (not to mention Poland, Warsaw that was 98% destroyed…).
   So, lets not get all sookie and sympethic for them, they’ve destroyed their neighbours (who wont go away…) but fortunatly they left clinical and meticulous documentation of the loans… (as they did with the concentration camps on who came in and out of them etc).
   Now, we all know they’ve got the CASH – so just GROW UP & PAY UP!!!! And just like the Germans say to the Greeks, they need to work harder to get the cash, as the offer to date isnt good enough…
   I guess at some point, the Greeks may accept a German “HAIRCUT”… but that depends if Merkel or any furture German leader turns up to any furture quarter final football matches.

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7. 

   Amy May
   April 11th, 2013 - 06:56

   Germans continue to pay reparations to the Jews they massacred. in fact, BMW just settled their share of war reparations to the Jews they helped wipe out. Better consider these reparations to the Greeks as a thank you because if it weren’t for the Greeks, you would still be swinging from trees. When the Greeks were building the Parthenon, Germans were grunting and crawling on all fours. Take your German pride elsewhere because your beloved Germany is now ransacked by Muslims and other unfavorables who outnumber you.

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8. 

   Constantinos
   April 26th, 2013 - 23:16

   Some opinions look full of passion, which does not help truth, favoring Greece. War reparations have come out of freeze in 1990, after the Unification of East and West Germany. Legally time to claim them has not expired. But it is a matter needing interpretation of the London Agreement (1953), Germany will try to restrain such claims that could be spread to other countries, so the procedure in an International Convention would be patient and time consuming.
   The forced loan taken during German occupation of Greece (in second world war) can be legally claimed and there are official data of it in the bank of Greece. I do not know how Germany can avoid this obligation, which has never been incorporated into the financial aid supplied by USA or European Union.

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