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FT.com / Brussels - Row within Europe over Greece
The ECB fears a soft restructuring would be seen as a precursor to a "hard" restructuring and spook markets across the eurozone. ECB officials instead want Greece to accelerate its privatisation programme. Mr Bini Smaghi said Athens needed to "convince its citizens to pay taxes" and "retire at 65 as everyone else does in the western world".
There is, however, this, too:
Separately, Jürgen Stark, another ECB executive board member, criticised "vested interests" in the UK and US who were hostile to Greece's reform efforts - an apparent attack on investors who have bet on a Greek default. In a further sign of European policy divisions, it emerged on Wednesday that the ECB and some eurozone countries are at odds with Germany's determination to involve private creditors in any future debt restructuring, for fear of scaring investors.
What is the last bit about? *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
If this were at all a possibility, why didn't they grant Greece the money (at an IMF % rate) and then come back to flay Greece through well practiced EU methods and fines a few years into the future?
At least that's been my understanding so far. On top of that indeed, there may be lack of full rationality, or rather of proper evaluation of the situation. Plus, maybe (I know, that's a long shot) some apologists for neo-liberalism actually believe in their crap. Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi
The idea that back in early 2010, they could foresee that the Greek people (and Germans and Finns etc.) would be committed to this program into 2013, that's quite a gamble.
- Jake Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.
Fixed it for you. Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Gandhi
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