Newsline 10 February 2010: Greek civil servants strike over forced government cuts; Nigeria finally gives its vice president power to run the country; and we hear from the wife of jailed Sri Lankan opposition leader General Sarath Fonseka.
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Greece struggles to stay afloat
Civil servants in Greece are protesting against the government's plans to freeze pay to solve a national debt crisis. Riot police in Athens used tear gas on demonstrators. A day before an EU summit on how to help Greece, RNW's Vanessa Mock spoke to bankers in Brussels about what can be done.
Nigerian Vice President finally in charge
Nigeria's Vice President Goodluck Jonathan has officially been put in charge, to fill a vacuum left by the ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua's absence. The decision was taken by the country's Senate and House of Representatives and is designed to end months of political turmoil. We asked Nigeria expert Richard Dowden why it has taken so long?
Wife of detained Sri Lankan opposition leader speaks out
Thousands of Sri Lankans have protested in the capital Colombo against the ongoing detention of presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka. And they're not the only ones angry about his arrest. The ex-army chief's wife Anoma spoke to RNW.
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One or two of the former Greek Governments bear responsibility for Greece's current
plight. However that are a few things that ALSO need to be brought to attention here:
1. Goldman-Sachs helped engineer the hiding of Greek debt back in the earlier part of
the 2000's and very little is being said about that. Instead the Greek people are being
expected to pay for that mega bank's chicanery.
2.Germany is using Greece as a whipping boy when in fact a lower Euro will only help
them and their economy. Germany is the second largest exporter of goods in the world.
A lower Euro against the U.S. Dollar, the Canadian Dollar, the Japanese Yen and the
Chinese Yuan will only make German products -cars, industrial machinery, technical
equipment, more affordable in foreign markets and boost their sales. The
Bundesbank and the Germans are likely secretly happy for what this will mean to them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL8XIELqWVo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKaRjDF7j0
3. George Soros and others are betting against the Euro and in the process are making
Greece look like the bad guy when they are more victim than bad guys.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1253791/Is-man-broke-B...
England-George-Soros-centre-hedge-funds-betting-crisis-hit-euro.html##ixzz0gnsjfjsh
4. According to the CIA World Fact Book, Italy has a greater debt to GDP ratio than
Greece, yet the Germans and the rest of the EU are not looking to impose austerity
measures on them. Nor should they.
Additionally, some of the richer EU nations have the audacity to call Portugal, Ireland,
Italy, Greece and Spain, the piig nations. Yet, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have lower
GDP to debt ratios than Germany or France according to the CIA’s 2009 figures.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/21...
Perhaps Germany should get their deficit spending under control.
Greece should not under any circumstances accept austerity measures or loans from
the World Bank or IMF because they may wind up signing their country over to them and
their cronie capitalist friends . If they need money, they should seek out a loan from
China, Russia or some rich oil states.
What makes all doctrines plain and clear?About two hundred pounds a year. And that which was prov'd true before,prove false again? Two hundred more.
I agree with Vera, germany has taken the responsibility for integrating the former DDR into Germany proper. Greece cannot demonstrate any future commitment or action towards fiscal and monetary policies should just one country alone offer assitance. The IMF is the lender of last resort globally with the ability to state longterm economic conditions which Greece would have to follow in order to receive continued economic backing internationally. The Greek populace will have to realize that the euro was not a free ride, and that the practise of an ongoing welfare state as a normal standard of operating a longterm economic policy was an is a perilous myth. David Berridge.
Excuse me, but why should it be up to Germany to rescue Greece? Germany has enough problems of its own.
With all the respect, but NOBODY asked you to save Greece. Because, i am into financial issues with EU, greece went to China to take a loan. Germany and France interfered and today decided to give a loan with 3.5% interest (the rate that the german state borrows money) and not 7%( that the interest rate is for greece. Moreover, greece spents 4.3% of its GDP to military expenses, was forced to buy 30 eurofighters and 6 war ships from france. I just wonder, why should a country that is financially collapsing buy german and french weapons? and not american or russian...? or no weapons at all. Germany is not rescuing greece. Germany is making money out of greece.
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