@nordicblue:
First, no one is required to give you anything. Â You don't demand respect, you earn respect. Â It is not Germany's fault that the Grecian politicians are corrupt and don't seem to care about their constituents as you say. Â All of the reasons that you mention are nobody else's fault. Â This still doesn't change the fact that other Europeans countries should not have to foot Greece's debt bill. Â It is as raphjd said. Â Those European nations who were bailed out by Germany and the like should thank their lucky stars they decided to do so. Â That situation could have been entirely worse had they not done so.
@raphjd:
As I previously said, I don't really know much about Spain's situation. Â HOWEVER, Greece's situation has been well documented in UK news documentary shows (Panorama, Dispatches, etc).
The southern European countries that are having a hard time now had extremely early retirement ages. Â Even after severe reforms, they still retire 4 years earlier than the rest of Europe.
They also had grey economies through tax avoidance on goods and services.
Job related benefits were outrageous, compared to the rest of Europe.
Despite pretty decent economic growth (prior to the global economic meltdown), Â the national debt was skyrocketing. Â The year before the global economic meltdown, the Greek national debt was 105% of their GDP. Â Their GDP rose 4.3% but their national debt rose 7% up until the global economic meltdown.
Bailing out other countries has meant higher taxes and service cuts for the countries that had to do the bailing out, yet the countries that got bailed out are angry with those that saved them.
All of these things are direct benefits of the people of these countries. Â This is why you won't see much pity from the people in the rest of Europe.
Oh, please, my ''dear'' one. Don't be so obvious.
I got the point that you don't like Greece.
The greeks have earned the right for some respect because they are trying to correct the mistakes of the past.
Even Merkell has admitted that. She said it herself.
Now, if you do not respect the fact that we are trying, then you are not anymore ''right'' than the ones you try to downgrade.
I didn't ''demand'' anything, i simply asked. There is a major difference between asking and demand. You can't see it?
How about you that you? You are demading from the rest of the users to have a negative point of view for poor countries, especially Greece.
Let me tell you, whatever you believe it or not, that not all Greeks are corrupted or lazy or money shacking leeches that you try so desperately to pass us by.
These countries decided to show th better part of themselves when they decided to help us, Greece helped many times, in WW2, in humanitarian crises and others.
Tell me, nordicblue, what does make you when you are trying to downgrade the efforts all the greek citizens have made these past years?