tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post2738968563621500717..comments2023-07-17T11:55:51.363+02:00Comments on ObservingGreece: A debate about Alexis Tispraskleinguthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12491174042954678023noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post-40780912382676354672012-10-14T18:29:43.619+02:002012-10-14T18:29:43.619+02:00I share your opinion. Greece will at least tempora...I share your opinion. Greece will at least temporarily need some protection from free trade and capital flows. Perhaps you find these two posts of interest.<br /><br />http://klauskastner.blogspot.gr/2012/01/four-eu-freedoms-two-too-many-for.html<br /><br />http://klauskastner.blogspot.gr/2012/08/freedoms-of-productcapital-flows-are.htmlkleinguthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12491174042954678023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post-64748787458006454792012-10-14T17:37:50.510+02:002012-10-14T17:37:50.510+02:00Although the proposed solution might appear "...Although the proposed solution might appear "simple" on paper, I fail to see how little Greece is to withstand the global forces of "efficiencies" and "economies of scale" that have wreaked havoc on much larger economies, such as the USA. Greece and most other countries are no longer able to support manufacturing of goods that are much more affordable when imported from China, Germany, or wherever. Even your example of natural products of Greece (olive oil, oranges, grapes, ...) is misguided. Contrary to when I started going to Greece regularly about 15 years ago (my wife is Greek), Lidl now has hundreds of supermarkets scattered all over Greece and can buy oranges or whatever for their 7000 stores worldwide from where they are cheapest (e.g., Argentina) and undercut the price of local goods. And they have the EU subsidized infrastructure (various Odos, bridge at Rio, ...) to move their goods efficiently across Greece from wherever they are imported to. We refuse to shop at Lidl and other foreign stores, but how many poorly paid Greeks can afford the luxury of not getting goods as cheaply as they can? And tourists have no such compunctions about buying cheaper even if it hurts the Greek economy. On top of all of this, the supermarkets (Lidl and others) put tens of thousands of small shops (butchers, bakeries, corner stores, ...) and tens of thousands of small farmers at risk of collapsing, putting yet more people out of work and depriving many families of income. So the proposed cuts to the civil service and pensions come on top of other profound assaults on the Greek economy and indeed way of life, pensions that were modest to begin with and partly compensated (promissory notes?) for even more modest salaries during people's working lives. Until the EU and the world figures out a better way to redistribute wealth more equitably, there will be a lot more Greeces, Spains, Italies, and sub-regions within nations suffering the same sorry fate. Money cannot flow in one direction perpetually!Jim Clarkhttp://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~clarknoreply@blogger.com