The EU’s refugee strategy du jour gets dumber and dumber by the day. The EU’s latest effort is to put pressure on Greece to improve its accommodations so that Germany can send refugees back to Greece.
Excuse me for asking the obvious, but where the hell is Greece supposed to come up with the money to treat refugees better when it has no money for its own citizens?
Despite the fact the Troika has crushed Greece to death in a burden of debt that will not be paid back, Brussels to Turn Up Heat on Greece Over Migrant Crisis.
Brussels is to press Athens to improve conditions for asylum seekers in the hope of making it easier for other EU member states to send migrants back to Greece.
On Wednesday, the commission will serve Greece with a list of specific steps to improve its reception facilities, health provision and establish a better system of tribunals to hear asylum cases. Greece will be asked to report on progress on a monthly basis.
In addition to strengthening Greece, the EU has agreed a plan to send €3bn in aid to Turkey to bolster its efforts to stem the flow of migrants.
Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, has already complained that EU plans to build more migrant processing centres in his country — and possibly reinforce the border with Macedonia — risk making Greece a “black box” for refugees who will become trapped on their way to the heart of Europe.
Twilight Zone Material
Greece gets nothing but Turkey gets €3 billion? What the hell are these idiots thinking?
The Brussels’ expectation that Greece pony up money it does not have, at the expense of Greek citizens, just so Germany can burden Greece further is Twilight Zone material.
To top it off, Tsipras has the backbone of a wet noodle. If anyone in this world needed to act more like Donald Trump, the prime minister of Greece is precisely that person.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Organ harvesting?
Ahhhh, the Planned Parenthood angle…..hadn’t thought of that…….
Do much fact checking?
Q: “……where the hell is Greece supposed to come up with the money……”
A: The same place *all* liberal progressives get their money:
1) marry it.
2) steal it.
3) shame someone into forking it over.
#3 is probably the best option.
The shaming routine is getting tiresome at this point and marriage carries it’s own burdens. Best route is to steal it outright or at least inflate away someone else’s wealth like the bankers do.
In a world that borrows trillions we are all liberal progressives. Our incomes, whether from employment, self employment, pension, rents, dividend, capital gains or interest are all highly leveraged to our addiction to OPM (other peoples money) that they be alive or not yet born.
Pointing the finger at a bogeyman, in this instance liberal progressives, for what ails us is nothing more than a straw man’s argument. We are all actors in this drama.
Don’t forget these are bureaucrats and some politicians making these decisions. It would be a mistake to expect them to be logical.
“To top it off, Tsipras has the backbone of a wet noodle.”
I suspect that NATO (Obama) has told Tsipras to do as he is told, or else.
Germany wants to export its migrants now . It cannot send them back to Turkey without an argument from Turkey . It can only bribe Turkey to stop the flow .
On paper it is paying Turkey to hold refugees , but it should be an international drive to build shelters in Turkey and manage them while guaranteeing Turkey accept returned migrants for the help it is receiving .
The border crossings are the European issue loved by the elite , they would like to be put in charge of patrolling EU as a whole , they are looking for excuses to do that , drowning refugees helps them .
By building processing centres in Greece the whole burden of bureaucratic cost falls on the Greeks , maybe they will pay or compensate Greece for that , maybe they want migrant holding centres in Europe but away from their own countries . Whatever , but they will then find refugees take other routes and they will try to force them on Greece which will be rejected , and so on . Ultimately Greece may become an EU migrant processing centre , do locals agree ? It would seem EU is taking over their country for the nth time .
From this ‘processing centre’ what happens – whose rules on asylum are imposed … Greek ones , German ones ? There is a stench of corruption in that already . Who gets the blame if Greece gives legal status to all the refugees passing through its territory ? Could you blame it – after all the refugees will not stay there but travel to Germany or the north afterwards due to the reception they are promised.
So Angela Merkel , once again, you are loose in Europe , why don’t you stay at home and manage your own borders and migration policy ? Why don’t you talk with the internationally recognized authorities that deal with refugees and see that a proper arrangement is enforced . Use the UN , use NATO pressure on Turkey . You would be surprised , if migrants were not headed to your country they might linger in others and you would find the support to punctually help Greece patrol its border existed , you might even be invited by Greece as part of an international initiative.
As that is not likely , we had better leave you to your oblivious nature .
Wish Frau Merkel could read your reply.
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Australian solution is admirable. Intercept migrants at sea. Tow them 2,000 miles and release them.
Merkels just following orders. Just like her forefathers did in the 1940’s. Old habits die hard.
I RECEIVE SO MUCH CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION ABOUT THE EU . . . .
PT YEARS AGO HUNGARY WAS MAKING A LOT OF NOISE ABOUT LEAVING THEN NOTHING. IRELAND WAS ALSO MAKING THREAT THEN NOTHING.
PT THE POLISH GOVT WAS PRO AMERICAN HEGEMONY AND ALLOWED ALL THOSE MISSILES AND MILITARY BASES. NOW I UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE A NEW “REVOLUTIONARY GOVT”. THAT RUSSIA AND PUTIN ARE TALKING ABOUT DIVIDING THE UKRAINE BACK INTO ITS ORIGINAL PARTS: POLISH, RUSSIAN AND ITS OWN NEW TERRITORY. BUT THE AMERICAN MEDIA TALKS AS IF POLAND IS STILL IN THE FOLD.
PT RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS THAT GERMANY AND FRANCE ARE PREPARING TO SUCH THE ECONOMIC LIFE OUT OF ITS SMALLER MEMBERS.
PT IT IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN WHICH SIDE OF THE COLD WAR MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE ON.
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WHAT WAS IT THE TREATY OF ROME THAT KICK STARTED THE EU AS THE EUROPEAN COMMON MARKET? SOME HOW THAT IDEA GOT DERAILED. AND EUROPE INSTEAD OF BECOMING AND INFLUENTIAL ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND MILITARIAL IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY IS NOW A COLONY OF THE USA. IN SOMEBOOKS WILLIAM ENGDAHL EXPRESSED IN THIS AS AMERICA’S GOAL.
JUST LOOK AT NATO STATS: MANNED MOSTLY BY AMERICANS, AMERICAN HARDWARE AND AMERICAN TAXPAYER MONEY. THE USA MILITARY DEFEATED EUROPE WITHOUT EVER FIRING A SHOT. WE SEDUCED THEM BY PAYING FOR THEIR MILITARY DEFENSES WHILE THEY RAN SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS AND BUILD OPERA HOUSES. NOBODY IN EUROPE CAN SAY NO TO CONGRESS BECAUSE THEY HAVEN’T THE MEANS TO GET RID OF NATO. REMEBER WHEN THE COALITION OF THE WILLING IN EUROPE HADN’T THE MEANS TO GET TROOPS AND THEIR MATERIAL TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN?
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I REMEMBER THOSE YEARS WHEN BRUSSELS WANTED ONE NATION AND ONE CURRENCY AND HAD TO LATER SETTLE FOR THE EUROZONE. WHEN IS WATCHED THE COUNTRIES QUALIFY FOR THE EUROZONE I WAS PERPLEXED ON TWO COUNTS:
(1) THEY WERE PUNY BACKWARDS COUNTRIES FOR THE MOST PART. EVEN THOUGH ITALY HAS A THRIVING ECONOMY A LARGE PART OF ITS ECONOMY SUB ROSA, SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT?
(2) I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT MORE SENSIBLE TO DEVALUE THE CURRENCY SO THAT ALL COUNTRY’S CURRENCY WERE EXCHANGABLE. BASICALLY THAT IS HOW IT WORKS IN THE 50 STATE OF THE UNION. I MEAN THE ECONOMIES OF KANSAS, MISSISSISSIPPI, CALIFORNIA AND NY AREN’T ALL EQUAL. THE RICHER STATES HAVE CITIZENS WITH MORE INCOME THAN THE POORER ONES.
BUT THE AMERICANS ALWAYS LIKE TO SEDUCE THEIR VICTIMS BEFORE CLUBBING THEM OVER THEIR HEADS. AND THIS CAME WITH THE EUROZONE GIVING MONEY TO POOR COUNTRIES OR POOR REGIONS OF A COUNTRY SO THAT THE ECONOMY WOULD RISE TO BE EQUAL WITH FRANCE AND GERMANY. WELL WE KNOW HOW THAT WAS DONE IN GREECE.
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I DIVIDE THE EUROZONE INTO 3 CATEGORIES:
I: FRANCE, GERMANY, ITALY, SPAIN
II: AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, FINLAND, GREECE, NETHERLANDS, PORTUGAL, IRELAND
III: CYPRUS, ESTONIA, LATVIA, MALTA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA
THINK ABOUT IT GNI OF GERMANY IS 422 Xs LARGER THAN MALTA. HOW DO YOU FIND EQUALITY IT THAT KIND OF SETUP. AND LET’S FACE IT THE BALTICS WERE THE RICHEST GROUP OF COUNTRIES AMONG THE SOVIET SATTELLITE COUNTRIES BECAUSE THEY HAS A NONCOMPETIVIE MARKET WITH THE USSR. ONCE THE SOVIET SYSTEM COLLAPSED THE BALTICS COULDN’T COMPETE. THE IRISH DRAGON WAS CREATED BY THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CREATED THE JAPANESE DRAGON AND THE CHINESE DRAGON PLUS AN ENDLESS LIST OF OTHER DRAGONS. FUNNY THING ABOUT DRAGON COUNTRIES, ONCE LABOR AND/ OR REGULATIONS BECOME TOO EXPENSIVE THE JOBS LEAVE AND THE ECONOMY COLLAPSES.
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WELL THIS MASS MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE HAPPENED IN THE 18 AND 19 CENTURIES. SOME OF THEM WERE CHATLE SLAVES OTHER WAGE SLAVES. BUT THE ENGLISH IN PARTICULAR WERE LOOKING FOR THE CHEAPEST LABOR MARKETS THEY COULD FIND. AND JUST LIKE NOW THEY WERE IMPORTING SLAVE MADE GOODS AND SELLING THEM BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRYMEN WHOSE JOBS WERE LOST TO CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR. BY 1850 THE BRITISH EMPIRE WAS BANKRUPT AND ROTTING FROM WITHIN WHICH EVENTUALLY LEAD TO WWI TO DEFEAT THE NEW EMPIRE ON THE HORIZION GERMANY.
I REMEMBER IN THE 1970IES A LOCAL KNITTING MILL NAMED ROBERT BRUCE LEFT THE CITY FOR SE ASIA–CHINA WASN’T THE HOT SPOT THEN. IN THE USA THE SWEATERS COST $25. AN AMERICAN INTARSIA WORKER EARNED $40,000 A YEAR WHILE HIS ASIAN COUNTERPART EARNED $500. SO YOU WOULD EXPECT THE SWEATER TO COST LESS. INSTEAD THEN CAME BACK AT $40 A POP OR WITH A 60% INCREASE IN PRICE. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE LOCALS BOYCOTT THE PRODUCT LINE AND THE CORPORATION CHOSE TO GO BANKRUPT THEN RETURN TO AMERICAN SHORES.
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SO WHAT DOES WHAT I HAVE TO SAY GOTTA DO WITH GREECE? THE AMERICAN HEGEMONY WANTS TO BREAK THE BACKS OF TRADE UNIONIST, SOCIALIST, COMMUNIST AND THOSE GREEN PARTY PEOPLE, SO, THEY ARE FLOODING EUROPE WITH NOT ONLY CHEAP LABOR BUT TERRORISTS AT WELL. AND LET’S FACE SOME OF THOSE REFUGEES ARE HIGHLY EDUCATED OR SKILLED AND ARE DESPERATE FOR ANY KIND OF WORK. THE GOAL IS TO TERRORIZE THE EUORPEAN POPULATIONS SO THEY CAN’T ORGANIZE AND FIGHT BACK.
YOU’LL SEE SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO HOW CONGRESS TREATS ITS VICTIMS AS TO HOW THOSE PEDOPHILE PRIEST TREATED THEIR VICTIMS. FIRST, THEY ISOLATE THEM. SECOND, THEY DEMORALIZE THEM. THIRD, WILL USE THREATS OF VIOLENCE OR VIOLENCE TO GAIN THEIR CONTROL. FOURTH, KEEP THE VICTIM PREOCCUPIED WITH THE PERPETRATOR BY TERRORIZING THEM. THAT IS WHAT IS BEING DONE WITH GREECE. BESIDES GREECE IS CONVIENTLY LOCATED TO AFRICA AND WESTERN ASIA. THIS COULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN DONE IN ITALY EXCEPT THE ITALIANS IN SOUTH ITALY MARCH TO THEIR OWN IDEA, ROME HAS LITTLE INFLUENCE THEIR.
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I SEE ONE SIGN OF HOPE AND THAT IS PUTIN IS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN ORGANIZING OPPOSITION TO THE AMERICAN HEGEMONY. AS I’VE SAID A LONG TIME AGO TWO THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN:
(1) THE MONEY SUPPLY IS GOING TO SHRINK (DISAPPEAR) WHICH WILL DESTROY THE CAPTIALIST SYSTEM OF PROFIT MAKING. NOBOBY SLEAZY POLITICIAN IS GOING TO SUPPORT THE HEGEMONY IF HE ISN’T BE PAID FOR IT.
(2) THE AGENDA 21 MAY KILL OFF 90% OF THE EARTH’S POPULATION BUT IT WILL DESTROY 100% OF INDUSTRY. AS CEOs AND POLITICIANS ARE ALL REALIZING RIGHT NOW IS THAT INCOME HAS EVAPORATED. I SAW A CHART YOU POSTED AND BTWN 2014 AND 2015 RETAIL SALES DROPPED 50%. REMEMBER WHEN WAL-MART POSTED BLACK FRIDAY SALES JUST A FEW HOURS AFTER THE STORES CLOSED. THEN IN 2014 IT SAID THE WOULD ONLY POST SALES FIGURES AT THE END OF THE QUARTER. WHEN THE END OF THE CHRISTMAS QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31. I HAVEN’T HEARD THE BUSINESS MEDIA TALKING ABOUT RETAIL SALES AT ALL.
AND I DON’T THINK AMERICAN THROWING WW3 IS WINNING ANYONE TO OUR SIDE. LOOK AT THE VICTIM COUNTRIES AFTER WW2. EUROPE WAS AND JAPAN WERE REBUILT BY “UGLY” AMERICANS BUT THE SOVIET UNION WASN’T. BOTH RUSSIA AND CHINA HAVE BEEN SHOWING AMERICANS IN A VERY VISCERAL WAY THAT WW3 IS GOING TO BE FOUGHT ON OUR TURF. SO WHO WILL REBUILD THE WORLD AFTER ALL NATIONS ARE DESTROYED?
I THINK WHAT WE ARE WITNESSING IN EUROPE, IN WESTERN ASIA AND IN N KOREA AS WELL AS THIS DOMESTIC NONSENSE IS THE DEATH THROWS OF THE AMERICAN HEGEMONY. LET’S FACE THEY’LL FIGHT TO THE DEATH BECAUSE WHEN THEY LOSE THEY ARE UP FOR CRIMES AGAINS HUMANITY.
They can get more creative. I can totally see them begin ‘fining’ Greece to pay for the refugee problem, adding it to the debt so that it could pay for the Turkish ‘grants’.
Never under-estimate the creativity of bureaucrats trying to shift responsibility.
If Tsipras is trying to play dumb.
then It should come naturally to him
Russia has joined the Alawite regime in Syria and is now bombing the Sunni population in Syria. This will lead to another mass exodus of refugees into Turkey. Turkey will not be able to cope with the flow of refugees and will therefor push them into Greece.
Tsipras went to Moscow when he was elected and takes his orders from Moscow. Tsipras has opened the Greek borders and will send the refugees into the heart of Europe.
Angela Merkel saw Tsipras’ revenge for her treatment of Greece too late. When Turkey blackmailed the EU, Merkel should have seen that as an Act of War by Turkey on the rest of NATO and demanded immediate action. Tsipras was only more than willing to play his part and needed no encouragement from Putin.
Too late now.
Let Russia bomb Syria, the U.S. should bomb Turkey. Republican and Democratic Neo-Cons are sending us on the wrong path.
Wet noodle backbone. You are being kind Mike.