The Poverty of the Greek people

[Ephilant]

A statistic just released send shivers down my spine, and should ring serious alarm bells with anybody who has any doubt about the real purpose behind EU imposed austerity.
Today, Elstat released the latest figures on unemployment. Somehow, this time the figures do include a number for those without income.

Greece has an unemployment rate of 23.6%, and a youth unemployment rate of 53.9%. For the same period in 2011, unemployment in Greece ran at 16.3%.

This translates into 1,168,761 without a job, but getting unemployment assistance (3000 € per YEAR. soon to be cut by at least 10%)

There are 700,000 people without any form of income in Greece.

3,793,147 people are employed, this figure includes part-time employees and those who are being paid "in installments"
One friend, working for an international clothes chain, has been working for 9 cents an hour for the last 8 months. She is however not considered "unemployed". In fact, she got a tax bill demanding tax on what she should have earned...

But, have no fear, all is well. As stated in the EU memo justifying a pay-rise for the EU apparatchiks,

There is not a serious and sudden deterioration in the economic and
social situation

Sleep sound and trust uncle Barroso.

[Ephilant]

The IMF has now also come up with its own "demands" to whip Greece in line.

They have demanded the removal of the Tax Free Allowance, for everybody.
Last year, the TFA was reduced from 12,000 to 5,000, causing untold hardship for many, many people. Charities operating on the street have identified this as the one single biggest contributing factor to people with income becoming homeless and forced out onto the street.
Now, our "friends" in the IMF insist that the 5,000 limit must also be removed. This means that unemployed people will get taxed on their unemployment money. At 3000€ a year, they cannot live a normal live anyway, now the 500,000 a year Mme Lagarde and friends are insisting that these people pay at least 300€ out of that.

[fluffybiscuits]

The IMF has now also come up with its own "demands" to whip Greece in line.

They have demanded the removal of the Tax Free Allowance, for everybody.
Last year, the TFA was reduced from 12,000 to 5,000, causing untold hardship for many, many people. Charities operating on the street have identified this as the one single biggest contributing factor to people with income becoming homeless and forced out onto the street.
Now, our "friends" in the IMF insist that the 5,000 limit must also be removed. This means that unemployed people will get taxed on their unemployment money. At 3000€ a year, they cannot live a normal live anyway, now the 500,000 a year Mme Lagarde and friends are insisting that these people pay at least 300€ out of that.

Any sources for this? I wanna blog about it

Thanks buddy!

Lagarde is on a pedestal shitting down on the working man at the moment.

I cant find anything at the moment as tax free allowance just brings up importing fags and booze..

[Ephilant]

here you go
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w...09/2012_461411

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w...09/2012_461410

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w...09/2012_461397

The minimum tax rate proposed by the IMF is 18%, meaning an unemployed person on benefit would have to pay 540€ tax, leaving him/her with 2460€ a YEAR to live on. "Proposal" from the tax-free brigade...

[Ephilant]

Here is some seriously good news to blog about fluffy!

The "Movement without Middlemen" which started in the North of Greece last year by handing out potatoes etc. to the poor, have gotten themselves properly organized. With winter coming, they have now started offering more products, much to the disgust of the "middlemen".

They have launched an on-line market where they sell their own brand "No Middlemen". The first product is on offer, flour. It sells for 5.90 € for a 10 kilo bag. The same flour is for sale in the "normal" way for nearly 12€ for a 10 kilo bag. Their logo is a stylized "όχι", the Greek word for "Nein" It is also a very obvious reference of what we know as "όχι - day", the day the Greek People stood up against the Junta. "όχι" carries a lot of power here! Enough is enough.

The movement will be launching many more products over the next few days, and if this kind of saving is anything to go by, they are going to upset a lot of "upstanding members of the community" running cozy cartel supermarkets etc.

May there be many more soon, and may they last a long time!

[fluffybiscuits]

Here is some seriously good news to blog about fluffy!

The "Movement without Middlemen" which started in the North of Greece last year by handing out potatoes etc. to the poor, have gotten themselves properly organized. With winter coming, they have now started offering more products, much to the disgust of the "middlemen".

They have launched an on-line market where they sell their own brand "No Middlemen". The first product is on offer, flour. It sells for 5.90 € for a 10 kilo bag. The same flour is for sale in the "normal" way for nearly 12€ for a 10 kilo bag. Their logo is a stylized "όχι", the Greek word for "Nein" It is also a very obvious reference of what we know as "όχι - day", the day the Greek People stood up against the Junta. "όχι" carries a lot of power here! Enough is enough.

The movement will be launching many more products over the next few days, and if this kind of saving is anything to go by, they are going to upset a lot of "upstanding members of the community" running cozy cartel supermarkets etc.

May there be many more soon, and may they last a long time!

Thank you my friend! Cut out the middle man and we can work wonders! Im gonna try and get something tommorrow up

[Ephilant]

The EU imposed austerity measures are taking their toll on the ordinary people if this country.
We reached a new low, and a new international record.
5 people committed suicide on Thursday. All left suicide notes blaming poverty and inability to get money for food and other essentials as their reasons.
As if that wasn't enough, the really strange, and very worrying reality of this sad day is that 4 out of the five victims are women. This goes against all statistics and theories on the gender divide in suicide victims. All we can hope for is that this is not an indication of what is to come.
RIP

[MPB]

The EU imposed austerity measures are taking their toll on the ordinary people if this country.
We reached a new low, and a new international record.
5 people committed suicide on Thursday. All left suicide notes blaming poverty and inability to get money for food and other essentials as their reasons.
As if that wasn't enough, the really strange, and very worrying reality of this sad day is that 4 out of the five victims are women. This goes against all statistics and theories on the gender divide in suicide victims. All we can hope for is that this is not an indication of what is to come.
RIP

History repeating. The elites will ignore the suicides. These poor unfortunates are considered weak.

When faced with a desperate situation, the strong tend to consider murder before suicide.

[fluffybiscuits]

The EU imposed austerity measures are taking their toll on the ordinary people if this country.
We reached a new low, and a new international record.
5 people committed suicide on Thursday. All left suicide notes blaming poverty and inability to get money for food and other essentials as their reasons.
As if that wasn't enough, the really strange, and very worrying reality of this sad day is that 4 out of the five victims are women. This goes against all statistics and theories on the gender divide in suicide victims. All we can hope for is that this is not an indication of what is to come.
RIP

The principle reason for suicide is that people dont see light at the end of the tunnel. Often that is seen as being a way out of a situation and is a signature of how desperate people are. Things are significantly worse when we look at the patterns and where as male suicide is par for the norm in terms of patterns of suicide,female suicide at such a high rate is not, this happening in Greece is indicitave I believe that things are getting much worse and that austerity measures are not working (which was quite obvious from that start). High rates of suicide have always been linked to those whom have found themselves in poverty as they tend to worry a lot more and also tend to turn to substance abuse which increases the likeliehood of a mental illness (http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/04...ked/25013.html). The government of Greece must accept responsibility for this.

[Slim Buddha]

The principle reason for suicide is that people dont see light at the end of the tunnel. Often that is seen as being a way out of a situation and is a signature of how desperate people are. Things are significantly worse when we look at the patterns and where as male suicide is par for the norm in terms of patterns of suicide,female suicide at such a high rate is not, this happening in Greece is indicitave I believe that things are getting much worse and that austerity measures are not working (which was quite obvious from that start). High rates of suicide have always been linked to those whom have found themselves in poverty as they tend to worry a lot more and also tend to turn to substance abuse which increases the likeliehood of a mental illness (http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/04...ked/25013.html). The government of Greece must accept responsibility for thisis.

Don't forget the enormous contribution of international banks to this situation. If I was ever as suicidal as some of the unfortunate people who saw no way out, I would certainly want to burn one of these institutions to the ground before I went myself

[fluffybiscuits]

Don't forget the enormous contribution of international banks to this situation. If I was ever as suicidal as some of the unfortunate people who saw no way out, I would certainly want to burn one of these institutions to the ground before I went myself

Oh yes big time but the government could just say **** off to the Troikia ...

[Ephilant]

Oh yes big time but the government could just say **** off to the Troikia ...

The people did on their behalf, this afternoon. And this is only the beginning of it. We are having an exceptionally mild autumn, but if winter is any close to what we had last year, Greece will burn. I spoke to a lot of people today, and they are not just at the wits-end, they are desperate, and extremely angry at the incompetence of the political class and the arrogance of the foreign powers. Mark my words, this is going to get a lot worse...

[Ephilant]

A very good friend, living in Athnes, send me this shocking picture, taken yesterday in Kallithea, one of the better of middle class areas of Athens.

the note reads:

Please hang food and old bread on this bin.

This is the result of the continuing Troika efforts to bring the people of this country to their knees. And they then wonder why so many take to the streets and riots happen...

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

How much tax does Christine Lagarde pay? Answer- nothing. Her salary at the IMF is tax free. That is one particular Antoinette I'd like to see hung upside down from a lamp-post.

[fluffybiscuits]

A very good friend, living in Athnes, send me this shocking picture, taken yesterday in Kallithea, one of the better of middle class areas of Athens.

the note reads:


This is the result of the continuing Troika efforts to bring the people of this country to their knees. And they then wonder why so many take to the streets and riots happen...

That is tragic, dont think words really describe it . Picture speaks a thousand words...