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ORIGINAL: Moonhead

Have you any idea how hard it would be to impose martial law on an armed society?

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ORIGINAL: Phoenixpower

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ORIGINAL: LadyEllen
(assuming the Germans approve the rescue of Greece and put themselves into potential problems)

E

*cough*cough*cough*

I don't think so....

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy

The Germans never ever get done paying reparations.


Who can blame them?

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ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Countries all over the world are in a debt crisis. Spending money that isn't there has to end, and end soon. Who bails out these countries when there is no bailout money left. Make the spending that are necessary and do it quickly. The U S is next in line for big trouble.

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ORIGINAL: popeye1250

quote:

ORIGINAL: servantforuse

Countries all over the world are in a debt crisis. Spending money that isn't there has to end, and end soon. Who bails out these countries when there is no bailout money left. Make the spending that are necessary and do it quickly. The U S is next in line for big trouble.

Servant, in Greece and other countries in the E.U. they get cradle to grave benefits.
In the U.S. if you live long enough you get Medicaid and about $1,000 a month. That's nothing compared to 5-8 week "holidays", month long visits to spas for health reasons, free health and dental, killer maternity benefits, pensions etc.
Most people here in the U.S. get 2 weeks vacation if they're lucky.
I don't know how much the average pension in Greece is but it's most likely a lot more than $1,000 a month. They were talking about upping their "VAT" tax from 22% to 23% and cutting pensions by $100 per month and that sparked the violence.
Looks like they need to cut govt. spending just like the U.S. They can cut the Greeks a lot more because they "get" a lot more than we in the U.S. get!
I have a brother who has 32 years on a Boston area fire dept and he only gets 4 weeks vacation.
Greece is a socialist country and as everyone knows socialism works great until other people's money runs out.
Boy, this "E.U." thang is comming back to bite Europe right on the ass! All the people who didn't want it must be glowering now!

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UK budget deficit 'to surpass Greece's as worst in EU'

European commission's spring forecasts put UK budget deficit this year at 12% of GDP – the highest in the European Union and worse than Treasury estimates

Whoever wins the election must make sorting out the public finances the top priority, the European commission warned on the eve of the poll, as it predicted the British budget deficit would swell this year to become the biggest in the European Union, overtaking even Greece.

The commission's spring economic forecasts put the UK deficit for this calendar year at 12% of GDP, the highest of all 27 EU nations and worse than the Treasury's own forecasts.

The country's budget shortfall was the third largest in the EU last year but will overtake both Greece and Ireland this year, according to the forecasts. Greece's measures to tackle its public finances problems are projected to cut its deficit to 9.3% of GDP.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/05/uk-budget-deficit-worse-than-greece

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ORIGINAL: susie

Not sure what countries in the EU give 8 weeks vacation and month long spa visits. Certainly not in the UK. We get 4 weeks holiday. Although we have a National Health Service (which I have to say in my personal experience is fantastic ) it is hardly free as it is paid for out of our National Insurance payments.

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Will the USA be in a somewhat similar situation down the road, if we continue to accumulate so much debt?