Can someone explain to me what's going on in Greece?

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 3:09 pm

Then it's all a matter of deciding how many mooks are worth the nukes.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:47 pm

The nukes in Germany are basically just there in case the Soviet Union decides to send a couple dozen tank battalions across the border. Since the danger of a full-scale invasion by the Warsaw Pact kind of ended in 1989, they're basically just there out of habit now.

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 3:13 pm

Koumei wrote:Okay, now that you did that... fuck you" could motivate such a decision, in a time when several countries are already going "You know, I'd like to leave, but surely the ECB will save us if we don't, right?"

I don't even think that it's at that point. Even in Greece people still overwhelmingly want to stay on the euro. Hell, even in Poland, a country that as one Krugman commentator put it had favorable exports and demographics, a rapidly increasing human development index, and monetary sovereignty wanted to get in on that.

Fuck it. If it were up to me, I say that it's time for fiscal union. If people are willing to starve their own children to be a part of your political entity, their commitment cannot possibly be in doubt. And afterwards, while we're wishing for ponies, I'd throw open the immigration borders to Africa and the Middle East. That will settle the U.S./China/Russia/India/Japan's hash.

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 2:54 am

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ma ... st-economy

Apparently, Cyprus is trying to build Casinos now. They want to become the European Vegas in order to make up for the fact that they're no longer the European Cayman Islands.

Also, they want to encourage economic development by giving businesses gigantic tax breaks and encouraging banks to issue large numbers of huge long-term low-interest loans.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:10 am

My girlfriend, with her weird Swedish racism against all other European countries, wishes to know if they even have electricity to run the slot machines and flashing lights.

Seriously though, it typically takes a lot to set something like this up. How are they going to get the green light for it? Is that part of the "Tax breaks and bank loans" thing, making ideal conditions for people to start the gambling up?

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:17 am

Koumei wrote:My girlfriend, with her weird Swedish racism against all other European countries, wishes to know if they even have electricity to run the slot machines and flashing lights.

I really don't know. Cyprus's citizens are predominantly Greek. The only thing I know about Greek culture for sure is that they all like to exercise in the nude and bugger little boys. Also, they worship Zeus. Since he's a lightning god, I think he provides them with as much electricity as they need.

Cyprus's government seems to have figured out that they need truly massive amounts of investment as quickly as possible and are planning to do as much as they can to rapidly attract investors and do it as quickly as possible.

Koumei · Post by **Koumei** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:22 am

Well, actual Greece itself banned gambling. In order to cover online gambling, they banned all forms of interactive electronic entertainment, which can't possibly be an oversight, right? Yes, that covers video games.

Her response to that was "Wait, they have electronics in Greece?" followed by "Doesn't matter, they can all just buy it at the blackmarket where they buy everything else, anyway."

I really need to go spend some time in Sweden and see if it's just her, or if it's normal to view "the rest of the EU" like that.

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 9:40 am

@sweden:
http://satwcomic.com/trash-robber

hyzmarca · Post by **hyzmarca** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 3:57 pm

It seems that there is currently a school of thought that this whole debacle isn't meant to punish Cyprus for harboring Russian money, but to punish Cyrpus for being full of racist assholes who basically posted a "No Turks Allowed" sign in the middle of Brussles when they joined the EU. The theory is that the other EU countries want to destroy Cyprus' political will so that they'll be willing to let Turkey into the EU.

nockermensch · Post by **nockermensch** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 4:55 pm

hyzmarca wrote:It seems that there is currently a school of thought that this whole debacle isn't meant to punish Cyprus for harboring Russian money, but to punish Cyrpus for being full of racist assholes who basically posted a "No Turks Allowed" sign in the middle of Brussles when they joined the EU. The theory is that the other EU countries want to destroy Cyprus' political will so that they'll be willing to let Turkey into the EU.

Isn't Germany like, full of turkish workers? Would they gain or lose if those guys suddenly became members of the EU?

Stahlseele · Post by **Stahlseele** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 5:05 pm

neither, because if they are allowed to work in germany anyway, nothing changes at all.