Greece defies EC with anti-austerity law

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

The Greek parliament has approved a package of social measures, despite warnings from the European Commission against "proceeding unilaterally".

In parliament, the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras defended what he called a "humanitarian crisis" law.

The law - the first to be introduced since Mr Tsipras's party won elections in January - offers food stamps and free electricity to the very poorest.
...
It is the kind of anti-austerity measure that Mr Tsipras had promised before his election victory in January.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-31952521

[mckara]

1. Bravo! It's Called Leadership

Damn the neoliberal economic model and return to economies that do not undermine democratic ideals and institutions.

[customerserviceguy]

7. We'll see where it leads them

My guess is that if the European Union and the bankster groups controlling it decide to cut Greece loose, after a couple of years, the Greeks will envy the Albanians.

The banksters want to keep the house of cards standing, but they also know that they may well need to make an example of anyone who would threaten to knock it down.

[bl968]

12. House of Cards

But that is all they are a house of cards. They don't want countries as Greece is on the verge of doing to realize that there is no real club to back up their threats.

[customerserviceguy]

14. Oh, there's a club, all right

If Greece cannot get the foreign goods it needs for its economy (think: machinery and medicines, for starters) then the Greek people will find themselves more punished than the austerity measures. Like I said, envying the Albanians, who have figured out how to eke out a life with many decades of a currency that does not exchange well on international markets.

[mother earth]

2. K & R!

[Ed Suspicious]

3. Love it!

[Jack Rabbit]

4. !!

[blackspade]

5. "proceeding unilaterally" WTF?

Does that mean the EC feels that it should have input on internal Greek matters?
So the poor are supposed to eat what? Rocks?
These rich fucks are so detached from reality it's sickening.

[rpannier]

6. Love this part

"If they're doing it to frighten us, the answer is: we will not be frightened," Mr Tsipras told parliament. "What else can one say to those who have the audacity to say that dealing with a humanitarian crisis is a 'unilateral action'?"

[Fred Sanders]

8. Pro-people laws....."anti-austerity" is a negatively charged propaganda construct.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Main use of the phrase 'anti-austerity program' is from left wing sources

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22anti+austerity+program%22
gives:
http://www.workers.org/articles/2015/02/02/syrizas-first-anti-austerity-moves-hearten-masses/
http://21stcenturywire.com/2015/01/25/david-cameron-fears-syrizas-anti-austerity-victory-in-greece/
http://fpif.org/europe-gets-mat-battle-austerity/
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/audio/2015/jan/29/syriza-greece-politics-weekly-podcast
http://www.criticatac.ro/lefteast/syrizas-victory-and-what-comes-next-jan-majicek-czech-republic/
http://www.internationalmarxisthumanist.org/articles/syrizas-stormy-greek-spring-buying-time-saving-capitalism-david-black

and more. I don't think they regard it as 'negative'.

[mountain grammy]

9. K&R for Greece

[cstanleytech]

10. Good for Greece and Greeks creditors need to stfu until they are willing to stop

being douchebags and are willing to setup a flexible long term repayment plan no matter if its a 100+ plan either.
After all the length of time shouldnt be a problem as long as they do get their damn money eventually but if they keep this up they arent going to get shit especially if Greece goes completely under.

[msongs]

13. so is greece going to make its own tax dodgers pay up? that would help nt

[Matilda]

15. One thing Kevin Rudd did for Australia

was to initiate a spending program on government works to stimulate employment.

And – it worked. Australia didn't experience anything like the conditions that occurred in the U.S. and Britain from 2008.

People in work pay taxes and that's good for the government too.

If everybody pulls their heads in, negativity rules. Bad all round.

[freshwest]

16. 'food stamps and free electricity to the very poorest'

Can hardly believe they don't have this ongoing right now. We've got it in my blue city. It should be the norm everywhere. Can't see any objection to this, should have been in place years ago. Good to see it coming there.