Greek left seeks to exploit Spain bailout

[alp227]

Source: Financial Times

Alexis Tsipras, leader of Greece’s leftwing Syriza coalition, seized on news of the Spanish bailout to bolster his position ahead of next week’s crucial general election, which may determine whether the country stays in the euro.

“The developments in Spain confirm the position we adopted from the start – that the crisis is a pan-European problem, and the way it has been handled so far has been socially catastrophic and completely ineffectual,” Mr Tsipras, who opposes the bailouts, told a newspaper.

Read more: http://liveweb.archive.org/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c8e85ba6-b31a-11e1-83a9-00144feabdc0.html

[Harmony Blue]

1. I am not surprised

anyone that has closely followed what is happening is Europe can tell you that austerity is an excuse to squeeze out money from hard working Europeans.

[geek tragedy]

2. Okay guys. If Europe isn't concerned about Spain or Italy suffering a contagion effect,

they'll be more than willing to not send aid to Greece and kick it out of the Euro.

[Harmony Blue]

3. It has long been suspected

that austerity was an excuse to squeeze out as much as they can before their bluff was called. This is why Syriza is willing to call the bluff of the troika.

[nxylas]

4. Tsipras for President

An article in the London Review of Books made a brief mention of Syriza not sharing the left's usual fear of wielding power. This, I suspect, is their real crime in the eyes of the 1%. Expact to see them treated the same way as Chavez by the 1% media if they are elected.

[David__77]

7. The left does fear wielding power, unfortunately.

I don't know if it's some odd manifestation of anti-authoritarianism, or an infantile desire to perpetually be a "rebel." Before the 1960s, the left did not fear victory.

[dipsydoodle]

5. Greek bailouts to date are €320 billion

Spain had been given a line to draw against of up to €100 billion.

Greece has already demontsrated it can't be trusted : Spain has yet to do so.

What's to exploit ?