Breaking a Few Eggs
The Greek economy is a basket case - as everyone knows - with the government spending more money than the country generates.
Which is why Greece needs to borrow huge sums - just to keep the lights on - from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union.
At the same time the cost of borrowing by Greece keeps going up - because lenders see less and less chance of getting their money back - and charge more to reflect the risks involved.
Meantime everyone in Greece blames someone else for the economic mess - and no one wants to take personal or collective responsibility for sorting things out.
Widespread tax evasion bedevils Greek society and is a national pastime apparently - practised widely by the relatively comfortable middle classes - not just wealthy millionaires.
Everyone would be happy if someone else made the changes required - to put the Greek house back in order.
Everyone wants to hold what they already have - no one wants to accept that they have a personal responsibility to help put things right.
In effect the same thing is happening in the UK - except on a smaller and less dramatic scale.
Some folks believe that the normal retirement age should stay at 65 - despite the fact that people generally are living longer and leading healthier lives.
Some folks believe that they should continue to receive final salary pension schemes - where the less well-off subsidise the higher paid.
But some folks are clearly bonkers and need to get their heads round the fact - that you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
Which is why Greece needs to borrow huge sums - just to keep the lights on - from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union.
At the same time the cost of borrowing by Greece keeps going up - because lenders see less and less chance of getting their money back - and charge more to reflect the risks involved.
Meantime everyone in Greece blames someone else for the economic mess - and no one wants to take personal or collective responsibility for sorting things out.
Widespread tax evasion bedevils Greek society and is a national pastime apparently - practised widely by the relatively comfortable middle classes - not just wealthy millionaires.
Everyone would be happy if someone else made the changes required - to put the Greek house back in order.
Everyone wants to hold what they already have - no one wants to accept that they have a personal responsibility to help put things right.
In effect the same thing is happening in the UK - except on a smaller and less dramatic scale.
Some folks believe that the normal retirement age should stay at 65 - despite the fact that people generally are living longer and leading healthier lives.
Some folks believe that they should continue to receive final salary pension schemes - where the less well-off subsidise the higher paid.
But some folks are clearly bonkers and need to get their heads round the fact - that you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.
