And the message to Alexis Tspiras, the Russell Brand of Greek politics, is as clear as a King Tiger tank, "For you, ze var iss over!" Well, why should we worry? As that brilliant geo-politician, the late Mr. Neville Chamberlain, once said, it's all "a quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing." (Er, how did that one work out for you, then, Mr. Chamberlain?) In fact, of course, we should start worrying immediately and plan for a horrendous European future. The likes of 'Juncker the Drunker' and his henchmen will be cock-a-hoop at their success in winning the second battle of Thermopylae. (You will remember, of course, that at the first battle all the Spartans died, so farewell, then, Comrade Tspiras, your time is nearly up!)
On the back of this triumphant victory, the Euro-fanatics will move everything to tighten their control over the nation states of Europe. They will now treat 'Dim Dave' with the contempt he no doubt deserves but which will mean that he will now be lucky even to be handed a fig leaf to cover his nakedness as he tries to renegotiate British terms inside the EU. This will enrage the Europhobes in the Tory party and Dave will come under intense pressure to urge an 'OUT' vote at the referendum. Were he to refuse, it could create a permanent split in the Tory party leading to a mass exodus towards the welcoming arms of UKIP, or perhaps, the formation of a new Right wing party. I should add, if only for political balance, that the Tories might not be the only party to split over Europe. There have been one or two remarks made recently by Labour pols indicating their dissatisfaction with the Berlin-Brussels axis.
ADDITIONAL: The following is quoted by the ever-excellent Café Hayek from a friend of theirs called Roger Koppl. His link, alas, is on Facebook - which I do n0t do!
Can we please stop pretending to know better than “the Greeks” what “the Greeks” should do! Greek pensions, austerity, and debt are international political issues only because the Troika bailed out private creditors such as Goldman Sachs. The Troika could have let Greece go into default and let Goldman et al. be left holding the bag. [My emphasis] But allowing private losses to large, nominally private financial institutions is not a “viable” option for the apparatchiks of the international financial system. Now the majority of supposedly informed and intelligent opinion on the topic is given over to opining on the proper division of suffering between German taxpayers and Greek residents. The profits from Greek financing have been privatized. The losses are being socialized. [My emphasis] It’s the cronyism of the experts, and it’s dirty business.
Yep, I think Dave was betting on a Grexit, and for once his luck ran out.
(This all assumes the bailout will be ratified, there is just a slight chance that Schauble, the German people, the Fins, Slovaks, etc. rebel and push for Grexit anyway. We must hope for this of course, because any Grexit, whether inspired by Greece or by a mistake made by the Eurofederalist enemy, is what we want, because it damages the EU sufficiently for Blighty to stay in and reshape Europe to a form of our choosing. We should know pretty soon if the Schauble, German people, Fins, Slovaks, etc. offer any serious resistance.)
In the event the Greek capitulation is ratified, and the Eurofederalist enemy consolidates its victory and new found strength with intransigent terms for Blighty, I wonder if Dave will jump ship and join the "Outs"?
Btw, here's a rather useful, imho, little Venn diagram of the "US of Europe": -
http://www.apex-foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/european-entities-member-countries.png
We want the flags to move to the edge, and the enemy wants them in the middle.
Be quite a good board layout for a wargame.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 10:44
Alas, Lawrence, the link is denied - perhaps 'Juncker the Drunker' got at it!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 10:54
David;
Try (c&p) copying the link, paste in browser navigation bar, press enter.
Posted by: Up2L8 | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:17
Or here it is again shared from my OneDrive: -
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=A4F23B611E01137D!87041&authkey=!AGljXepZbLzaiZw&v=3&ithint=photo%2cpng
See if that works,
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:18
By 'eck, Schaeuble and crew might reject it and go for Grexit! ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11733260/Greece-news-live-Creditors-set-to-demand-more-austerity-from-Greece-ahead-of-crunch-finance-ministers-meeting.html
"Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake" - NB,
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:21
Yes, that worked, thanks, very pretty picture which could change rapidly!
But read my 'ADDITONAL' - all this to save not Greece but, er, Goldman Sachs. No wonder the Yanks are sticking their oar in!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:40
Hey Knocker, you've just been knocked off the podium in the "Grumpy Old Git of the Millennium" competition: -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/prince-philip/11732243/Prince-Philip-swears-at-photographer-just-take-the-f-g-picture.html
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:41
Just read your "additional"; clever spin, but wasn't it the privates that took the hit in the first haircut?
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 12:46
The smaller banks may have done but the big boys were bought out by the Troika, or you and me as I like to think of it!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 13:44
And, Lawrence, this looks interesting:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/greek-debt-crisis-goldman-sachs-could-be-sued-for-helping-country-hide-debts-when-it-joined-euro-10381926.html
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 13:50
Yep, that map'll be quite animated if Brexit occurs: -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11731694/Brexit-vote-could-trigger-European-free-market-chain-reaction-say-Swiss-and-Icelandic-MPs.html
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 19:56
Alas, wishful thinking - for the moment, anyway.
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 11 July 2015 at 21:27
The enemy speaks: -
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/grexit-would-have-disastrous-and-far-reaching-consequences-a-1043159.html
You can smell their fear. If Schaeuble et al get even the "temporary Grexit" it's the beginning of the end for the Euro and the old EU model.
It all rests on Merkel. Will she dip into her vast reserves of political capital with the Deutsche Volk and kick the Greek can down the road for another few years, or does she treasure her Fatherland treasure more than saving the EU project?
Defo better than Game of Thrones,
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 00:05
This morning's DT:
"An incendiary plan drafted by Berlin's finance ministry, with the backing of Angela Merkel, laid out two stark options for Greece: either the government submits to drastic measures such as placing €50bn of its assets in a trust fund to pay off its debts, and have Brussels take over its public administration, or agree to a "time-out" solution where it would be expelled from the eurozone."
'Ve haf vays of making you pay!'
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 08:14
And the French, Italians, Portuguese, Spanish, and Irish know they're next in line if they let the Jerries get away with this torture and murder.
And the Jerries know this lot will default trillions of Euro debt onto their account if they don't execute Greece "pour encourager les autres".
It's easy to see how atrocities occur in war, isn't it?
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 08:29
I hope Dave's strategy will be the same as our strategy is, and should be, for dealing with the Islamic world, and was for dealing with Russia and Germany in WWII and the Cold War that followed: "Play the white man and hold their coats, while the two factions knock the shit out of each other".
Then when both sides are weakened below our strength, advance to Berlin with the Americans and begin a new era in European history: Europe under the Anglo-Saxon model.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 08:39
Breath-taking strategic analysis, my boy, I wonder where you get it from?
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 09:45
Another thing to blame the Hairies for: Causing Grand Dame Hellen to miss out on Reformation, Renaissance, Enlightenment, Liberalism (with a capital L), and modern Democracy: -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/11731242/Greece-is-a-victim-of-its-own-cronyism-and-corruption.html
If the middle east is still wandering around in the 7th century AD, Greece is effectively somewhere in the 14-15th centuries: A few Lollards here and there, but with the great leaps forward all ahead of her.
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 09:56
The backlash from the Latinos against Schaeuble et al has arrived: -
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/11734310/Greece-news-live-France-says-future-of-Europe-at-stake-if-country-leaves-eurozone-as-ministers-say-not-possible-to-do-deal-today.html
I hope Dave the Knave is whispering in Merkel and Schaeuble's ear, "I'll support you with your Grexit plan, if you support me with the "DT 10 commandments".
SoD
Posted by: Lawrence Duff | Sunday, 12 July 2015 at 14:51