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February 24, 2013

Kammenos Calls for Resistance to Austerity

Independent Greeks party leader Panos Kammenos on Saturday charged the government and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras in particular with leading the Greek people to poverty. In the second memorandum "they are talking about the end of 2014," he said, referring to forecasts of when the economy will start reviving, "the truth however is that they want us to keep going like this to 2040."

The state news agency quoted Kammenos as saying that "we must send a message of resistance" and called on Greek citizens to react to the austerity measures, charging the coalition government with "faithfully following the dictates of a foreign junta," referring to the troika of lenders.

IMF - Proposal For Tax Offices To Take Over Social Security Contributions

International Monetary Fund
(credit: Wikipedia)
The latest brainstorm idea coming to us from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a report that was compiled by four IMF officials and which literally proposes that the Greek government incorporate the vast majority of social security contributions into regular taxation, in the framework of freeing social insurance funds from the responsibility of collecting such dues. Commenting on the report, the Sunday Edition of the "Kathimerini" newspaper said that the IMF proposes that Greece’s main social security fund, IKA, only have to collect contributions which are overdue by at least six months and amount to more than 5,000 Euros.

The proposal to change the way social security contributions are collected is seen as vital to ensuring the sustainability of Greece’s social insurance system, which has seen taxpayers’ debts soar 240 percent over the last six years. IKA, which accounts for 61 percent of total contributions, was owed a total of 11.7 billion Euros at the end of last year.

Greek governments have created 52 different schemes aimed at collecting overdue social security contributions since 2002, but despite the favorable repayment terms included in these schemes, 35 percent of debtors do not abide by the agreements. In fact, the IMF believes that at least 92 percent of the contributions owed to IKA are more than 12 months old and are unlikely to ever be collected.

Under their proposal, the State would pass legislation for the transfer of the collection responsibilities to the central tax administration with a view to the system being phased in by 2017.

Apparently this is going to be one of the many subjects that will be thrown on the table for discussion when the Troika comes to town on Monday to begin their assessment of Greece’s progress in meeting fiscal and reform targets. Other topics for discussion include privatizations, reductions in the number of civil servants, an overhaul of the tax system and the possible reduction of VAT in the catering sector.
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Papandreou Finally Admits He Scr@wed Up After Greek Student Pins Him To The Wall!

George Papandreou
George Papandreou (Photo credit: Parti socialiste)
We just loved the following story that we had to share it with all of you. A young student at Columbia University -of Greek decent- decided that he had heard enough and during one of George Papandreou's (prepared) lectures at Columbia University he literally pinned the former PM against the wall by forcing him to say that he and his government scr@wed up in Greece. More exactly, the student asked Papandreou to repeat the words "mea culpa" (my mistake), admit that the only reason he was popular in Greece is because he is from a political dynasty and admit that he failed in his term in government.

Specifically the student said:
"You are a member of a Greek dynasty. Your grandfather was Prime Minister, then your father, and then you as well. You have been speaking about reform from 2008 onwards, but something went wrong in Greece from 1974 to 2008. We might of worked hard but we were counterproductive and the public sector came to offer jobs (to the people) leading the country into bankruptcy and you Europeanized (the whole) problem. Can't you (at least) say one 'mea culpa' to us? (Or) We really scr@wed up? As a Greek I am ashamed of what has happened and you are there and talking about collaboration and blah blah blah ... ".
Following his statement, the lecture hall broke into a loud applause (SHOCK), but then George Papandreou had to respond. Obviously (after being shot at by someone half his age who only said truths) Papandreou wasn't that comfortable, in fact he was very hot under the collar, but nonetheless remained relatively calm.
"I don't disagree with you," said Papandreou "we did mess up in Greece. And I said this at the beginning ... We have responsibilities, but Europe is also responsible, austerity and reforms do not go together, even Gerhard Schroeder has said so."
Referring to the nasty "d" word which Papandreou tries to avoid at all costs, the former PM said that dynasties are never elected. "I have always been democratically elected throughout my life. I fought for democratic changes in my party, such as the direct election (of the party leader) and I was elected twice. My grandfather was exiled and imprisoned six times while fighting for democracy, he was almost executed. My father  (was jailed) twice as well. Therefore, it was never a case of a royal dynasty, it was a constant struggle for democracy."

Editor - Of course what he failed to tell the audience of students was that during both elections where he claims that he was democratically elected as party leader he was the only damn candidate!!!! Even dictators were more democratic than that!

Regling To Le Figaro: Greece is suffering from the measures

Poverty
(Photo credit: Teo's photo)
The population of Greece is "suffering enormously from the fiscal consolidation measures," European Stability Mechanism (ESM) chief Klaus Regling told the French newspaper "Le Figaro" at the weekend in adding that what he fears most is "the cessation of reforms". He said that in his opinion Greece needs more time to overcome the crisis, unlike Ireland which "is very close to doing so."

He said that Cyprus' case is dangerous to the entire Eurozone and that decisions on the matter should be made quickly, as its debt crisis is at risk of spreading to the rest of the Eurozone countries. Cyprus's crisis, he added "is systemic".

Regarding the upcoming Italian elections, Regling noted they are a source of uncertainty, despite the fact that the Eurozone has the means to cover its borrowing needs. "The reforms introduced by the outgoing government were critical and we hope that they will be continued by the new government." ProtoThema

BREAKING NEWS - Authorities Shoot Down Helicopter In Trikala To Avoid Jail Break

The above picture is from trikalavoice.gr. In the photo the helicopter was getting ready to land on the rooftop of the penitentiary to help Panagiotis Vlastos escape, but the jail break was averted when the helicopter was forced to land by armed police guards.

An unsuccessful prison escape was just averted at the Trikala penitentiary as one of Greece's most dangerous criminals Panagiotis Vlastos once again attempted to escape prison, this time via a helicopter. According to reports on newsbomb, newsnow and ANT1 television news report, the escape was staged shortly before 5 pm, but authorities acted quickly to avert the escape. (Sources from the tromaktiko news site claim that prison officials were alert after receiving an inside scoop that a 'hit' was underway from various informants at Korydallos prison). Armed guards and local police (who rushed to scene) apparently shot down the helicopter which fell into an area next to the prison.

The incident was first announced from trikalavoice.gr.

According to an announcement from the Ministry of Public Order announced: "At 16:45 a helicopter with four passengers approached the Trikala prison. The assailants in the helicopter began shooting at the police officers and security guards below, and in retaliation they forced the helicopter to land in a courtyard area next to the prison. All four passengers were arrested."

A separate report on ANT1 television said that Vlastos was injured during the shootout and is now at the prison hospital and in critical condition.

Vlastos, who is considered one of the most dangerous criminals in Greece, is responsible for the 2009 kidnapping of ship-owner tycoon Periklis Panagopoulos.

Are G20 and IMF creating a Global Currency and Fed.Reserve?

The Federal Reserve: The Biggest Scam In History
(credit: CityGypsy11)
While headline stories about averting the dangers of an international “currency war” dominated news coverage of the recently concluded G20 meeting in Moscow, the real unreported story is that the global gathering of central bankers and finance ministers is pushing forward with their plan for “supersizing” the International Monetary Fund. The end goal is to transform the IMF into a global Federal Reserve, with the ability to flood the world with huge new volumes of loans and currency. It would also wield vast financial regulatory powers.

By Global Research News

The IMF’s unit of account, or “currency,” known as a Special Drawing Right (SDR), is being readied for eventual adoption as the replacement for the U.S. dollar in international transactions, to lead the way toward eventual adoption of the SDR or some other designated unit as the global currency, much in the same way that the euro was foisted upon the people of Europe as a replacement of their national currencies.

The mainstream media seem intent on keeping the public fixated on the latest Kardashian frolics, sportsmania, and Democrat-Republican political mudwrestling, while coverage of the G7, G20, and IMF confabs that are determining the economic fate of the world receive short shrift. And the little reporting of these events that does leak out usually amounts to little more than regurgitation of the pre-scripted talking points of the conference principals. Over the past four years, The New American has published numerous articles detailing the radical plans currently underway for the total destruction of the dollar and the plans for supersizing the IMF into a global Fed. (See the linked stories at the bottom of this article).

Virtually unreported was IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde’s comments at the close of the G20 Moscow summit on February 16 that she expected the IMF members to come through soon with the remaining funds necessary to double the IMF’s funds. Unknown to most voters and taxpayers the world over is the fact that their governments’ finance ministers agreed at the G20’s Korea meeting in 2010 to increase the “quotas” (contributions) of each member to the IMF, effectively doubling the IMF’s SDR assets to about $US 750 billion.

The IMF has also benefited immensely from another set of recent innovations that have received almost zero news coverage: the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) and the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB). Once activated, the IMF reports, the NAB “can provide supplementary resources of up to SDR 370.0 billion (about $567 billion) to the IMF.”

“The potential amount of credit available to the IMF under the GAB totals SDR 17 billion (about $26 billion),” says the same IMF web page.

With our national budget now being measured in trillions of dollars, the mere hundreds of billions of dollars the IMF is bandying about may no longer seem as impressive as it once might have. However, the IMF has much grander visions; this is just the start. As we reported previously, the IMF’s Christine Lagrande in February 2012 called for a trillion dollar “firewall,” including a European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for bailing out the collapsing economies of Europe’s socialist regimes. Finance ministers, including then U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, all took to chatting up the supposed necessity of the emergency “firewall.” As we reported at the time, acceding to these calls would be the equivalent of “giving even more matches and gasoline to the arsonists who have already burned through trillions of dollars in ‘quantitative easing’ and ‘stimulus’ funds.”

Following the Fed’s Example

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (shown above) told the Moscow G20 conference that the Fed would continue its inflationary policy of creating colossal sums of new digital dollars out of thin air, otherwise known as “quantitative easing.”

A Bloomberg report noted:

  • The Fed under Bernanke has expanded assets to a record exceeding $3 trillion and pushed down the benchmark interest rate close to zero….
  • The Fed last month affirmed a plan to buy $85 billion per month in bonds, seeking to foster growth and reduce a 7.9 percent jobless rate.
"We believe that by strengthening the U.S. economy we are helping to strengthen the global economy as well,” Bernanke told the G20 ministers, according to Bloomberg. “The Federal Reserve continues to provide accommodative monetary policy in our effort to foster maximum employment and price stability,” Bernanke said.
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Impressive Line-Up Of Speakers At April Cyprus-Greek Oil and Gas Summit

English: Flag of Greek/Cypriot nationality. Fl...
 (credit: Wikipedia)
IRN, Global Summits organiser has announced that the second Annual Cypriot-Greek Oil & Gas Summit is going to be held under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Environment, Energy & Climate Change. A report in the famagusta gazette said that Ioannis Maniatis, the Head of Sector and former Minister is going to address the event along with Charles Ellinas, the Chairman of KRETYK. At the same time second vice Chairman and previously Energy Director from the Cypriot Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Solon Kassinis. According to organisers, the Summit will focus on the hydrocarbon industry on-shore and offshore Cyprus and Greece, with an expert speaking faculty discussing key developments in the region.

Among the faculty of the key speakers that will deliver exclusive presentations are:
  • Øystein Lie, MultiClient Manager, PGS, Norway
  • Nikolaos E. Farantouris, Head of Legal, DEPA, (Public Gas Corporation),Greece
  • George Paparsenos, Chairman, DESFA, (Greek Gas Transmission System Operator),Greece
  • Costas Ioannou, Chairman, DEFA(Natural Gas Public Company), Cyprus
  • Yannis Grigoriou, Head of Exploration and Hydrocarbons Director, HELLENIC PETROLEUM S.A. Greece and Cyprus
The Second Annual Cypriot-Greek Oil & Gas 2013 Summit will be held in Limassol, Cyprus, on 18th- 19th April, sponsored by the London named Law Firm of the Year 2012, Clyde & Co (Gold Sponsor), Norwegian PGS-Petroleum Geo-Services ASA, NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), an independent agency of the United States government, OBEID Law Firm, Lebanon-based international law firm operating in MENA region, and Air France - KLM. - famagusta-gazette

Russian Deputy PM Urges UN Response to Asteroid Threat

earth
(credit: Dreaming in the deep south)
(RIA Novosti) – Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday a global system to protect our planet from asteroids and other dangerous space objects should be created under the auspices of the United Nations. “This system should become global and universal in its technical and political sense and is a matter of agreement in the framework of the United Nations,” Rogozin said at the meeting with Russian patriotic organizations.

Rogozin said this system should be launched now so that we do not “kick ourselves” when such a danger to the civilization appears because “no one can say exactly what will happen in 25, 30 or 40 years.” “We need to find such technical decisions, which we don’t have now, such capabilities which could change the flight path of a dangerous space object at a long distance from the Earth or destroy it,” Rogozin said adding that neither Russia nor the United States has such capabilities.

The announcement comes days after a meteorite entered the Earth’s atmosphere undetected by existing space-monitoring means and slammed into Russia’s Urals on February 15 with a massive boom that blew out windows and damaged thousands of buildings around the city of Chelyabinsk, injuring 1,200 people in the area. According to the Health Ministry, 52 were hospitalized.

NASA estimates the meteorite was roughly 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter when it entered Earth's atmosphere, travelling faster than the speed of sound, and exploded into a fireball brighter than the sun.
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