The Greek Crisis: Laura's updated blog post on FAR

Dear dancing friends,
 
Things are happening very quickly here in Greece. 
 
In a recent post on my blog Greek Fire (updated today on FAR with links to breaking news) I predicted that the point of combustion in the negotiations would be over pensions. It's a simple clash of cultures. In Greek society, elders are respected and elder care is a sacred obligation.
 
Pensions in Greece have already been brutally slashed by 48% overall, and two-thirds of pensioners are below or at the poverty line;  if pensioners’ income is reduced further, people fear they will be unable to support their parents and grandparents. And such a sacred duty, for Greeks, is non-negotiable.

By insisting on further drastic pension cuts, therefore, the lenders have put Greece in an impossible position (knowingly and deliberately, according to Paul Krugman and other commentators - see links below). The only other option the European side will allow is for Greece to default on their loans and exit the euro – totally absurd, given that there are so many other possible sources apart from pensions for the money for the loan repayments, many of which were proposed by the Greek side but rejected by the troika.
 
You can read the updated version of my article 'The Greek Crisis: Grandparents on the Table?' today on FeminismAndReligion.com and you are welcome to leave your comments:
http://feminismandreligion.com/2015/06/30/the-greek-crisis-grandparents-on-the-table-by-laura-shannon/
 
If you consider yourself to be a lover of Greece, Greek music and dance, or the democratic principles on which Europe was founded, I invite you to light a candle: for Greece, for democracy, and for a society of social justice and peace. When human efforts appear to have reached their limits, it is time to ask for help from the realm of spirit. I believe in the power of prayer, and I believe that your efforts will help now, when help is needed.

I invite you to also read these key articles and draw your own conclusions:

For Greece’s international creditors, regime change is the ultimate goal (Daily Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/11706630/For-Greeces-international-creditors-regime-change-is-the-ultimate-goal.html

Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy (Joseph Stiglitz)
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/greece-referendum-troika-eurozone-by-joseph-e–stiglitz-2015-06

Grisis (Paul Krugman)
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/28/grisis/?_r=2

Where did the Greek bailout money go? (Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/29/where-did-the-greek-bailout-money-go

With love and blessings from the cradle of democracy,
 
Laura