Greece is teetering on the brink of total collapse. A situation constantly made worse by the supposed remedies being cruelly imposed. Need we say it again? This obsession with austerity to the exclusion of everything else. In this context we have the troika continually bullying us and badgering us to do this, to do that to do the other. Otherwise they’ll cut off our life line!

And what is this, this, that and the other? You know very well. Slash pensions, slash wages, raise tax levels. VAT to an unsustainable 23% which has resulted, of course, in LESS revenue from VAT because a little economic detail they appear to be ignorant of, elasticity of demand, is in play. Not to mention, not the erosion but the collapse of disposable income.

Nevertheless, we are constantly being told that we HAVE to carry out these nonsense commands, or else! Or else you wont get the loan money! That is, we are threatened with the cutting off of our life line. At least, that is how our own politicians like to present it to us. In fact, these preposterous loans to Greece do not  constitute Greece’s life line, but that of the banks, where the money goes. Hardly any of these billions ever goes in to the Greek economy. On the contrary, the Greek economy has virtually been sucked dry of all and any self generated funds, but be that as it may.

Now, our wonderful politicians, those of the two larger parties that have been alternating in power, decided that since elections were coming up, they needed money. So what did they do? They voted in perfect unison, (with a few but note worthy exceptions) in the middle of the night, to treat themselves to millions in funding from… well where else? The taxpayers.

The taxpayers, who have been squeezed dry, an exponentially growing number of whom are in fact unemployed, but still have to pay. Oh, and unemployment benefits have been slashed because the troika commanded they should. And pensions have been slashed because the troika commanded they should. And so on. The troika commands and the so called Greek governments scuttles to obey.

Yet… yet, when these compliant, servile politicians of ours decide to help themselves to millions of Euros in funds at the taxpayers’ expense, the troika initially says nothing. After the outrage aroused within Greece from the Greek taxpayers (whom nobody gives a damn about at all), the leader of the Liberals in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt,  also raises the issue.

And the answer? Quite deafening in its arrant hypocrisy and total cynicism. Jose Manuel Barroso, Chairman of the Commission officially stated that when it comes to the funding of parties it is up to the individual governments of every state to decide. The European authorities have no say in the matter.

Flabbergasted? You can imagine what we feel like! Our so called government has no say in the troika’s decisions to overtax and reduce all income to below sustainable living standards. But when it comes to the parties helping themselves to rich dollops of what has been so inhumanly squeezed out of us, only to pay for all the lies they want to tell us, then they can do what they like and the troika will of course not intervene!

So what is the real object of the exercise? The Greek economy and how to put it right? Hardly! How to save the banks? Probably (though I don’t see how anything is going to be salvaged if this goes on much longer). Nevertheless, it is now not only a matter of save the banks, screw the people! But screw the people, try and save the banks, but above all! Save those wretched politicians! Particularly the ones most responsible for the mess in the first place!