At least that is what Mario Monti said. Yes. Well. Well he would wouldn’t he? He is about to abolish workers’ rights at a stroke, and impose even worse austerity on the Italians. He must say something to pick up their spirits. Even if it isn’t true.
Meanwhile back at the troika, speaking to the European Parliament, we are told they blamed the disaster in Greece on Greek failure to implement their brilliant recipe. When asked, if that was so, why had not Portugal and Ireland fared any better? And why was the situation in Spain and Italy going steadily down the tubes, since all these countries were striving to do everything dictated by the brilliant troika who of course know best?
But that’s just a silly little detail. Look, we’re really going to stick it to Greece now their brilliant politicians have surrendered unconditionally and signed their whole country away without thinking. They just can’t not do our bidding now, no way, or else they won’t even have a country left let alone an economy! So you’ll see! This time it will work. If only for that reason.
Anyone of the troika ever heard of the proverb, taking a hammer to crack a nut? Hmm? No? I thought not. You see, though your object is to crack the nut so you can eat the content, if it is so hard that you decide to use not just a hammer, but a sledge hammer, like the troika, then you simply destroy the kernel as well, and are left with nothing!
Poor Greece. What a fate. But never mind! If Greece ceases even to exist, we have all the other economies we expect to get working properly by strangling them to death… To death? Well yes. But again, how many times must we keep saying this! Countries are not companies and they are not individuals. And however hard you try (and boy the troika is doing really well!) you can’t just liquidated them, like an insolvent company.
And as for genocide. It never has worked. Even when the best and latest in technology was used for this purpose. Well you know that Angela, better than anyone. Or you should.
So for all the savage cruelty being perpetrated in Europe (more or less throughout the whole continent), it won’t die. When things reach breaking point (and they will, I fear sooner rather than later, Mario), there will be a resilience none of you small minded little technocrats of limited scope could even imagine.
Little old ladies are not always wrong. Especially if they are spunky ones! We are not nearing the end. But we are nearing the beginning.