Stop buying into this idea that the Greek working class were somehow spendthrift and lazy. It simply is not true. There are lazy and hardworking people in every nation.

The people who cooked the books to get Greece into the € were not the working class, they were the former political elite, who ran both the two main parties, PASOK (equivalent - Labour) and New Democracy (equivalent - Cons). They did so alongside German banks, and both of them gained massively from this. That is to say that both sides were corrupt.

The political elite mentioned above have now been voted out (PASOK has disappeared entirely, imagine that happening to Labour!), replaced finally by a non-corrupt party who are actually trying to change things, ie make the rich (and believe me, they are very very wealthy) actually pay their taxes and root out corruption like the above.

Are the Germans trying to help them make the reforms needed to collect this tax and improve tax collection across the whole country? No. The big German companies who invested in Greece wouldn't like that too much. They are putting the brunt of it on ordinary workers (who have already taken a 40% pay hit on their wages) and pensioners (who have had their pensions slashed by 50%).

How is that right?

I'm naturally a conservative, I believe in a smaller state and personal responsibility. But at least SYRIZA, Tsipras and Varoufakis are trying to change things for the better and give their country a bit of dignity. If I was Greek, I'd have voted for them and voted 'NO'.

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

Her Dad was loaded but he didn't pay his taxes.

Greece owes the Commission, the Central Bank and the IMF - all three operate wholly seperate from any nation state. Germany has an interest in Greek debt because it is the largest individual nation creditor, but France, Italy and Spain are owed huge sums too, in aggregate nearly twice what Germany is owed. These countries need to be paid back the money they lent to Greece.

That is likely to be the US portion of money funded through the IMF and a small exposure some of their banks might have - broadly the same as us.

Well yes and no, many other businesses lost out due to Greece being run into the ground, and I suspect none of them will see any kind of losses covered. So why should those who kept lending the money see anything back?

These things tend to be a multitude of factors resulting in a disaster. The largeese of the Greek Government, EU and Eurozone financial crisis, the banking collapse of the Credit crunch, a consequent fall in tourism, poor lending policy and EU political agendas all are inextricably linked with the collapse of Greece.

To blame the people, EU, government, or the banks, or the EU, alone is pointless, because to an extent, because none of them are blameless in the crisis.

As it stands now, they're through the looking glass, no one really can reliably say which outcome will be the best for Greece and its people. I suspect they're f**ked if its Austerity, and f**ked if its not.

The government should, maybe, be applauded, for turning the decision over to the people (as its a major decision, which invariably its kind of like asking if you'd rather be forcibly raped or willingly submit to a vicious and unwanted buggering).

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
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Thanks Chris....

What a joke....... defend that left thinking people!