tagged w/ Troika
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There were several important economic stories from Europe over the past 10 days or so that were under reported here. Now that the conventions are behind us, I want to point them out here.
This story from the Guardian reports demands by "The Troika" (EC, ECB, and IMF) that Greeks go to a six day work week as part of the necessary "reforms" that will allow them to meet the conditions for staying in the Euro.
The most obvious take away is that this is the future that the Global Financial Elite has in mind for all of us, as they push the Greek people farther along the road to indentured servitude. But I see something even more insidious and mean spirited.
The official unemployment rate in Greece is over 23%, and virtually anyone would concede that the real rate is even higher. The official rate of unemployment among Greek's under 25 is nearly 55%, with the same caveat. Clearly the problem in Greece is NOT that there is work to be done and no Greeks willing to do it. The problem is that there is no work. What could Greeks do on a sixth work day other than further reduce the number of available jobs, throwing even more people out of work completely?
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500395_162-57489797/greek-unemployment-soars-to-23.1-percent/
I find myself unable to grasp what the Troika is even thinking. What could possibly be accomplished by lengthening the work week now, other than acclimating the population to the idea that if in future you are lucky enough to get a job at all, be prepared to be worked like a rented mule. Apparently the Troika feels that the "Foxconn work ethic" is what's needed in Europe, so let's give it a toe hold in Greece.
Well, there's also the vicarious pleasure of kicking the Greeks while there down.
For reference, here's a link to my first post in what looks to become a running story.
Democracy Began in Athens and Ended on Wall Street:
http://current.com/community/93662558_democracy-began-in-athens-and-ended-on-wall-street.htmThere were several important economic stories from Europe over the past 10 days or so... more
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"Well Commissioner, you picked the right man. Puppet Papademos is in place and as Athens caught fire on Sunday night he rather took my breath away. He said, ’Violence and destruction have no place in a democratic country.’
What democratic country?"...
Continued at:
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=18580"Well Commissioner, you picked the right man. Puppet Papademos is in place and as... more
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Dagum
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added this
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1 year ago
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https://dl.dropbox.com/u/56637748/ODS-25Jan2012-Release.htm
We are Occupy Dame Street, part of Occupy Ireland and the global Occupy movement.
The morning of 25th January, 2012 - 06:30 GMT , in response to the payment of €1.25 billion to unknown bondholders of the former Anglo Irish bank, Occupy Dame Street activists peacefully locked down the Irish Department of Finance and made every effort to keep the building locked down until 5pm.
This €1.25 billion euro payment is only part of a larger €30 billion euro giveaway to as yet un-named investors / gamblers. We call on the people of Ireland to start planning resistance in your own areas to the unfair and unnecessary burden of bond/promissory payments; and to wage cuts and service reductions that, if not stopped, will further impoverish the good people of this Island nation.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/56637748/ODS-25Jan2012-Audio1.mp3
Occupy Dame Street's Media Statement on the day (25th January, 2012)
Even under the terms of the treasonous bank bail-out agreement, there was and is no expectation that the people of Ireland make these payments. The agreement to pay, we believe, is a personal choice by the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, reflecting very much his own deferential nature. We believe that the Minister for Finance, his cabinet colleagues, all government back bench TD’s and all those who have colluded with private banking interests have failed to realise the power of defiance and resistance.
Instead they have cowed to the bondholders and criminal consortiums who demand the profit from the labour of the Irish people, who demand the deconstruction of our health and education systems to fund their game of monopoly. Threats that there will be no money in the ATM’s of Ireland are without foundation, this has not been the experience of many other nations who refused to pay such as Iceland, Argentina and Singapore to name a few, all of which are experiencing buoyant economic growth in the teeth of this so called crisis.
We hope today’s and future actions will put powder in the gun Noonan takes with him to the IMF/ECB bankers table. We refuse to stand by as the Irish people, our families, friends and neighbours, are made debt slaves to the IMF/ECB, as has happened in so many other nations in which they have arrested power from the people.
In the coming year, and for many years to come, the Irish people, by character a hard working and generous people, will transfer under duress, €6 billion euro per year to faceless money changers. The figures are almost unimaginable and the loss to the good people of this island will be devastating.
It is for this reason that we, Occupy Dame Street, and other Occupy movements throughout the Island of Ireland, are embarking on a radical campaign of peaceful direct actions. Through such direct actions we hope to raise awareness of the reality of what is happening to our community, the unnecessary depravation for so many, that is today’s Ireland. We also hope to inspire and build a peaceful resistance movement dedicated to empowering the community of Ireland to make real the demands of Occupy Dame Street such as the realising of the potential of our natural resources and the acknowledgement of our shared intelligence and abilities through Peoples General Assemblies.
We call on the people of Ireland, political and apolitical, old and young, male and female, of every ethnic, cultural and religious background, to start planning for resistance in your own areas. If you are in the Suburbs of Dublin, Limerick, Cobh, Galway, Waterford, Letterkenny, Dundalk , Belfast or the many other urban communities of Ireland, start planning peaceful acts of resistance.
If you are in the farmland parishes of Ireland, the hills of Wicklow, the plains of Meath, the rocky outposts of Kerry or on our beautiful Islands, start talking and planning. The power to make the community of Ireland a better place to live is in our hands, lets grasp it and resist the unfair and unnecessary burden of bond/promissory payments, wage cuts and service reductions that, if not stopped, will further impoverish the good people of this Island nation.https://dl.dropbox.com/u/56637748/ODS-25Jan2012-Release.htm
We are Occupy Dame... more
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Troika was asked to create a piece to mark the entrance to British Airway’s new luxury lounges at Heathrow.
In response, we created ‘Cloud’, a five meter long digital sculpture whose surface is covered with 4638 flip-dots that can be individually addressed by a computer to animate the entire skin of the sculpture. Flip-dots were conventionally used in the 70s and 80s to create signs in train-stations and airports. We were fascinated by their materiality, by the way they physically flip from one side to the other. The sound they generate is also instantly reminiscent of travel, and we therefore decided to explore their aesthetic potential in ‘Cloud’.Troika was asked to create a piece to mark the entrance to British Airway’s new... more
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sforte
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added this
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5 years ago
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