Eight Centuries Of Financial Folly By Carmen M. Reinhart And Kenneth S. Rogoff

The Troika, made up of the International Monetary Fund, European Commissions and the European Central Bank have the most to lose in this debt crisis as they own 78% of Greek debt. With so much to lose we have seen European “bailout” agreements that mostly front the Greek government more money coupled with crippling austerity in an effort to “rebuild” the economy. Austerity discourages growth as it cuts the spending of the government who is by far the biggest spender in the economy. The effects of austerity can be devastating, but the true effects are often hidden beneath the messages we get from mainstream news sources. The stereotype of the Greek people as lazy and tax evading has desensitized the public and has made austerity seem like more of a sensible option. The media messages have made strict austerity measures seem justified and in effect have hegemozined the Greek people.

To understand what the debt crisis means, it 's important to understand where the problem

The weekend of May 5-6 opened a new chapter in the Eurozone debt crisis as voters in France and Greece voiced their disproval over current leadership. With news of France's Sarkozy losing the presidency, and "a dismal election result for Greece's pro-bailout parties" (Reuters.com. May 7, 2012. PP. 1); the future of the Eurozone continues to be shrouded in uncertainty. Debt yields for Greece, Ireland, and Portugal spiked as bond investors ruminated over fiscal and monetary policies. Likewise in Spain, the ten year bond pushed closer to the "psychologically important 6 percent" (Reuters.com. May 7, 2012. PP. 1) threshold. These events highlight the troubling issues of austerity, growth, and debt service which are weighing down the European economy, and as a result imperil the global economic growth story.

History tends to repeat itself and Greece is no exception. Greece’s current economic crisis can be partly blamed on Greek mythology. It can be seen with Greece’s prime minister Alexis Tsipras decisions in policy which have resulted in similar repercussions as the myths. For example,

Ever since the end of 2009, Greece has been involved in a financial and economic crisis that has been record breaking and shattered world records in terms of its severity and worldwide effects. The Greek government, since the beginning of the crisis, has attempted to take several governmental measures to try and “stop the bleeding,” including economy policy changes, dramatic government spending and budget cuts and the implementation of new taxes for citizens. In addition to this, the government has tried to alter the perceptions of Greek government and economy by the rest of the world in an effort to appear both more liberal and more democratic. Greece has also been working to privatize many previous

political scientists have argued that the root of Greece’s economic crisis is political. Greece has a

Galibraith, historian of the events of Wall Street Crash has mentioned, "Cause and effect run from the economy to the stock market, never the reverse. Had the economy been fundamentally sound in 1929 the effect of the great stock market crash might have been small."2 During 1929 and 1933 the national income of United States fell by 30% and industrial production more or less halved. By 1933 over a quarter of the workforce was unemployed. According to the League of Nations, world unemployment nearly tripled between 1929 and

Economists describe the global crisis of 2008 as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. National banks assisted in bailouts to prevent large financial institutions from collapsing, and that was only prevented by the help of national banks, who assisted in bailouts. Although national banks stepped in, stock markets dropped all over the world. The crisis is the cause for the failure of many businesses and a loss of trillions of U.S. dollars in consumer wealth, along with decreased economic activity and the nation-wide debt crisis over in Europe. There were many countries affected by the global financial crisis, one in particular being Greece. Many people think the problems in Greece started with the financial crisis, but the country’s debt problems started long before the crisis, tracing back to the 1970s. The Greek economy was not prepared to deal with the economic downturn, because of its large gap between revenue and expenditures.

In this research paper, we will be covering the causes, financial repercussions and social implications of this crisis. We will also be examining the methods used by the Greek government to rescue the economy. To conclude, we will discuss possible resolution measures and objectively forecast the future

The financial headlines of 2012 were prevalent with the tribulations of the Greek economy. Its problems, in the eyes of many of the other nations of the euro zone, were not only negatively impacting the prosperity of the Greeks, but also the viability of the European Union. The country as a whole requires a major restructuring. Not only are drastic changes needed in financial and economic policies, but the Greeks need to understand their attitude of government entitlements cannot be sustained. The mismanagement of the Greek economy is also evident in its place in the global market community. It has not found the path that a county needs to follow to become an active member of the vibrant,

The economic crisis of 2008 in New York had ripple effects around the world, causing deep structural problems within the European Union to crumble the economies of several countries. These countries, known as the PIGS, are made up of Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain, and collectively hold most of the sovereign debt problems of the European Union. After fast growth early in the decade, these countries were spending too much money and not securing their own banking sectors with enough capital. Soon, the debt the PIGS owed caused massive problems throughout the EU, and Germany and France had to come to the rescue of these poorly managed countries. (Greek Crisis Timeline, 1) Now, in 2012, the issue has yet to be fully resolved. Greece is still sinking, and a massive bailout for Greece's banks is required. The debate is whether Germany should continue bailing out Greece and collecting interest on its loans, or whether Greece should try to separate itself from the broader European Union, in an attempt to manage its own finances and declare bankruptcy in order to save itself from crippling interest payments. Each path offers an escape from the present situation that Greece finds itself in, but only the path of bailout results in a harmonious European Union. If Greece fragments off from the EU, then the entire union is weakened as a result. I believe that Greece should accept the terms of the bailout that Germany has provided, and should undergo several years

Although a commonly accepted view is that the hidden budget deficit in Greece is the beginning of the European sovereign debt crisis, the real causes of this economic crisis can be various. To reveal the whole event, a comprehensive review of the background is

Greece has a debt of more than 350 Billion Euros or close to 175% of its GDP. Its annual interest obligation is close to 23 Billion Euros. Unemployment is more than 25% and its annual GDP is declining by 2% per year. Greece is clearly in a grave crisis situation which is extremely hard to overcome. On June 30th, it became the first developed country to default to make an IMF loan repayment. It is in an urgent need of funds to make another loan repayment to European Central Bank on 20th August, to the tune of 3.2 Billion Euros. Its credit ratings have been recently revised by all agencies to the level of ‘Junk Bonds’, making it extremely hard to obtain financial help.

"Europe must prevent Greece from becoming an out-and-out catastrophe and make sure that the same fiscal 'remedy' is not applied to other weak economies" -- Franziska Brantner

Most research has shown that the effects of public debt on economic growth differs across countries; depends on country-specific factors and institutions such as the level of fiscal imbalances, the level of debt sustainability, the level of financial deepening, macroeconomic stability, and political environment. In response to the financial and economic crisis of 2008/09, the accumulation of public debt and its effects on economic growth have received renewed attention among many economists and policy makers.