To be proud that the uk taxpayers are helping Greece

[returningtotheuksoon]

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3159806/British-taxpayers-liable-1BILLION-emergency-loans-Greece.html

Typical daily mail outrage. But I think its brilliant that the uk tax payers are helping the Greek people. We are all part of Europe and I'd like to think if there were people suffering in our country other countries in Europe would help out. This is a country where many pensioners are going without as their money has been halved. I know I would struggle if I was given a 50% pay decrease.

[PanGalaticGargleBlaster]

What is less brilliant is that the UK will probably never see that money again.

[Lindor]

Hmm. No one wants to see their neighbours suffering, but you have to ask how has it come to this. And then ask why should our hardworking, scrimping taxpayers be chipping in...

Ps link doesn't work

[returningtotheuksoon]

And? I donated to a food bank, I don't expect to get that food back!

[returningtotheuksoon]

Sorry link doesn't work, grrr MN you are the only board I post on where links aren't automatically turned into hyper links

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I don't care too much either way, and i like the Greeks, but this sort of thing will make people vote 'out' in our upcoming referendum,

[contortionist]

The bailout money is effectively going to the European banks that Greece owes money to, not the Greek people themselves.

[professornangnang]

I hope Greece will be OK. Their government has handled things appallingly.

[gamerchick]

what did they do with the money the last time they were bailed out?

What about the next time?

[Cheesecake1980]

Did you know that most people in Greece that had a government job also had a second job. They hardly ever turned up for their government jobs and nobody questioned it.
If a man who held a government job died and had a single daughter his pension was passed onto her. The amount of 'single' daughters who were receiving this pension was incredible, but nobody questioned it.

The Greeks, Spainish, Italians have lived a very fruitful life for a long time. With a very currupt tax system.

Yes I think it's great that we are bailing them out. When our own pensioners, sick, unemployed people are living in poverty.

[mumblechum1]

What Babybarrister said. They got themselves into this mess by not paying taxes and paying themselves ridiculous levels of pensions.

[PanGalaticGargleBlaster]

When you gave your tin of beans/bag of pasta etc to the food back, I assume it was in the form of charity...i.e you were not expecting back, the billion quid is in the form of a loan with conditions of repayment attached, you do see the difference dont you?

[RebootYourEngine]

I think its stupid that we are giving them money when they caused these problems. The uk have starving people, homeless people, overstretched schools/hospitals etc so i think the money should stay within the uk.

[annielouise]

It's not even definite also how can you be "proud" of something we've no choice in? It's not like the British people have set up a Gofundme page off their own bat and are paying out their own pockets. Their pensions haven't been "halved" - it's more complicated than that, not least they retired years before us.

[returningtotheuksoon]

I'd like to see some facts about these dodgy jobs and tax please.


Greeks are the hardest working in Europe.
i100.independent.co.uk/article/the-european-workers-who-work-the-longest-hours--xycGVDQ36g

[annielouise]

Their own politicians have said tax evasion is a national sport. How could you have missed this?

[Samcro]

there are people suffering in this country.

[Timetodrive]

I would rather the bailout was spent by helping Greece with giving them their own economy, the bailout will be given and then spent paying back the exact same establishment that bloody gave the money in the first place until bailout 4,5 etc.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Can't say I'm that chuffed to be honest

[Plarail123]

What cheesecake said. Bailing out Greek civil servants that 'retired' at 50 on full pay? You are happy with that? Right then.

[Capricorn76]

I think it would've been more beneficial in the longterm for the UK to send HMRC employees to train up Greek tax inspectors, send IT contractors to develop tax collection systems, send companies to develop infrastructure that will create jobs and set up fair contract bidding processes to limit corruption and nepotism. Teach a man to fish and all that....

[PanGalaticGargleBlaster]

I dont think they lack the tools or means to collect tax, they lack the collective will to enforce said collection. Tax evasion there does not carry with it the same stigma that it does in other more advanced European countries.

[Chalalala]

OP, I'd be with you if the bailout was actually helping them out. Unfortunately the "help" they're getting will only push them further into poverty.

Yes things have been badly mismanaged by successive corrupt governments and yes Greece needs serious reforms, but humiliating an entire country and condemning it to eternal debt servitude is no solution. In fact it's pretty damn dangerous, and I can't believe Germany are not seeing it, given their history.

The Greeks need to make a serious effort to pay back their debts, but there is a different between "making a serious effort" and "eternal debt servitude and poverty with no hope of paying the loans back ever". They need some level of debt forgiveness, so they have at least a fighting chance of getting out of the hole they're in. And as a European I'd be proud to see my tax money used for that.