pensioners crying in Greece, uk residents should help them out

[marrqkashg]

Really breaks my heart to see pensioners in Greece crying over their pension being HALVED! There seems to be a lack of outrage about this in the uk. I really do think our foreign aid should go to these pensioners as they are much closer than other countries we donate to.

[HermioneWeasley]

It's such a hard one. On a human level it's impossible not to feel for individuals in the situations they are in, but it is the fault of successive democratically elected governments for massively overspending.

A lot of Germans wonder why they should continue working to fund Greek pensions, and it's hard not to have sympathy with that too.

[paxtecum]

Last year, the Greek government gave all it's disadvantaged citizens a tablet, this has boosted Dixons Carphone profits considerably as they own Kotsovolos, the company that sold the tablets to the government.

The previous Greek government has a lot to answer for.

[Fatstacks]

If everyone planning a holiday this year switched and instead went to Greece how much of an economic boost would that give?

Based on people worrying about terrorism in other countries, kill two birds.

[Scissor]

Fatstacks..incredibly inappropriate saying.

[Fatstacks]

Sorry, it wasn't intended Scissor

[echt]

Echt that is such a weird reply

The OP posted in a way I took to be possibly goady.

And interestingly has not been back to elaborate in any way whatsoever why MNers should say they ABU or not.

[totallybewildered]

And interestingly has not been back to elaborate in any way whatsoever why MNers should say they ABU or not.

I always think that taking non-posting to mean anything at all is a bit silly. After all, we are all living in RL, and just doing a bit of MN on the side, we don't live HERE.

[VanillaTwirl]

The Greek governments are wholly to blame for this.

Most other countries have sucked it up and struggled through a period of austerity and belt tightening, Greece kept 'getting its nails done' like WorktoLive said.

And to answer the OP ref which countries should get aid - I have no problem with the size of our aid budget or the fact that we help far flung countries; poverty in the UK is nothing compared to how some people in the world are living/barely surviving.

[grovel]

I worked in Greece for a while. The Greek people got the governments they deserved. Tax avoidance was a national sport. Paying tax was for wimps.

I'm still sorry for the Greek people now that they have got their comeuppance but I'm not sure that I want my taxes to bail them out. It's a charity job for the truly needy.

[Timetodrive]

They are in catch 22 with tourism now, you go and help the local economy but in reality how much will go back into the taxation. I really can not see much depositing of cash in banks with tourism money especially as most will now be cash. I would like to help the Greeks in aid such as food, medical etc but I am not sure that money will even touch the sides and will be very unlikely to get to the people on TV.

[SeenSheen]

Perhaps you make a large donation then op? There are plenty more deserving cases worldwide - 0% self inflicted to one.

[ribbitTheFrog]

Don't they retire at 50 or 55 in Greece? Wasn't their ridiculously generous state pension scheme part of the reason for their bankruptcy?! I'd like to retire at 50...

[Tooooooohot]

No way should we help them out. It is ridiculous that the Greeks can get huge pensions from 50, having not even worked 35 years in some cases, its not sustainable. Over 50% of the state budget is paid towards pensions. Crazy!

Plus everyone is fiddling the taxes etc so they were going to be screwed at some point. Top doctors tell the tax people they earn E12k, when in reality they are earning far more as they live in multi million pound mansions.

I am hoping they exit the EU tomorrow ....

[ribbitTheFrog]

dailycaller.com/2015/07/03/retirement-at-45-and-8-other-simple-reasons-greece-is-imploding-right-now/

Here's a link to why Greece has ended up like this. I think the wealthy I'm Greece and corrupt should be helping out before uk citizens do...

[SideOrderofChips]

I'm with the majority of other posters with this. The Greeks lived the high life for years without paying the correct tax, retiring young, whilst the retirement age rose in other countries. Sadly this is a mess of their own making.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

Perhaps if Greeks had ever, ever paid their taxes, instead of living in half built houses and professionally tax avoiding, they wouldn't be in this predicament now.

[Iliveinalighthousewith2friendl]

I do sympathise of course I do, but we're just about holding body mind and soul together ourselves.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

and yes the wealthy people of Greece, the shipping line owners and so on, should stick their hands in their pockets first.

[HamishBamish]

I agree it's horrendous, but there are a great many people here in the UK who are suffering financial hardship. We are sitting on a pensions time bomb here in the UK. I doubt there will be any state provision by the time our generation retires and there are a large number of people who don't have much of a private pension to speak of. They simply haven't been able to afford it.

[SunnyBaudelaire]

and anyway just maybe tourists to Greece are sick of being royally ripped off and people who are taking their cash being bloody rude to them...
just maybe.
(I have spent a few years there)

[Iliveinalighthousewith2friendl]

The thing though, and at the risk of being roasted on a pit fork, and served up for supper. If the boot was on the other foot. Would they be sending money over for our pensioners. My instincts tell me, not but I could be wildly wrong

[SoupDragon]

Why is Greece more of a fellow nation and thus more worthy of help than people suffering actually physical catastrophes and hardship in other countries?

[juliascurr]

www.facebook.com/GreeceSolidarityCampaign

2pm Trafalgar Square
4th July
TODAY

[goodnessgraciousgouda]

I do feel sorry for the Greek people, because they are in such a shitty situation right now, and it's wrong not to sympathise with that.

However, an awful lot of this was totally inevitable. They were never ready to join the euro, but figures got fudged. As soon as they joined the euro, salaries soared and spending went mad. Retirement age has always been ludicrously young. Tax evasion remained VERY widespread, and the government failed to crack down on it.

I don't understand how so many people can refuse to pay taxes for years on end and then be surprised when the government has no money.

Or how a country can accept loans, but not make any real changes to the system which got them in this mess to begin with, and then be surprised why nothing has changed.

But moreover, I don't understand how a country can accept loans and then be OUTRAGED when the lenders, you know, want to make sure there is a chance they might get at least some of that money back at some point.

[Salmotrutta]

If I borrowed money I'd expect to pay it back.

I also don't expect to retire at 55 on 95% (?) of my salary.

I also don't dodge my taxes.

I don't think we should lend them money for a fourth time to have them renege on paying it back again