"No to layoffs! No to salary cuts! No to pension cuts! Do not bow your heads! Resist!"

[marmar]

Greece's ruling coalition appears to be splintering with several cabinet members either resigning or pledging not to support a government austerity package demanded by the country's international creditors in return for bailout funds to save the country from bankruptcy.

The political infighting came as Greek unions launched a two-day national strike on Friday to protest against the planned measures, hours after European finance ministers said the country needed to make more cuts.

At least three cabinet members from the right-wing LAOS party quit their posts, after their party leader had earlier announced that his bloc would not be voting for the proposed budget cuts, despite having ostensibly approved them earlier.

......(snip)......

The square earlier echoed with loudspeaker calls to rally against the measures: "No to layoffs! No to salary cuts! No to pension cuts! Do not bow your heads! Resist!" ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/02/201221010713951728.html

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. They are going to get austerity, one way or another

If Greece defaults, no one will loan them any more money. Without loans, the government will not have enough money to pay operating expenses.

[backscatter712]

4. The defaults are going to come sooner or later.

If I were in charge in Greece, I'd pull an Iceland. Default on the loans, nationalize the banks, pull out of the Euro, reestablish the drachma, and ride out the financial storm from the defaults, putting any banksters in reach in prison in the process.

No use prolonging the inevitable with yet more austerity. Austerity doesn't work.

[russspeakeasy]

2. When will "we" learn ?

[WingDinger]

3. no no no