Tsipras briefs Obama on bid for euro zone loan: Greece

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke to U.S. President Barack Obama by telephone on Tuesday shortly before an emergency euro zone summit and briefed him on Greece's request for a rescue loan, a Greek government official said.

The official said Obama had voiced strong U.S. hopes for a successful outcome to the negotiations. The United States has said it wants an early solution to Greece's debt crisis that keeps Athens in the European currency area.

Read more: https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/tsipras-briefs-obama-bid-euro-zone-loan-greece-152750502--business.html

[stevenleser]

1. I am not a Tsipras or Syriza fan, but I would be in favor of us helping.

Although it seems that this was not part of the conversation.

I would be in favor of a package that was heavy on grants, not loans.

[candelista]

7. Should we print up some dollars to pay for this?

No, no, no. If you want to help the Greeks, give some money to Oxfam or some other international charity, and ask them to earmark it for Greece.

[geek tragedy]

8. I would hope it wasn't part of the equation. We have FAR better uses

for our money (infrastructure being first and foremost) than dumping them into the black hole of Greek sovereign debt. This is a European problem, not an American one.

[PoliticAverse]

2. So how much did he ask for, and how much will we give them so they don't have to collect taxes...

from their rich?

[EEO]

3. Greece Challenges Merkel to Russian Roulette to Solve Debt Crisis

Greece never should have been accepted into the eurozone, but that point is moot now. There are no easy answers, but more government austerity will only dig Greece into a bigger hole, because more people will have less money to spend. I do think there must be a significant forgiving of Greek debt, because blaming Greece, Germany, the European Union, or anyone else is not going to solve this problem. Satire warning for below.


Greece Challenges Merkel to Russian Roulette to Solve Debt Crisis

ATHENS, GREECE (The Nil Admirari): Early Tuesday morning, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras challenged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to a high-stakes game of Russian roulette in Greece's latest plan to deal with its massive debt. Tsipras announced that if he lost Greece will accept a German-sponsored plan to resolve the debt crisis, but if Merkel lost Germany must support forgiving all of Greece's debts.

And...

Tsipras added, "Well, Russian President Vladimir Putin called me last night and suggested I challenge Chancellor Merkel to a bout of Russian roulette, which is a great idea. He even offered to take part."

TNA

[BlueJazz]

4. I say we give them 1 percent of the Pentagon's budget and they'll never need any money again.

Or give them the F-22 fighter Jet (Yugo) money and they can all buy new cars. (I'm kidding..I'm kidding)

[totodeinhere]

6. Better yet use 1% of the Pentagon's budget to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure.

And create a lot of good paying jobs in the process.

[BlueJazz]

9. Your words ring true.

[Igel]

10. 2% of the Pentagon's budget

wouldn't get them through just what they're due to pay this summer.

Some of that's due to the IMF, but the next thing they'll have to cough up money this month for is payments on short-term debt that the Greek government issued. The EU country and ECB owns a lot of it--but so do Greek banks and individuals and they've already taken a haircut once as part of a Greek debt relief package.

And that 2% number--keep in mind that we're just a bigger country with higher per capita GDP.

[Recursion]

14. 1% of DoD budget funds their public spending through about September

Or finances their foreign debt for about 2 weeks

[totodeinhere]

5. We are not either the world's policemen or the word's bank.

Please President Obama, do not send Greece any money. We need that money here at home. Let the Europeans work this out among themselves. And I think that those dire predictions about what will happen if Greece leaves the Eurozone are way overblown.

[whatthehey]

11. So now WE are supposed to pay so they can retire years before us on better pensions?

At least the Germans et al have no trade barriers and freedom of movement to bribe them to do that.

[totodeinhere]

12. No, the days of an early retirement age in Greece are gone.

The proposed bailout would only keep Greece from defaulting on short term debt.

[Nihil]

13. Well, isn't that sweet?

> The United States has said it wants an early solution to Greece's debt crisis
> that keeps Athens in the European currency area.

Aww, how touching ...

I wonder if the President has been getting his ears bent by Ms Goldman Sachs
or if he just likes pissing off the American public as well as the Europeans?

[geek tragedy]

15. why would anyone be pissed off at what he's saying? nt

[Nihil]

16. Because they're not sure what he's *not* saying? (Or even why he's saying anything at all?)

e.g., Replies 2, 5, 7 (you!), 8, 11 in this thread all seem to be "expressing a degree
of concern" (politer than "pissed off&quot about the possibility of the US getting itself
involved - especially financially involved - with Greece's problems.

Maybe it was just the way that I interpreted those replies?
Maybe folks really are happy to take on the burden that, until now, has been carried
for years by the European taxpayers? Who knows?

[geek tragedy]

17. I think people are just fine with him expressing platitudes and making a few

phone calls, while leaving Uncle Sam's checkbook locked up.

He wants Greece to remain in the EU and Eurozone, but he's not going to pay for that to happen.