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Do What Reagan Did.

By: Viet71 (Diary)  |  February 24th, 2010 at 07:41 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

As I write this, labor unions have launched a general strike against the Greek SOCIALIST government,

Why?

Because the Greek government has implemented sharp, across-the-board spending cuts — just as the U.S. government should do.

Why?

Because the Greek government went  on a spending spree for a decade, ran up a huge deficit, and is facing a default on its national debt.  Sound familiar?

We here need to see the problems in Greece for what they are — the first chapter in a very long book.

Yeah, I know.   Greece far away, and I like Greek food and that funny resin wine they drink.

The people of Greece overwhelmingly support the government’s austerity measures…and oppose the unions.

It’s time for the Greek President to do what President Reagan did to the air traffic controllers.

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  • penguin2

    to see what has happened over there. No one should be surprised. Just when the very economic survival of the entire country is at stake, the unions have become so used to living off of government largesse, their only response is anger. Anger for feeling cheated or shortchanged, instead of tightening their belts, holding their heads high and saying, “we can do this, we will remember we are Greeks first and this is our country, we can sacrifice…!”

    Unions are tools of the Communists; Socialism lets them in the door and you cannot get them out. You are right, this is what awaits us and the Socialist nations of Western Europe.

    • redneck_hippie

      Greece, Spain, Italy, and Portugal’s economic shakiness to my daughter, to spark conversation about parallels to US trend toward socialism. The first reaction of my daughter was, oh, we aren’t invested in international stocks any more. That is not the point. The point is what causes sovereign (or quasi-sovereign) nations to become bankrupt. The nations of the EU will sink rapidly, not having the ability to print currency of their own. Last I heard, the EU said they would not be bailing Greece out.

      I like Mark Levin’s theme lately. We do not need a 12 step program. We need to revive our 1-step program. The Constitution.

      • revivefederalism

        is that to the best of my knowledge EU laws don’t prevent the Greek government from cutting pensions, workers, salaries, and benefits. Federal laws do preclude CA from doing this in many cases.

        I’m watching CNN, and they’re talking about everything from the need to more local governance, to Google organizing the government, to pay for performance for Congress. Welcome to bizarro world!

        • Achance

          it is CA law. CA has about the most “union friendly” public sector bargaining laws in the Country and the unions own the CA Legislature. The National Labor Relations Act only applies to private sector employees of employers engaged in interstate commerce.

          Likewise, most of the restraint on public employee pensions comes from state and local laws; ERISA only has limited application.

          • revivefederalism

            It’s good to know that states technically have a lot of leeway in addressing excessive pension benefits, but I find it hard to believe that federal legislation won’t somehow work its way into the mix if cuts start being made.

    • Viet71

      that your pain is so personal. I am simply angry.

      • penguin2

        American. But ones feels an affinity to that kind of heritage, and strangely enough, when I have been to Greece, I felt like I fit right in, though I can’t speak the language….

        Greece once had her shinning moment in the world, it is difficult to see that she has succumbed to such a state. There is no doubt, other EU/Socialist countries await the same fate. And as you noted, the U.S. can go the same way. It is us as Americans, who need to say, “we can do this, we can tighten our belts, we can STOP this dependence on government.” Before it is too late.

  • redneck_hippie

    “The journalists’ union also took part, so there were no reports of the strike on Greek television, and no newspapers were scheduled to be published Thursday. ”

    h/t Drudgereport

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704240004575084853361540506.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_world

    Obama must be very frustrated by these events, not being able to buy the country of Greece in order to protect public unions and all

  • Viet71

    n/t