Opinion of Alexis Tsipras

[Beezer]

Incompetent. 3 months on and the guy has done exactly what over the first 100 days?

[Beezer]

I love the chutzpah of this guy:

We will patiently wait for the institutions adhere to realism. Those who perceive our sincere wish for a solution and our attempts to bridge the differences as a sign of weakness, should consider the following:

We are not simply shouldering a history laden with struggles.

We are shouldering the dignity of our people, as well as the hopes of the people of Europe. We cannot ignore this responsibility. This is not a matter of ideological stubbornness. This is about democracy.

We do not have the right to bury European democracy in the place where it was born.

http://www.primeminister.gov.gr/english/2015/06/15/prime-minister-alexis-tsipras-statement-in-efimerida-ton-syntakton-efsyn-newspaper-on-the-issues-relating-to-the-current-negotiation/

Does Tsipras find himself in a bad situation? Sure. But let's not forget that he has made it far worse by acting like a Marxist teenager. Before he entered government, the country was slowly but surely recovering. Now it's back in a deep recession, its banks are empty and it's about to face a messy exit from the eurozone.

[Beezer]

Juncker's comments or his personal background are of no importance to me. Ultimately the Greek people have no one to blame but themselves for finding themselves in a position where other institutions were placed to supposedly disrespect their dignity. If you get a bailout from the IMF, expect to hand over your sovereignty.

Moreover, there's a difference between acknowledging that the reform program implemented by the troika had its flaws (which I presume is what Juncker hinted at) and going full Socialist wetdream as Tsipras would like to do. My focus also was mainly on the presumptuous and rather haughty "we represent the hopes of the people of Europe." LOL, you're not representing my hopes with your antiquated Socialist program.

[Beezer]

Well, it was demanded by the Greek government. Where's the money? In the accounts of French and German banks I suppose. But that's what happens when you're indebted to credit institutions. I find it rather entertaining how some people seem to think that paying your creditors is an expenditure that is somehow not as "valid" as other government spending (pensions, welfare, infrastructure, etc.). Personally, I think that no Greek bailout should have ever taken place (with European countries then bailing out their own banks in the aftermath of a Greek default) but that's an entirely different matter.

And yes, I'll freely admit that I don't much care about Juncker or his office. He's a washed up Luxembourger who preaches water and drinks the wine of other European countries by offering shady tax deals to companies. So you'll have to excuse me for not placing too much importance on his public statements about European solidarity.