Greece throughout her long history endured much worse situations and was always able to overcome them and survive.
Joining the European Economic Community (EEC) was a big mistake because Greece was not an economic or industrial power seeking expansion. Let's face it. Greece cannot compete with the economies of Germany, France, UK, Holland, etc., and therefore has no future in the EU (European Union).
Greece will never be in a position to compete with such big powers and must get completely out from the union now, implement some of the following measures and find again her way to progress, economic growth and national optimism for a future far better than the bleak one within the EU.
Withdraw from the Eurozone and European Union
We have heard several EU officials saying that Greece -- in order to become competitive again -- must leave the Eurozone. This suggestion presents the best opportunity to leave the union because Greece does not deserve its current humiliating status. Greeks have been characterized by their supposedly EU partners as lazy people, ignoring the fact that low paid Greek immigrants contributed in building the economies of Germany, Australia, Canada, the U.S., etc. They can rebuild their own economy too without the illusionary assistance of unwilling benefactors.
The epithet "lazy" is appropriate for corrupt and empty-headed politicians whom the suffering Greek population must send home and ban them permanently from holding any public office.
Declaring Greece an "import and export tax-free" heaven
This will make the country an attractive investment destination. All types of revenue-generating activities such as international conferences, trade shows, cultural events, free economic and trade business centers, favorable to shipping business sector laws, will contribute to the national economy and create employment opportunities for Greeks.
Open negotiations to set up regional depots and assembly plants
Invite international manufacturers to establish regional depots and offices in Greece to be close to European, parts of Middle East and North African markets. The strategic geographical location, together with the import tax-free or reduced tax environment can make Greece among the most preferred business centers in the world.
Respect individual currencies and avoid monopolistic currencies
Enter into bilateral agreements with various countries on business conditions based on mutual respect for each other's national currencies on settlement of payments and avoid dependence of the national economy on the monopolistic currencies of USD, EURO, and YEN etc. Greece is a small economy and does not need a large volume of trade to survive and develop better than any outside help, advice, dictates and influences.
Re-circulating the Drachma
Bringing back the drachma will benefit the big Greek tourism industry, which will become the most attractive and budget-competitive tourism destination in the world, as the conversion of foreign currencies will have higher value in drachma for the tourists. Prices quoted on the Greek drachma, together with the tax-free or reduced tax environment, will result to adding more value to the holiday's budget -- therefore making Greece very affordable and overwhelmed with tourists from every part of the world.
A thriving tourism industry will substantially help the Greek economy and create many new job opportunities for Greeks.
Re-circulating the drachma will create an unfavorable business environment for many multinational companies in Greece such as Carrefour, LIDL, Cash&Carry, Día, CHAMPIONS, IKEA, Praktiker, etc., would have to either use only locally produced goods or import their goods using the drachma to pay their suppliers. Their profits can only be repatriated in drachmas to their mother companies.
Calculating simple numbers we can see the large scale bleeding of the Greek economy by the multinational chains operating in Greece. If the 11 million Greek consumers spend a minimum of 200 euros monthly each to buy Greek products, the country will have more than 2.2 billion euros circulating monthly in the market. This is beyond any doubt the sponge that absorbs every single euro from the pockets of Greek consumers causing additional hemorrhage in the national economy.
Regulated immigration in Greece
Greece is not against legal immigrants for specialized services, but due to financial constrains, specific restriction must be accepted if the immigrants indeed want to work and live in Greece.
The return of the drachma and the regulated export of foreign currencies will discourage illegal immigrants therefore stopping the billions of euros exported every year from Greece and at the same reduce the social problems created by illegal undocumented immigrants.
Boost Greek shipping companies
Initiate negotiations, with the Greek shipping companies located abroad to find ways for mutual benefits and bring them back to Greece to enhance more shipping activities and further help the Greek economy including creation of new jobs. Given the large Greek merchant marine fleet, efforts must be exerted to the possibility of converting it into large global corporations and compete internationally to obtain better trade terms and making Greece a major shipping center of the world.
Politicians should not hold office for more than two terms (2 X 4)
Term limits in holding public office for politicians to maximum two terms of five years each will deter re-elected corrupt politicians to rule perpetually. Banning permanently lobbyists or political offices and declare illegal secret closed doors negotiations for procurement of services, military supplies and other important purchases of substantial value and instead do all such negotiations publicly will help prevent crisis similar to the present one.
Pursue war reparation claims
Pursue with serious determination through the international courts, the war reparation claims for the hundredss of thousands innocent victims including the destruction of the country by Germany's invasion and occupation. The USD $3 billion occupational loan imposed on Greece during WWII by the German Nazis is still unpaid.
The above are the thoughts, beliefs and ideas of the undersigned with millions more to follow. The priority now is to empty the Greek parliament of its present members and fill it with fresh faces and ideas for a new page in the Greek political history.
Greeks never asked or received FREE OF CHARGE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS from anyone. If that was the case, why Greeks must repay free billions?
Let’s put the record straight: The EU was created by the selected few big powerful shrewd members only to increase their consuming population for their overpriced products.
NONE of the creditors ever trusted and invested on the Greek people because they were interested only on quick high profits.. The only investments in Greece are the large global banks, department stores chains etc which together with overpriced EUROPEAN products, suck every single EURO from the Greek consumers pockets. Even for the highly profitable Athens international airport the “benefactors” didn’t trust the Greek people to build and operate it but they demanded to own it...
Today the entire Greek population is suffering with unstoppable unemployment, rampant bankruptcies, ever increasing suicides and you Mr. Ghost Benefactors of Billions concerned to impose more austerity measures!
Greeks will not run away from legitimate obligations. We will scrutinize our debts and we will honor all loans used by the Greek citizens. Loans obtained with strings attached shall be considered illegal and non payable.
When a tiny economy decides to enter the Eurozone (nobody forced Greece to join), borrow horrendous sums of money (nobody forced Greece to do so), collect no tax whatsoever (a truely bizarre "business model"), it will totally and completely ruin itself. Self inflicted ruin.
Leaving the EU would probably be the last Greece would do, as the EU is a political but foremost an economic organisation which grants members certain benefits. Trading with the EU is easier if one is part of the EU. Leaving the Eurozone does not equal leaving the EU.
And leaving the Eurozone will not solve Greece's problem that easily. Inside, Greece will be subjected to Eurozone terms and conditions. As such it will have to impose austerity. Outside, Greece will be a bankrupt state with a currency inspiring no confidence whatsoever. It will be very difficult to raise money on the financial markets other than at very high interest rates. The only thing a bankrupt Greek government could do to raise sufficient funds, would be imposing austerity and collecting serious tax revenue.
Inside, outside. Euro, Drachma. It doesn't matter. Greece could vote Santa Claus into parliament and his gift would be austerity. It takes a few years to ruin a country. It takes much longer to build up again.
Greeks must wake from the illusions that the EU is a charity institution..
Every Greek today has first hand experience how painful the rescue packages on their daily life.
EU and Eurozone are still in their experimental stage. We cannot be assured of a bright future when we see every day the big individual European powers competing against each other for leadership and trade greater economic benefits withing the union !
Greeks must wake up from the great dream and idea that they are equivalent partners with the other Europeans return to their Drachma and start the hard work of restoring the badly damaged hopes, pride and enthusiasm which will energize them to build again their economy
It is self explanatory that with the Drachma as national currency free from attachment to any major currency Greece will have an independent economy
In order some of the stated ideas to relevant import tariffs must be abolished and maintain a reasonable consumers tax (VAT).
Nevertheless the ideas are not rigid and there is plenty of flexibility for necessary adjustments.
Greece should and will become a new leader of the way out.
Greece's monetary autonomy should serve as an example to the others who find themselves impossibly and unconscionably burdened by the debt of the monetary union currency.
I see the rest of these things happening, but were I advising Greece I would say stay in the economic union if possible,
I know that when they wrote the compacts there was no exit.
But lack of an exit strategy is one achilles heel of the entire scheme.
It was wrong.
It WILL have to be reversed.
You go, Greece.
Lead the way forward from the failed monetary construct.
Issue your own Drachma WITHOUT DEBT, and prosper.
For the Money System Common
That's exactly the point; however you are missing the more crucial point. Currently Greece lacks real leadership. Will upcoming May 6 elections produce a government capable of producing real, meaningful change?
Here in Greece, in order for real change to take place, the political system itself has to change first. This hasn't happened yet.
http://themanyfacesofnewathens.blogspot.com
In the absence of a specific road map with realistically implementable policies we must not allow ourselves to hope for meaningful changes. there fore May 7 will not be different than May 6.
At this juncture Greece needs radical political changes and must stop hoping that the same set of politicians who brought the country to this predicament, will find solutions to the multiple problems of the country.
Therefore, while the country undergoing through the present lack of enthusiasm national elections must start planning seriously about the necessary changes because whatever superficial promises are made by the candidates today will soon evaporate people start protesting again about the additional austerity measures, the unaffordable cost of living and the non stoppable unemployment.
Greece ,outside the monitary union, can still be in Nato. That would keep the Turks at bay..
Declaring myself as a strong supporter of New Ideas I firmly believe that the solution to the problems of Greece as well as to the problems of several other countries can only be found if we put our heads together to think hard and come up with more new ideas because we cannot keep going on endlessly with antiquated policies and ideas centuries or several decades old.
The opinion in the article is tailor made for Greece and I never thought of copy writing anything from any other nation or system in the world.
Keep criticizing harder but be constructive and more specific to make the ideas in the article better.
Thanks