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Ambiguities, contradictions, but truths also – No2

by system failure

A new version of ambiguities, contradictions, but truths also, was released by the Greek PM Antonis Samaras during the common press conference with the president of the European commission José Manuel Barroso yesterday (08/01/2014), for the ceremony of the Greek presidency of the EU.

The journalist asks the following question:

A question for both of you. I would like to ask the following: Many in Europe have positive things to say about the Greek, the Hellenic presidency and the way our country is facing the crisis, however, there are people who are reserved or even critical about our country. What do you have to say about these people who are very critical towards our country?

And the answer of the Greek PM is as follows:

Look, everybody has the right, and I respect this right, of their own opinion. I believe, however that the best one can answer this question, is the one that monitors the most objective data that are available today. These are numbers, what are these numbers? A year before the program, a year before what was expected in the program, we will have a primary surplus.

And I would like to say to your foreign colleagues, who are giving us the pleasure of being here in Athens today that, for a country that in the last three years has lost 25% of its GDP, for a country in which, if you add to this 25% taxes, inflation, for the average citizen this is equivalent to losing 38% - 40% of his disposable income.

Now, when this country, such a country, manages, a year before what was predicted in the program, to achieve a primary surplus, well I believe that this number provides the best possible answer, we had the fastest budgetary fiscal adjustment ever achieved in the world.

The amazing here is that, Samaras says, in essence that numbers are the best answer to those who dispute Greece's success to deal with the economic crisis and, to support this, refers to the only and extremely advertised argument of the "primary surplus" without presenting any numbers.

Right after, on the contrary, he presents some numbers which prove, not only the destruction of the Greek economy, but also the destruction of the Greek citizens! (“... a country that in the last three years has lost 25% of its GDP, for a country in which, if you add to this 25% taxes, inflation, for the average citizen this is equivalent to losing 38% - 40% of his disposable income.”)

Finally, right after that, he insists on the “primary surplus” saying that “... well I believe that this number provides the best possible answer ...”, without presenting, again, any number!

Further in his speech, the Greek PM refers to a nightmarish number, percentage to be accurate. It is the youth unemployment: “... because unfortunately, today, Greece has a record in youth unemployment, just recently this fell under 60%.” The fact that youth unemployment fell below 60% “just recently”, is something that must be taken as an achievement of the government?

Thus, despite the "journalistic" question-opportunity to the Greek PM in order to exalt his government, he accidentally told the truth, exposing the real picture, which is very far from a "success story".

Naturally, the propagandistic Public Television (DT) which was formed after the dictatorial closing of the Hellenic Public Broadcaster (ERT), played only certain parts of the Greek PM speech today (09/01/14), as expected. These refer to "primary surplus" of course, as well as the fall of the Greek bond spreads. It was a clumsy effort to refine PM's statements using the known montage technique. It's the same crude technique used by the PM advisors and mouthpieces, trying to spread the propaganda and verifying a basic reason for the speedy, dictatorial closing of the ERT. Their agony to hide the real picture, however, is too obvious.

The Greek PM indeed told the truth again. Numbers are indeed cruel and telling the truth, but according to PM's words, they do not prove a "success story" for Greece, but instead, a destruction for the Greek society and economy!


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