This headline does not come as a suprise to any one who has read Naomi Klein's book, The Shock Doctrine. It is all part and parcel of end stage capitalism when all wealth is transferred to a small number of extremely wealthy oligarchs. This is a calculated act of class war waged by the rich against the poor. We have run out of resources and polluted the world far too much for there to not be major repercussions due to the climate change that is upon us. The ultra wealthy have the resources to own their own military and police forces. They have effectively made national government an extension of their own power.
Perhaps Class war shouldn't be just for the rich anymore. If the present political parties do not represent us perhaps we need new political parties.
From The Guardian UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/01/greece-50bn-privatisation-drive
Greek officials begin appointing advisers for fire-sale of state assets intended to raise €50bn by 2015
Helena Smith in Athens
The starting gun for one of the biggest fire-sales in western history was fired as Greek officials began appointing advisers for the country's ambitious privatisation drive.
"Our target is clear, and it is to generate €1.7bn from privatisations by the end of September and €5bn by the end of the year," said the finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos.
After securing a second aid package to prop up an economy now dependent on international handouts to pay public wages and pensions, Athens has moved with record speed to divest itself of state assets ranging from prime real estate to loss-making companies.
By any measure it is a gargantuan task. At stake is Greece's €350bn debt, which before the EU and IMF agreed to bailout the country again was predicted to peak at 172% of GDP next year.
The socialist government says it aims to raise €50bn through the campaign by 2015. Enough, it is hoped, to not only make a dent in the debt but send a convincing message to the markets that have pummelled Athens since the onset of the crisis 18 months ago.
The prime minister, George Papandreou, has cancelled his summer holidays to accelerate the dismantling of a sector that his father Andreas – Greece's fiery socialist premier in the 1980s – did much to foster.
International lenders have warned that if there no progress with privatisations they will withhold the next tranche of aid in September.
Continue reading at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/aug/01/greece-50bn-privatisation-drive
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