The face of US corruption...
Posted on 04/04/2012 3:48:57 PM PDT by dynachrome
State media has reported that Dimitris Christoulas, the man who took his own life using a pistol on Syntagma Square, in central Athens, on Wednesday morning, left a suicide note.
"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state. And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him), I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life, so I don’t find myself fishing through garbage cans for my sustenance. I believe that young people with no future, will one day take up arms and hang the traitors of this country at Syntagma square, just like the Italians did to Mussolini in 1945" the note said.
(Excerpt) Read more at athensnews.gr ...
The reference has been widely interpreted as a comparison between the wartime collaborationist government and the current government of Lucas Papademos."
“And since my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him), I see no other solution than this dignified end to my life,”
No mention in the story about how much his pension was cut. How much did he pay into the pension? Was it based on unrealistic, pie in the sky projections? No mention about what sent the country into bankruptcy. No mention whether it was the “let the government take care of you” mentality that became ingrained in the society that drove the country to ruin.
Just today, obama gave a speech explicitly DEMANDING that this country follow the Greek example. That’s right—I said it—obama DEMANDS that this country bankrupt itself! It’s the compassionate thing to do— just ask this Greek gentleman.
“unrealistic, pie in the sky projections”
Most likely, and he probably spent accordingly. I wonder if he had any relatives to live with?
"The Tsolakoglou government has annihilated all traces for my survival, which was based on a very dignified pension that I alone paid for 35 years with no help from the state
It would appear he was self employed, retired at 60 and sold his business. He paid into a pension for 35 years, which means he would have started paying in at 25.
Ping to the prepper list?
Pride kills.
I've been known to dumpster dive for feral hog bait, and some of the veg and fruit was good enough for human consumption.
Amazing what the grocery stores throw away.
/johnny
Syntagma means “Constitution.”
“Syntagma means “Constitution.””
Thank you, I did not know. I could just cry...tragic and a message to all of us.
I am now furiously hopping around the net trying to read whatever I can on Greece. I’m not going to let media and politicians tell me the story, I’m trying to learn for myself.
________________________________________________________
*snip*
“The opposition from the trade unions, with the exception of the Public Power Corporation, which has a militant workers’ group, has also been fairly mild. The trade unions once exercised significant influence over governments due to the political links between the two, but this has diminished significantly over the past few years, particularly since the crisis began. Their tactic of organising strikes is not having an impact on the decision-making process and the fact that people are organising their own, much larger, protests means their authority has been considerably undermined. An examination of privatisations in Greece in recent years, such as Olympic Airlines, OTE Telecoms and the Piraeus cargo terminal, shows that whenever governments have displayed the political will necessary to see the process through, the unions have not been an obstacle.
The image of all-powerful unions holding up the current reform process is one of several clichés about Greece that have hampered proper debate within Europe, damaged the morale of Greeks and given rise to nationalistic tendencies in some countries.
It is a source of frustration in Greece that the international media and some European politicians seize on some aspects of Greek society and present them as the general rule. These include the impression that Greeks are lazy, they all evade their taxes, most of the population has comfortable public sector jobs, they retire too early and take too many holidays.
In fact, all of these are misrepresentations:
http://www.stwr.org/global-financial-crisis/greece-on-the-verge.html
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/comparative/tn0801018s/gr0801019q.htm
Too many pension funds feed socialist government through bond markets. Those will all collapse. A studious, productive man can manage his own retirement better.
The speech was just today? Perhaps he meant to imply that he wishes we would just all go to the square and shoot ourselves. THAT’s what he’s really hoping for, IMHO.
The story of this Greek gentleman has me thinking of Socrates... I wish he had thought of another option, but he definitely got the world’s attention, and I’m guessing that was the point. Only time will tell if people really heard the message or not.
A tragic ending. Is it also a profound lesson on what awaits those who put their faith and welfare in the hands of government?
Anyone wonder how Joe Blow will react when social security can’t pay the bills, pension funds go bankrupt, and he can’t afford to feed his family? Anyone wonder how the unions, students, and the welfare crowd will react when Uncle Sugar can’t give them what they are used to? Anyone wonder how the retired soldier will react if some faceless drone disapproves his wives chemotherapy treatment due to costs?
People often talk about Katrina..... yes, it was awful. However, I don’t believe anyone starved. There was plenty of food left in the cupboards of empty houses and help was on the way within days. Anyone wonder what it will be like in their town/city when things crash and grocery stores are empty and every house is full of desperate people?
He chose to make a selfish statement blaming his government for his condition. Why was he so upset?
I think it was because he had been promised that his government and nation would take care of him. He believed in Greek superiority. He believed in the European dream that was sold to tens of millions just like him. He believed his leaders would be wise stewards of his money. He was sold a lie and he believed in the pyramid scheme of socialism.
I am guessing what his motivations were, but I really want to know, are we so different than Greece?
Police said a suicide note had been found in the man’s pocket, but did not disclose what it said.
News reports said the note accused the government of leaving the man in penury and compared the administration to the regime imposed by Greece’s Nazi German occupiers in 1941.
Witnesses heard the man cry out that he did not want to leave his children in debt, according to media reports.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0405/pensioner-commits-suicide-outside-greek-parliament.html
The face of US corruption...
I have no real idea about what was going on in the mans mind, only a few comments he left on a piece of paper and his actions, with even that being filtered through the media.
I took it as he had paid into his pension not with gov’t money but with his own, he was self employed and had sold his business. He was required to pay into social insurance but something (I am not certain of what) happened that it was no longer there. This explains somewhat how their system works: http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/comparative/tn0801018s/gr0801019q.htm
Perhaps he had an illness and medical costs were eating up their money, or maybe the insurance he paid into for his pension went belly up? Maybe the Greek gov’t had taken over accounts— our gov’t toys with the idea of taking over 401k’s...
Yes, I do think he had trusted his gov’t too much, just as many of us do. My mother has taken care of her retirement well but if gov’t started jacking with accounts and taxing differently—she may not be doing as well as she is today.
That wouldn’t be my mothers fault, that would be the gov’t promising too much to others who haven’t provided for their future and the gov’t deciding to take from her to give to the others.
Redistributing wealth to pay for others who haven’t earned it and that would be because the gov’t has been negligent and derelict in their duties and promised too much in order to keep the office that they hold.
Yes, I see us very much going the way of Greece and having the same problems but on an even larger scale. Much worse should Obamacare not be overturned.
Like I have written, I have no idea of what was in this mans’ mind without knowing him and without more information.
But, from the small amount of information I do have and relating it to things here in the US, I don’t think the man was a gov’t teat sucking wimp who just stepped out because he couldn’t handle it.
I read meaning into this:
“my advanced age does not allow me a way of dynamically reacting (although if a fellow Greek were to grab a Kalashnikov, I would be right behind him)”
I think he saw the Greek gov’t as corrupt and bad stewards, the sovereignty of Greece has been ceded and the constitution disregarded.
He felt too old to stand up and lead a revolt with a Kalashnikov. He thought that his suicide in Constitution square was his best way of standing up and trying to wake the people of Greece. He wants them to take their country back. His last stand and revolt was to lay down forever.
I am hoping more information comes out but this is what I am reading into it thus far. It is a message and I hope we hear it here, too. Our gov’t is leading us down the road to destruction.
I did’nt mean to imply that the man was stuck on the government teat. It sounds like he was a successful businessman who worked hard for many years before selling his pharmacy. In short, it sounds like he did everything right and worked hard for a retirement that was squandered by socialists. That makes it even more troubling to me. His alleged statement that he did not want to leave his children in debt indicates a conflict of honor.
I really thought this was a story that was worthy of more discussion in light of our own situation and direction. I don’t believe successful Americans are immune from losing the lifestyle we take for granted in our country. I am trying to insure that I don’t have to rely on the government to feed my children if our system fails. I don’t expect to get social security despite paying a considerable sum into it. I won’t be surprised if the government seizes either my 401k and IRA “for the greater good” either. I try not to count on those. I put more trust in my small farm that I work on with my “leisure” time.
However, after almost two decades in law enforcement, I feel like I know what might happen when times get desperate. Perhaps this story struck me because I have watched for it. I would like to know more about his story and situation.
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