Greeks squabble for free food handouts

maltastar.com ^ | 08 Feb 2013

[matt1234]

When a group of farmers handed out free fruit and veg in front of the Ministry of Agriculture in Athens Wednesday, they couldn't have predicted the ensuing chaos. In just two hours hoardes of hungry Greeks scrabbled to get their share of 50 tons of hand-outs, which led to skirmishes in the streets and comparisons with Nazi occupied Greece in the World War II.

Families and the unemployed queued up to catch rations given out from vans. "Look", an old man gestured on local TV, "they're pulling supplies out of the trucks. It's like war time." "My pension is worth 600 euro", said another elderly woman, "and me and my three unemployed kids have to live on that".

A former electrician said, "I've been out of work for three years. I've done everything possible to find a job. A bag of tomatoes and some broccoli will last me and my wife a week".

[DuncanWaring]

It’s good to see another follower of Kipling. ;-)

[bgill]

farmers handed out free fruit and veg

Except the picture is of someone handing out roasted chicken and biscuits with plates and tableware which is hardly produce straight from the farm. The line looks very orderly. Maybe there were riots somewhere in Greece or maybe there weren't but the story doesn't match the picture. More msm lies.

[Marcella]

I visited Athens, Greece, and their surrounding islands, for two weeks during the good times years ago. All was calm and beautiful. Food was abundant and delicious although they sure use a lot of grape leaves when they cook. I ate Baklava, that wonderful dessert of thin pastry and honey, every time I could. I walked the very street Apostle Paul walked in Corinth. That part has been left as it was when Paul was there. The water delivery system was also left the way it was then and that was an efficient way to move water around the town with tiled channels.

What I see happening now, wouldn't have been believed back then. I don't think anyone could go there now and see that beautiful place. And, I wonder what is happening in the Greek Islands. Their goods are brought to them by boat. What is happening to those people? Is there enough or any cultivatable ground on those islands to produce the food they need? I doubt it and those islands tend to be very hilly - like limited flat land at sea level, then walk up the hill to hotels, restaurants, shops. Thinking about it, I would bet grapes are the main product of those islands. I could be wrong about that and hope they can grow food.

I've traveled to many countries and I couldn't go to those countries now due to the turmoil around the world. I do think about that and it is sad.

[Marcella]

I thought about the grapes and forgot about the olives. Those Greek islands and the mainland are filled with olive trees.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

For some odd reason I was hoping today that I could come to FR and find ONE glimmer of HOPE. (Other than gold going through the roof, which always makes me smile!) You guys know I am normally a Pollyanna, but Good Lord, I’m really not sure how much more I can take!

I am totally grounded in Reality, and it scares the sh!t out of me these days.

[Old Sarge]

I got to go to far-off exotic places, met different people - and killed them.

Remember those third-world nations? Coming to a strip mall nearest you...

[Marcella]

“I got to go to far-off exotic places, met different people -and killed them. Remember those third-world nations? Coming to a strip mall nearest you...”

Your military service kept our good world going longer than it would have without you. I was able to go to those foreign places and now they are all dangerous and people are dying and it will get worse and you are right, it will be here.

[45semi]

"I am totally grounded in Reality, and it scares the sh!t out of me these days."

Bingo...todays project was cutting 6 twenty-gallon plastic barrels I scored, into halves, in preparation for filling them with dirt.
The raised beds are going to be devoted to beans & peas this year, with the barrel halves for tomatoes.

My 'grounding in reality' tells me to start now re-learning how to grow my own food.
Something seems to be lurking just over the horizon, and my gut tells me to get as self-reliant & 'system non-dependent' asap...

[dfwgator]

I visited Athens, Greece, and their surrounding islands, for two weeks during the good times years ago.

Was that when the military junta was still in power there?

[Hugin]

Is there enough or any cultivatable ground on those islands to produce the food they need

I would think water would be a major problem with agriculture. Ancient Greeks used to rely on olives, goats (for meat and dairy), chickens, geese and fish.