Divide and Conquer Often Works, Unfortunately

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I have been watching the situation in Greece carefully for many months now.  I do not know the answer to these problems.  But I do know the the following, based on my personal experience fighting against larger than life power structures together with others: 

Q.  How does the power structure easily maintain power?

A.  "In politics and sociology, divide and rule (or divide and conquer) is gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into pieces that individually have less power than the one implementing the strategy. The concept refers to a strategy that breaks up existing power structures and prevents smaller power groups from linking up.” 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_and_rule

This is how the original power structure maintains absolute power, doing practically nothing at all, besides fracturing former allies.

The Euro-Summit ‘Agreement’ on Greece – annotated

Digital Photograph From: "The State of Greece" Photographic Series

c. 2015 Triada Samaras

The Euro-Summit ‘Agreement’ on Greece – annotated by Yanis Varoufakis

"The Euro Summit statement (or Terms of Greece’s Surrender – as it will go down in history) follows, annotated by yours truly. The original text is untouched with my notes confined to square brackets (and in red). Read and weep… [For a pdf copy click here.]"

"Euro Summit Statement Brussels, 12 July 2015

The Euro Summit stresses the crucial need to rebuild trust with the Greek authorities [i.e.the Greek government must introduce new stringent austerity directed at the weakest 

Greeks that have already suffered grossly] as a pre- requisite for a possible future agreement on a new ESM programme [i.e. for a new extend-and-pretend loan]." (edit...

(Yanis Varoufakis)  

For more please see:

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/15/the-euro-summit-agreement-on-greece-annotated-by-yanis-varoufakis/comment-page-1/#comment-158614

"On the Euro Summit’s Statement on Greece" (Yanis Varoufakis)

Digital Photograph From: "The State of Greece" Photographic Series

c. 2015 Triada Samaras

"On the Euro Summit’s Statement on Greece: First thoughts" by Yanis Varoufakis

"In the next hours and days, I shall be sitting in Parliament to assess the legislation that is part of the recent Euro Summit agreement on Greece. I am also looking forward to hearing in person from my comrades, Alexis Tsipras and Euclid Tsakalotos, who have been through so much over the past few days. Till then, I shall reserve judgment regarding the legislation before us. Meanwhile, here are some first, impressionistic thoughts stirred up by the Euro Summit’s Statement....." (edit)... (YV)  Continue reading →

Who can ignore this?

"This is a coup"

• Twitter.com/#thisisacoup

“The trending hashtag ThisIsACoup is exactly right,” Mr. Krugman wrote on his blog. “This goes beyond harsh into pure vindictiveness, complete destruction of national sovereignty, and no hope of relief.”

“In a way, the economics have almost become secondary,” he added. “But still, let’s be clear: what we’ve learned these past couple of weeks is that being a member of the eurozone means that the creditors can destroy your economy if you step out of line.” (Krugman)

"Twitter hashtag trending globally as activists show support for ‘democratic will of Greek people in the face of extortion by the Eurogroup" 

The Guardian

New Painting....

Acrylic on Canvas 19 x 24"

c.Triada Samaras 2015

Another little addition to the family...Almost done...

T.S. 

Dr Schäuble’s Plan for Europe: Do Europeans approve?

 

9" x 12" Acrylic Paint

c. Triada Samaras 2015
  
Dr Schäuble’s Plan for Europe: Do Europeans approve? – Article to appear in Die Zeit on Thursday 16th July 2015 by Yanis Varoufakis

"Pre-publication summary: Five months of intense negotiations between Greece and the Eurogroup never had a chance of success. Condemned to lead to impasse, their purpose was to pave the ground for what Dr Schäuble had decided was ‘optimal’ well before our government was even elected: That Greece should be eased out of the Eurozone in order to discipline member-states resisting his very specific plan for re-structuring the Eurozone.

• This is no theory.
• How do I know Grexit is an important part of Dr Schäuble’s plan for Europe?
• Because he told me so!

I wrote this article not as a Greek politician critical of the German press’ denigration of our sensible proposals, of Berlin’s refusal seriously to consider our moderate debt re-profiling plan, of the European Central Bank’s highly political decision to asphyxiate our government, of the Eurogroup’s decision to give the ECB the green light to shut down our banks.
I wrote this article as a European observing the unfolding of a particular Plan for Europe – Dr Schäuble’s Plan.
And I am asking a simple question of Die Zeit’s informed readers:

• Is this a Plan that you approve of?
• Do you consider this Plan good for Europe?" (YV)

See:  http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/13/dr-schaubles-plan-for-europe-do-europeans-approve-article-to-appear-in-die-zeit-on-thursday-16th-july-2015/

At last she is completed!

9" x 12" Acrylic Paint

c. Triada Samaras 2015

Behind Germany’s refusal to grant Greece debt relief

Drawing Detail Pencil/Ink on Paper 9" x 12"

Triada Samaras 2015

Behind Germany’s refusal to grant Greece debt relief – Op-Ed in The Guardian

(Yanis Varoufakis)

(edit)....." Greece’s financial drama has dominated the headlines for five years for one reason: the stubborn refusal of our creditors to offer essential debt relief. Why, against common sense, against the IMF’s verdict and against the everyday practices of bankers facing stressed debtors, do they resist a debt restructure? The answer cannot be found in economics because it resides deep in Europe’s labyrinthine politics.

In 2010, the Greek state became insolvent. Two options consistent with continuing membership of the eurozone presented themselves: the sensible one, that any decent banker would recommend – restructuring the debt and reforming the economy; and the toxic option – extending new loans to a bankrupt entity while pretending that it remains solvent.

Official Europe chose the second option, putting the bailing out of French and German banks exposed to Greek public debt above Greece’s socioeconomic viability. A debt restructure would have implied losses for the bankers on their Greek debt holdings.Keen to avoid confessing to parliaments that taxpayers would have to pay again for the banks by means of unsustainable new loans, EU officials presented the Greek state’s insolvency as a problem of illiquidity, and justified the “bailout” as a case of “solidarity” with the Greeks."...... (edit) (Yanis Varoufakis) 

For more of this blog post please see:

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/11/behind-germanys-refusal-to-grant-greece-debt-relief-op-ed-in-the-guardian/

New Painting

I am hard at work on this large acrylic painting:

Santiago Calatrava's Bird in Flight is Awe Inspiring!

Whatever the controversy surrounding Santiago Calatrava's  "bird in flight" structure in Manhattan, I fell in love with it instantly yesterday.  Where to big bird???

"This $4 billion structure may be wildly over budget and super delayed, but at least it's going to be pretty mind-blowing when it's finished."
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2015/06/19/new_looks_inside_calatravas_4b_world_trade_center_oculus.php

I could not agree more.

'Almost' there....

I am back to working on this small acrylic painting. It is not quite there yet but 'almost' (the longest word in art)

Greece — The One Biggest Lie You Are Being Told By The Media

Greece — The One Biggest Lie You Are Being Told By The 

Media - 

See more at: 

http://www.globalresearch.ca/greece-the-one-biggest-lie-you-are-being-told-by-the-media/5460508#sthash.sW9yIXRY.dpuf

Yanis Varoufakis: Minister No More!

Yanis Varoufakis:  Minister No More!

"The referendum of 5th July will stay in history as a unique moment when a small European nation rose up against debt-bondage.

"Like all struggles for democratic rights, so too this historic rejection of the Eurogroup’s 25th June ultimatum comes with a large price tag attached. It is, therefore, essential that the great capital bestowed upon our government by the splendid NO vote be invested immediately into a YES to a proper resolution – to an agreement that involves debt restructuring, less austerity, redistribution in favour of the needy, and real reforms.

"Soon after the announcement of the referendum results, I was made aware of a certain preference by some Eurogroup participants, and assorted ‘partners’, for my… ‘absence’ from its meetings; an idea that the Prime Minister judged to be potentially helpful to him in reaching an agreement. For this reason I am leaving the Ministry of Finance today.

"I consider it my duty to help Alexis Tsipras exploit, as he sees fit, the capital that the Greek people granted us through yesterday’s referendum.

And I shall wear the creditors’ loathing with pride..."  (edit) (Yanis Varoufakis)

For more of this statement please see:

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2015/07/06/minister-no-more/