Review of “Adults in the Room” by Yanis Varoufakis • Hacker News Board

Re: Review of “Adults in the Room” by Yanis Varoufakis

#131

Post by return0 » Thu, May 04, 2017, 9:07 AM UTC

cinquemb wrote: post #127

return0 wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would require a big plunge in the greek economy that people are not willing to take. To be able to recover swiftly from such a crash, the greek economy would have to switch from a very inflexible and sclerotic one (that it is now) to an adaptible, flexible and liberal one. The demographics of Greece do not support such swift action - greece is aging rapidly and the brain drain has gotten really intense. With reg…

The thing is, Greece, IMO, doesn't even need to leave the EU, they just need leverage (in the same way Turkey's leverage is in flooding the EU with more refugees), and they can get leverage in trade by ignoring EU diktats that stipulate what goods they can import in practice (while officially denying everything). International traders would pay a slight premium to be able to have land access to the EU from shipping.…

> ignoring EU diktats

yeah no, that would be equivalent to being kicked out the EU. Greece tried to use some leverage with refugees and got some money in return but that's all. Also, COSCO has already acquired the port of piraeus so there is an asian connection already.

Re: Review of “Adults in the Room” by Yanis Varoufakis

#132

Post by lakis2 » Thu, May 04, 2017, 10:49 AM UTC

HenryBemis wrote: post #47

Scea91 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Didn't Greece falsify data for years? That would explain the AAA ratings.

It's wasn't exactly "fake data". It's just that Greece decided to use its own custom-made "IFRS" that were conveniently misrepresenting debt (among others) to make "this year look good". Varoufakis's tactic was "catenaccio" (for the football/soccer aficionados). What Italian football/soccer teams established in the 80s and Barcelona perfected in the 00's, meaning keep the ball, pass it around with no purpose to attac…

> Varoufakis's tactic was "catenaccio" (for the football/soccer aficionados).

You are Greek right? That kind of comparison of politics to soccer is something that many Greeks are accustomed to, hence my assertion.

Btw Varoufakis clearly states that this method was employed by the rest of Europe, not him. Feel free to call him a lier, but this directly contradicts his statement and so some proof is needed to substantiate your statement and provide more credibility to it than his.

Re: Review of “Adults in the Room” by Yanis Varoufakis

#133

Post by cinquemb » Fri, May 05, 2017, 5:58 AM UTC

return0 wrote: post #131

cinquemb wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The thing is, Greece, IMO, doesn't even need to leave the EU, they just need leverage (in the same way Turkey's leverage is in flooding the EU with more refugees), and they can get leverage in trade by ignoring EU diktats that stipulate what goods they can import in practice (while officially denying everything). International traders would pay a slight premium to be able to have land access to the EU from shipping.…

> ignoring EU diktats yeah no, that would be equivalent to being kicked out the EU. Greece tried to use some leverage with refugees and got some money in return but that's all. Also, COSCO has already acquired the port of piraeus so there is an asian connection already.

>yeah no, that would be equivalent to being kicked out the EU.

Has there actually been any country that's been and/or in the process of being kicked out the EU (besides threats wielded in media and talked up for ad-views)?

How do you reconcile them willing to kick out Greece but trying to put a multi tens of billion euro bill on the UK for leaving the EU? Would Greece be demanded to pay a similar bill when kicked out and actually pay such? (We already know the ability for them to pay such a bill).

What about all the northern countries running a surplus to Greece, what would happen to those companies special positions due the trade restrictions in their favor?

I really doubt the folks in Brussels want at situation like that to happen, nor do I see them having absolute control over what comes in from customs, in every country, much less in any one in particular.

>Also, COSCO has already acquired the port of piraeus so there is an asian connection already.

Not really sure how to interpret what you mean by "asian connection". So having one state related shipping company from China, now satisfies all the demand for people trying to import into Europe from all over asia, as if every trader must some how just use that port/company? Besides, the issue isn't technically with shipping things, its actually having it cleared to leave the port to the buyer with the right paperwork.