Kate Aronoff – Reports of capitalism’s death have been greatly exaggerated

Late last week, economic journalist Paul Mason, whose Channel 4 blog has been one of the best English-language sources for making sense of the ongoing Greek crisis, published an excerpt from his forthcoming book in The Guardian. It announces that the end of capitalism has begun and that (spoiler) it doesn’t look how we thought it might. The 20th century …

Ernst Wolff – Tsipras and Varoufakis Approve of Home Evictions and Expropriation of Depositors

After being elected in January, Prime Minister Tsipras and his Finance Minister Varoufakis negotiated with the EU commission, the ECB and the IMF for almost five months. While fulfilling almost all of their financial demands, Syriza’s leaders openly criticized the “institutions” for their tough bargaining and resisted some of their harshest measures. At the beginning of July, the Troika tightened …

Varoufakis: Troika Forced Syriza Into Choice Between ‘Suicide or Execution’ – Lauren McCauley

In his first international television interview since stepping down from his post as Greek Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis told CNN‘s Christiane Amanpour on Monday that European lenders had forced his government to make a choice between “suicide or execution.” After five months of rigorous negotiations, the outspoken Varoufakis stepped down from his post the night of the Greek referendum. And despite voting against the …

So you say you don’t want a revolution? – Dmitry Orlov

Over the past few months we have been forced to bear witness to a humiliating farce unfolding in Europe. Greece, which was first accepted into the European Monetary Union under false pretenses, then saddled with excessive levels of debt, then crippled through the imposition of austerity, finally did something: the Greeks elected a government that promised to shake things up. …

Greece debt crisis news: Alexis Tsipras shows his Machiavellian streak in a purge of Syriza rebels – Michael Day

Greece’s Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has shown no mercy in axing left-wing cabinet colleagues in order to implement the austerity measures that saw a quarter of his MPs desert him and violence flare in the streets of Athens. Only by silencing his critics can he hope to introduce the tax hikes, labour reforms and privatisations which were ordered by the …

Germany Might Be Trying To Steal SOCAR’s Main Asset In Greece By Andrew KORYBKO

The Greek Crisis has been a long-running drama that’s sucked in all of Europe (and even involved Russia to an extent), but for the most part, it hasn’t directly touched any of the Union’s peripheral countries. That may change, however, after the latest twist coming out of Athens. Per the debt agreement that’s been offered to the country, Greece must surrender …

China’s share plunge casts lengthening shadow over global markets By Nick Beams

Global stock exchanges appear to have weathered the initial shock wave from the powerful “no” vote in the Greek referendum, largely in the belief that the Syriza-led government is even more anxious to secure an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund to impose austerity. At the same time, however, the financial markets could soon be hit …

Europe is blowing itself apart over Greece – and nobody seems able to stop it By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Like a tragedy from Euripides, the long struggle between Greece and Europe’s creditor powers is reaching a cataclysmic end that nobody planned, nobody seems able to escape, and that threatens to shatter the greater European order in the process. Greek premier Alexis Tsipras never expected to win Sunday’s referendum on EMU bail-out terms, let alone to preside over a blazing …

On Brink of ‘Irreparable Split’ Between Rich and Poor Nations, European Leaders Scramble – Lauren McCauley

In the wake of Greece’s historic ‘No’ vote this weekend, European leaders are scrambling to cement a new deal after the resounding rejection of the austerity program that has heretofore dominated fiscal policy and conversation. European Parliament President Martin Schulz confirmed that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will address parliament plenary on Wednesday morning. Tsipras is expected to put forth a new …

Greece and the Euro: Towards Financial Implosion By Prof Rodrigue Tremblay

In sowing the seeds of the Greek crisis, European politicians have made the same mistakes as American politicians before the financial and banking crisis of 2008-09, that is to say encourage excessive indebtedness of some economically weak countries with loan guarantees. What really created the conditions for a major financial and banking crisis in the U.S., starting in 1999 when …