Dimitri Β. Papadimitriou (2015) “Greek Debt: Do the Right Thing“, The World Post US, 18 March.   “Greece’s government and people have indulged in excesses and corruption; now it is time to pay the price.” The argument for full repayment of Greece’s debt is well known, easily understood, and widely accepted, particularly in Germany. Sacrifice, austerity and repayment are righteous, fair, and just. That view is coloring this and next …Read More

Palaiologos, Υ. (2015) “It’s Time for Greece’s Left to Get On Board“, Wall Street Journal, 05 March.   Greece’s Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis sent a letter last week to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, president of the group of eurozone finance ministers, outlining the reforms that Athens would push through during the approved four-month extension of the country’s bailout. On the thorny subject of privatization, the letter said that the new government commits …Read More

Cowen, T. (2015) “Why is the Greek government so popular with left-wingers?“, Marginal Revolution Blog, 10 March.   Even though the Greek electorate has elected left-wing leaders, the “the Greek government” hasn’t actually changed all that much.  It is still dysfunctional, corrupt, and very protective of special interests in nationally harmful ways.  Yet I find that if I criticize the Greek government on Twitter I receive many angry, self-righteous comebacks, …Read More

Spiegel, P. (2015) “Will the “troika” return to Athens?”, Financial Times, 09 March.   Among the issues plaguing deliberations over the way forward on Greece’s bailout is how the country’s international creditors can verify its economic and fiscal situation without sending monitors to Athens– which would look very much like the return of the hated “troika”. Alexis Tsipras, the new Greek prime minister, has declared the death of the troika …Read More