Tag Archives: greek debt crisis

Some Damn Fool Thing

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In 1909 Norman Angell published a book titled The Great Illusion, in which he argued that Europe, and the world, was now so intertwined financially and culturally that war was unthinkable. And we all know what happened five years later. Bismarck said war would come from some damn fool thing in the Balkans, and he was right. And it is happening again, this time in Greece, with debt default looming over Europe and the world, a default by the Greek government that could bring down the financial structure of the entire world. The last damn fool thing in the Balkans brought on world War 1 and the destruction of five world empires, the German, the Ottoman, the French, the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian, with the British empire lasting only another twenty-five years. And this time the collapse of empires may well include us.

 

 

The deer walk softly through the wood

Alert for danger, does and fawns

Small men stride worlds where giants stood

Outlined in light from pale false dawns

We know what’s right, the small men smile

We know what’s right, we know what’s good

And so they take us that last mile

There is no danger in the wood

 

 

Writing On The Wall

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The people of Greece continue to torch cars and shops, stone police and demand an end to the IMF bailout that requires them to give up some of the bloated pensions and holidays a benevolent socialist government has bestowed on them using borrowed money they had no intention of paying back. It has all come to a head, the debt crisis is upon Greece and all of Europe, and by extension the United States, and if Greece collapses economically it will drag down Germany and France and then the rest of Europe. None of this matters to the rioters. They want their pensions and vacations and don’t care that those are not flowers on the wall, but darkening shadows and grim writing.

 

 

Yes there’s shadows on the wall

It don’t bother me at all

I will sing and dance till dawn

For tomorrow I’ll be gone

Sipping wine and cutting roses for the table feast

Yes the sun will rise tomorrow though not in the East

Yes there’s writing on the wall

It don’t bother me at all

If it crashes let it burn

It’s all right, I’ve had my turn

Let the people who come after clean the stinking mess

I will dance and sing and sip my wine for I confess

I know there’s shadows on the wall

And it don’t bother me at all

I see the writing on the wall

And it don’t bother me at all