Monday, July 6, 2015

Remember, just last Thursday, when Varoufakis threatened to quit if the Greek people voted "YES?" So they listen to him and voted "NO" and he still quits!


What kind of behavior is this? Does this speak to a timid, confused, mousy man or, what?

LAST THURSDAY, Varoufakis threatened to quit if the Greek people voted "YES."

So they listened to him and voted as he wished--NO--and what does he do? He fucking quits.

This is another example of the type of pathetic, useless, completely confused leadership of the left the world over. It is sooooo  fucking easy for the Conservatives and neoliberals to run the left around and herd them like a bunch of sheep.

They're laughing now...absolutely laughing their asses off.

Like I said, Alexander the Great is rolling over in his grave at this pathetic display of mousy-ness.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike, can you even read? Varoufakis was canned; he didn't just "quit". What was he supposed to do, barricade himself in his office after Tsipras showed him the door?

mike norman said...

Dan, stop with the "I'm smarter than everyone" routine. It's getting really annoying.

Tom Hickey said...

Dan is right. Tsipras asked YV to leave for the good of the country so he dutifully fell on his sword.

mike norman said...

Dan may be right, but he scolds everybody. WTF?

mike norman said...

Somebody please buy a copy of this and send it to Varoufakis. Please. He needs it.

Malmo's Ghost said...

Varoufakis was the epitome of a loose cannon. I'm glad he's gone. Hope the put in a shrewd Machiavellian to replace him.

Matt Franko said...

Yeah but Tom the result there is AT is letting the ordos dictate his personnel in his own Administration... not good... it shows weakness...

This is like Bush letting Rummy go after his second mid-term... which he lost...

iow, Bush says before the mid-term: "Rummy is my guy vote for me...." then Bush loses the mid-term and Rummy is gone the next morning...

if Bush "won" his mid-term in his second term... Rummy stays... NO WAY Rummy goes if GOP wins that mid-term in fact we probably amp up the GWOT... and under Rummy...

So if YV says: "vote yes and I'll go..." and then they vote 'no', he's gotta stay...

This is how democracy is supposed to work...

Anonymous said...

Dan may be right, but he scolds everybody. WTF?

I scold everybody? Oh boo-hoo Mike. I thought you were some kind of wolf or tiger or something. Did I hurt your feelings? Why don't you stop screaming and whining for a change and think things through for at least 30 seconds before posting gibberish.

Matt Franko said...

Mal he was allegedly this "game theory" expert or something.... didnt look like it helped... rsp,

Anonymous said...

Varoufakis was the epitome of a loose cannon.

Exactly. He was a good guy, but too opinionated and completely unsuitable for carrying out the kinds of negotiations he was in charge of. Greece needs one voice in its negotiations - which has to be Tsipras - and a seasoned professional negotiator to carry that message into the meetings.

Malmo's Ghost said...

Mike's point regarding the left's feckless ability to govern effectively is the larger point. Too many prominent leftists have a long sordid history of leading countries like bulls in a china shop.

Malmo's Ghost said...

...and by being critical of the left in no way implies I'm a Bircher sympathizer.

mike norman said...

Get over yourself, Dan.

Tom Hickey said...

Yeah but Tom the result there is AT is letting the ordos dictate his personnel in his own Administration... not good... it shows weakness...

Then blame Tsipras, not Varoufakis. It's clear from what YV reports that Tsipras asked YV to resign and he did. I see no reason to doubt him on this.

NeilW said...

They are trying a different negotiating tactic in this round - which will be a short round unless the ECB takes its boot of their throat.

Personally I would have concentrated my firepower on neutralising the ECB's weaponry first and tied them up in injunctions. Once the ECB realised it was potentially on the hook for billions of Euros it might get a little less testy in its operations.

mike norman said...

Right, Malmo, the left concedes every single time.

Random said...

Neil, I am lost at why they have not tried to sue the ECB for their sabotage.

roberto said...

What I believe Mike, is that Tsipras is not strong enought to get out from Euro and return to Dracma, so he wants to negotiate with those bandits of the EU commission. For sure Merkel, Schäuble and Junker asked as first Varoufakis' head.
This will not be the freedom for European people, this will be another blow of new taxes cause they will say "Hey look, we've been forced the relieve Greek debt, and OF COURSE you must pay with new taxes. Don't think to come out from Euro, otherwise consequences will be sooo painful".
This is nothing less than a mafia warning.

Unknown said...

Anybody know this guy? Oxford economics??

http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150706/1024286139.html?utm_source=t.co%2FahPnY31kDB&utm_medium=short_url&utm_content=yKJ&utm_campaign=URL_shortening

John said...

Whoever was finance minister for the past six months would have resigned. Varoufakis was the human shield: he'd battle all the knuckleheaded EZ finance ministers to no avail. Given Syriza's pro-euro position, he achieved as much as was humanly possible. Varoufakis went in to the negotiations believing his counterparts were rational agents. They're not. All the game theory in the world can't will prove useless when dealing with irrational dimwits.

Although Tsipras is spineless and foolish in allowing the EZ to force out his finance minister, the resignation was coming. Tsakalatos replaced Varoufakis some time ago as Greece's negotiator with the troika. The EZ had enough of how stubborn Varoufakis was and demanded his replacement, to which Tsipras relented rather then telling Varoufakis to be more belligerent. That wasn't enough, though, and it seems the EZ wanted Varoufakis's head too. It won't be long before they'll demand Tsakalatos's head, and presumably Tsipras will supply another silver platter.

I think it was James Galbraith who reported that Varoufakis was asked to stop explaining macroeconomics to the EZ finance ministers. Presumably they couldn't make head or tail of macroeconomics, international trade and finance, but more important it was irrelevant. All they were interested in was hearing Greece say "Yes'm, I be mighty good from now on bass".

Surely Varoufakis will write a book describing his term as finance minister. "Mr Varoufakis Goes To Brussels" would make a nice title.

Syriza's problem is that it has at no stage explained to the Greek public that it may be necessary to leave the EZ. At the very least, it would have been a good negotiating position. You don't have much of a hand to play if you tell the other players in advance that no matter what you'll continue to play the game written by all the hustlers at the table.

Syriza MP and professor of economics Costas Lapavitsas has an article of this month's Le Monde Diplomatique arguing for EZ exit.