Frankie, and Angie and Mario and a couple of others graciously accepted Tsipras' suggestion that they all get together while at the same time wondering for what purpose. That should get things going on a real warm note. I asked a guy yesterday who had been involved in this stuff since the Hebrews stiffed the Romans if he thought the Greeks really wanted out and he said he didn't think so but he couldn't really figure out why they were acting in such a manner. "Are they dumb," I suggested or just poorly advised? 'Probably both," said he. "Certainly the latter."
I think he may be right on both counts as today their rock star financed minister revealed that he could not find a copy of the bail-out agreement when he took office and had to wait 3 days before one was delivered. The reason? "Greek ministers take things with them when they leave office." Like bail-out agreements involving the Greek State? Who the hell was working there, Hilliary Clinton? Look, at the end of the day it makes little difference except that when you are asking for a heads-only meeting of a mob that can tell you what they had for breakfast 3 years ago because they saved the menu, don't go around admitting that for the first three days in office you hadn't had a clue about anything that had been agreed except for what you read in the papers but were still prepared to shoot off at the mouth...oh hell, why do I care.
And so, tomorrow Hellas owes Chrissy at the Fund around 350 million Euros and about 1.7 billion to somebody else. They will probably dredge it up from somewhere even if they have to "borrow" from the pension plan. Word to the wise: pay the Fund. If you don't, their future becomes very much in doubt and yours is really stinko as they are the source for the cheapest money around should you ever get another deal done. You can tell everyone else to go fish because they are politicians...but not for long. And then shut up, say all the things they want to hear and maybe, just maybe you get out of this hole, but for God"s sake in the meantime, DROP THE SHOVEL!
Now it must seem that I am piling on the Greeks and rightfully so I would argue because of the fact that they have acted so incompetently throughout the process that it is hard not to be. But stupid knows no nationality. Take the case of the head of the group of Euro finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem (I know, me neither) who said--musingly--yesterday, "Perhaps we need exchange controls..." Tell me genius, do you have a number for the amount of Euros that went flying out of Greece today or is "a lot" sufficient for our purposes? Is there any one in Euroland that can keep this guy locked up for a while? He'll probably be at the meeting tonght. Me? My brackets are still intact, but I wonder what will last longer. My brackets or the Greeks in the Euro Zone? I mean, I'm smarter than this bunch.
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