FALSE RELIANCE

"Where the hell were you?"

"I go home. Why?"

"Because you were supposed to call yesterday and tell me what happened.  I waited and waited and had nothing to write."

"Bah, niente.  Thatsa what happened.  Charlie, this is no good.  You don't know,  Nobody knows.  Thatsa why I no call.  So we have this big dinner and meeting and we all kiss, kiss, make love we smile and we all agree.'

"So what do you mean nothing happened?"

"HA!  You think that because we agree, something happened?  We agree to agree but not to do anything."  We coordinate...to hell we do.  All we coordinate is how much that Strega of a Tedesche is and what a stupido of a finance minister.  The English...he say what we all think but he's got his own money.  And the Greeks...one say to me that she wants them to go back to 1942 when they last run Greece.  Only difference this time they no fire a shot!"

"Whew.  So it's come to that.  You know Massimo, she does have a point.  It's Germany's money and the Golden Rule is in play:  if you have the gold you make the rules."

"Ha!  Very funny, ma she really means it.  Look, Charlie, this is all a dream.  Sure, Greece say 'ok come in and run the country,' and what do you think happen then?  Riots, that's what happens.  Ma, she no want to...how you say..."

"Compromise?"

"Si, compromise.  So we all go home and we still talk and talk and talk.  And she no want to buy the bonds that Mario own, so Mario say he do nothing because unless someone buy the bonds he just wait to get paid, and he wait for Portugal and he wait for us.  Mario, hesa tough guy, he no gonna move on this, so we wait until someone talk some sense into her.  He sell the bonds with no profit...he know he has to do that, but his laws say he no can give a discount and Mario is a very serious man.  Of course if he do that here, he must do it for everybody, but if she want a deal that's what have to happen.

"Will it?"

"Ma sure.  What else can we do?  And some overlook..."

"Oversight."

"Si, oversight for Greece come in and as soon as we get past March we all say the hell with that and the Greeks do whatever they want but Italia begin to get better and maybe Portugal is in trouble but we keep that going for months and we talk and talk and talk.  We are good with that, Charlie.

"You sure as hell are.  When does this get done?"

"Who know, who care?  A day, two days, a week?  It get done someway.  You know, Charlie, if we just say the hell with Greece at the beginning we be much better off.  They want to leave, we write a new law so they can leave.  We protect the banks and we go on.  This Union...you know I was a big supporter but now..."

"I know, Massimo.  I know.  Thanks old friend.  Ciao"

"Ciao Charlie,  I call tomorrow, promise."

"No, we're on the road.  Our granddaughter turns 16 this weekend."

"AH!  La Bella! Now that one..."

"MASSIMO!

"Ha Charlie, you forget.  Sono Italiano...SEMPRE!