Very flattered Johnny, thanks, I'm already taken by a German mind ...

That said, she's not of the same view as Frau Merkel. I've come across credible individuals - Martin Wolf at the FT - [Link] - as well as Stiglitz - noting that it's about power because it's about banks. It is the French and German banks which are getting most of the bailout money - their governments are protecting their banks. Banks making a risky investment, they take the blame for that as well as Greek laxity and systemic issues.

That's the same lot of banks involved in all of the miss - selling, and incontinent financial complexity. Are they really worth honouring to this extent?

Why not just pay them back a little less, so that the Greek economy can actually grow?

The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.

Will I be right or wrong to have bought my holiday euros on friday as opposed to waiting until tomorrow/tuesday?!

It's too late for deals - every hand the Greeks have played they've over bid the contract, busted flush, time to stack the deck and start playing for sweeties on their own.

I was reading earlier that a lot of Greek professionals are off to Aussie and Canada, if the diaspora continues there will be no wealth creators left.

This article puts an interesting perspective on what has become a genuine Greek tragedy.

[Link]