Reader emotions rise on surge of German-Greek media squabbles

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I'll not buy German products again. Everything is made in Germany or shops like Lidl. When the EU paid for the unification of eastern with western Germany, then the Greek taxpayers should have said "No!" Germans are the deceivers of the EU by selling low quality tanks and submarines to Greece and then refusing to give back the money! Germans are not as pure as they want to seem! With the euro they destroyed our economies. Our products became expensive and our factories closed. -- Nicholas Fountzilas, Greece

"There are lies, damned lies and Greek statistics." Does any normal person have any confidence whatsoever that successive Greek governments will make any real attempt to reform their country's finances? They have been playing a game of what is effectively state fraud for far too long, abetted by the likes of Goldman Sachs. It's high time they faced the consequences in full. As to the US banks involved, they should be punished by access denial to EU markets. -- Mike, Poland

I wouldn't be surprised if Focus magazine was paid by the Greek government in an effort to derail the discussion of the Greek economy towards anti-German anachronisms. Any reference to Germany is usually accompanied by Nazi images. Discussions are orbiting the money owed by Germany for reparations and the savage acts committed against civilians by German soldiers during the occupation. Focus magazine severely overstepped the bounds and tensions have sparked. Most unfortunate is the fact that the EU is seen as an occupying force and in a very sudden but certain way the Greeks are privately contemplating going to the American-run IMF for economic help. This crisis has put the very fabric of the EU under considerable stress. The inability of the European community to manage crises is more pronounced than ever. Make no mistake this "Greek crisis" can tear the EU to shreds, and if it weren't the Greeks it would be the Spaniards, the Irish or Italians. It seems that Europeans are "friends" only in happiness. -- Stratos, Greece

'Swindlers in the Euro-Family' was the first salvo

Help this country overcome its problems with food and work. They are big boys and must succeed on their own. -- Malcolm Clayton, Canada

Greeks should learn to live within their means, tackle corruption and learn to work efficiently by achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. -- Daniel Maravei, Canada

The phrase from your article "Violent protests and strikes: Greeks oppose government plans" "… most schools and universities were closed … " is only partially true. I work in the administration of the secondary education in one of the largest prefectures with 3,000 teachers, and I can responsibly inform you that there was only 10-percent participation in the strike. All the schools were open. -- Motsios Theodoros, Greece

The proposed bailout is a scandal. The Greeks need to be punished by excluding them from the EU and the euro zone and not bailed-out! What they have done is criminal. Furthermore, they will do it again. Has anybody considered that? Shame on you Germany! -- Arthur Ralli, Great Britain

There have been a number of articles and opinions in the German media and political scene, fueling a quasi-hate campaign against the "Greek thieves" in the "Euro-family." To the extent that it appears as though Greeks live off Germans money. Yes, it's true that big-time corruption has taken a heavy toll in Greece, but it is ordinary Greeks who have been exploited by corrupt ruling elite. It is ordinary Greeks who are paid low wages. It is ordinary Greeks who have a nearly non-existent welfare state, wrecked education system and poor healthcare. It is not the German taxpayer. Further, arguing about whether Germany will "foot the bill" for Greece seems terribly manipulative, since any help would take the form of loans, or guarantees that are repaid back with interest. That is not exactly a blank check signed by the German taxpayer. Further, loans taken out by Greece through the bond market are providing an actual investment for German banks who are harnessing the high interest rates Greece has to pay. And all this seems all the more hypocritical when German exports are fuelled by a weak euro for which again Greece should be punished. As for the discussion on the world war, the issue of the "occupation loans" remains one of the greatest injustices, and yet no one seems to mention it. During the German Occupation, besides the state of ruin and misery Greece was reduced to, it had equally been economically robbed by Germany. This is apart from the issue of war reparations for the loss of lives, wealth or property, which were partly settled. It is about the enforced payments made by Greece to Germany, in order to finance the German war operations. They took the form of loans which the Bank of Greece was ordered to issue to Germany, and which were never paid back. These amounted to roughly 20 billion euros. These are historical facts, well recorded. Even if Greece has never officially ceased to claim them, one guesses that the feeling of solidarity among partners in a common European vision in recent years seemed to sideline these issues and quite rightly so. It seems however that this kind of solidarity is no more, as German officials never fail to mention every time they try to "correct" misbehaving Greece; Justice and fair play seem to have replaced it. Well then, would it not be only just if Greeks start reminding Germany that it is actually Greek money that contributed to German postwar growth, while starving the Greek economy at a time that it needed it most - to recover from the destruction Germany left behind? Next time German officials or media rush to say "not one euro for the Greeks," they'd better be reminded of a 20-billion debt their country owes to the Greek people. Fair play. -- Yiorgos, Great Britain

I want to apologize for the behavior of Greece against our German friends who through all the last years helped us and stood by our country. I consider Germany a good friend of Greece and one of the most civilized and progressive countries. In every visit to Germany I met only polite and nice, friendly people. To my ears statements like "You owe us money from the Nazi years" seem ridiculous and humiliating for my country. I feel shame for the third-world country behavior of my country. -- Kostas Dretakis, Greece

Compiled by Stuart Tiffen
Editor: Nancy Isenson