THE MASKING OF DEPRIVATION.

        While the media was spewing out images of everybody having a great time over the last week or so, we should remember that nothing has changed, austerity is still the plan. With fireworks, tinsel and an array of nicely wrapped boxes, it is easy to forget the misery inflicted the poor on a daily basis by this austerity and it is still there. Christmas has done nothing for the people of Greece who are still being rapidly pushed down the slope to the pit of deprivation. The media would have you think otherwise, with glowing reports of how the financial Mafia have agreed the terms for the next slice of bailout. Which in fact will never go anywhere near the ordinary people of Greece, it is merely to help out the Greek banksters. Just remember, Greece's today is our tomorrow, unless, of course, we change the system.

This from LibCom:

      As more loans have been released to the Greek state a combination of recent surveys and reports show the true effects of years of austerity. There has been across the board reductions in conditions and living standards for large parts of the Greek population.
       The political and financial worlds have been feeling pretty pleased with themselves recently. The next instalment of loans to the Greek state have been released and the country's credit rating has even improved. The Prime Minister and his government tell us that this means Greece is on the road to recovery. The government and it's international lenders have saved Greece, just in time for Christmas.
In contrast to the official optimism(or delusion) a recent round of reports and surveys shows that the situation is in fact getting worse. Unemployment, corruption, suicide and homeless rates continue to rise as living standards and wages fall.
      The latest unemployment rate is around 26% and is expected to rise further still. 26% of the Greek working population comes to over one million people without work. In addition to this it's also possible that up to 500,000 more are unemployed but not included in official statistics. As the economy is expected to contract further in 2013 we should expect this rate to keep rising.

Read the full article HERE:

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