We are not going to get any more clarity about Greece during trading hours today. After Greek officials pledged to implement the last requested measures of austerity for the bailout tranche, the troika turned into Missouri, said "show me" and demanded parliamentary approval of those measures.
Since that deal setback, one of the Greek coalition members has dropped out of the pledge and they can't even organize a cabinet meeting right now.
This was a pretty big change of tone, even by the standards of these calamitous negotiations. The meeting in Brussels must have been something. I'm seeing Germany playing The Big Lebowski to Greece's Dude.
Germany: Did I run up your debt-to-GDP ratio?
Greece: You mean, did you personally come and run up my --
Germany: Hello! Do you speak German? Parla usted Alemane? I'll say it again. Did I run up your debt-to-GDP ratio?
Greece: No, like I said, the previous government --
Germany: Hello! So, every time -- I just want to understand this -- every time a country is on the brink of default in our fair eurozone, we have to compensate --
Greece: Come on man, we're not trying to scam anybody here, --
Germany: You're just looking for a handout like every other Southern European -- are you austere, eurozoner?
Greece: Look, let me explain something. I'm not the eurozone. You're the eurozone. I'm Greece. So that's what you call me. That, or Greco, His Greeceness, or El Grecorino if you're not into the whole brevity thing.
Eventually the meeting deteriorates even more and as Greece storms off, Germany shouts "Create a job, sir! The GREEKS will always lose!"
Again, there is a need for a facilitator. Someone has to step up, be Brandt and let Greece take any rug in the house and take the blame.
Meanwhile, the Greek police union is acting like the sheriff of Malibu and threatening to issue arrest warrants for EU and IMF officials.
"Stay out of Athens, IMF!"
