July 05, 2015

Greece referendum: Monty Python sketch perfectly explains the Greek debt crisis

Many top English-speaking economists are either alarmed or aghast over Europe's handling of the crisis in Greece. Several Nobel Prize winners say it has been exacerbated, time and again, by an unnecessarily rigid approach by Germany, Europe's economic powerhouse and decision-maker. Greece simply cannot repay its debts, economists argue, no matter how much the country slashes public services or raises taxes. So by insisting it keep on trying, the thinking goes, Germany seems to be intent on punishing Greece. The Germans see it differently, saying what they are doing may be painful, but necessary, to get the country on a sustainable footing for the long term. To understand the massive gap in opinion, it might help to watch a Monty Python sketch from 1974 about a soccer match between Germany and Greece.
(independent)


4 comments:

Noor al Haqiqa said...

Back in the day, comedy was CLEVER! Witty... even... dare I say it? FUNNY!

"Two Broke Girls" or "Mike and Molly" (Neither of which I have watched for a moment) just do not compare!

sigil said...

Absolutely right Noor!
There was a show in the late 80's called Frank's Place here in US.
It received Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series yet was cancelled after only 1 season.
Plot written around an intelligent, well educated black man who had to leave the north and go south because of family issues and his coping with southern culture.
It was witty. It was funny. It didn't last.
Are people now so dumbed-down that they can no longer appreciate wit?
Seems so.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank%27s_Place

Henry said...

There is no "Nobel" prize for economics. It's all part of the bullshit. All part of the con.

The official title in Swedish is: Sveriges riksbanks pris i ekonomisk vetenskap till Alfred Nobels mine - In English: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

It was established in 1968 (73 years after the introduction of the Nobel prizes) by the Swedish central bank whence they created an endowment "in perpetuity".

Moreover, Alfred Nobel's family reject the claim that it is a Nobel prize...

Controversies and criticisms

"Some critics argue that the prestige of the Prize in Economics derives in part from its association with the Nobel Prizes, an association that has often been a source of controversy. Among them is the Swedish human rights lawyer Peter Nobel, a great-grandson of Ludvig Nobel. Nobel criticizes the awarding institution of misusing his family's name, and states that no member of the Nobel family has ever had the intention of establishing a prize in economics."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Memorial_Prize_in_Economic_Sciences#Controversies_and_criticisms

Scorpio said...

Brilliant! Compare this with the garbage flowing over the airwaves now. Basic knowledge of philosophy and history are required to even understand the humor. #decline-of-western-civilization