Sad stories from Greece

Sad stories from Greece

 The talk is all of EFSF, firepower, leverage and haircuts. But amidst all the jargon of the Eurozone crisis, it's easy to forget that there are livelihoods at stake, and that real people are seeing their world turned upside down.

Nowhere more so than in Greece.  So here are a couple of reminders. Somebody sent me this videoclip on twitter. It speaks for itself. We don't expect to see a grandmother out on the streets throwing stones, but it's happening because people in Athens are desperate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OvModwZRWI

And here's an excellent story from my friend Joanna Kakissis, which ran on America's National Public Radio.  

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/10/24/pm-suffering-greek-family/#.TqfPkkdD2_w.facebook

It's just one family, but it's a typical story. Many people in Greece are frightened, and their assumptions about a comfortable future have been shattered. Even if European leaders can agree on a package to avert financial calamity, the pain in Greece will continue for many years to come.