Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
Friday 10 February 2012
Greece Austerity Deal Hits People Hard
Greece's political leaders have finally reached an agreement on further austerity cuts in order to get a second bailout package worth $170bn from EU and IMF to avoid a looming bankruptcy. EU finance ministers have been meeting in Brussels to discuss the details of the deal, while in Athens thousands of people have been gathering outside parliament against the deal. The deal includes cuts to pensions worth hundreds of millions of dollars, reduction of private-sector wages and termination of 150,000 public sector jobs by 2015. Greek unions have planned a 48-hour strike which is due to begin on Friday. Al Jazeera's John Psaropoulos reports from Athens.
