On Greece: Plus Ça Change, Plus C’est la Même Chose

People keep asking me what I think about Europe’s most recent crisis (read: Greece). Well, my sentiments are exactly the same as they were in April 2012, when my Globe Asia column was titled: “China and Greece – Here We Go Again.”

Here’s what I wrote on Greece: “And if you think the political chattering classes in the U.S. are dangerous, take a look at Europe, where the elites are fighting economic reality with all their might — a fight they will lose. Indeed, they have built an economic doomsday machine. And when it comes to Greece, don’t fool yourselves into believing that the recent huge debt restructuring exercise will allow Europe’s politicos to pull their chestnuts out of the fire. Greece’s annual broad money (M3) growth rate has been in negative territory for every month since February 2010, and it is currently contracting at a fantastic 17.5%. In the words of former President George W. Bush (not Yogi Berra): ‘This sucker is going down.’ You can forget all the calculations and soothing noises coming from Europe.”

Yes. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

Author Steve H. Hanke