Cyprus-Forum.com

[Oracle]

But like Cap i have heard nothing of this?.

Like I said ... effective PR and subterfuge; something the Greeks do NOT practice!

This is why you have not heard about the BAE corruption scandal and why the UK continues to get away with the worst atrocities ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6193703.stm

"National security" ..

[Hatter]

But like Cap i have heard nothing of this?.

Like I said ... effective PR and subterfuge; something the Greeks do NOT practice!

This is why you have not heard about the BAE corruption scandal and why the UK continues to get away with the worst atrocities ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6193703.stm

"National security" ..

BOF, Cap, have you heard anything of this ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4812822.stm

[Oracle]

But like Cap i have heard nothing of this?.

Like I said ... effective PR and subterfuge; something the Greeks do NOT practice!

This is why you have not heard about the BAE corruption scandal and why the UK continues to get away with the worst atrocities ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6193703.stm

"National security" ..

BOF, Cap, have you heard anything of this ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4812822.stm

Your link doesn't open any more ... do you mean this one, Hatter?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4812822.stm

[cyprusgrump]

Greek Corruption Booming, Says Transparency International
Corruption is widely regarded as one of the triggers of the Greek debt crisis threatening the euro common currency. A new study by Transparency International suggests that corruption is part of everyday life in Greece, and claims private households paid more than 780 million euros in bribes in 2009.

The Greeks paid an average of €1,355 ($1,830) in bribes last year for public services such as speeding up the issue of driver's licenses and construction permits, getting admitted to public hospitals or manipulating tax returns, according to a new study by Transparency International, the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog.

In 2008, average bribes were even higher, at €1,374, the study said, according to a report in the German daily Die Welt on Tuesday.

Source

[Gasman]

Oracle wrote:

The Greeks are too open and honest

Obviously Greece PM Papandreou doesn't share her view:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8413391.stm

Systemic corruption and clientelism - paying money for political favours - had created a sense of the lack of the rule of law in Greece and accentuated issues such as tax evasion, the prime minister told the BBC.

Mr Papandreou had warned that Greece had "lost every trace of credibility" and needed to "change or sink".

He also called for reforms of the tax inspectorate, designed to remove corruption and end tax evasion.

Many businesses regard the inspectors as all-powerful protection racketeers who threaten companies with audits and heavy fines unless they pay bribes, says our correspondent.

[Gasman]

03/02/2010

European Debt Crisis
Greek Corruption Booming, Says Transparency International

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,681184,00.html

[Nikitas]

I have been living in Greece for 35 years and always heard that you can "speed things up" if you pay.

Well, I have never had to bribe, and things have never been any slower for me than other people who claim to have bribed. My building permit was issued in 13 months, with no bribes, while others who claim to have bribed got theirs in two years.

That is not to say that things are perfect, there is what to me seems like legalised extortion, like the customs exit payment for goods, a charge levied after you finish your business and haul the stuff out. But there is always a legal receipt issued for that.

As for professionals and tradesmen not giving receipts for services, it is like the UK. You sometimes have a choice, receipt with VAT or no receipt and no VAT. I have yet to buy goods for which no receipt was issued.

[Hatter]

But like Cap i have heard nothing of this?.

Like I said ... effective PR and subterfuge; something the Greeks do NOT practice!

This is why you have not heard about the BAE corruption scandal and why the UK continues to get away with the worst atrocities ...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6193703.stm

"National security" ..

BOF, Cap, have you heard anything of this ?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4812822.stm

Your link doesn't open any more ... do you mean this one, Hatter?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4812822.stm

Yes, I mean this one:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/4812822.stm

The other link used to work also, linking to the same page.

Interesting that there was no response w.r.t. the web page of that link from the generalisers on the moral high ground (or that is where they think they are)

[BOF]

If you are referring to me Hatter I dont sit at the PC all day, Lifes too short.
That report is from 2007, been and gone and forgotten, there have been much bigger fish to catch and publicly fry since then!!

But how do you know i take the moral high ground,(or think i do) when i have not expressed a personal opinion on the rights or wrongs of either article, merely expressed puzzlement that BAE would sell another countries aircraft for it?

[Hatter]

If you are referring to me Hatter I dont sit at the PC all day, Lifes too short.
That report is from 2007, been and gone and forgotten, there have been much bigger fish to catch and publicly fry since then!!

But how do you know i take the moral high ground,(or think i do) when i have not expressed a personal opinion on the rights or wrongs of either article, merely expressed puzzlement that BAE would sell another countries aircraft for it?

BOF, I was not referring specifically to you. However, since you brought this up : you may not have expressed an opinion on the rights or wrongs of either article directly, but you expressed an opinion on one of the comments: you did not merely express puzzlement about BAE, you effectively dismissed a comment by attributing it to a pattern of "praise the Greeks, bash the British".

BTW, on at least one thing we agree, that life is too short to sit at the PC all day. So I hope you will forgive the delay of this reply.