Article of the day: Samaras pledges asset sales.

And I quote: “Sweeping state asset sales” of rail transport and energy. Cue: the Greek drama.

The Opposition

Firstly, Syriza (the opposition) says it will jail the current coalition for selling state assets when it takes power. For selling state assets for “peanuts”.

The opposition’s opposition is noted.

Secondly: conspiracy.

The Conspiracy

The rumour on the Greek grape vine is that the last three years have all been a Giant Plot* to steal the oil reserves that have been hidden in the Aegean and kept out of the public media so that we don’t know that it’s going on. Read this article to learn more**.

This is in spite of over 200 drilling attempts in the past that found nothing. Greek officials maintain that this was just a result of bad drilling.

[raises eyebrow]

But on the other hand, Greece has been accepting bids for oil drilling. And it has received 8 so far, as announced last week. How awesome – if Schlumberger and co. are prepared to pay money for rights to gas and oil reserves that may or may not exist – let them.

Should Greece sell assets?

On a less-conspiratorial note, the plan to sell state assets does seem to make sense. What do you do when you’re in a bind? You sell stuff. Homes. Cars. The music collection. Your body.

You also cut back on the spending. In fact – that tends to be the first thing to happen.

Because otherwise, you’re selling capital to pay for expenses.

And selling a kidney because you’d rather eat sushi (instead of two-minute noodles)… Well that’s not really clever now, is it?

So, um, before Greece sells Crete, let’s just hope that they will use the money to get out of the bind permanently; and NOT just to continue with the government spending status quo.

I’d cross my fingers. And toes. And legs and arms.

*Perpetrated by the Germans. And/or the Russians. And/or America. And/or the Turks. And/or Israel. Etc.

**or actually, to learn less. The author of said article has loosely compiled “facts”, suppositions, rumours, and a large number of allegedlies without the “allegedly”. And it STILL doesn’t make sense. The clown.