My Review of "The Full Catastrophe"

4 out of 5 stars

The author, of Greek heritage, goes to Greece to better understand how the nation will cope with the effects of the 2008 financial crash on it and its membership in the EU.

He sees modern Greece as corrupt, with its government, via kickbacks, bribes, etc, providing easy living for all government workers and their descendants. Greeks don't see this as bad, just making up for brutal treatment under the Ottoman Empire. Plus, taxes go underpaid.

Kind of a paradox, a nation as a birthplace of democracy, science and reason, now a dysfunctional government and people who expect to be rewarded.

Meanwhile, those with ties to the government do pretty well, while those tied to the private economy either do well and move money out of Greece, or suffer.

Greece probably cooked the books to get accepted  to the EU and cannot meet reforms because the nation lives on corruption.

Also, past NAZI occupation of Greece during WW2 still evokes passion, such that they see Germany as just the latest evil incarnation of the past, via the austerity wanted in proposed reforms. Talk of WW2 reparations still are prevalent.

The author uses lots of interviews to paint his picture of recent Greece and I recommend the book to better understand Greece in relation to the current financial situation.