A Greek 'cafe bookstore', no coffee and can't buy books...
- 2 March 2012 14:48157056Just read this on 'The Deep End'...
Megan Greene of Roubini Global Economics gave a straightforward description of the Greek economic system:
"""""Entire professions such as notaries, lawyers, tax men, architects and inspectors have for years had automatic income in that they have formed the layers of bureaucracy involved in doing business in Greece. At least half of the MPs in Greek parliament hail from these industries...""""""
Now what this means is a self-serving system in which she illustrates a practical effect as these professions milk businesses through laws and regulation.
""""""""Sitting down in a café in an Athens bookstore, she orders a coffee - only for the waitress to head straight out the front door:
"My friend explained that the owner of the bookstore/café couldn't get a license to provide coffee... Instead, the owner had to strike a deal with a bar across the street, whereby they make the coffee and the waitress spends all day shuttling between the bar and the bookstore/café. My friend also explained to me that books could not be purchased at the bookstore, as it was after 18h and it is illegal to sell books in Greece beyond that hour. I was in a bookstore/café that could neither sell books nor make coffee.""""""""
You have gotta laugh! - 2 March 2012 14:49157057This came out twice - two threads started, weird, I didn't click twice...
- 2 March 2012 15:03157060"At least half of the MPs in [Greek] parliament hail from these industries..."
[British] read Lawyers and PR fly-boys?
Yes Barry odd things do appear twice; the URL function, for one.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing. - 2 March 2012 15:51157065Have deleted the other thread now BarryW..all fine.
email: dover7@msn.com - 2 March 2012 15:55157067that article on greece could apply to a few other countries where rules and regulations are made to suit the law makers, portugal used to be a case in point.
an example was when someone was arranging an export or import they had to use a licenced customs broker although the forms were fairly simple to complete.
they used to work monday to friday 9 until 5 so any truck arriving or wanting to leave after those hours was stuck. - 2 March 2012 23:44157149That reminds me of the planning authorities in Spain. The planning officers hold great store in the self importance of their position and work at a sort of Willie Bigalow pace. If you hastle them or try and make them go faster they put your application to the bottom of the pile and there is nothing you can do about it.Never give up...