> As someone from the north of Europe this infuriated me. That's because you're not fully using your brain, as they used to say in those "pop science" pieces.

> As someone from the north of Europe this infuriated me. That's because you're not fully using your brain, as they used to say in those "pop science" pieces. Your politicians voted that money in exchange for a few things, such as acquiescence to some political scheme or another, retirement of a fishing fleet or two, 'normalization' of the size of marketeable pears and melons, an easy market for cars, wind turbines and submarines, etc, etc. Let's not even mention the really profitable stuff, such as bank loans and Mickey Mouse rights. Plus, entirely for free, you get an outraged sense of moral superiority over those worthless moochers, which you get to call PIGS in print with no consequences whatsoever, as strange as that may sound. It's a good deal, as the USA have found out in their version of it.