3 ms·

Having talked to a few Greek people, it's seems that Greece is European only by their pure presence in the EU. Their police/military human-rights culture (or la

by csomar 3y ago

Having talked to a few Greek people, it's seems that Greece is European only by their pure presence in the EU. Their police/military human-rights culture (or lack there of) seems at par with Tunisia, or maybe even worse. I think most people have assumptions about EU countries where they just classify any EU country as the Netherlands. The article shows that this is not a case of a rogue coast-guard but that the whole system in Greece is rotten from the inside-out.

giraffe_lady 3y ago
The assumption you're making that the netherlands couldn't or wouldn't do something similar is interesting. I don't know, maybe they wouldn't. France certainly would. Where is the border around "real EU, and thus incapable of atrocity" you're drawing?
- jacquesm 3y ago
  I'm pretty sure they would. We have a pretty strong anti-immigrant movement here and if what happened at the IND and the tax office is any guidance I highly doubt our coastguard would be immune.
  - giraffe_lady 3y ago
    I believe so too. It's a neat arrangement for the northern countries that get to keep their hands clean and humanitarian reputations intact because places like greece and italy do it for them. But if they had to do it they would. The same attitudes and dynamics that allow this to happen in southern europe are also in place in northern europe.
    - jacquesm 3y ago
      It's a textbook case of externalization. For the Northern countries it turns into a line item in the budget, otherwise they can pretend the problem isn't theirs.
m000 3y ago
The EU is very much complacent with the current situation. There will be condemnation, but administrations across EU are very happy for having offloaded the dirty work to Greece and Italy. And funny that you mention the Netherlands, because the Dutch government just resigned because the PM could not pass legislation to further restrict the number of asylum-seekers [1]. If Rutte is so hell-bent for that kind legislation while 2.000km away from the epicenter of the problem, one cannot imagine he would be the paragon of humanism, were the Netherlands closer to it. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66139789 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66139789

by csomar 3y ago

giraffe_lady 3y ago

The assumption you're making that the netherlands couldn't or wouldn't do something similar is interesting. I don't know, maybe they wouldn't. France certainly would. Where is the border around "real EU, and thus incapable of atrocity" you're drawing?

jacquesm 3y ago
I'm pretty sure they would. We have a pretty strong anti-immigrant movement here and if what happened at the IND and the tax office is any guidance I highly doubt our coastguard would be immune.
- giraffe_lady 3y ago
  I believe so too. It's a neat arrangement for the northern countries that get to keep their hands clean and humanitarian reputations intact because places like greece and italy do it for them. But if they had to do it they would. The same attitudes and dynamics that allow this to happen in southern europe are also in place in northern europe.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    It's a textbook case of externalization. For the Northern countries it turns into a line item in the budget, otherwise they can pretend the problem isn't theirs.

m000 3y ago

The EU is very much complacent with the current situation. There will be condemnation, but administrations across EU are very happy for having offloaded the dirty work to Greece and Italy. And funny that you mention the Netherlands, because the Dutch government just resigned because the PM could not pass legislation to further restrict the number of asylum-seekers [1]. If Rutte is so hell-bent for that kind legislation while 2.000km away from the epicenter of the problem, one cannot imagine he would be the paragon of humanism, were the Netherlands closer to it. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66139789 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66139789