Greek Crisis Forces Thousands Of Athenians Into Rural Migration

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/greek-crisis-athens-rural-migration

High in the hills of Arcadia, in a big stone house on the edge of this village overlooking verdant pastures and a valley beyond, a group of young Athenians are busy rebuilding their lives.

Until recently Andritsaina was not much of a prospect for urban Greeks.

"But that," said Yiannis Dikiakos, "was before Athens turned into the explosive cauldron that it has become. We woke up one day and thought we've had enough. We want to live the real Greece and we want to live it somewhere else."

Piling his possessions into a Land Rover and trailer, the businessman made the 170-mile journey to Andritsaina last month. As he drove past villages full of derelict buildings and empty homes, along roads that wound their way around rivers and ravines, he did not look back.

"Athens has failed its young people. It has nothing to offer them any more. Our politicians are idiots … they have disappointed us greatly," said Dikiakos who will soon be joined by 10 friends who have also decided to escape the capital.

Christ if the all decide to go for the easy cheaper lifestyle the economy is never going to recover enough to pay the debt back.

[izzy]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/greek-crisis-athens-rural-migration

Christ if the all decide to go for the easy cheaper lifestyle the economy is never going to recover enough to pay the debt back.

Title says thousands, quote says one bloke and his ten mates.

The article also quotes one woman moaning that they can't make it on 2000 euros a month income. Greeks always quote income in net, so we can assume that 2000 euros in the pocket. She says they can't afford meat more than once a week. Why the hell not? Sounds like Greek moaning to me. As for people leaving Athens, that's been steadily happening over the last decade. Look at the development of East Attika: just a few small towns 20 years ago, now a massive conurbation.

Edited May 13, 2011 by izzy

[crash2006]

They simply cannot find jobs in a service-oriented economy that depends on low-paid cheap labour.

this says it all.

[OnlyMe]

this says it all.

I think the financial dislocation caused assetized housing costs, global labour arbitrage, wage differntials and now forced inflation/devaluation is only getting worse by the day. Almost eveything has been done to increase (or maintain) the dislocations. The consumer driven economy and the share of income / spread of ougoings that made it tick for decades is done. Increased debt and public sector expenditure (more) debt hide the problem but it will keep on hitting the buffers right left and centr over the world until the disloations are resolved or the system collapses, again and again and again, with increasing regularity.

[tahoma]

Expect thousands more to 'Go Galt' like this.

If effort>reward, don't expect people to convert themselves into a giant teat for the state to suck on.

[EmmaRoid #FBPE#JC4PM#GTTO]

This has been discussed before on here. If all those Athenians with family and land in the countryside just decide to kick back and spend a few years out of the eat race, there's no way Jerry will get his money back.

[council dweller]

This has been discussed before on here. If all those Athenians with family and land in the countryside just decide to kick back and spend a few years out of the eat race, there's no way Jerry will get his money back.

Yeah, they'll be ok while their dole money keeps coming. Probably around a year....

[Tuberider]

I predicted this in another thread, can't find it now.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/greek-crisis-athens-rural-migration

90% of greeks come from a village and still retain their patriachal homes. in the event of a big crisis, peak oil or whatever, greece will fare far better than the UK as the people have a safety valve. they can return to their ancient villages, fix up their old homes and farm the land.

i think this trend will gain momentum in greece

[winkie]

I predicted this in another thread, can't find it now.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/13/greek-crisis-athens-rural-migration

90% of greeks come from a village and still retain their patriachal homes. in the event of a big crisis, peak oil or whatever, greece will fare far better than the UK as the people have a safety valve. they can return to their ancient villages, fix up their old homes and farm the land.

i think this trend will gain momentum in greece

......not a bad idea, wherever you are....as long as there is a good free source of water available such as from the hills, gravity irrigation shared system.

[Goat]

I predicted this in another thread, can't find it now.

Did you also predict that someone else would start the same thread several hours earlier?

[interestrateripoff]

Yeah, they'll be ok while their dole money keeps coming. Probably around a year....

And then continue working in the black economy?

[winkie]

And then continue working in the black economy?

What swapping wood for tomatoes?