The Los Angeles Times has a story that provides an inside look at the attitudes that have contributed to Greece’s fiscal collapse. Let’s start with Olga Stefou, who is a good (or bad) symbol for her nation’s downfall. She protests in favor of bigger government, naively asserting that the budget shortfall can be solved by pulling 122 troops out of Afghanistan and taxing the Orthodox Church. Olga’s entitlement mentality is not unusual. The story also notes that young Greek women think a government job is the most desirable thing in a potential mate. At the risk of being politically incorrect, the people of Greece (at least the ones in the moocher class) deserve a miserable future.
Olga Stefou is 20. She speaks passable English and studies political science. These days she goes into the streets to shout slogans against the government and the International Monetary Fund. She has no choice, she says: She believes that upon graduation she’ll be lucky to land a job that pays $500 a month. “I’ll be forced to live with my parents and work three jobs,” she said, pausing among the throngs trickling into the street as a recent demonstration got underway. “I’ll be doomed to a fate I haven’t chosen. This is the state of my generation.” Stefou believes that the government is bound to respond to her discontent. And she has suggestions: Greece should make up its budget shortfall by pulling its 122 troops from Afghanistan and levying steep taxes on the Orthodox Church rather than squeezing the workers, she says. The government is “in some way afraid of us,” Stefou said with a shrug. “There are too many of us.” A hot spring night was creeping over Athens. Thousands of demonstrators packed the street; many of them looked to be about Stefou’s age. They marched in a slow circle down Stadiou Street to Parliament and then back again, yelling slogans: “Down with the junta of the IMF!” “Euro is here and it makes you poorer!” “Thieves, thieves, banks, stockbrokers and politicians!” …Last year, Michas did a study of Greek marriage agencies. He found that the top attribute sought by middle-class young women in a potential mate was a job in the civil service or the military. Government service has long been prized because of the elaborate set of benefits attached to the position. “This is the mind-set now,” Michas said. “It’s a culture of dependency, first on parents, and it becomes a dependency on the state.”
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] fiscal turmoil in Greece is not about fiscal balance. It’s a fight betweenlooters and moochers such as Olga Stefou, who think taxpayers should endlessly subsidize everything, and the shrinking group of […]
[…] the purpose of today’s attack on Greece. Is it because I think poorly of Greeks? Well, I despise Greek moochers, but I have the same view of French moochers and American moochers, so that’s not the […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] A big problem in Greece is the erosion of social capital, as personified by Olga the Moocher. At some point, as I bluntly warned in an interview, the Greeks need to learn there’s no […]
[…] Let’s start with Olga, a Greek woman who earned membership in the Hall of Fame because she protested against the notion that she should be responsible for her own life since she might have to – gasp! – work more than one job and live at […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] Julia the Moocher earlier this month, linking the Obama campaign’s make-believe leech with a real-world Greek woman who thought the government should take care of […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] wrote a couple of years ago about Olga, a Greek woman who petulantly believed that government was responsible for her empty […]
[…] Julia the Moocher earlier this month, linking the Obama campaign’s make-believe leech with a real-world Greek woman who thought the government should take care of […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] Julia the Moocher earlier this month, linking the Obama campaign’s make-believe leech with a real-world Greek woman who thought the government should take care of […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] wrote a couple of years ago about Olga, a Greek woman who petulantly believed that government was responsible for her empty […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] previously identified some truly despicable people on this blog (Robert Murphy, Michael Wolfensohn, Olga Stefou and the British moocher mom). Well, I think Ashok Agarwal may beat them in the contest to be the […]
[…] wrote a couple of years ago about Olga, a Greek woman who petulantly believed that government was responsible for her empty […]
I wish there more people like Dan in this country. Such common sense is becoming a rare commodity.
Hi would you mind letting me know which hosting company you’re utilizing? I’ve loaded your blog in 3 completely different web browsers and I must say this
blog loads a lot quicker then most. Can you suggest a good web hosting provider at a honest
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Tiana,
there was an economic system where everyone had a secure job.
Manorialism
Unreasonable people make unreasonable demands.
[…] Julia the Moocher earlier this month, linking the Obama campaign’s make-believe leech with a real-world Greek woman who thought the government should take care of […]
[…] in 2010, I declared that Olga Stefou was a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the Greek welfare […]
[…] in 2010, I declared that Olga Stefou was a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the Greek welfare […]
[…] in 2010, I declared that Olga Stefou was a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the Greek welfare […]
It is the state’s obligation to provide security to its citizens. Why pay taxes then if you are not entitled to anything? I think this Greek girl’s reaction is completely logical. If I am supposed to struggle on the market in cruel capitalist conditions, then don’t take any taxes from me. If you want taxes, give me something in return. States cannot take it all from their citizens and then give nothing in return. Why is it wrong to want to have a secure job?
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] maybe I could have used it during the Greek riots, since it captures the entitlement mentality of that nation’s looters and […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
The Greeks lied to get into the Euro. They’ve lied to stay in the Euro. And now it’s “believe us”. Switzerland is not in the EU (for very different reasons). Norway is not in the EU (also for very different reasons). Is it really necessary to have Greece?
[…] I attacked Olga Stefou for symbolizing the looter-class mentality of Greece. […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving public pensions, etc.), it becomes difficult for taxpayers to form a majority coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving public pensions, etc.), it becomes difficult for taxpayers to form a majority coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving public pensions, etc.), it becomes difficult for taxpayers to form a majority coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] (employed in the bureaucracy, living off welfare, receiving pensions, etc), it becomes rather difficult to form a coalition to fix the mess. This may explain why Greek politicians have resisted significant reforms, even though the nation […]
[…] like many welfare recipients, the country of Greece has an entitlement mentality and is now whining and complaining about having to live up to its side of the […]
[…] like many welfare recipients, the country of Greece has an entitlement mentality and is now whining and complaining about having to live up to its side of the […]
[…] like many welfare recipients, the country of Greece has an entitlement mentality and is now whining and complaining about having to live up to its side of the […]
government jobs are still the best when it comes to job security -.-
If only I had a dollar for each time I came to danieljmitchell.wordpress.com! Great post!
Heh I am honestly the first comment to your amazing article?!
The entitlement mentality is very pervasive in this generation. It’s hand it to me rather than go after it yourself. It’s like screaming “I’m hungry” in a crowded room and expecting someone to do something about it.
Those of us who have lived in Greece realize that…
Unfortunately, in a typical chicken and egg paradigm, Ms. Olga Stefou is both the cause AND result of Greece’s decline.
I sound like a broken record again, but after a few iterations of the vicious cycle:
(1)–> [muted incentives to produce] –>
(2)–> [economic decline brings voter under financial stress] –>
(3) –> [voter goes to the polls to ask for more government help, i.e. even more muted incentives to produce] –> (1)
Ms. Olga Stefou’s behavior becomes the norm rather than the exception amongst voters.
The endgame becomes, who’s going to use the democratic political process to become the government’s crony who benefits most from the work of an ever shrinking pool of productive people. The irony is that perhaps a majority of voters do actually understand that things are getting worse with every new election, but nobody seems to muster the nerve to forgo the promise of immediate redistribution for an overall more prosperous future. Then, there are always enough cronies around (like the Greek church) to blame and hope that simple redistribution from the cronies to the moochers will somehow solve a problem whose root cause is muted incentives to engage in high value work, and the resulting low production.
In other words, the decline process itself creates mentalities like Ms. Stefou’s thus creating a vicious cycle. Those of you Americans who think that this country is immune to such a fate should think again. The Smiths and the Joneses are going to start behaving just like the Stefouses.