ROGER EBERT: "I DO NOT FEAR DEATH".... A FAREWELL, IN HIS OWN WORDS, TO THE MAN WHO LOVED MOVIES...

Roger Ebert  June 18, 1942-April 4, 2013 (Credit: Twitter)

Roger Ebert was always a great friend of Salon's. We're deeply saddened by reports of his death, and are re-printing this essay, from his book "Life Itself: A Memoir," which we think fans will take particular comfort in reading now.

I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear. I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. I am grateful for the gifts of intelligence, love, wonder and laughter. You can’t say it wasn’t interesting. My lifetime’s memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.

I don’t expect to die anytime soon. But it could happen this moment, while I am writing. I was talking the other day with Jim Toback, a friend of 35 years, and the conversation turned to our deaths, as it always does. “Ask someone how they feel about death,” he said, “and they’ll tell you everyone’s gonna die. Ask them, In the next 30 seconds? No, no, no, that’s not gonna happen. How about this afternoon? No. What you’re really asking them to admit is, Oh my God, I don’t really exist. I might be gone at any given second.”

Me too, but I hope not. I have plans. Still, illness led me resolutely toward the contemplation of death. That led me to the subject of evolution, that most consoling of all the sciences, and I became engulfed on my blog in unforeseen discussions about God, the afterlife, religion, theory of evolution, intelligent design, reincarnation, the nature of reality, what came before the big bang, what waits after the end, the nature of intelligence, the reality of the self, death, death, death.

Many readers have informed me that it is a tragic and dreary business to go into death without faith. I don’t feel that way. “Faith” is neutral. All depends on what is believed in. I have no desire to live forever. The concept frightens me. I am 69, have had cancer, will die sooner than most of those reading this. That is in the nature of things. In my plans for life after death, I say, again with Whitman:

I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,

If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.

And with Will, the brother in Saul Bellow’s “Herzog,” I say, “Look for me in the weather reports.”

Raised as a Roman Catholic, I internalized the social values of that faith and still hold most of them, even though its theology no longer persuades me. I have no quarrel with what anyone else subscribes to; everyone deals with these things in his own way, and I have no truths to impart. All I require of a religion is that it be tolerant of those who do not agree with it. I know a priest whose eyes twinkle when he says, “You go about God’s work in your way, and I’ll go about it in His.”

What I expect to happen is that my body will fail, my mind will cease to function and that will be that. My genes will not live on, because I have had no children. I am comforted by Richard Dawkins’ theory of memes. Those are mental units: thoughts, ideas, gestures, notions, songs, beliefs, rhymes, ideals, teachings, sayings, phrases, clichés that move from mind to mind as genes move from body to body. After a lifetime of writing, teaching, broadcasting and telling too many jokes, I will leave behind more memes than many. They will all also eventually die, but so it goes.

O’Rourke’s had a photograph of Brendan Behan on the wall, and under it this quotation, which I memorized:

I respect kindness in human beings first of all, and kindness to animals. I don’t respect the law; I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer.

That does a pretty good job of summing it up. “Kindness” covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn’t always know this and am happy I lived long enough to find it out.

One of these days I will encounter what Henry James called on his deathbed “the distinguished thing.” I will not be conscious of the moment of passing. In this life I have already been declared dead. It wasn’t so bad. After the first ruptured artery, the doctors thought I was finished. My wife, Chaz, said she sensed that I was still alive and was communicating to her that I wasn’t finished yet. She said our hearts were beating in unison, although my heartbeat couldn’t be discovered. She told the doctors I was alive, they did what doctors do, and here I am, alive.

Do I believe her? Absolutely. I believe her literally — not symbolically, figuratively or spiritually. I believe she was actually aware of my call and that she sensed my heartbeat. I believe she did it in the real, physical world I have described, the one that I share with my wristwatch. I see no reason why such communication could not take place. I’m not talking about telepathy, psychic phenomenon or a miracle. The only miracle is that she was there when it happened, as she was for many long days and nights. I’m talking about her standing there and knowing something. Haven’t many of us experienced that? Come on, haven’t you? What goes on happens at a level not accessible to scientists, theologians, mystics, physicists, philosophers or psychiatrists. It’s a human kind of a thing.

Someday I will no longer call out, and there will be no heartbeat. I will be dead. What happens then? From my point of view, nothing. Absolutely nothing. All the same, as I wrote to Monica Eng, whom I have known since she was six, “You’d better cry at my memorial service.” I correspond with a dear friend, the wise and gentle Australian director Paul Cox. Our subject sometimes turns to death. In 2010 he came very close to dying before receiving a liver transplant. In 1988 he made a documentary named “Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh.” Paul wrote me that in his Arles days, van Gogh called himself “a simple worshiper of the external Buddha.” Paul told me that in those days, Vincent wrote:

Looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map.

Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?

Just as we take a train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star. We cannot get to a star while we are alive any more than we can take the train when we are dead. So to me it seems possible that cholera, tuberculosis and cancer are the celestial means of locomotion. Just as steamboats, buses and railways are the terrestrial means.

To die quietly of old age would be to go there on foot.

That is a lovely thing to read, and a relief to find I will probably take the celestial locomotive. Or, as his little dog, Milou, says whenever Tintin proposes a journey, “Not by foot, I hope!”

(Credit: GETTY IMAGES).

Roger Ebert's latest books are "Life Itself: A Memoir," "The Great Movies III."MORE ROGER EBERT.http://www.salon.com/2011/09/15/roger_ebert/

"PROTO THEMA" SCOOP: INSIDE INFO AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION IN CYPRUS. OVER 400M EUROS WITHDRAWN FROM LAIKI BANK 15 DAYS BEFORE "INSOLVENCY", FROM 132 COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS (LET ALONE THE OTHER BANKS)

SOURCE:
http://www.protothema.gr/politics/article/?aid=267996

THE STORY OF RUBIE: THE ATHENIAN, BARKING AT THE TROIKA DELEGATES, DOG THAT REFUSED TO DIE! HOW HE WAS RESCUED, THE VERY LAST MOMENT, BY SOCIAL MEDIA AND ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS!

Amidst all the despair, misery and depression in the human population of Athens a stray dog, Rubie, made the difference and dared just to bark against the Troika delegation visiting the Ministry of Finance. Like every real dog would do.

Enter the genius mayor of Athens, in a lunch break after his outrageous decision to shut down 80 theaters for building department violations (so he can transform them to bars and night clubs overnight), and his cohorts, found the solution to all the harsh problems that the bankrupt city of Athens is facing: RUBIE HAD TO DIE ASAP. No questions asked.

But social media and animal rights activists campaigned hard and asked  lots of questions and the Byzantine regime of the city of Athens mumbled, and stepped back out of fear of a public backlash.

Rubie was rescued. And these days he is alive, healthy and barking on the same old spot at the Marie Antoinettes of the European Union and IMF that continue the looting of Greece.

THE MONSANTO PROTECTION ACT: PROVISION PROTECTS GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEEDS FROM LITIGATION IN THE FACE OF HEALTH RISKS....

The provision protects genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks and has thus been dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act” 

Updated, March 28: A number of readers have requested to know exactly where in the HR 933 they might find the provision dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act.” It is Section 735 in the bill, the full text of which can be read here.

 Original post: Slipped into the Agricultural Appropriations Bill, which passed through Congress last week, was a small provision that’s a big deal for Monsanto and its opponents. The provision protects genetically modified seeds from litigation in the face of health risks and has thus been dubbed the “Monsanto Protection Act” by activists who oppose the biotech giant. President Barack Obama signed the spending bill, including the provision, into law on Tuesday

Since the act’s passing, more than 250,000 people have signed a petition opposing the provision and a rally, consisting largely of farmers organized by the Food Democracy Now network, protested outside the White House Wednesday. Not only has anger been directed at the Monsanto Protection Act’s content, but the way in which the provision was passed through Congress without appropriate review by the Agricultural or Judiciary Committees. The biotech rider instead was introduced anonymously as the larger bill progressed — little wonder food activists are accusing lobbyists and Congress members of backroom dealings.

The Food Democracy Now and the Center for Food are directing blame at the Senate Appropriations Committee and its chairman, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md. According to reports, many members of Congress were apparently unaware that the “Monsanto Protection Act” even existed within the spending bill, HR 933; they voted in order to avert a government shutdown.

“It sets a terrible precedent,” noted the International Business Times. “Though it will only remain in effect for six months until the government finds another way to fund its operations, the message it sends is that corporations can get around consumer safety protections if they get Congress on their side. Furthermore, it sets a precedent that suggests that court challenges are a privilege, not a right.”

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/27/how_the_monsanto_protection_act_snuck_into_law/

FREE JOHN MCTIERNAN: The Die Hard with a Vengeance and Thomas Crown Affair director, is going to be sent to prison on April 3rd....

JOIN THE FACEBOOK CAMPAIGN AGAINST SENDING TO PRISON FOR ONE YEAR  JOHN MCTIERNAN...

The excellent and well documented article from the French news magazine L'Express, with a new perspective on the hidden side of John McTiernan's case is now totally translated for our english friends.

John McTiernan : Behind the case.

The Die Hard with a Vengeance and Thomas Crown Affair director, is going to be sent to prison on April 3rdfor perjury and lying to the FBI. A source close to the family relates the story of the case which ruined John McTiernan's career.

By Sandra Benedetti.

Snow is twirling down in gusts on Wyoming. In the outhouse of a ranch where cow boys were once running away from Sioux' arrows, a man with tormented wrinkles is writing the story of a bunch of flying firemen. He named it Warbirds. It is a script on which John McTiernan is working, with anxiety on his mind. Two weeks from now, on April 3rd, at exactly midnight, the director of Die Hard and The 13th Warrior will have to surrender to the authorities.

He has been sentenced to a year in prison, a $100 000 fine and 3 years probation for having lied on two occasions to the FBI and for committing perjury in front of a court of law. The conclusion of an old case which has ruined the career of this lone bear, at the polar opposite of the Hollywood noise, a kind of cinematic maverick turned outcast since 2006.

It all started in 2000 on the set of Rollerball. What should have been, in the mind of McTiernan, a modern Spartacus was turning into a nightmare. Thugs were extorting the crew, a fire of undetermined origin destroyed the set and the accountant, terrified, took off. The filmmaker and his producer, Charles Roven, both had their finger on the trigger. Roven didn't give a damn about Spartacus and wanted a simple "whiz-bang" action film, basically. McT suspected him of plotting a first class sabotage with the help of the MGM moguls.

Desperate, he hired a professional with whom he already dealt in 1998 during his divorce from Donna Dubrow : Anthony Pellicano. This tuxedo and shined shoes wearing, unsavoury character dresses like Al Capone, is the private detective that the City of Angels goes to when things go awry. A big shot, with links to the mafia. "When you are one of his friends, you are part of his family. If you're not, then you have a big problem" according to Sylvester Stallone.

Michael Jackson, Kevin Costner, Tom Cruise, Courtney Love, Stevie Wonder, agents and film star lawyers, moguls and even Hillary Clinton are among his clients. He is nicknamed "the sin eater". He his a man of many specialties. Blackmail, threats, illegal wiretaps, spying, corruption and various falsifications. And all very 'hush hush ». On the phone, John McTiernan asked Pellicano to find out what Charles Roven and MGM were plotting regarding Rollerball.

No problem, that'll be $50 000, thanks, see you soon.

The film, butchered indeed in the editing room by Roven, came out in 2002 to disastrous reviews. This very same year, the FBI raided Anthony Pellicano's place. A Los Angeles journalist had pressed charges : she had found a dead fish, a red rose and the word "Stop" on the broken windshield of her Audi. In mafia parlance, this is a death threat. She was sniffing around in the life of two of Pellicano's clients and was sure that this was where the threat came from.

The cops quickly apprehended a small time crook, Alexander Proctor, who admitted to the felony and pointed the finger at the private detective. In the den of the sin eater, agents took possession of hard drives, computers, hand grenades, hand guns, explosives, assault weapons, CDs, thousand of pages of telephone conversation transcripts and gadgets worthy of James Bond. Arrested for illegal possession of military grade weaponry, Pellicano is sentenced to 30 months in prison. Just the time it will take the FBI to go through this mountain of evidence.

On February the 13th 2006, John McTiernan was having dinner in his Wyoming based ranch. A source close to the family tells that the director had came back the day before from a location scouting in Thailand and was suffering from typhoid fever and serious jet lag. In one account, one of the judges of the appeal court indicates that the scouting took place in Canada. Anyway. The phone rang and, feverish or not, exhausted or not, McT took the call. A guy saying he is from the FBI asked him questions about Pellicano and lawyer Dennis Wasser, which the director had previously hired during his divorce from Donna Dubrow. He wanted to know if McT had knowledge of the detective's illegal wire-tapping. The answer was no.

« Journalists often called pretending to be somebody else, a close member of the family remembers. John knew by experience that it was better to answer their questions in order to be left alone. At the end of the conversation, the man asked John if it had been the only time he hired Pellicano and John answered "Yes. I have to leave you and go back to my dinner". And that's where it ended".

FBI special agent Stanley Ornellas hung up and took notes. The gates of hell had just been opened. Merely a month later, the most powerful detective on the planet was standing again in front of a court of law. Among the hundred charges held against him : extortion, illegal wire-tapping and conspiracy to commit a crime. He faced 20 years in prison. "This trial has the potential of opening a rare window on the hidden face of hollywood", attorney Pierce O'Donnell declared. The whole of Tinseltown was shaking. The first big name to fall into the hands of justice was John McTiernan.

He will be the only one to suffer the consequence.

On March 4th, the government suggested to the director that he should hire a lawyer. When on March 16th, he was summoned to an interview with a government representative, McT brought his lawyer alongside him. The attorney mentioned agent Stanley Ornellas' phone call to McTiernan during which he denied knowledge of the illegal methods of the detective as well as having hired him after 1998. Then, he brought up transcripts of the illegal wire-tapping involving Charles Roven, and the recording, dated August 17th 2000, of a conversation between McT and the detective of the stars, which the federals said was found on one of the seized computers.

Instead of claiming, hand on his heart, that he knew nothing of Pellicano's actions as all the other celebrities would do afterwards, the filmmaker decided to plead guilty at the trial. His lawyer assured him that it was the only line of defense, based on the evidence presented. According to the New York Times, McT declared to the court: "Actually, I thought about hiring Pellicano to wiretap Charles Roven during the summer of 2000. I talked about it with him. I never got a report. After two weeks I paid him and I fired him. But I didn't mentioned it to the FBI agent on the phone." He had just set foot in hell for good. Lying to the FBI is a felony, punishable with a prison sentence of 5 years.

Since the beginning of the procedure, McT is on probation. Like every other accused in his situation. He has to give a weekly account of every single one of his activities to an agent, ask for permission if he wants to travel further than 100 miles from his home and obtain permission from a judge to leave the country as long as his case is pending.

Making a film under such conditions is impossible, since no insurance company will accept a project on which the director can be sent to prison and offered an orange jumpsuit at any given time. "Mister McTiernan is not above the law", so the accusers like to claim. The one who is not above the law is going round in circles in his ranch. Hollywood scorns him, for fear of being compromised.

In 2007, the sentence was given : 4 months in prison, 2 years of probation and a $100 000 fine. The filmmaker realised then that he had been duped by his lawyers, who had omitted to mention a few details on the consequences of a guilty plea. He fired them and hired two proud, stubborn, nasty, pugnacious lawyers. From there, sentences, trials, appeals, accusations and canceling requests would follow one another. Magistrates are full of resources, and so is the government.

Above all, there is judge Dale Susan Fischer. Cold eyed, short white fringe, toothy smile. The rumors say she is trying to make a name for herself by putting McT behind bars. When the lawyers mentioned the very serious state of depression of their client to try and soften the sentence, she answered: "He certainly won't be the only depressive in detention", as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Free McTiernan

According to our source, Fischer is said to have refused for the jury to be informed of an error in procedure. FBI agents are supposed to introduce themselves in person, with a badge and I.D., in order to interrogate somebody. Besides, every person involved in the Pellicano case was contacted through his agent or lawyer by the Federal Bureau before being interviewed. Only McTiernan was approached on the phone.

As for the notorious transcripts of Charles Roven's illegal wiretapping, which L'Express had full access to, they only consist of brief summaries, without a single dialogue. "Simple messages on an answering machine", adds our informant. Those two pieces of information and the fact that a key witness retracted herself should annul the director's sentence, he reckons.

But that's supposing the judge accepts to take them into account. The hotshot lawyers, Todd Neal and Chuck Sevilla, won't back down, despite the tenacity of Dale Fischer. They did manage to get her permission concerning a medical follow up of McT in prison. "The medication that John has been taking for the last ten years is not recognized by the Board of Prisons. If the treatment is brutally stopped, he will suffer from very serious side effects", warns our source.

If they cannot quash the sentence, the defendants have insisted that their client is incarcerated in Yankton, South Dakota, the closest prison to the family and one of the least dangerous in the United States. In the meantime, the Bear Claw Ranch that McTiernan bought on credit 25 years ago is being sold to pay for the legal costs. The little tribe now lives in the keeper's house. There, the director reads Shakespeare to his children. From his windows, he sees the deer wandering about and the eagles flying around. Free as the wind. Free as he still is himself. Not for long.

Upon hearing of his fast approaching incarceration, French fans and journalists have created the page FREE JOHN McTIERNAN on Facebook. It has created quite a lot of turmoil since its creation a couple of weeks ago. Samuel L Jackson, Joe Carnahan, Brad Bird, Jan Kounen and a multitude of other film related names have joined the cause. Enough to give a bit of courage to John McTiernan, there, on the other side of the Atlantic.

BBC'S GAVIN HEWITT: CYPRUS DEPOSITS (OVER 100.000) TO LOSE MORE THAN 40% (FORTY PERCENT)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21916102

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Bondholders and those with deposits of more than 100,000 euros face significant losses; perhaps 40% or more”

Gavin HewittEurope editor

• Read more from Gavin

(...) He added he was "convinced" the new deal was better for the Cypriot people than the broader measure rejected by the Cypriot parliament last week, as it focused on two problem banks rather than the entire sector.

IMF head Christine Lagarde said the deal was "a comprehensive and credible plan" to help restore trust in the banking system.

Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris said he believed the possibility of bankruptcy had been averted.

"It's not that we won a battle, but we really have avoided a disastrous exit from the eurozone," he said.

The deal is being seen as good news by many of Cyprus's small account-holders who have been protected. But officials acknowledge that Cyprus will enter a deep recession and that it will take years to recover, BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris says.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

There may be some relief that smaller savings no longer face a 6.7% levy, but Cypriot citizens may over time end up feeling more than 6.7% poorer as a result of this so-called bailout”

Robert PestonBusiness editor

• Read more from Robert

Many businesses will suffer or shut down, he says.

Under the deal all deposits under 100,000 euros will be secured.

The percentage to be levied on large deposits in the Bank of Cyprus will be resolved in the coming weeks, Mr Dijsselbloem said.

One key element of the deposit tax, demanded by the IMF, is that it should not require approval by the Cyprus parliament.

EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn said that the "depth of the financial crisis in Cyprus means that the near future will be difficult for the country and its people".

Ο ΡΗΓΑΣ ΒΕΛΕΣΤΙΝΛΗΣ ΠΗΓΗ ΕΜΠΝΕΥΣΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΤΙΣΤΑΣΗΣ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ ΚΑΤΑΝΤΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΑΣ

... O Ρήγας Θεσσαλός, ή Βελεστινλής, το Φερραίος του αποδόθηκε μετά τον θάνατο του, υπήρξε πρόδρομος και πρωτεργάτης του Νεοελληνικού Διαφωτισμού, υπήρξε Πρωτομάρτυρας της Επανάστασης του 1821. 

Γεννήθηκε το 1757 στο Βελεστίνο της Μαγνησίας. To εγκατέλειψε πολύ νωρίς, αφού πρώτα πήρε τη βασική του μόρφωση. Αρχικά σπούδασε στη Ζαγορά και στ' Αμπελάκια. Εργάστηκε ως δάσκαλος στα χωριά του Πηλίου. Στα 23 του σκότωσε κάποιο Τούρκο κι άρχισε τη περιπλάνηση του στον Όλυμπο και το 'Αγιον Όρος. 

Μετά, το1785, εγκαταστάθηκε στη Κωνσταντινούπολη κι εντάχθηκε στο περιβάλλον των Φαναριωτών, όπου γνωρίστηκε με τον πρίγκιπα Αλέξανδρο Υψηλάντη και το 1786 τον ακολούθησε στη Μολδαβία. 

Το 1788 γνώρισε κι ακολούθησε τον ηγεμόνα της Βλαχίας, Νικόλαο Μαυρογένη, ως διοικητικός υπάλληλος στο Βουκουρέστι, όπου άρχισε να εργάζεται για την υλοποίηση του σχεδίου της ίδρυσης Βαλκανικής Ομοσπονδίας και της απελευθέρωσης του Γένους.   

Στα χρόνια που ακολούθησαν διακρίθηκε ως λόγιος συγγραφέας. Το 1790 και το 1796 ταξίδεψε στη Βιέννη για να τυπώσει τα βιβλία του, μεταξύ αυτών το «Σχολείο Των Ντελικάτων Εραστών», το «Φυσικής Απάνθισμα», ο «Ηθικός Τρίποδας» κι ο «Ανάχαρσις». Ως κορυφαίο έργο του, πάντως, θεωρείται η «Νέα Πολιτική Διοίκησις Των Κατοίκων Της Ρούμελης, της Μικράς Ασίας, Των Μεσογείων Νήσων & Της Βλαχομπογδανίας» που περιείχε:

-τον "Θούριο", γνωστό επαναστατικόν άσμα

-μιαν επαναστατική προκήρυξη

-διακήρυξη δικαιωμάτων του ανθρώπου σύμφωνα με πρότυπα Γάλλων Διαφωτιστών

-το "Σύνταγμα" του Ρήγα

     Για το σκοπό αυτό άρχισε επαφές με τον Ναπολέοντα και τύπωνε επαναστατικό υλικό με προκηρύξεις, χάρτες, εικόνες κ.α. Το 1796 εγκαταστάθηκε στη Βιέννηγια να 'ναι κοντά στην Ελληνική Παροικία. Το πολιτικόν όραμα του, συνίστατο στη δημιουργία μιας πολυεθνικής βαλκανικής επικράτειας, που θα 'ταν απαλλαγμένη από τις αγκυλώσεις της οθωμανικής πολιτικής που οι Έλληνες θα 'χανε κυρίαρχη θέση. Για τη πραγματοποίηση αυτού του στόχου προσπάθησε να εξεγείρει όλους τους υπόδουλους λαούς της Βαλκανικής Χερσονήσου στουςΟθωμανούς, εναντίον του κοινού τυράννου.

     Στις 19 Δεκέμβρη 1797, ύστερα από προδοσία, αποκαλυφθήκανε στηΤεργέστη τα κιβώτια που περιείχανε τις επαναστατικές του προκηρύξεις. Τότε ο ίδιος κι 7 σύντροφοί του συνελήφθησαν και παραδόθηκαν από την Αυστριακήκυβέρνηση στον πασά του Βελιγραδίου. Επί 40 ημέρες έζησαν τη θηριωδία τωνΤούρκων μες από πολλά βασανιστήρια και στις 12 Ιουνίου 1798στραγγαλίστηκαν. Ο Ρήγας ήτανε μόλις 41 ετών.
                      Θούριος

Ως πότε παλικάρια, να ζούμε στα στενά,
μονάχοι σα λιοντάρια, σταις ράχαις στα βουνά;
Σπηλιαίς να κατοικούμε, να βλέπωμε κλαδιά,
να φεύγωμ' απ' τον κόσμο, για τη πικρή σκλαβιά;
Να χάνωμεν αδέλφια, πατρίδα και γονείς,
τους φίλους, τα παιδιά μας κι όλους τους συγγενείς;
Καλλιώναι μίας ώρας ελεύθερη ζωή,
παρά σαράντα χρόνοι, σκλαβιά και φυλακή.

Τι σ' ωφελεί αν ζήσεις και να 'σαι στη σκλαβιά;
στοχάσου πως σε ψαίνουν, καθ' ώραν στην φωτιά.
Βεζύρης, δραγουμάνος, αφέντης κι αν σταθής
ο τύραννος αδίκως σε κάμνει να χαθής.
Δουλεύεις όλ' ημέρα, σε ό,τι κι αν σε πη,
κι αυτός πασχίζει πάλιν, το αίμα σου να πιη.
Ο Σούτζος, κι ο Μουρούζης, Πετράκης, Σκαναβής
Γκίκας και Μαυρογένης, καθρέπτης, ειν' να ιδής.

Ανδρείοι καπετάνοι, παπάδες, λαϊκοί,
σκοτώθηκαν κι' αγάδες, με άδικον σπαθί.
Κι αμέτρητ' άλλοι τόσοι και Τούρκοι και Ρωμιοί,
ζωήν και πλούτον χάνουν, χωρίς καμμιά 'φορμή.
Ελάτε μ' έναν ζήλον, σε τούτον τον καιρόν,
να κάμωμεν τον όρκον, επάνω στον σταυρόν.

Συμβούλους προκομμένους, με πατριωτισμόν
να βάλωμεν εις όλα, να δίδουν ορισμόν.
Οι νόμοι ναν' ο πρώτος, και μόνος οδηγός,
και της πατρίδος ένας, να γένη αρχηγός.
Γιατί κι η αναρχία, ομοιάζει την σκλαβιά,
να ζούμε σαν θηρία, είν' πλιο σκληρή φωτιά.
Και τότε με τα χέρια, ψηλά στον ουρανόν
ας πούμ' απ' την καρδιά μας, ετούτα στον Θεόν.

(Εδώ σηκώνονται οι πατριώται ορθοί,
και υψώνοντες τας χείρας προς τον ουρανόν,
κάμνουν τον όρκον.)

Όρκος Κατά Τυραννίας & Αναρχίας
Ω βασιλεύ του κόσμου, ορκίζομαι σε σε,
στην γνώμην των τυράννων, να μην έλθω ποτέ.
Μήτε να τους δουλεύσω, μήτε να πλανηθώ,
εις τα ταξίματά τους, για να παραδοθώ.

Εν όσω ζω στον κόσμον, ο μόνος μου σκοπός,
για να τους αφανίσω, θε νάναι σταθερός.
Πιστός εις την πατρίδα, συντρίβω τον ζυγόν,
αχώριστος για ναμαι, υπό τον στρατηγόν.

Κι αν παραβώ τον όρκον, ν' αστράψ' ο ουρανός,
και να με κατακάψη, να γένω σαν καπνός.

         Το Τέλος Του Όρκου

Σ' ανατολή και δύση, και νότον και βοριά,
για την πατρίδα όλοι, να 'χωμεν μια καρδιά.
Στην πίστιν του καθ' ένας, ελεύθερος να ζη,
στην δόξαν του πολέμου, να τρέξωμεν μαζί.

Βουλγάροι κι Αρβανήτες, Αρμένιοι και Ρωμιοί,
Αράπηδες και άσπροι, με μια κοινήν ορμή,
Για την ελευθερίαν, να ζώσωμεν σπαθί,
πως είμαστ' αντριωμένοι, παντού να ξακουσθή.

Όσα απ' την τυραννίαν, πήγαν στην ξενητιά
στον τόπον του καθ' ένας, ας έλθη τώρα πιά.
Και όσοι του πολεμου, την τέχνην αγροικούν
Εδώ ας τρέξουν όλοι, τυρράνους να νικούν.

Η Ρούμελη τους κράζει, μ' αγκάλες ανοιχτές,
τους δίδει βιό και τόπον, αξίες και τιμές.
Ως ποτ' οφφικιάλος, σε ξένους Βασιλείς;
έλα να γένης στύλος, δικής σου της φυλής.

Κάλλιο για την πατρίδα, κανένας να χαθή
ή να κρεμάση φούντα, για ξένον στο σπαθί.
Και όσοι προσκυνήσουν, δεν είναι πιά εχθροί,
αδέλφια μας θα γένουν, ας είναι κι εθνικοί.

Μα όσοι θα τολμήσουν, αντίκρυ να σταθούν,
εκείνοι και δικοί μας, αν είναι, ας χαθούν.
Σουλιώτες και Μανιάτες, λιοντάρια ξακουστά
ως πότε σταις σπηλιές σας, κοιμάστε σφαλιστά;

Μαυροβουνιού καπλάνια, Ολύμπου σταυραητοί,
κι Αγράφων τα ξεφτέρια, γεννήστε μια ψυχή.
Ανδρείοι Μακεδόνες, ορμήσετε για μια,
και αίμα των τυράννων, ρουφήξτε σα θεριά.

Του Σάββα και Δουνάβου, αδέλφια Χριστιανοί,
με τα άρματα στο χέρι, καθ' ένας ας φανή,
Το αίμα σας ας βράση, με δίκαιον θυμόν,
μικροί μεγάλοι ομώστε, τυρράννου τον χαμόν.

Λεβέντες αντριωμένοι, Μαυροθαλασσινοί,
ο βάρβαρος ως πότε, θε να σας τυραννή.
Μην καρτερήτε πλέον, ανίκητοι Λαζοί,
χωθήτε στο μπογάζι, μ' εμάς και σεις μαζί.

Δελφίνια της θαλάσσης, αζδέρια των νησιών,
σαν αστραπή χυθήτε, χτυπάτε τον εχθρόν.
Της Κρήτης και της Νύδρας, θαλασσινά πουλιά,
καιρός ειν' της πατριδος, ν' ακούστε την λαλιά.

Κι οσ' είστε στην αρμάδα, σαν άξια παιδιά,
οι νόμοι σας προστάζουν, να βάλετε φωτιά.
Με εμάς κι εσείς Μαλτέζοι, γεννήτε ένα κορμί,
κατά της τυραννίας, ριχθήτε με ορμή.

Σας κράζει η Ελλάδα, σας θέλει, σας πονεί,
ζητά την συνδρομήν σας, με μητρική φωνή.
Τι σκέκεις Παζβαντζιόγλου, τόσον εκστατικός;
τινάξου στο Μπαλκάνι, φώλιασε σαν αητός.

Τους μπούφους και κοράκους, καθόλου μη ψηφάς,
με τον ραγιά ενώσου, αν θέλης να νικάς.
Συλήστρα και Μπραίλα, Σμαήλι και Κιλί,
Μπενδέρι και Χωτήνι, εσένα προσκαλεί.

Στρατεύματα σου στείλε, κι εκείνα προσκυνούν
γιατί στην τυρραννίαν, να ζήσουν δεν μπορούν.
Γκιουρντζή πιά μη κοιμάσαι, σηκώσου με ορμήν,
τον Προύσια να μοιάσης, έχεις την αφορμήν.

Και συ που στο Χαλέπι, ελεύθερα φρονείς
πασιά καιρόν μη χάνεις, στον κάμπον να φανής.
Με τα στρατεύματά σου, ευθύς να συκωθής,
στης Πόλης τα φερμάνια, ποτέ να μη δοθής.

Του Μισιριού ασλάνια, για πρώτη σας δουλειά,
δικόν σας ένα μπέη, κάμετε βασιλιά.
Χαράτζι της Αιγύπτου, στην Πόλη ας μη φανή,
για να ψοφήσει ο λύκος, όπου σας τυραννεί.

Με μια καρδιά όλοι, μια γνώμη, μια ψυχή,
χτυπάτε του τυράννου, την ρίζα να χαθή.
Να ανάψουμε μια φλόγα, σε όλην την Τουρκιά,
να τρέξει από την Μπόσνα, και ως την Αραπιά.

Ψηλά στα μπαϊράκια, σηκώστε τον σταυρόν,
και σαν αστροπελέκια, χτυπατε τον εχθρόν.
Ποτέ μη στοχασθήτε, πως είναι δυνατός,
καρδιοκτυπά και τρέμει, σαν τον λαγόν κι αυτός.

Τριακόσιοι Γκιρτζιαλήδες, τον έκαμαν να ιδή,
πως δεν μπορεί με τόπια, μπροστά τους να εβγεί.
Λοιπόν γιατί αργήτε, τι στέκεσθε νεκροί;
ξυπνήστε μην είστε ενάντιοι κι εχθροί.

Πως οι προπάτορές μας, ορμούσαν σα θεριά,
για την ελευθερία, πηδούσαν στη φωτιά.
Έτσι κι ημείς, αδέλφια, ν' αρπάξουμε για μια
τα άρματα, και να βγούμεν απ' την πικρή σκλαβιά.

Να σφάξουμε τους λύκους, που στον ζυγόν βαστούν,
και Χριστιανούς και Τούρκους, σκληρά τους τυραννούν.
Στεργιάς και του πελάγου, να λάμψη ο σταυρός,
και στην δικαιοσύνην, να σκύψη ο εχθρός.

Ο κόσμος να γλυτώση, απ' αύτην την πληγή,
κι ελεύθεροι να ζώμεν, αδέλφια εις την γη.

EUROGROUP AFRAID TO ANNOUNCE 30%-40% BANK LEVY TO BANK OF CYPRUS. LAIKI BANK DEPOSITORS OVER 100.000 EUROS, BOND AND STOCKHOLDERS ARE LOSING EVERYTHING. DEPOSITS UNDER 100.000 EUROS IN ALL CYPRUS BANKS INTACT, GUARANTEED AND FROZEN (;)

BANK OF CYPRUS had deposits of 18,2 billion euros in the end of January 2013. 
45%-50% of  all BOC deposits are unisured (over 100.000 euros). 30% bank levy means 2,5-3 billion, 40% bank levy means 3,4-3,6 billion euros, plus eight (8) billion of  Laiki outstanding debt that is transferred to BOC as BOC debt!!!!!! LAIKI immediate closure also means that a big percentage of its current employees and executives are going to unemployement asap.

(..) Annex

Following the presentation by the Cyprus authorities of their policy plans, which were broadly welcomed by the Eurogroup, the following was agreed:

1. Laiki will be resolved immediately - with full contribution of equity shareholders, bond holders and uninsured depositors - based on a decision by the Central Bank of Cyprus, using the newly adopted Bank Resolution Framework.

2. Laiki will be split into a good bank and a bad bank. The bad bank will be run down over time.

3. The good bank will be folded into Bank of Cyprus (BoC), using the Bank Resolution Framework, after having heard the Boards of Directors of BoC and Laiki. It will take 9 bn Euros of ELA with it. Only uninsured deposits in BoC will remain frozen until recapitalisation has been effected, and may subsequently be subject to appropriate conditions.

4. The Governing Council of the ECB will provide liquidity to the BoC in line with applicable rules.

5. BoC will be recapitalised through a deposit/equity conversion of uninsured deposits with full contribution of equity shareholders and bond holders.

6. The conversion will be such that a capital ratio of 9 % is secured by the end of the programme.

7. All insured depositors in all banks will be fully protected in accordance with the relevant EU legislation.

8. The programme money (up to 10bn Euros) will not be used to recapitalise Laiki and Bank of Cyprus.

The Eurogroup is convinced that this solution is the best way forward for ensuring the overall viability and stability of the Cyprus financial system and its capability to finance the Cyprus economy.

Πηγή: Η ανακοίνωση του Eurogroup με τις οδυνηρές αποφάσεις για την Κύπρο [κείμενο στα ελληνικά] | iefimerida.gr http://www.iefimerida.gr/node/96568#ixzz2OX9nDVFk

ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΚΑΖΑΚΗΣ: TO "OXI" THΣ ΚΥΠΡΟΥ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΟΥΣΙΑ ΕΝΑ "ΝΑΙ" ΥΠΟΤΑΓΗΣ...

(...) Ποιος θυμάται σήμερα τον κ. Βγενόπουλο και τον όμιλο Marfin Investment Group; Ποιος θυμάται τους εκάστοτε κυβερνητικούς να τον πλασάρουν ανοιχτά σαν εθνικό επενδυτή, ο οποίος εξαγόραζε τα πάντα με ξένα κεφάλαια διαμέσου ενός fund, όπως ήταν η MIG; Με την κρίση οι τράπεζες της Κύπρου άρχισαν να αντλούν αυξημένη ρευστότητα από το ευρωσύστημα. Αυτό ήταν το πρώτο καμπανάκι. Όμως και αυτή την αυξημένη ρευστότητα οι Κύπριοι και μη τραπεζίτες την σπατάλησαν σε κερδοσκοπικές τοποθετήσεις σε ελληνικά και άλλα ομόλογα ποντάροντας στην χρεοκοπία της Ελλάδας. Έτσι όταν ήρθε το PSI, δηλαδή η αναδιάρθρωση του χρέους στην Ελλάδα, οι Κύπριοι και μη τραπεζίτες εισέπραξαν τα πλούσια ανταλλάγματα που προσφέρθηκαν στις τράπεζες που θα έβαζαν τα ομόλογά τους στο «κούρεμα». Να θυμίσουμε εδώ ότι το τραπεζικό λόμπι του κ. Νταλάρα – στο οποίο ανήκαν και οι κυπριακές τράπεζες κάτοχοι ελληνικών ομολόγων – πήρε αποζημίωση για την συμμετοχή του στο PSI, 30 δις ευρώ μετρητά για λογιστικές ζημιές που δεν ξεπερνούσαν τα 18 δις ευρώ. Ανάμεσα στους ωφελημένους ήταν και οι τράπεζες της Κύπρου, που εκτιμάται ότι για 5 δις ευρώ λογιστική ζημιά λόγω ελληνικών ομολόγων, εισέπραξαν γύρω στα 7 δις ευρώ αποζημίωση ως μετρητά φορτώνοντας πρόσθετο χρέος στον Έλληνα φορολογούμενο.

Αν προσθέσουμε σ’ αυτά και την μετανάστευση καταθέσεων και κεφαλαίων από την Ελλάδα στην Κύπρο, που ανήλθαν τουλάχιστον σε άλλα 5 δις ευρώ, οι κυπριακές τράπεζες βγήκαν ωφελημένες από την χρεοκοπία της Ελλάδας. Γι’ αυτό και είναι εντελώς πρόστυχη η προσπάθεια να φορτώσουν την κατάρρευση των κυπριακών τραπεζών στην Ελλάδα. Είναι καθαρό ψέμα και μπορεί να το ισχυριστεί μόνο όποιος δεν ξέρει, ή είναι τόσο απατεώνας που ενώ ξέρει τι έχει συμβεί, το παπαγαλίζει από σκοπιμότητα.

Όταν το 2012 οι κυπριακές τράπεζες δεν άντεξαν άλλο και προσέφυγαν στον ELA (στον μηχανισμό έκτακτης ρευστότητας) προκειμένου να μην καταρρεύσουν, οι ευρωπαίοι και κυρίως οι Γερμανοί έθεσαν θέμα ανταλλαγμάτων, δηλαδή αποικιακής κατοχής του νησιού διαμέσου της τρόικας. Η κυβέρνηση Χριστόφια, προκειμένου να καλύψει την ληστεία των κυπριακών τραπεζών από τους ολιγάρχες της οικονομίας και της πολιτικής, δέχτηκε με ιταμό τρόπο να πουληθεί το νησί σε τιμή ευκαιρίας. Κι έτσι υπέγραψε μαζί με τις υπόλοιπες δυνάμεις τη σύμβαση εκχώρησης του νησιού στην τρόικα. Η προδοσία του Χριστόφια είναι τέτοια που θέλησε ο ίδιος να υπογράψει την θανατική καταδίκη του νησιού, χωρίς καν να πάρει την πρωτοβουλία ενός δημοψηφίσματος προκειμένου έστω να έχει το άλλοθι της ετυμηγορίας ενός «ναι». Η οργανική διαπλοκή στην Κύπρο των μεγάλων κομμάτων και των επικεφαλής τους με τις τράπεζες και τους ολιγάρχες του χρήματος είναι τέτοια, που και μόνο η σκέψη ότι ένα πιθανό δημοψήφισμα θα έφερνε στην επιφάνεια το αληθινό πρόβλημα, δηλαδή εκείνο της διαπλοκής πολιτικής και χρήματος, απέτρεψε τον Χριστόφια ακόμη κι από το να το σκεφτεί. Επιδόθηκε απλά σε κροκοδείλια δάκρυα μπροστά στην τηλεόραση καθώς ανακοίνωνε την θανατική καταδίκη του νησιού. Οι δικαιολογίες είναι πολύ γνωστές και από την δική μας περίπτωση.

Οι ευρωπαίοι και κυρίως οι Γερμανοί γνώριζαν πολύ καλά ότι ένα τραπεζικό σύστημα που εμφανίζει περί τα 68 δις ευρώ καταθετική βάση, εκ των οποίων πάνω από τα 26 δις ευρώ είναι των νοικοκυριών που κατοικούν στο νησί, είναι αδύνατον να καταρρεύσει, είναι αδύνατον να έχει ανάγκη για έκτακτη χρηματοδότηση. Εκτός κι αν οι καταθέσεις είναι απλές εγγραφές, δηλαδή φούμαρα. Κι έτσι άρπαξαν την ευκαιρία. Ζήτησαν τα 5,8 δις ευρώ, δηλαδή περί το μεσοσταθμικό 8% της εικονικής καταθετικής βάσης νοικοκυριών και επιχειρήσεων, από το «κούρεμα» των καταθέσεων. Αυτό είχε τεθεί πολύ πριν τις εκλογές της Κύπρου. Για να προχωρήσει έπρεπε να ξεγελαστεί ο λαός και να έρθει ο οικονομικός δολοφόνος που θα το προωθούσε. Κι αυτός ήταν ο Αναστασιάδης.

Το ζήτημα ήταν όμως ευθύς εξαρχής ότι οι καταθέσεις αυτές δεν υπάρχουν και επομένως τα 5,8 δις ευρώ δεν θα μπορούσαν να αντληθούν από τις κυπριακές τράπεζες. Το γεγονός αυτό το γνώριζαν όλοι. Ευρωπαίοι, Γερμανοί και Κύπριοι. Κι έτσι στήθηκε το παιχνίδι που παίχτηκε σε βάρος της Κύπρου το προηγούμενο σαββατοκύριακο (...) 

http://www.daneiakartes.info/?p=31736

Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy, 2013

GREEK  INDEPENDENCE  DAY: A NATIONAL DAY OF CELEBRATION OF

GREEK AND AMERICAN DEMOCRACY, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Each year, America celebrates Greek Independence Day to strengthen the bonds between the birthplace of democracy and the world's oldest republic. We recognize the enduring contributions of Greek Americans, woven into the fabric of our national life. And we reflect on the ancient Hellenic principles that inspired our Founders to vest the powers of government in the hands of the people.

In both America and Greece, we are inheritors to great republics, entrusted to safeguard the ideals that make representative government work. Our peoples have learned that democracy flourishes when we respect our differences, hold fast to the principles that unite us, and move forward with common purpose. It is a legacy lived by generations of Greek Americans, who for centuries have helped write proud chapters in our country's history and continue to enrich the character of our Nation.

Today, we congratulate Greece, a valued NATO ally, as it commemorates the 192nd anniversary of its independence, and we pledge our continued solidarity as the country works to rebuild its economy. In the face of hardship, America stands with the people of Greece, confident they can meet the challenges of the 21st century while upholding their ancient ideals.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2013, as Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

NIKAΣ, ΥΦΑΝΤΗΣ¨ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΑΛΛΑΝΤΙΚΑ ΜΕ AΓΝΟ ΧΛΙΜΙΝΤΡΙΣΜΑ ΑΛΟΓΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΠΙΑΤΟ ΣΑΣ...

Mετά τους ελέγχους των Περιφερειακών Διευθύνσεων του ΕΦΕΤ Ανατολικής Μακεδονίας & Θράκης, Βορείου Αιγαίου και Αττικής, ο Ειδικός Φορέας Ελέγχου Τροφίμων ενημερώνει ότι ανιχνεύθηκε DNA αλόγου σε προϊόντα, τα οποία και ανακαλεί.

• Κατεψυγμένο σουτζουκάκι Μ.Κ., 80g, ημ/νία λήξης 12/2/20/14, χαρτοκιβώτια των 4kg (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό > 25%)
• Κατεψυγμένες κοτομπουκίτσες 25g, ημ/νία λήξης 7/1/2014, χαρτοκιβώτια των 3 kg (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό >10% & <25 b="">
• Κατεψυγμένο σνιτσελάκι Μ.Κ., 130g, ημ/νία λήξης 13/2/2014, χαρτοκιβώτια των 3 kg (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό <1 b="">
• Κατεψυγμένο σουτζουκάκι Μ.Κ., 80g, ημ/νία λήξης 16/1/2014, χαρτοκιβώτια των 4 kg (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό >50%)
• Κατεψυγμένο σνιτσελάκι Μ.Κ., 130 g, ημ/νία λήξης 7/12/2013, χαρτοκιβώτια των 3 kg (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό <1 80="" a.e.="" amp="" b="" catering="" foods="">
• Προψημένα κατεψυγμένα μπιφτέκια "IFANTIS" σε συσκευασία 10 τεμαχίων με καθαρό βάρος 800g και ημ/νία λήξης 15/11/2013 (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό >50%) που παρασκευάζονται από την εταιρεία "ΥΦΑΝΤΗΣ Α.Ε." (Σενέκα 4, Κηφισιά)
• Λουκάνικα τύπου Φρανκφούρτης με εμπορική ονομασία «NIKAS ΜΟΣΧΑΡΙ λουκάνικα τ. Φρανκφούρτης», 280 g, ημ/νία λήξης 5/5/2013, (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό >10% & <25 b="">
• Παριζάκι με εμπορική ονομασία «ΝΙΚΑS ΜΟΣΧΑΡΙ παριζάκι», 300 g, ημ/νία λήξης 6/6/2013 (ανιχνεύτηκε DNA αλόγου σε ποσοστό >1% & <20 b="">

Ο ΕΦΕΤ ζήτησε την άμεση ανάκληση / απόσυρση των ανωτέρω προϊόντων από την ελληνική αγορά και ήδη βρίσκονται σε εξέλιξη σχετικοί έλεγχοι. Σημειώνεται ότι η ανάκληση / απόσυρση αναφέρεται στις συγκεκριμένες παρτίδες προϊόντων και μόνο.

Πηγή: Εντόπισαν DNA αλόγου σε προϊόντα «Νίκας» και «Υφαντής» - Τα ανακαλεί ο ΕΦΕΤ | iefimerida.gr http://www.iefimerida.gr/node/96205#ixzz2OFzlDVcF

CYPRUS: CHAOTIC HANDLING LED TO A THREE-WAY CHICKEN GAME. EUROPEAN OFFICIALS HAD MORE THAN A YEAR TO PREPARE...

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Europe’s handling of a bailout for Cyprus is looking more chaotic by the minute. Negotiations have descended into a three-way game of chicken among the island nation, Russia and the euro area’s leaders.

The initial plan to make insured depositors pay for part of the bailout was terrible. The Cypriot parliament rejected it, and now the European Central Bank has set a deadline of March 25, warning that unless a new deal is reached it will pull the plug on the funding that’s keeping Cyprus’s banking system alive.

3:45

March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Daniel Fuss, vice chairman of Loomis Sayles & Co., talks about the banking crisis in Cyprus. He speaks from Tokyo with Susan Li on Bloomberg Television's "First Up." (Source: Bloomberg)

What’s amazing about this fiasco is that Europe’s leaders had almost a year to think about how to avoid it. Ever since Greece restructured its government debt, which made up a large share of Cypriot banks’ investments, it has been apparent that the banks would need a major recapitalization. With some preparation, Cyprus could have offered an excellent test of a euro-area banking union, in which the ECB would step in, force losses on the Cypriot banks’ creditors and quickly reopen the banks under new ownership (...)

READ MORE:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/cyprus-s-three-way-game-of-chicken.html?alcmpid=view

EΚΤΟΣ ΑΣΤΥΝΟΜΙΑΣ ΜΕ 5 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΚΑΘΥΣΤΕΡΗΣΗ ΟΙ ΔΟΛΟΦΟΝΟΙ ΤΟΥ ΑΘΩΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΝΥΠΕΡΑΣΠΙΣΤΟΥ 15ΧΡΟΝΟΥ ΜΑΘΗΤΗ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ ΓΡΗΓΟΡΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ

Με απόφαση του πρωτοβάθμιου πειθαρχικού συμβουλίου της ΕΛΑΣ αποτάσσονται από το Σώμα ο Επαμεινώνδας Κορκονέας και ο Βασίλης Σαραλιώτης.

Μένει να καθαρογραφεί η απόφαση και να δημοσιευτεί στο Φύλλο Εφημερίδας της Κυβερνήσεως.

Η συνεδρίαση του πρωτοβάθμιου συμβουλίου επί του θέματος αυτού είχε αναβληθεί πέντε φορές στο παρελθόν. 

http://www.enikos.gr/society/130042,Apotassontai_Korkoneas_Saraliwths.html

CYRPUS PARLIAMENT REJECTS BANK LEVY A FEW MINUTES AGO...

With 36 NO the parliament of Cyprus turned down, a few minutes ago, the plan of the Troika geniuses that paralyzed European Union...