Another unpaid bill

Germany and reparations for Greece for World War II.

Like any self-respecting foreign oppressor through history, Nazi Germany made Greece pay for the privilege of being occupied during World War II. Exploitation and massacres are hard and dangerous work, they don't just happen. They require motivated, qualified, healthy employees, and oppression is at its best when the oppressed contribute their share in the form of money, goods and services.

Somehow the new Germany managed to evade the bill that, also through much of history, normally follows a sound defeat of the occupiers. Unlike some other countries, Greece received nothing in reparations, it appears.

With the debt and euro crisis having first slowed down the Greek economy and then sent it into a tailspin, it would appear that manpower otherwise dedicated to orderly or disorderly government became available.

Hence, they sat down and tallied the bill, which comes to close to 160 billion euros.

This represents a major embarrassment for the Germans who feel they are footing the bill for the more recent sins of the Greek.

And it is an embarrassment for the current Greek government for that very same reason.

As news of the conundrum bubbled up in the German media, the reaction of the K-landnews team was as predictable as always: uncontrolled side-splitting laughter.

Here is a tip of the hat to the Greek for what you can interpret as their sense of humor or dignity. As bad as life is in Greece, and no matter who is to blame to what extent, the not so secret "secret" report may not get them any money but might at least serve as a signal to tone down the political rhetoric a tiny bit.