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Aris Messinis / AFP - Getty Images
Listen to some and you might believe that the people of Greece have a life of riley. They will tell you that Greek's retire early, do not pay their proper taxes and more. In truth though many Greeks are experiencing tough financial times. There have been reports of children being abandoned and even the bereaved being unable to afford to bury their dead. With the price of medicines beyond many people's reach, plus medical shortages, the health of Greeks is set to worsen.

Understandably in Greece many people now live in fear. What will the future hold for the young? Will the elderly be forgotten as austerity measures bite? When will the pain end for Greeks?

There is no end in sight. It is a case of tighten your belts further Greeks in order to receive the next financial hand out from the EU. This however cannot continue. It makes no sense. You can only cut so far.

If your household budget needs to be cut you make changes, reducing costs when and where possible, but there must be something left or you will not survive.

Today, November 7, 2012, there have once again been violent protests on the streets of the Greek capital Athens. Petrol bombs have been thrown by protesters and tear gas canisters fired by the police. For the first time in many years water cannons have been used against the protesters. 80,000 people have protested outside of the Greek Parliament ensuring that their representatives know that the people are at breaking point.  Parliament is set to vote on the latest cutbacks deemed necessary by the EU to secure the next bail out. Today the government has been debating the cuts needed. They will involve cuts of €13.5 billion ($17 billion) over the next two years,

If it was not such a sad situation it would be laughable. German leader Angela Merkel will be visiting David Cameron in the UK to reassure him that Britain is needed in the EU. She will tell him that whilst she understands British concerns regarding a proposed increase in the EU budget but that such an increase is necessary.

How ironic, idiotic and obscene. Austerity for the people but not the leaders who must be held responsible for this dire mess.

People in Greece and parts of the EU are being told that they must sign up to austerity measures but  not the EU chiefs. For them it is spend as usual if not more. In the UK there has been an angry response to news that the country will be expected to pay more into the failed EU. An increase in a budget when the people are basically being told "tough" we have no money.

Parliamentary leaders in Greece are stating that they must vote for the austerity measures in order to get the funding needed. They have been told it is their duty to do so. Perhaps their duty to the people who elected them should be their first priority.

When will the EU dismantle? It is long overdue. As Germany tightens the reins on Europe it will soon be the only country with a chance of coming out of this mess unscathed, It will have its future assured with or without the EU. The rest of us will sink.

In the Greek parliament  today employees went on strike to protest cuts to their wages. These were brought in by Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras in an amendment to the austerity bill. Within minutes he withdrew the amendment. One law for some it would seem.

A country and government in disarray, but no-one cares.

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Just when the big countries of the Eurozone thought they had it all sewn up the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has called for a referendum.

The Greek Parliament passed the necessary austerity measures needed to secure further loans to prevent the country falling into bankruptcy, but now it will be up to the people.

The Greek people have constantly shown their displeasure at such austerity measures. Greece and its Prime Minister is in a Catch 22 situation.

Without the austery measures the EU will not keep bank rolling Greece and without these cash injections tthe Greek economy will fail. In what will be a domino effect it is easy to see how the whole of Europe could tumble.

It is obvious when you think about it, that EU countries have a vested interest in Geece staying solvent. If they did not they would probably have already given up the ghost as far as Greek economic woes are concerned. The EU has been bailing Greece out on a monthly basis and each month Greece looks as if it will be unable to pay its debts.

If Greece were a person who was struggling to stay financially solvent there could be a time when bankruptcy was the only option. Sadly that could be the case in the future for Greece. Bankruptcy would chaos in Europe but why delay the inevitable? If it is to be then to keep bank rolling Greece is pointless.

One thing that will bring Greek debt to a head is a referendum. The Prime Minister is to let the people decide. In a move which the UK government would not dare leave to the UK people, Papandreou said, if Greek people do not want the deal that is designed to slash the country's mountain of debt by nearly a third, it will not be adopted. Strong words which could spell disaster for many countries around the world.

As yet the Greek PM has given no further details of the proposed referendum. It will have to be held soon for Greece to either secure further bail outs or default on loans and go into bankruptcy. He said, "This will be the referendum: the citizen will be called upon to say a big 'yes' or a big 'no' to the new loan arrangement. This is a supreme act of democracy and of patriotism for the people to make their own decision ... we have a duty to promote the role and the responsibility of the citizen."

Well said but many EU leaders will be taking a sharp intake of breath right now. Hold onto your hats it looks like we in Europe could be in for a bumpy ride.