Hateful scapegoating and economic garbage from the UKIP supporting paper
‘EU membership is dragging Greece into the Dark Ages’, says the Daily Express’s Leo McKinstry.
His column today blames Greece’s current economic woes on 1) its being part of the Eurozone, which he elides with membership of the European Union, and 2) migration into Greece from outside Europe, which he also blames on the EU.
The piece uses Greece as a way to argue about British membership of the EU by proxy. It’s therefore important to highlight why his argument is complete garbage.
For one thing, the Greek economy is not comparable to that of Britain. The UK is a much richer country with far less corruption than Greece. Crucially, the UK has its own currency and central bank, and can therefore print more money if it needs too, whereas Greece has the Euro and is at the mercy of the European Central Bank (ECB).
The behaviour of the ECB is the proximate cause of Greece’s torturous position. Its insistence on austerity measures in return for financial help is grinding Greek society into dust, and has done little to help its economy. Public hatred of this German-led policy is what propelled Syriza into government in Greece in January.
In other words, the trouble is with the administration of the Eurozone, not membership of it per se. After all, there are 19 countries using the Euro as their currency, and they don’t all have the same problems as Greece.
Does McKinstry seriously mean to say the UK economy is more comparable to that of Greece than Germany? Or why not compare it to other EU members with their own currency, such as Poland, which has thrived since joining the EU?
A report last week found Poland was outperforming Britain on health, education and using its wealth to benefit its citizens. This in a country which, as Express hero Nigel Farage keeps reminding us, was a communist dictatorship a few decades ago.
On point 2: to blame migration from what he calls ‘war-torn Somalia and Syria’ for Greece’s economic crisis is a hateful lie. People would be fleeing the war in Syria regardless of the size of Greece’s debt.
This is the sort of scapegoating that degrades the British press in the eyes of the world.
McKinstry even quotes the far-right Greek politician Panos Kamenos threatening to flood Europe with migrants – that is, spouting the equivalent of the racial demagogy carried by the Daily Express.
There are certainly lessons to be drawn from the Greek crisis for Britain, not least on austerity economics. But among them is not, as the Express would have it, to leave the EU, pull up the drawbridge, and elect Nigel Farage to high office.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
Read more:
Daily Mail says Syrian refugees turn Greek holiday town into ‘disgusting hellhole’
Express owner Desmond uses paper to protect his £1million UKIP donation
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17 Responses to “Daily Express blames Greek economic crisis on EU and immigration”
Peter Martin
Not just currency in circulation. Its all the bonds and othe securities that are sold too. So if someone wants to save some money they can buy a bond from the govt. Or they can put their money in a National savings account. That all builds up financial assets in the economy but debt or a liability on the part of the govt.
I think you do doubt what I’m saying. If so, just look up the world total of National debts. They total to some $60 trillion. To whom do we owe the money? Mars?
We owe it all to ourselves. The debts are simply the financial assets of those who hold that debt.
swat
As the Greeks are going to find out in the coming months, things are going to get a helluva lot worse with thousands more boat immigrants arriving in Lesbos, and their Euro collapsing, and Greece being kicked out of the EU. Still, I guess they can continue to trade with us in 201, and Norway and the Swiss.
JoeDM
Its the EU that is destroying Greece !!!
gunnerbear
Poland uses it’s wealth as it has to go around far fewer mouths in Poland given the vast amounts of Poles who have moved elsewhere. How much cash from UK benefits do Poles send home? Seems UK taxpayers cash is pouring into Poland… http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/515772/UK-taxpayers-face-huge-bill-from-EU-jobless-who-go-home http://www.workpermit.com/news/2007_03_02/poland/remittances_migrant_worker_money.htm And of course the most migrants work in low paid jobs that need wages top-ups from the UK taxpayer. Time we were out of the EU until each and every nation in it reaches the same living standards otherwise this will keep happening as people from p***-poor Easten European countries demand UK taxpayers funds….. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/poland/10553020/Poland-attacks-David-Cameron-plan-to-ban-Polish-and-EU-migrants-from-claiming-child-benefit.html Where does the author want UK taxpayers funds spent: in the UK on UK families and pensioners or on Polish families? C’mon Mr. Barnett, where do you want UK taxpayers funds spent…..in the UK on UK citizens or in Poland?
ThomasEPalmer
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