Greek people were not prepared

[crossbow]

Greek police fire tear gas at striking truckers
Government issues emergency order as fuel shortages strand tourists and disrupt food and medical supplies
Greek truck drivers clash with riot police in Athens. Photograph: John Kolesidis/Reuters

The stand-off between striking truck drivers and authorities in Greece intensified today hours after the government issued an emergency order to force protesters back to work.

With fuel shortages stranding thousands of tourists and disrupting supplies of food and medicines nationwide, prime minister George Papandreou resorted to emergency legislation, more usually used at times of war or great natural disaster, to end the walk-out.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/29/greek-police-tear-gas-striking-truckers?CMP=twt_gu

[Lowdown3]

I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come....

[Hawkeye]

I hope this isn't a harbinger of things to come....

I've been watching the Greece situation fairly closely. I do think it could possibly be a glimpse into the future here for sure.

[monkeybird]

I have no doubt that this could happen at a town near you. Just look at the behavior of SEIU in the U.S.

Greece has some extremely liberal labor and retirement policies. As could well be predicted, these social programs could not be sustained and the government ran out of money. But what really bothers me about the situation is that the labor unions are creating riots and strikes all over Greece. It seems irrational that the labor unions don't understand that if you have no money, you can't continue to spend.

What will these unions and strikers do when the golden goose is dead?