Liz Alderman
NY Times
Anastassios Haros never used to be angry or afraid. These days, that’s almost all he feels after Greece became the epicenter of a European debt crisis that continues to unnerve financial markets and is now manifesting itself in government cutbacks, personal hardships and labor unrest.
“The politicians are to blame, not the people,” said Mr. Haros, 65, whose family in Athens has cut back to “absolute basics” amid a government austerity plan that he said should be paid for by the banks and speculators who fueled the crisis, not by ordinary citizens who were largely bystanders to the financial market’s follies.
In a series of interviews conducted across Europe with business owners, union chiefs, young entrepreneurs, workers and retirees, Mr. Haros’s concerns were widely echoed. Many are outraged to be footing the bill for what they see as the reckless gambles of wealthy bankers that have threatened jobs and the economy, and made it harder for an entire generation of young people to achieve the standards of living that their parents once enjoyed.
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