"Just Don't Mention the War"

They've certainly started doing it in Greece.
This article, von den Speigel, discusses two of Greece's media heavyweights, an evening talk-show/news type host, Georgios Trangas and a cartoonist, Stathis Stavropoulos, and their references (repeatedly) to Germans-as-Nazis in regard to the crisis. Low class.

This article by Christopher Caldwell, (mercifully in English for those of you dismayed by the above link) is another very good discussion of the problems of "last time with tanks, this time with banks" attitudes in the Eurozone, particularly in Greece. It points out the Kanzlerin's tough position of trying to please both her domestic constituency, livid at the prospect of subsidizing pensions of more spendthrift nations, as well as Europeans (some in Germany as well) nervous about Germany being so clearly in the driver's seat.

One argument, however, that I don't hear very often from people on either side is the fact that at the outset, Greece was so ambitious to join the Eurozone in the first place. The Greek public was more supportive of joining the Eurozone than most other countries' populations, and presumably expected that it would be all gain, and no pain. Of course, the only reason they qualified was because Goldman Sachs rigged their books, but I suppose they felt they could secure a little extra without any effort.

For the Greeks, it was a bit like a faddish diet pill. "Just look! I only have to change the color of my money, and I'll be good to go! No more exercise plans, no more dieting! I've got Eurotrim® now, and just look at my figure!"

Well, there apparently were some inconvenient side effects when consumed not in accordance with the instructions on the label. So now the Greeks are blaming the pharmacy, the manufacturer, their doctor, the guy in the pub who gave them a second opinion, and their pet dog, but can't seem to realize that maybe they themselves might take some responsibility for their plight. And it's going to get uglier.