新闻报刊阅读.docx
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新闻报刊阅读.docx
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新闻报刊阅读
InGreece,Chanelbecomesmorevaluablethancash
July7,2015
ATHENS—InGreece’sneweconomicorder,Chanelisbecomingmorevaluablethancash.
BanksinthisMediterraneannationhavebeenshutdownformorethanaweekandarejustdaysawayfromrunningoutofmoney.ManyGreeksworrythatatleastsomeoftheirhard-earneddepositscouldvanishevenunderthebestoutcomeofrenewednegotiationsbetweenthecountry’sleadersanditscreditorsoverabailoutpackage.
Eventhosewhohavehoardedcashfearthatthevalueoftheeurowillplummet,orthatareturntothedrachmawillleavethemstrandedwiththewrongcurrency.
[7keythingstoknowaboutGreece’sdebtcrisisandwhathappensnext]
Andso48-year-oldSophiaMarcoulakisisconsideringconvertinghercashintosomethingmorestable:
adesignerhandbag.
It’saluxurythemotheroftwoneverwouldhaveallowedherselfbeforethebanksshutdown.Butnowsheconsidersitaninvestment,atangiblepossessionthatthegovernmentcannottakeaway.
“Youhaveafeelingthatmoneyhaslostitsvalue,”saidMarcoulakis,acorporatelawyer.“It’sjustanumber.”
SuchisthelevelofdistrustamongGreekstowardtheirbankingsystem,acrisisofconfidencethatonlyfurtherweakensfinancialinstitutionsalreadyonlifesupport.ItexemplifiesthechallengePrimeMinisterAlexisTsiprasfacesinrestoringcredibility,notonlywithskepticalEuropeancreditorsbutalsoamongadeeplydividedpublictraumatizedbyyearsofausterity.
ResidentsbeganpullingtheirmoneyoutofGreekbanksinJanuaryaftertheleftistpoliticalpartySyrizawonparliamentaryelectionsandsweptintoofficewithpromisestostandfirmagainsttheharshspendingcutsdemandedbyGreece’screditorsinreturnforfreshaid.TheshowdownbetweenAthensandtherestofEuropeintensifiedattheendoflastmonth,andbanksenactedstrictlimitsonwithdrawalsandtransfersabroad.
Electronicdebittransactionsarestillallowed,butsomestoreshavestoppedacceptingthem.CreditcardpurchasesonAmazonandiTunesareprohibited.Greekscanwithdrawonly60eurosadayincashfrombanks,theequivalentofabout$67.
Manyresidentsworrythatitisonlyamatteroftime—perhapsjustdays—beforeGreecestartstolooklikeCyprusin2013.Then,thedebt-ladenislandforcedresidentsandbusinessestogiveup47.5percentofdepositsabove100,000eurosheldinlocalbanksinexchangeforfundingfromEurope.Topreventarunonthefinancialsystem,Cypriotswereallowedtoaccessonly300eurosadayandtochargeupto5,000eurosontheircreditcardseachmonth.
[GermanswouldrathersendhumanitarianaidthanforgiveGreece’sdebts]
ThequestionformanyGreeksthesedaysbecomeswhethertospendmoneynoworwatchitvanishintothinairlater.
ForChrisDako,theanswerissimple:
Buynow.Sincethebankclosures,the25-year-oldwaiterhasbeenpaidincashdaily.AndonTuesday,heplannedtoturnthatmoneyintoanewpairofshoes.
“Whatshoes?
”heaskedwithasmile.“Thebest.”
Specifically,runningsneakersthatwillsethimback185euros,alittleover$200.Heintendstospendupto500eurosalltoldasahedgeagainstthemoneynowtrappedinsidehisbankaccount.
“Iftheywanttotakesomeofmymoney,letmespenditfirst,”Dakosaid.
Ofcourse,manyGreekshavelittlemoney—inthebankorelsewhere.Estimatessuggestthatthepovertyratecouldbeasmuchas44percentofthepopulation.Greekmediareportedthatbetween40,000and50,000workerswerefiredorsuspendedafterthebanksshutdown.Manyareunabletopaytheirbillsandareusingtheircashfornecessitiessuchasfood.
WealthierGreeks,meanwhile,arestoringtheirmoneyinmoretraditionalhavens.KostasTheodoropoulos,formerheadofinvestmentatEurobankAssetManagement,estimatedthat40percentofwithdrawalsweresimplytransferredtoforeignbankaccounts.Another10percentorsowereinvestedinmutualfundsdomiciledinLuxembourg,hesaid,andtheremaining50percentofwithdrawalswerestuffedunderthemattress.
SeveralGreekssaidtheywereusingthatmattressmoneytopayoffdebtorotherbillsaheadoftimetoavoidacashcrunchlater.AndthoughhavingasecretmoneystashathomeiscommoninGreece,manysaidtheamounthasincreased.Onefamilyhidtheirsinthefreezer,nexttothesteaks.
CarsalesinGreece,includingsalesofluxuryvehicles,surgedthisspringevenasthenationmarchedtowarddefaultingonitsloans.Thoughofficialdataattributestherisetoturnoverinrental-carfleets,somecommentatorssuggestedthatGreekswouldratherbuycarsthanholdmoneyinthebanks.SimilarspikesincarsaleswerereportedinCyprusinthemonthsbeforeitinstitutedbankingrestrictions,andinRussiaasthevalueoftherubledroppedsharplyinDecember.
[HowoneweepingmanputafaceonGreece’sdebtcrisis]
BeforethefinancialfreezeinGreece,customerslinedupatNikiasinthewealthyKolonakineighborhoodofAthenstoselltheirjewelsandRolexwatches.Buttheshop’sownersaidthatoverthepastweekhehashad20to30callsfrompeopleinterestedintheoppositeexchange.
Theowner,whodeclinedtogivehisname,saidthecallerswantedtobuygoldcoinsandkilobars—themostexpensiveitemshisstorecarries.Buthenolongeracceptselectronicbanktransfers,becauseheisworriedaboutapotentiallossondeposits.
“Thenwewouldbetheonestohavetheproblem,”hesaid.
SohisshopisstuckinaCatch-22:
Hewilltakeonlycash,butnoneofhiscustomerscanaccessenoughtopurchasehisgoods.
“Everyoneisonhold,”hesaid.
Readmore
Germanyhasdefaultedonitsdebts,too
AhilariousMontyPythonsketchexplainswhyGreeceisinahugecrisis
ReadGreece’sofficialone-pageletteraskingforanewbailoutprogram
Fromfearofwartodiplomaticaccord:
thestepstoanuclearagreement
July14,2015
ThreeyearsbeforeTuesday’snucleardealwithIran,theObamaadministrationdispatchedapairofseniormilitarycommanderstotheMiddleEastforadifferent,ifequallyurgent,setofnegotiations.Thepurpose:
persuadingIsraeltodelayanimminentmilitarystrikeonIran’snuclearfacilities.
Atthetime,thechancesformilitaryactionwereconsideredsohighthatU.S.officialsdebatedwhen,notwhether,thebombswouldfall.“We’veadmittedtoeachotherthatourclocksareturningatdifferentrates,”Gen.MartinDempsey,chairmanoftheJointChiefsofStaff,saidafterhistalkswithIsraelileadersinAugust2012.
Now,WhiteHouseofficialsareinsteadtoastingamajordiplomaticvictory:
acomprehensiveagreementtoseverelyrestrictIran’snuclearprogram.Inaremarkablereversal,thegoaloffreezingIran’sprogresstowardaweaponscapabilitywasachievednotwithwarplanesbutwithhandshakes.
[HistoricpactwithIranreached.]
ThedealannouncedinViennacloses,atleastfornow,themostperilouschapterin35yearsofturbulentrelationswiththeIslamicrepublic.ByeffectivelyfreezingIran’suraniumstockpileforatleastadecade,theaccordeasestensionsaroundacontroversythathasgivenrisetocyberattacks,assassinationsandeconomicsanctions,allsetagainstabackdropoffearoverthepotentialforanewMiddleEastwar.
“It’smomentous,”saidCliffKupchan,aformerStateDepartmentofficialandanIranexpertwiththeEurasiaGroup.“There’sonlyaveryremotechanceforthenext10to15yearsthatIrancanacquireanuclearweapon.TheUnitedStatesduringthatperiodwon’thavetochoosebetweenacceptinganuclear-weapons-capableIranandusingmilitaryforceagainstthatcountry.”
Criticspouncedonperceivedflawsinthedealandvowedtofighttoblockitsimplementation.Butassumingthatthebasiccontoursremainintact,theaccordwilleffectivelystopprogressalongtwopathsthatcouldpotentiallygiveIrananuclearweaponscapability.BothIran’sstockpileofenricheduraniumanditsabilitytoproduceplutoniumfromanuclearreactorwillberestrictedundertheagreement’sterms,inadramaticshiftfromthecircumstancesthatconfrontedtheObamaadministrationbeforetheinterimnucleardealwasstruckinNovember2013.
Ifitisfullyimplemented,asexpected,theagreementwillrepresentamajorforeignpolicyvictoryfortheObamaadministration,whichfromitsfirstdayssoughttotransformWashington’srelationswithIran,firstthroughoffersofdiplomaticengagementandthen,whenthoseovertureswererejected,bycoordinatinganunprecedentedinternationalcampaignofeconomicsanctionsthatcrippledIran’seconomyandpressuredTehrantoseekanegotiatedsettlement.
“DiplomacyhasalreadybeensuccessfulinfreezingIran’snuclearprogressforthefirsttimeinadecade,”saidKateGould,chiefMiddleEastassociatefortheFriendsCommitteeonNationalLegislation,anonpartisangroupthatadvocatesforthepeacefulresolutionofinternationalconflicts.“Today,diplomacyhascarvedoutafuturethatkeepsIranfromthebomb,andkeepstheUnitedStatesfromanothercatastrophicwarintheMiddleEast.”
[Howtheagreementworks.]
AlthoughIrandeniedhavinganyinterestinthebomb,itsnuclearfacilitieshavelongbeenapotentialflashpointinrelationswiththeUnitedStates,blockingprogressonahostofregionalissues,suchasterrorismandSyria’scivilwar.
Iran’sinterestinnucleartechnologydatestothe1970s,whenthecountry’spro-Americanshah,MohammadRezaPahlavi,approvedplanstoconstructupto23nuclearreactorswithinternationalhelp.ButallcooperationbetweenWashingtonandTehranwashaltedafterthe1979Iranianrevolutionthatbrough
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