Kalá, aftós den leitoúrgise tóso kalá

Is what Google's translation tools gave me for the phrase, "Well, that didn't work out so well." Despite all the promises to loan the profligate Greeks still more money, down, down, down go the Greek futures. The Greek budget deficit has been revised upwards, the Greek bonds are now commanding an 8.49% 9.03% interest rate (higher is worse) and, of course, the Greek public sector labor unions are striking.

ATHENS—Public services were shut down across Greece on Thursday as tens of thousands of civil servants took part in the latest of a series of protests over the government's austerity measures.

Hospitals were working on skeleton staffs and local government offices were closed, while teachers, university professors, customs and tax officials also joined in. Museums and archaeological sites were also shut as culture ministry staff walked out.

The 24-hour strike by Greece's public-sector umbrella union ADEDY, its fourth strike this year, was called to oppose deep spending cuts in civil-service salaries and entitlements—part of the government's efforts to slash this year's budget deficit to 8.7% of gross domestic product, from 13% last year.

Strike all you want, folks. It isn't going to matter. Math trumps compassion™. When the last Euro is spent and the Greek Treasury is finally empty, all of those contracts will only be useful to start cooking fires in your backyards.

The most amazing thing here is how such a large number of Greeks can hold opinions so totally out of synch with reality. When everyone has burned everything they can and the last stone is thrown at the cops, the money will still be gone*.

It's like watching college students riot in California.
* - Predictably, the AP reporter doesn't mention this as she does the voice over for the strike. It's reasonable to assume she doesn't understand things any better than the Greek protestors. This is yet another marker for societal decline. So long as these are predominantly covered as human interest stories, we're screwed. Until the voiceover mentions the mathematical facts with phrases like, "During the 8 hours of protesting, Greek debt increased by 12.5 million Euros (or whatever it is), just like it will every 8 hours until spending cuts are made," not much will change.