Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice: The Destruction of Greece and the Future of Europe

A world-renowned economist offers cogent and powerful reflections on one of the great avoidable economic catastrophes of the modern era

The economic crisis in Greece is a potential international disaster and one of the most extraordinary monetary and political dramas of our time. The financial woes of this relatively small European nation threaten the long-term viability of the Euro while exposing the flaws in the ideal of continental unity. "Solutions" proposed by Europe's combined leadership have sparked a war of prideful words and stubborn one-upmanship, and they are certain to fail, according to renowned economist James K. Galbraith, because they are designed for failure. It is this hypocrisy that prompted former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, when Galbraith arrived in Athens as an adviser, to greet him with the words "Welcome to the poisoned chalice."

In this fascinating, insightful, and thought-provoking collection of essays--which includes letters and private memos to both American and Greek officials, as well as other previously unpublished material--Galbraith examines the crisis, its causes, its course, and its meaning, as well as the viability of the austerity program imposed on the Greek citizenry. It is a trenchant, deeply felt commentary on what the author calls "economic policy as moral abomination," and an eye-opening analysis of a contemporary Greek tragedy much greater than the tiny economy of the nation itself.

Author: James K. Galbraith
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 06/01/2016
Pages: 232
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.80w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780300220445


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/18/2016
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2016
Choice 11/01/2016

About the Author
James K. Galbraith holds the Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., Chair in Government/Business Relations at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of eight books and hundreds of articles for both scholarly and general-interest journals.


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