Last time, I wrote from the conflict prevention perspective about the tough situation facing Greece and the European Union (EU). Assume for a moment that Greece’s admission to the EU was premature or simply not a good idea at the time, and that the decision was made nonetheless. Still, there were opportunities — missed — to take action to reduce the conflict presented by Greece’s relative economic weakness.
Some commentators have stated that it was an open secret that the economic data produced by Greece to document its financial health was simply too good to be true. And yet, instead of grappling with the problem years ago, this risky business was allowed to continue. Instead of taking action to reduce the impact of this conflict, the conflict was allowed to fester and grow into a full-blown crisis.
