Can someone explain why they are so angry?

I mean, from sitting here in my chair in Australia - it seems like they mis-managed their economy. Now they have to live a little bit austere for a while to pay back their debt.

It really seems like there is no choice.

So why not just bear it out?

@Raaagh, I can't speak for Greece or Australia directly, but I don't think the average American feels like they're responsible for the national debt. Conservatives say it's the liberals' fault for spending too much, liberals say it's the conservatives' fault for cutting taxes while increasing spending themselves, and nobody individually feels like they're paying too little in the way of taxes for the services they get from government.

Add to that that Greece is suffering from a nasty recession, just like a lot of other countries, and fiscal austerity will only make that recession worse. Not to mention, recessions cause deficits to rise, since unemployed people don't pay taxes, but rely on government assistance to help make it through to their next job, so it looks like there's no end to the downward spiral in sight.

So, they're mad.

Greece has been paying people more to do less than other countries for decades, add to that the corruption that makes other corrupt countries seem honest (Ireland I'm talking about you here) and the rampant tax evasion.

The people have a right to be pissed for the poor state of the country, but they've been choosing the governments that sleep walked them into it.

Other taxpayers in broke nations will be giving tens of millions of Euros towards helping Greece, be nice if we werent paying for their civil servants to retire in their 40's.

obamarx is doing the same thing that sank Greece here in America: expanding government with no way to pay for it (not that Bush was much better with the first round of failouts and medicare D).

The EU is encouraging more of the same with their handouts. November's elections will indicate if America will follow Greece into financial Hades.

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. -
Frederic Bastiat