Meanwhile, Back in Greece: The Crisis Never Went Away

Last month, all eyes were on Greece, as it looked as though the whole country was on the brink of collapse. And if Greece collapsed, so too, we were told, would Europe. For a while, it felt like all anybody could talk about was Greece, and about what felt like the very real possibility of a devastating Grexit.

Last month, all eyes were on Greece, as it looked as though the whole country was on the brink of collapse. And if Greece collapsed, so too, we were told, would Europe.

For a while, it felt like all anybody could talk about was Greece, and about what felt like the very real possibility of a devastating Grexit.

The Syriza government, under the leadership of Tsipras, rejected austerity. A referendum was held to decide whether or not Greece should accept the bailout conditions proposed by the IMF, the European Central Bank, and the Juncker Commission. 61.3% of people said "NO."

A period of negotiation followed, which resulted in a new bailout agreement. The terms of the new agreement, though, were described by some as a "coup". The emergency legislation, which was intended to save Greece's economy, now looks likely to make a poor country even poorer.

This is the sort of situation that, even five years ago, might have dominated the headlines for months. Instead, as is usually the case these days, the world apparently found something shinier, cuter, or more "shocking" to care about.

Now it feels as though only those with a vested interest in economics - or democracy - are still paying attention to the situation in Greece. And now that there's less talk of a Grexit, their interest feels almost academic.

But for Greeks around the world - even those who, like me, who were lucky enough to find stable and satisfying work overseas - the situation in Greece has never ceased to be a daily nightmare of fresh crises, fresh indignities, and dangerously low levels of hope.

So what sort of doom and gloom did the world have in store for Greece this week? Well, to find out, we have to turn to the financial section of the papers - a place where many fear to tread.

Well, having only recently reopened after a five week shutdown, the Greek stock market is having a terrible week, so there's that. Shares lost a sixth of their value, and three of the leading Greek financial institutions lost the maximum 30% permitted in a single day's trading.

Oh, and it seems that the country's manufacturing industry is liable to collapse. That's what happens to industries when they lose access to banks - they also lose their confidence, along with their ability to order stocks and supplies. I've heard it said that Greek industry has been made to endure even harder conditions that those that were experienced during the worst of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Sounds about right.

Because that's the thing - the few people still following these stories overseas tend to react with shock to every successive crisis. But for the people of Greece - at home and abroad - this sort of news registers as just a small part of a larger overall decline.

We're so used to bad news that good news now feels like the sort of thing that happens to other people. We're no longer shocked, shaken, or surprised by any of this. We're just sad. It's no longer enough to simply describe things as "hopeless", as all hope departed long ago.

It's hard to get too invested in anything these days, isn't it? Every day online, there's a thousand different stories vying for our attention, our tears, and our outrage. Once we've granted a story all the attention it deserves, we move on. There's always something to move on to.

Let this be your periodic reminder that, for those who are living through the stories you idly browse online throughout the day, there is no moving on. There's seldom any resolutions, and there's almost never a happy ending.

There will be no Grexit, but this crisis is far from over. And even if it's been relegated to the financial pages, it's no less of a human tragedy.

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