Five years into the biggest bailout of a debtor in history, Greece is closer to the brink than ever, with time running out to avert a bankruptcy that could destabilize not only the eurozone, but the global economy as well. When Europe and the International Monetary Fund first agreed to bail Greece out on May 2, 2010, the plan was to return Greece to growth and bond markets within three years. Instead, after half a decade and €245 billion ($274 billion) in promised loans, the two sides have reached an impasse. Although Greece has come close to financial meltdown before, the ideological divide has never been deeper. The government’s refusal to inflict on an exhausted society the further belt-tightening that creditors insist is needed has created a […]