From Reuters:
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou starts a campaign on Monday to secure a new international bailout by imposing years of austerity on a nation already seething over corruption and economic mismanagement.
Unease is growing within Papandreou’s ranks about the consequences of waves of budget cuts demanded under successive deals with the European Union and IMF — and this could turn into alarm after at least 80,000 Greeks crammed a central Athens square to vent their anger over the nation’s dire state…
To put it in proportion – this is like more than two million Americans showing up in DC to shout defiance at the government. Can you imagine what would happen if such an event took place? More than likely, our government would cave to that level of anger…or, the party on the “out” would swiftly take advantage of it and clean up at the next election.
So, why, then, does the Greek government seem prepared to buck their people and go forward with the bail out? Because if you think the Republicans and Democrats are two sides of the same coin, you’ve never seen nothing like Europe. Over there, all the parties really are the same…with only the most minor differences. The difference between, say, Labour and Tory in Britain is that the Tories will have Britain go bankrupt slightly slower than Labour would. Portugal just tossed out their government because of the bail outs…and what do the winners propose to do? Go forward with the bail outs, naturally.
Everyone of the elite in Europe is simply aghast at all this – the deal was they’d provide lavish benefits and the people would just quietly accept the dictates of government. But now popular revolt is brewing…and you just watch: if this keeps up, the more extremist parties in Europe will start to gain strength. Not because Europeans are particularly extremist, but because of frustration with all the current major parties…no one is speaking up for the people who are to be burdened with taxes for a generation in a vain attempt to pay off bondholders who should have been smart enough not to loan money to States which cannot repay.
It is quite a mess over there – and it where we’re heading unless we get our act together in the 2012 election.
Blogs For Victory 