Dog and Pony Show

I’m not going to get into the whole border wall debate. I’ve got my opinions and they’d probably tick off both sides. However, I’m guessing that while people are focused on that debate other major news items are being swept under the rug.

One thing that comes to mind is the on-going protests in France and the rest of Europe. I wish my grasp of the French language was a bit better as the real news is not being broadcast in English. Major news outlets have really skewed the message. We may end up with a European Spring. Remember the Arab Spring? This could be worse.

Look at Libya. It’s a worse place to live than it was under Qaddafi -for most ordinary people. Look what happened to Egypt. They overthrew the dictator, tried for a democracy, flirted with an Islamic state, then went back to a military dictatorship. By then people just wanted stability in their lives.

When looking at the rest of the world we have to get out of the Conservative/Liberal mindset. Those words mean different things in different countries. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of government people are living under. Most want to get ride of the ruling class and try something different. What that shows is that the way people are living isn’t working out very well for most of us. Unfortunately, overthrowing the old regime never seems to work out for the common person.

So which country is actually doing fairly well these days? My vote is for Iceland. Unlike the rest of the world, back in 2008 they didn’t bail out the bankers. The people of Iceland sent them to jail. I love a happy ending.

-Sixbears

European Protests

Most people have some vague idea that there were protests about a hike in fuel costs in France. If you only watch the regular news channels you'd think it was over. After all, the government backed down on the tax, so everything's fine.

That's not the case at all. The fuel tax was not the only problem. It was the straw that broke the camel's back. The protests are about a whole range of things. In general, however, it's about how the government has lost touch with the middle class and caters mostly to the rich. Wages are stagnant, costs are up, pensions aren't enough, The urban centers have prospered at the expense of the rural areas.

It's not just about France anymore either. Protest have spread across Europe. They've been going on for about a month too. The big difference between protests in Europe and protest in America is that Europeans expect things to actually change when the go into the streets. In the US, protests don't have the same impact. The last time protests had any real power in this country was during the Vietnam war. Breaking a few windows at a Starbucks isn't going to change government policy.

So why don't protests work in the US? There's some speculation that young people can't afford to protest. Unlike most young Europeans, they have huge student debt and more more job insecurity. They would also lose their health care if they lost their job. It's those factors that keep middle class people on the sidelines.

So far that's worked just fine for the powers that be. The problem is, as some point, conditions get bad enough that people have nothing to lose. Should that time come, it's going to get really ugly. Right now, as bad as things are, we aren't in a recession or a depression. My guess is that if enough people who think themselves middle class end up poor, they are going to be more than a little irate. It's said that when people have nothing to left to lose, they lose it. If that happens in the US, European protests are going to look like Sunday picnics by comparison.

-Sixbears

Deepest Sympathy for France

I have the deepest sympathy for France and the French people today. The City of Lights is now dark.

My prayers are with them. Sorry. Not much else I can say right now.

-Sixbears

Bailouts

I’m sick about hearing about Greece getting more bailout money. It’s not going to Greece. It goes to the banks that lent money to Greece. The banks get bailed out, (sound familiar?) and the people get austerity.

The French saw it coming and elected a Socialist, Francois Hollande. We’ll see how that works out for them. The Germans and the rest of Europe are shook up by the whole thing. Bankers are nervous.

I see Spain is in the bank rescue business now. I’d be reluctant too if I was them.

Anyone remember that Iceland let the banks take the hit? They are doing pretty well right now. All the other politicians pretend there are no solutions other than austerity.

Believe it or not, austerity really hasn’t hit the US yet. Maybe the powers that be hope to push that off until the election.

The economists tell us the world dodged a bullet in 2008. The whole financial system could have come apart. Yeah, it would have been painful, but maybe we’d be recovered by now. If nothing else, idiot investors would have been punished for making idiot investments. Instead, it’s bonuses all around and they get to keep driving this run away train.

Still waiting for that Wall Street perp walk. Laws were broken. Mistakes were made. Someone has their thumb on the scale of justice.

Politically, things are getting really ugly in Greece right now. Don’t think that sort of thing can’t spread. Let it be a cautionary tale.

-Sixbears