Spain going down the gutter

[RACER X]

remember that guy on teh forums, where Spain was eutopia? land of endless trackdays and all girls were virgins, lol

anyways

it ain't like that any more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/wo...oc.semityn.www

Spain Recoils as Its Hungry Forage Trash Bins for a Next Meal

[KSGregman]

Just give it time...the illusion of wealth in America will be shattered soon enough....and I can give you $16T reasons why that is true.

The path we are on is not sustainable...everyone knows it....and NO ONE is willing to do hard things now to prevent being forced into doing DEVASTATING things (such as those happening in Greece/Spain and soon to be Italy) in the future.

[fatbuckRTO]

Originally Posted by KSGregman

and NO ONE is willing to do hard things now to prevent being forced into doing DEVASTATING things (such as those happening in Greece/Spain and soon to be Italy) in the future.

I wouldn't classify the so-called austerity measures as devastating things. To be fair, I haven't been able to find a detailed list of these measures. All of the articles I've read on the subject have been frustratingly vague.

But, from what I can gather, they've cut pay to government workers and cut social services. If they are like some other European countries, and "social services" include paid vacations and old-man-balls low working hours, the "austerity measures" they're seeing wouldn't phase the average American. Like Paul pointed out, a nap-time culture doesn't make for a strong economy to begin with.

Then you have this mindset:

“It’s against the dignity of these people to have to look for food in this manner,” said Eduardo Berloso, an official in Girona, the city that padlocked its supermarket trash bins.

Mr. Berloso proposed the measure last month after hearing from social workers and seeing for himself one evening “the humiliating gesture of a mother with children looking around before digging into the bins.”

So, to protect the dignity of his fellow Spaniards, he'll lock the trash bins and let them starve to death. Brilliant.

[pauldun170]

http://www.economist.com/node/21556238

[KSGregman]

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grea...=9780812923278

Read it....it's deja vu all over again.

These aren't "other people's problems"....Greece's problems...Spain's problems...Ireland's problems....Italy's problems.

They're OUR problems....for again allowing wealth distribution to become too heavily skewed...with entirely predictable results. The REAL shame in all this is that it's happened before....with entirely DISASTROUS consquences (two World Wars etc)...consequences that apparently taught us absolutely NOTHING.

[pauldun170]

Spain's issue is that without the ability to control their monetary policy, they cannot effectively control their economy. It doesn't help much that there is an institutionalized nap time in the country.

When it comes to European countries, if you can walk to the beach and dip your foot in the Mediterranean...just expect economic nonsense.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

It doesn't help much that there is an institutionalized nap time in the country.

Not surprised

Not being racist, but....

Oh wait maybe I am

[Smittie61984]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

When it comes to European countries, if you can walk to the beach and dip your foot in the Mediterranean...just expect economic nonsense.

My GF is Greek and people who are still in Greece are the laziest people on the planet. We actually noticed the Greek Consulate's hours in SF were from 10am-2pm. I joked that if you want something done there then you need to expect them to take 1/2 hour to get open, 15minutes of work (maybe), 15 minute smoke break, 2 hour lunch, 15 minute work (maybe), 15 minute smoke break, 30 minutes to close. Her father needed to do something at the Greek consulate once and he described it just like that.

But if I lived in a beautiful place like Greece I wouldn't do shit. It's also why I never understood how people can go to college in Southern California. USC students must have a 6 year track for an associates. I'd be at the beach daily.

[Tmall]

Originally Posted by RACER X

remember that guy on teh forums, where Spain was eutopia? land of endless trackdays and all girls were virgins, lol

anyways

it ain't like that any more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/wo...oc.semityn.www

Spain Recoils as Its Hungry Forage Trash Bins for a Next Meal

Those are some pretty trendy clothes for somebody dumpster diving...

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Tmall

Those are some pretty trendy clothes for somebody dumpster diving...

I saw a squeegie kid begging for change while wearing a $500.00 Joe Rocket motorcycle jacket, here in Toronto.

Originally Posted by Smittie61984

My GF is Greek and people who are still in Greece are the laziest people on the planet. We actually noticed the Greek Consulate's hours in SF were from 10am-2pm. I joked that if you want something done there then you need to expect them to take 1/2 hour to get open, 15minutes of work (maybe), 15 minute smoke break, 2 hour lunch, 15 minute work (maybe), 15 minute smoke break, 30 minutes to close. Her father needed to do something at the Greek consulate once and he described it just like that.

But if I lived in a beautiful place like Greece I wouldn't do shit. It's also why I never understood how people can go to college in Southern California. USC students must have a 6 year track for an associates. I'd be at the beach daily.

If the people with the money in Greece would actually pay their taxes, then maybe Greece wouldn't be in such bad shape now. Businesses don't pay their taxes. Private citizens dodge their taxes. How do you sustain the levels of social programmes that they have, if you don't have any government income?