EUROPE — UNABLE TO DECIDE — FUTURE DIM
Subregions of Europe (The World Factbook) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
“Ambivalence” is a condition that is uniquely human.
Wanting two conflicting goals and unable to act decisively is common amongst humans, both young and old; and especially, amongst groups.
We see this quandary whenever people are asked to vote for leaders who promise to take them in a specific direction.
We are seeing it today in the USA as the Americans try to decide whether they should keep the incumbent President or replace him with an unknown who promises to improve the economy; in particular, the problem of unemployment.
In Europe, the quandary is starker.
Europeans, according to all polls, love the benefits of the Euro as a currency, and the benefits of one grandiose political arena, where they can travel freely, work or study anywhere and almost totally ignore the responsibility of being a citizen of the country in which they were born.
Being a prince or a princess who can ignore the responsibilities of paying taxes, ask banks for money with little thought of re-payment and work only if and when one finds it desirable, is lovely, but down the road someone or some group has to pay the price.
We are seeing that almost three quarters of all Europeans have ignored the responsibilities of debts, have forgotten what the term “productivity” means and have nonchalantly opened the gates and frontiers of their countries to all and sundry, accumulating a vast number of people who demand much and contribute very little.
In essence, the irresponsible have taken over most of the countries of Europe and after three decades, their propensity to grab the cake and ignore the price tag has led to a a generalized weakening of the European economies, so that the term “Bankruptcy” is found on the first pages of newspapers written in a variety of languages.
Since this is the season of electing political leaders, we see worried looks, not only on the faces of the politicians, but on the faces of almost the entire European public.
“How can I keep my cake and eat it too?” You obviously cannot! Any bird or squirrel or snake will tell you this. Take what you can and run! But don’t expect to find another meal of the same kind in the same place.
Throughout Europe, the voters are beginning to realize that the “good times” are over. The financial system is teetering, because the financial leadership had turned a blind eye to the depravity of the citizens.
The financial leaders were well aware that their customers were squandering their future inheritance; yet, they too took the easy road to nice fat figures on the credit side of the ledger book.
Now the European public was staring at a frightening failure in unemployment as governments cut back on spending and all the spoils of entitlement as their banks posted larger and larger red numbers on the pages of their assets, indicating that there simply was no way to continue supporting a monstrously imbalanced account.
Is there a way out? Not, really. The so called “Austerity Measures” now being placed into law across Europe will make the European economy weaker, not stronger.
Unemployment is hitting unheard of levels across the Southern Tier.
The living standard is falling everywhere and undocumented migrants are beginning to panic as they see the anger in the faces of local citizens who look at them (and not at themselves) as the cause of what is becoming an obviously unlivable financial swamp.
As the gross domestic products fall everywhere the possibility of repayment of the inordinate debts becomes less and less likely.
As in the U.S., the central bank is playing the role of the Croupier, who spins the wheel of the roulette machine and passes out chips to all customers, payable “sometime in the future.”
This is a laughable charade of “Business as Normal.” The figures for loans to countries from the ECB have risen from billions to trillions.
After a while, the figures become meaningless. Just as the figures are meaningless in the USA. What is counting, however, is the fact that hunger, homelessness and illness is growing everywhere.
It is nice to have a passport with two words that means no-one can stop you at the border; however, if you cannot pay for the trip, the two words are meaningless.
PSYCHIATRY
Patients who are tied up emotionally with ambivalence, the inability to choose a clear path for their future, have a bleak prognosis. Frequently they commit suicide.
The Romans, during their downfall, could not decide to leave the use of mercenaries and slaves and return to the world as strong soldiers and workers. They ultimately descended into the Dark Ages, and their country was torn apart by outside forces.
This appears to be happening to Europe today. The individual European cultures are being watered down into a “Non Culture” which is called “Multi-Culturalism.”
Nationalism is disappearing and identification with one language and one culture is ending.
The survivors are the powerful elite who hold the reins of money. The rest of the population is rapidly becoming a “poor working class” without patrimony.
These helpless people will grasp the next charismatic demagogue who appears on the scene and promises a solution to their weakness.
IN ASIA
Across the Oceans, the new factory owners are watching the old Museum operators, hotel owners and restaurant keepers, and considering whether it is worth their time and money to travel to a part of the world where the population has forgotten what the words “Hard Work!” means.
A NEW “THIRD WORLD”
The term “Third World” is taking on a new meaning.
A “Third World” country is a country where there are many unemployed people, people who are struggling with subsistence and have no clue as how to rid themselves of corrupt governments. Governments that kiss the hands of the wealthy– as they have done for centuries.
