Monday, October 31, 2011

The Indignation of Crybabies

Let's see . . . you expect full retirement benefits at age 55 and one of the best health care systems in Europe as well.  Oh, and paying taxes is only for chumps.  You are renowned across Europe for not filing your income tax returns, and the government barely tries to collect them.  For the 20% of the workforce that "works" for the government, you have lifetime job security until you get your full retirement at age 55.

Sorry to hear your government cannot afford to pay all of this, but don't worry, your government can issue bonds and borrow as much money as they need from the rest of the world.  After all, you deserve it, right?

Sorry to hear the world stopped buying any new bonds of your government, cutting off the flow of borrowings to support your entitlements.  But, the world was glad when the European Union rode to your rescue last week, effectively cutting your national debt by almost 30%.  Stock markets around the world rallied strongly on the news your bonds wouldn't destroy the European banking system.

But, I don't understand why you are indignant, just because it does require changes in your entitlements and really collecting taxes from you.  Today, your government announced a referendum on whether to accept the largess of the European Union.  Whether to accept it . . . ARE YOU NUTS?  I can understand the importance of indignation.  I can understand that you want to believe somebody stole all the Greek money.  But . . . ARE YOU NUTS?  Without it, your government will collapse and may take the European banking system with it.  It only took fifteen months to negotiate your bailout, and now you want to vote on it?  ARE YOU NUTS?

As a result, the U.S. stock market dropped 276 points today, primarily because of you!  THANKS!