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Spanish Skies Shut Down After 90% Of Air Traffic Controllers "Call In Sick" In Protest Over Austerity
Update from the AP: Spain orders its air traffic controllers to resume work or military will take over control of airspace. That's some serious flu going around.
If you are reading this from an airplane, we can only hope your final destination is not Spain. Sky News has just broken that virtually all Spanish air traffic is shut down after 90% of air traffic controllers have decided not to work due to "illness" but mostly in protest of austerity. Those with a memory that stretches beyond the last Dancing with the Stars episode will recall that this is what happened in Greece just days before the people died in riots and Waddell and Reed experimented with the whole sell concept.
From Sky News:
Passengers across Spain are facing huge disruption after air traffic controllers staged an unofficial walkout.
The group called in sick en masse, closing down airspace over Spain - except the southern region of Andalucia.
"Around 90% of controllers abandoned their work posts," resulting in the mass shutdown, said an AENA spokesman.
There were just three air traffic controllers at Madrid's Barajas airport to cope with landing aircraft, the spokesman added.
Transport minister Jose Blanco said Spain would not allow the air traffic controllers to engage in "blackmail".
Those due to fly to Spain from the UK are being advised to call their airline.'
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They should have coordinated with other countries.
Or Katla.
Paging Iceland...
This is the result of banker's ongoing transfer of wealth. I am not saying ATController's deserve raises or anything, but if it means bankers going without bonuses then that is fine by me.
In austerity who gets rich exactly? The creditor. Who experiences a dramatic decrease to quality of life? The debtor. I am not saying "deficits forever", IMO the problem is that bankers create money out of nothing and then demand interest on that money. Even when lending to governments, who are sovereign and can create their own money!
Debt money needs to be replaced with Sound Money.
http://psychonews.site90.net
PsychoNews: Exposing the Oligarchy, one Psycho at a time.
LOL.
Banks want to be repaid, and it is perfectly reasonable for them to expect repayment. If one can't repay, it happens... just don't be pussy about it. Expect consequences and accept the consequences. One shouldn't be a deadbeat squatter cause the hammer will eventually come down even harder. Don't blame someone else (or bank) for one's own mistakes. Move forward wiser and more carefully.
Banks never put a gun to any Spaniard head to literally force them to take q loan.
BTW... I'm not sure what you are driving at with that gold sidebar. If you borrow gold, guess what? You have a debt denominated in gold. You pay back that sound money back plus more gold in interest.
And banks should fail when they fuck up.
Once you make your living stealing from people and all it takes is passing laws about stealing back and enforcing the shit out of them focusing on everybodys shit but your own. It just becomes a projecting horror movie we call earth. Bold face liars and stealers have always been in charge. Our goodness is the only thing that protects them.
An oddly beautiful observation, that.
How is wanting to be repaid stealing?
You are totally right that the world isn't fair. Leaders suck and vultures are everywhere. A powerful lesson to be learned as early in life as possible.
"How is wanting to be repaid stealing?"
As long as we are allowed repay the debt by conjuring (counterfeiting) up the money too, it's a fair deal.
I just don't delve into these theoretical morasses, but I question your premise. I'm going no farther than this. Instead, look at it this way...
If one is a debtor, how a bank got the money one borrowed isn't one's problem. The only problem one has is whether to pay it back or not. Sometimes repayment is no sweat. Other times it is painful. I'm careful not to say "you". Just being polite.
Balance the consequences of either paying or defaulting and commit with no excuses.
I don't think this is a "theoretical" morass. It is a reality morass.
While I can respect your view (I did not junk you) that debts need to be repaid, there is a double standard at play.
If you borrow money from a friend or family member that worked to earn that money with their time, energy, sweat and ingenuity, you have a deep and moral obligation to repay that debt with your own sweat.
If the money lent was monopoly money to begin with, it should be able to be repaid in like kind.
When you borrow from a bank you very well could be borrowing from a friend if they deposit their savings in a bank. Or if he has a money market account.
Monopoly money or no, just pay back what you got plus interest. That's all banks ask.
I'm thinkin' this is a facepalm moment...
It's still a wonderful life right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOzMdEwYmDU
It's so easy. You start out wiht the system and then just change it slowly over time while telling people it's still works like it used to. LOL
hahahahaha..you still believe banks lend what they have?
What are you, livin in the 1800s?
It's real enough to borrow, you dolt. Pay it back.
evil requires the sanction of the victim
TOTALLY AGREE.
why the fuck is it perfectly reasonable for banks to expect repayment of capital they never actually possessed, but lent anyway?
It's real enough to borrow, you dolt. Pay it back.
JM, you have been here for over 1 year so I am not sure if you are being sarcastic or not. However based on your logo it seems you believe in balance. How is there balance if the banks take more than they give. That is an imbalance. Definitely not yin and yang. I am not sure why you would be on the banks side of the argument unless you feel others are taking advantage of the system while you and your superior morality can not separate from the long held beliefs in the "system" thus preventing you from succumbing to the levels of those you feel superior to. Deep rooted beliefs cloud your reasoning.
If I was a little rough with Trav7777, he flipped me off <joke>. And I don't care for his opinions on certain groups of people.
As far as morality goes, I take exception to the culture of blame that destroyed so much of what used to be. It makes me sick. I know I'm not superior to anyone, and I certainly don't feel superior. You talked about the Way, the yin and the yang. The Dao of heaven always helps the honest man who tries to do what is right.
Banks make loans and charge an understood risk premium to borrowers in exchange for taking on credit risk. If a person can't pay off a loan, IT IS NOT A BANKS FAULT. IT IS THE PERSON'S FAULT. This doesn't make them evil, or wrong, or immoral. I know that bad things can happen to incomes (and there are worse things) and sometimes people simply must default. Bad luck can happen to me or anybody. IT IS THE PERSON'S FAULT ANYWAY. Delusions of it being someone/something else's fault is wrong and immoral.
Has every bank in the "free" world gone begging and blaming to that scum running the Fed? Sure. Have dealer banks coopted senators and the president and prime ministers across the globe? Sure. They're as deadbeat as the squatters.
Be outraged about it. But their degeneracy is no excuse for anyone else to be degenerate. It helps no one, and makes everything worse.
I collect a lot of junks and abuse but what I'm saying is the truth. I've always told the truth.
Please read "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis, ISBN: 978-0-393-07223-5, then come back here with a "reasoned" defense of the banking establishment.
Kindly read what I wrote before commenting. This isn't a defense of banks. It is a defense of doing right no matter the circumstances.
so if I lend you something I do not possess, say I have the keys to my buddy's car and I rent it to you. Maybe you are on hard times and are trying to go to a job interview.
Is it right for you to repay me? What if I collateralized your "debt" to me with something real? Suppose it was your TV. And because you're in hard times, you can't repay me for lending you a car I didn't even own. So I take your television. And some moron comes on ZH saying "do right" and "repay your debts" without ever questioning the fundamental fairness of the system, which enabled ME to get something for nothing by lending what I did not own and foreclosing on it.
You have repeatedly said that the individual should repay the bank plus interest. I submit that in the aggregate this is an impossibility because repayment requires exponential growth in someone else's debt. At some point, the system will not support additional growth in credit, rendering a systemic deficit in terms of future interest owed.
In that case, then, what? You look at this problem as if it's a matter of money. No. There is REAL collateral behind all of these loans. The human face is the banker who sits behind the corporation that is lending what it does not possess and expecting REAL THINGS in repayment. He is taking the profits of this corporation and pocketing them.
Supposing banks lent what they actually have, their risk tolerance would be FAR lower. Supposing there was some downside for the BANKER underwriting these loans, the same is true. But this is not the case. The system is set up for ONEWAY profits, from people to bankers.
In such a system it is tantamount to immorality to REPAY at all! Such a system must be destroyed and its purveyors with it.
In my opinion the only way to reestablish harmony is for all the bottom pickers to shut down the system that is controlling them. There is no stronger way than what is happening now, through attrition. Conventional fighting is impossible. The central bank is plundering the worth of the middle class. More middle class are now on gov't assistance than i am guessing ever before. I am sure there are stats on this i just don't feel like looking them up at this point. The system is set up to destroy and plunder without you and me feeling its effects.
"Because there's a conflict in every human heart, between the rational and irrational, between good and evil. And good does not always triumph. Sometimes, the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature." - Apocalypse Now
The system is set up to make debtors. Debtors become slaves. This is true.
If you want to play an active role, do nothing. Don't default if you can help it, because it hurts those you love. Just prepay those debts down to nothing. Don't take out more loans. Attrition happens when many debtors do this. Many banks will then vanish slowly. Don't put cheating and dishonor in fancy clothes.
Everything happens as it does. Wait for it. Harmony and discord will take care of themselves.
lol..."fault"?
WTF business does this morality shit have to do with banking?
People should DEFAULT. As in NOT REPAY. There is no moral obligation and no fault.
The bank loses nothing, because it is a corporation and it never possessed the capital it lent in the first place.
Why should anyone repay? Banks don't? They get bailouts.
When you figure out how the system works, and how irrelevant all this yin and yang shit and honesty is to it, then come back and talk to me, ok?
Spoken like a deadbeat that wants to drag everyone else into the pigsty with him.
You are a true moron with the mentality of a serf.
I default if it makes pecuniary sense to me, just like a banker would.
You feel free to give them your pound of flesh as collateral for a loan of "money" they never actually had. Your mentality is an enabler of parasites and con artists.
And you would drag everybody down into that pigsty of serfdom and slavery by wagging your "moral" finger at them.
By all means default. Don't cry when you get ass-raped by your creditors. Stiff-upper lip as they say.
Banks never put a gun to any Spaniard head to literally force them to take q loan.
Lets see if the inverse holds true.
Oh please! It's Spain, not exactly a basion of free market capitalism. This is all about the failure of SOCIALISM, the soft and fuzzy Western European kind. (The Slavic iron fisted variety having died some time ago)
Transfer of wealth? lol, these guys make more than bankers! Average salary for Spanish Air controler : 350.000 EUR/year! yeas, no extra zeros added, check it out yourself.
Reaching 970k in one case! and these guys walk out! burn them!
http://www.intereconomia.com/noticias-gaceta/economia/controlador-aereo-puede-ganar-970000-euros-al-ano
This sounds familiar...
Where's their Reagan when they need one?
Planes didn't fall from the sky when Reagan fired all the US controllers. Spain should do the same.
The planes in Spain rain mostly on the plain.
You haven't been watching My Fair Lady again?
(Blush). Yes, and her name is Angela. She's so BUTCH!!
Best. Comment. Ever.
By jose, I think you've go it.
Chortle wheeze.
Keep posting. A shining light during times of error.
tm, so close..."mainly" on the plain
Who wants to go to main land Spain and/or the Balearics this time of year anyway? Hardly going affect tourism.
Spanish bombs in Andalucia...
THE CLASH
FTW
Word
Ignacio lay dying in the sand
A single red rose, clutched in a dying hand
The women wept, to see their hero die
And the big black birds gathered in the sky.
Spain has a military? Just kidding....
Just dig up Ronnie and have him fire all those gazoogers. Iberian flunkeys have attitude? Mow them down like tall grass.
Get Leslie Neilson. He'll straigten this mess out.
Oh, never mind.
Get Leslie Neilson. He'll straigten this mess out.
He died just the other day.
You must never have read El Cid.
He died just the other day.
That's the point. With all the comments extolling Reagen, I thought we were nominating dead people.
Here's what I should have added: <sarc>.
Anyway, I wasn't funny.
Your Airplane joke went over my head.
Looks like you picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue!
If that won't do I know someone with a line to Francisco Franco in Hell. He'll take great pleasure in killing everyone.
And just remember, honey, Neanderthals didn't die out. They call them Spaniards.
By the way, are you suggesting we should have "solidarity" with these chickens? It seems to me they kissed Franco's ass for decades. Maybe they should fly to hell to thank him.
pass the sangria!!
The government should fire the bums and outsource their jobs to the lowest bidder.
It's as simple as that.
Yeah, and replace their software with Windows 95.
Y2k show of family guy Da Boom. Season 2 episode 3.
Planes crashing into the front lawn, garage doors going up and down and peter says.
Man. Nothing works since windows 98.
Are those more of the jobs that Spaniards dont want to do?
Fire them!
This is not deserving of a junk. People are free to unionize, and their employers are free to fire them for their actions.
They should, in fact, be fired, simply because they are not reliable.
You are right. We should replace them with reliable bankers who now how to rig the so called market and play every insider opportunity they get.
Why is "banker" the opposite of "striking union member" in your mind?
Both sets suck off of the teat of the state.
In this case, because an ATC does productive honest work when s/he works. In most civilized countries, striking union members don't get sacked per se. Or are you really of the opinion that employees just should take it up the a** no matter what? That would of course sit well with the ideology that our lives should be at the mercy of the government or corporations.
I dislike the unions, since they are as corrupted as their counterparties, but I do recognise the freedom to show your dissent - to strike. What other means are there thesedays?
I see. So you believe that you as a worker have a right to force someone to pay you, whether or not they want you there? Even if by walking off you endanger tens of thousands of innocents, and disrupt the economy of the entire nation already deep in a depression?
There is a difference between "taking it up the ass" and being fired for endangering the public. Those poor, downtrodden workers get paid more than a million dollars a year, yet they feel that they can all just walk off the job whenever it suits them? In a nation suffering from greater than 20% unemployment?
Yes, you have the freedom to strike, but the people you are striking against also have the freedom to fire your ass.
No, I don't. The key is of course how you do it. There are responsible ways to strike and the less so. I'm happy as long as there are procedural rules in place for both parties - both for striking and firing.
As regarding distrupting the economy of an entire nation - well, let's just say there are worse culprits.
So we shouldn't prosecute murderers because there are serial killers?
The presence of "worse offenders" does nothing to excuse the actions of these overpaid government coddled slackers.
I'm not sure how to respond. You may choose.
1) Are you serious? Comparing striking union members with murderers? That is just disgusting.
2) By your own logic, we should institute capital punishment for ALL law offenders. There is no excuse, no degrees. None. In God We Trust, and God is sure not a forgiving creature. Let alone that guy Jesus.
3) Yeah, sure. Kill 'em all.
4) I have nothing more to say to you. Good night to you Sir.
Playing the moral equivalency card does not repeal the math, and will never make the wrongs right. Wrong is wrong, no matter what the degree of transgression. Now, let the punishment fit the crime. If ATC's continue to strike, they run the risk of termination. Fraudsters (borrowers, lenders, cops, vagrants, congresscritters, and alike) run the risk of jail time.
It is absurd that government employees should be allowed to unionize. An employee monopoly for a coercive monopoly...no.
Wow, what a brutal line of reasoning.
WTF? There is only ONE way to strike and that's for every worker to walk off in unison and surround the facility so that scabs have trouble getting in.
Are you eurotrash or something, like a union and this whole strike business is just something to do as a ritual?
No. Striking is pitting the cost of replacing you against the cost of giving into your demands. Striking to "protest" shit that hasn't happened yet, ok...I mean that's a bit out there, and must be evidence of how eurotrash regard working or not working as some kind of lifestyle choice without any real consequences.
Your simple solution for complex problems amuses me. Please continue.
WTF? If someone doesn't report to work for no reason, including a strike, they can be fired.
Unions put the cost and difficulty of hiring new works against the risk of getting fired for a strike. There used to be picket lines that scabs might get beat down crossing, as well.
If employees don't like it, they should strike. If mgmt can fire them all, then mgmt's decision. Mgmt knows that getting new workers in might be more expensive than capitulating.
This is what a negotiation is, and is an EMINENT free market principle.
I agree, except for the assault of "scabs". That is not legitimate.
horseshit.
You have to get over this aversion to violence. Smacking a scab down who is trying to replace you is something that inhibits the ability of management to just fire you.
Scabs need to know not to cross the picket lines, otherwise, wtf is the point of a picket line?
Are the controllers government employees? If the controllers were employed by private industry would "austerity" even be an issue?
Tangled web.
"If you are reading this from an airplane, we can only hope your final destination is not Spain"
LMFAO!
To bad those in Spain dont rise up and protest Austerity in reverse.
Parasitical bitchez!!!
Where's Reagan when we need him!?
Ruckus knows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRNCpD3xhsY
Erm, take a look at the total pay of a Spanish ATC ... "austerity" is definitely not the word that comes to mind.
Check it out:
"Of 2,300 controllers, ten were paid between €810,000 (£725,000) and €900,000 last year. A further 226 were paid between €450,000 and €540,000 and 701 were paid between €270,000 and €360,000.
The average basic salary is €200,000 but most double or triple this amount by working overtime."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6991798.ece
Let's have a pity party for the poor dears. Sounds like a cake job. Lo siento. Yo hablo solimente un poco de Espanol. WTF! Air traffic control is supposed to be in English. If Majorca's available, count me in.
I was just going to point this out. Spanish ATCs are among the highest paid in the world. Their average salary is more than double the average for an ATC at JFK or LAX. Wtf are these idiots striking about? Being too well paid?
That's some serious jack! And they get to take a nap in the afternoon...son-of-a-bitch...I always knew I should have been a Spanish Air Traffic Controller.
Spanish (no) Fly, bitchez!!!
Serious? That's what controllers in Spain make? Wow.
Spain has 20% unemployment and these guys are bitching?
What a bunch of pussies. What do the pilots make?
JFC, how do I get this job? About half of them appear to be making 270k euros or more. That is insane money for this job
Guess it's about time for the end of day pump into the close....it's guaranteed today!
S&P is going parabolic now..but yet NFLX is still getting pounded.
We have green +6.89...... YeeeeeHawwwww....
And yet another dollar dumping just before the close.
I know to expect but I'm still a little amazed every time I see it...came exactly at 3:20. Still amazed they have no fear of acting in broad daylight.
what about if someone is really sick?
that such an important job cant really take chances...right? am at a loss...dont know what to say...
Case of Spanish flew?
Oil pushing $90. Soon everything will be grounded.
Great comment!
Sounds about right.
Airplane trobles? POMO
Cramer going apeshit.
Simon Hobbs grinning like a kid.
Both are staring intently at Michelle Caruso-Cabrera's huge breasts.
Oil shorts blowtorched. Robo rides the LA short bus.
They are discussing Spain? Needs more detail, or a pic. Not MCC, please.
Simon's more likely thinking:
"that MCC outfit would look great on me at next years love parade"
....and it looks like her tits got bigger or something... or maybe I'm just way too close to the TV
Because no one can look at her face?
As far as I am concerned, the Bernank can go and drown himself in the Hudson. What a farce.
Hmmm, even if that means that union workers lose their jobs and their pensions?
They are dependent on easy money, you know.
Definately. In the long run, they will be better off without him and his desperate curling policy. I think you would agree on that one, wouldn't you?
Pardon me Sir, would you happen to have any POMO??????
Remember what Reagan did.
The solidarity that they are showing is admirable.
"Somebody" is certainly buying EU debt. And "somebody" elses T's rate are skyrocketing and dollar weakening. These are all the hallmarks of transferrance of risk to the ultimate bagholder?
America, the ultimate backstop, has now been activated to hold the EU together. I have my doubts this will work out.
BTW - look at the data since US steped into the breach for EU two whole days ago...
Euro/dollar 1.29 to 1.34 (and rising)
oil $83.55 to $89.25 (and rising)
10yr US T 2.75 to 3.03 (and rising) while folks are beating feet to the short end of the curve w/ 2yr sitting hear weeks low
Don't seem to see the same increases for Germany...hmmm.
Perhaps we should refer to this as QE2.1???
This will also likely squelsh any impact from Eric Cantonna's "pull your money from the bank" day...unlimited lending at 0%. Power of the fiat in full splendor.
... and imagine the tsunami that would result with a default of the USD. It would be #uckin surreal... and some say it's coming.
Actually, an excellent way to INTRODUCE the concept and demonstration of Austerity...what it is like...to eliminate the 'unnecessary'
Eliminate Tourism...hum does Spain actually MAKE anything?? Fire the controllers, under 'Austerity' there is really no need for all that Tourism Air Traffic,
'remote the controller-towers...to Germany, England, or USA perhaps INDIA better yet..' technology implemented...low traffic, great time to technologically eliminate, consolidate, save money....
ENGLISH FYI is the World Standard for Air Traffic, EVERYWHERE, so 'speaking Spanish not necessary...SOME, a very few, 'remoted Spanish-speakers from perhaps Mexico..?
and YES, a nice 'warning' 1500 point/one hour DOW drop-out, Waddle and Reed still 'on contract'?
....and, oh..rendition the rest to Somalia, just cuz it could be done...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_rendition_by_the_United_States
Austerity? Look at #776425 he's got a point.
Run with the Jets (instead of the Bulls)
We don't need no stinkin' Spain ....we gots the running of the Bulls right now ! ...were all green !
Fuck Beef. POMO. Its whats for dinner
Speaking of Airlines, Looks like POMO is making the market take off like a Boeing 777.
Only because the new 787 is grounded (again) and 3 years late (and counting).
It’s called ‘Dreamliner’ for a reason.
Silver and Gold Record,,,and Equities high¡¡¡ hhahaha,
this is so funny
The market is completly broken
Bennie cant let his BS equity pets get all red while PM's and oil are making new highs!
Silver spot 29.42 and still climbing.
Top ticked that one.
For the moment, at least.
Scratch that, ticked to 29.43.
They are just parasites. It's not their first time, and it's not going to be the last one either, because Mr. Blanco is the king of mumbo-jumbo. He is trying to pass a law, so the military controllers could take over, but he is bluffing again, because 50% of the military is not eligible because they can't speak English.
I understand the Spanish military will bring in American Sign language interpreters. :>)
At some level, I can agree with the junkers -- but this IS FUNNY!
Completly agree JacksB.S
Things in Spain must change fast and drastically.
Have a nice weekend every1
fuckit, I will move there TOMORROW. Just gimme a hot spanish chick and I will speak all the goddamned english they want for just the AVERAGE ATC salary
Wow, what a happy print into the bell.
I'm predicting an all-out orgy on Closing Bell today.
Michelle, Amanda, both will be dryhumped from all sides by Hank Greenberg, Simon Hobbs, and various hedge fund and money manager guests.
Bob Pisani will be left out as usual. He'll be looking for scraps after hours, maybe one of the makeup artists on the set.
LOL...
Wow, what a loser.
I don't know who any of these people are, but that was pretty funny.
Just goes to show that humor is universal.
First of all, I think that is plainly wrong. Humour is dependent on cultural context. Secondly, it might be considered humour but only if you're an old man. I was thinking more of coprolalia.
Zero Hedge, expanding your vocabulary one naughty word at a time! :>D
I predict that this particular strain of the Spanish flu will prove highly contagious..., in Frogland.
Spanish flu can get you down but Spanish fly gets you up again.
The fun part for the airlines will be trying to get all their stranded planes out of Spain.
Austerity must be a real bitch if you've been a loyal socialist for years. So far, there are distinct styles and differences developing across Europe for each country with loss of government dole.....
Burning buildings? GREECE
Stranding passengers in flight? SPAIN
Mass demonstrations? FRANCE & IRELAND
Smashing windows? IRELAND & FRANCE
Greece is the most violent so far, Spain ahead on style points. France and Ireland neck and neck. Italy and Portugal are potential contenders in the wings. Italy is not be outdone on style.
Santelli: Just said Bernanke has indicated he is not limiting QEII to $600 billion -- TD was right again.
What Bernanke was going to limit QEII to $600B per week? I never read that.
Not per month -- QE II was officially to be $600 billion total over a period of months, about $75 Billion/mo, before being reassessed by the Fed
But ZH said from the jump that was BS. It was going to be an ongoing Fed operation, no end in sight. Now just 30 days later, Santelli today confirmed this, citing CBS
ZH is like looking over the ben bernank shoulder.
the problem with solcialism is that you soon run out of other people's money and but the kleptocrats know where you stashed some anyway....
the problem with socialism is that everyone thinks that you can have money for nothing and your chicks for free...