This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
20 Facts About The Collapse Of Europe That Everyone Should Know
Originally posted at The Coming Depression blog,
The economic implosion of Europe is accelerating. Even while the mainstream media continues to proclaim that the financial crisis in Europe has been “averted”, the economic statistics that are coming out of Europe just continue to get worse.
Manufacturing activity in Europe has been contracting month after month, the unemployment rate in the eurozone has hit yet another brand new record high, and the official unemployment rates in both Greece and Spain are now much higher than the peak unemployment rate in the United States during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The economic situation in Europe is far worse than it was a year ago, and it is going to continue to get worse as austerity continues to take a huge toll on the economies of the eurozone.
It would be hard to understate how bad things have gotten – particularly in southern Europe. The truth is that most of southern Europe is experiencing a full-blown economic depression right now. Sadly, most Americans are paying very little attention to what is going on across the Atlantic. But they should be watching, because this is what happens when nations accumulate too much debt. The United States has the biggest debt burden of all, and eventually what is happening over in Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece is going to happen over here as well.
The following are 20 facts about the collapse of Europe that everyone should know...
#1 10 Months: Manufacturing activity in both France and Germany has contracted for 10 months in a row.
#2 11.8 Percent: The unemployment rate in the eurozone has now risen to 11.8 percent – a brand new all-time high.
#3 17 Months: In November, Italy experienced the sharpest decline in retail sales that it had experienced in 17 months.
#4 20 Months: Manufacturing activity in Spain has contracted for 20 months in a row.
#5 20 Percent: It is estimated that bad loans now make up approximately 20 percent of all domestic loans in the Greek banking system at this point.
#6 22 Percent: A whopping 22 percent of the entire population of Ireland lives in jobless households.
#7 26 Percent: The unemployment rate in Greece is now 26 percent. A year ago it was only 18.9 percent.
#8 26.6 Percent: The unemployment rate in Spain has risen to an astounding 26.6 percent.
#9 27.0 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Cyprus. Back in 2008, this number was well below 10 percent.
#10 28 Percent: Sales of French-made vehicles in November were down 28 percent compared to a year earlier.
#11 36 Percent: Today, the poverty rate in Greece is 36 percent. Back in 2009 it was only about 20 percent.
#12 37.1 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Italy – a brand new all-time high.
#13 44 Percent: An astounding 44 percent of the entire population of Bulgaria is facing “severe material deprivation”.
#14 56.5 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Spain – a brand new all-time high.
#15 57.6 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Greece – a brand new all-time high.
#16 60 Percent: Citigroup is projecting that there is a 60 percent probability that Greece will leave the eurozone within the next 12 to 18 months.
#17 70 Percent: It has been reported that some homes in Spain are being sold at a 70% discount from where they were at during the peak of the housing bubble back in 2006. At this point there areapproximately 2 million unsold homes in Spain.
#18 200 Percent: The debt to GDP ratio in Greece is rapidly approaching 200 percent.
#19 1997: According to the Committee of French Automobile Producers, 2012 was the worst year for the French automobile industry since 1997.
#20 2 Million: Back in 2005, the French auto industry produced about 3.5 million vehicles. In 2012, that number dropped to about 2 million vehicles.
One thing that these shocking numbers cannot convey is the tremendous amount of pain that many average Europeans are living through on a daily basis at this point. To get a peek into what life is like in Greece these days, check out this short excerpt from a recent Bloomberg article…
Anastasia Karagaitanaki, 57, is a former model and cafe owner in Thessaloniki, Greece. After losing her business to the financial crisis, she now sleeps on a daybed next to the refrigerator in her mother’s kitchen and depends on charity for food and insulin for her diabetes.
“I feel like my life has slipped through my hands,” said Karagaitanaki, whose brother also shares the one-bedroom apartment. “I feel like I’m dead.”
For thousands of Greeks like Karagaitanaki, the fabric of middle-class life is unraveling. Teachers, salaries slashed by a third, are stealing electricity. Families in once-stable neighborhoods are afraid to leave their homes because of rising street crime.
All over Europe, people that have lost all hope are actually setting themselves on fire in a desperate attempt to draw attention. Millions of formerly middle class Europeans have lost everything and are becoming increasingly desperate. Suicide and crime are skyrocketing all over southern Europe and massive street riots are erupting on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, this is just the beginning. Things are going to get even worse for Europe.
Meanwhile, those of us living in the United States smugly look down our noses at Europe because we are still living in a false bubble of debt-fueled prosperity.
But eventually we will feel the sting of austerity as well. The recent fiscal cliff deal was an indication of that. Taxes are going up and government spending is at least going to slow down. It won’t be too long before the effects of that are felt in the economy.
And of course the reality of the situation is that the U.S. economy really did not perform very well at all during 2012 when you take a look at the numbers. The cold, hard truth is that the U.S. economy has been declining for a very long time, and there are a whole bunch of reasons to expect that our decline will accelerate even further in 2013.
So if you are an American, don’t laugh at what is happening over in Europe at the moment. We are headed down the exact same path that they have gone, and we are going to experience the same kind of suffering that they are going through right now.
Use these last few “bubble months” to prepare for what is ahead. At some point this “hope bubble” will disappear and then the time for preparation will be over.
»
- 66006 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
OK
Sometimes I think that maybe I should be feeling bad when hoping for the eventual collapse.
But humanity has driven itself into a corner, that only after a full collapse we might be able to rise up again and have some of that good ol' proper hope!
Money that's free until it isn't and energy that's cheap until it isn't - feels good until it doesn't. Whocudanode???
Very few sheeple know anything about what is going on in Europe. How many Americans know two people in Spain set themselves on fire last week? The Zionist corporate military industrial complex mainstream media does a bad job of informing us what is really going on in the world. That's why they qualify as America's propaganda enemy #1. But The MSM never fail to tell the sheeple how many dead people there are in Syria every hour, because they want us to pay for another one of their wars.
Fact 1 needed to be that multiculturalism is plunging them headlong into the collapse.
Their experience was like California's getting 10M new residents and 7M new medicaid recipients and 150k new taxpayers.
Europe destroyed itself listening to BS from zionists who practice outright apartheid.
And Israel has their very own worlds largest open air concentration camp called Gaza. Disgusting Israelis.
Have you noticed that all the bleeding heart Muslim nations don't offer the PAlestinians help or a land of their own?
Of course you didn't. Too busy buying into your own rhetoric.
They can't. There were ~500,000 Palestinians and ~500,000 Jews in Palestine Territory in 1948. There are now around 5 million of each. During that same timeframe, the population growth for the surrounding Muslim nations climbed similarly. Libya went from 600,000 Libyans and 100,000 Italians in 1945 to 6.6 Million Libyans today. Nobody has the resources to take in anybody else.
1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Or 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939.
Heck, hope not!
Why would they? Not granting Palestinians citizenship is the good thing to do because otherwise the Jews can very easily dispose the "absentees" of their citizenship (and therefore property) or just forget about it altogether by claiming that they do not want to hand out property to "foreigners". Thanks for playing, bitch!
Michaelwiseguy:
"And Israel has their very own worlds largest open air concentration camp called Gaza. Disgusting Israelis."
Pure idiocy.Who alone has a democracy over there?
Israel is an 'american' nation.
Who else has 'americanism' in the area? All the nations freed by the other 'americans'.
It includes Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq...
'Americans' should follow their own tune. The fact that Israel was the only 'american' nation in the area was grounded before 'americans' started their wave to free people around and move them to an 'american' organization of society.
Lead-tainted playthings and slow-roasted kittens
Black cooking marmites and foul public shittins'
Denial, bigotry and middle class kings
These are a few of my favorite things
Crap-covered roadsides and crisp Szechuan puppies
Truncheons and sweat shops and Chink neo-yuppies
Rare tiger penis that makes big the shwing
These are a few of my mattering things
When the dog woks
When the prole shites
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite theme:
That every 'American' is bad.
Dead female fetuses on toxic waste mountains
Resource depletion and shit-tainted fountains
Naked hypocrisy and trolling in spring
These are a few of my blobbing-up things
Citizenism and insanitation
The criminal rape of the Tibetan nation
Circular arguments that run 'round in rings
These are a few of my favorite things
When I troll blogs
When my butt stinks
When I'm feeling mad
I simply remember my mattering thing:
That every 'American' is bad.
Alas, alas, power trio alas, it's Panda Funk Railroad:
We're a Chinese citizenism band
We're a Chinese citizenism band
We stop and take a shit
On the roadside to Tibet
We're a Chinese citizenism band
Thanks Akak and 4th
I needed that
My favorite part about that song is they replaced the cow bell with a gong. Kick ass!
The frenchies have invented a new shadow € central banking system behind the ECBs back, money will be free forever! :D
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=...
I liken it to pulling off a Band-Aid. You can either do it slowly and suffer, or you can get it over with and jerk it off fast. I'd rather get this economic reconfiguration over with FAST. Because if you understand Austrian economics, you understand that depressions are just that - reconfiguration of the productive efforts of society to better suit consumer demand. That's all. A long, drawn-out depression is entirely unnecessary and imposed by government.
Sometimes depression leads to a statist state depending on who is doing the "reconfiguration".
Jerking it off fast has typically helped with my depression as well...brb
On a more serious note, we've been set up for pain, and lots of it over a protracted period of time. No way around it now.
The us is in a much better position than Europe. The Dollar is the reserve curency of the world, the us still has acces to far more domestic energy than Europe, the us has the largest millitary in the world. This cant be ignored.
if the US is going to go majority brown in 2045 or whatever, then no, our future is most certainly not particularly bright.
We will turn into a clone of mexico where stuff plain doesn't WORK like Switzerland.
It's amazing how the more people you get from there, the more here starts to look like there. It's almost as if behaviors are biological and not the marxist "nurture" theory. Maybe culture comes from people instead of from fairies.
behavior is mostly genetic; they proved this by studying adopted children;
as for intelligence:
European Jews IQ Average: 120
North Eastern Chinese/Japanese: 110
European Whites: 100
Everyone else < 100
shhh... don't tell this to to social science department.
there are alot of people with high IQs that have less common sense than my 4 year old-and don't forget all of those Nobel Prizes handed out to "geniuses"
It's true, IQ varies by race. But culture definitely counts for a lot. For instance, while the Jews may be smart they sure as hell believe in some stupid fairy tales and cut their sons' dicks up. The Scandinavians are enamored with socialism even though they're white. The Japs and Chinese have danced with the devil of communism several times and have the body counts to show for it. It's entirely possible to have a capitalist, free society comprised of lower-IQ people in my view. But it will be harder to get them to that point, because it takes a lot of education and advances in technology.
circumcision is shown to protect the circumcized from contracting STDs, among other benefits.
The Scandinavians can afford socialism as long as they are resource rich.
I don't see what technology is required for a free, capitalist society.
I'll buy that. But, did you know that a person's IQ can improve over time? If you 'work it'.
But what makes a people powerful isn't the IQ or power of the one individual. It is the same thing that makes a brain powerful: All those brain cells cross-connected and working as a 'system'. The Japanese get this also but don't practice it to the same extent as the Jews. Ditto for Whites and others, but even less so.
Sorry, but the myth of the Lone Hero is just that: A myth. Hollywood bullsh!t for sheeple. True, an individual can and often does make a huge difference. But true strength is in numbers. Well-connected numbers working as a unit. Like a body made of billions of cells. Else you can just send those "oh-so-clever but predictable and malleable" Joint Chiefs of Staff to fight your stupid wars of this "Latter Day Rome".
Unlike the Jews, how many Whites, Browns etc do you see who are all about themselves? At best they are about "family". Yeah, the immediate extension of themselves! Selfish c0ck$ucker$! Even on this site, there are tons of Lone Wolves -- all about themselves -- instead of building like-minded communities. I have NO respect for such Cro-Magnon humanoids/hemorrhoids.
Work together, build a community, a tribe, a nation! Or be conquered by those who do. Bloody sheep.
... watch a few dozen James Burke 'Connections' series too ...
Work it.
You are wrong.
The committee, the mob, the church, the collective, they are not the ones with the ability to think outside the box. By their very nature. they can't. Individualism is what drives progress, not the social mind. The social mind is very poor at STEM fields, but very good at manipulating, controlling, and using other people. Or, like your last point, conquering, killing, and stealing.
The social mind may be the progenitor of the technological mind, but it cannot do what the technological mind can do: advance civilization.
Unfortunately the technological minds are mostly enslaved by the social minds.
Precisely.
That's why we waste trillions on defense and other government rat holes.
"True strength is in numbers?" Yeah, until one who thought they heard another say "Retreat," starts a stampede for the exit. There goes your strength; straight out the door! The fact is: A "lone wolf" is a pack animal in every sense of the term. In response to unsustainable living conditions, a lone wolf sets out in search of a more suitable environment. While in the process, they have in fact withdrawn, in a bid for survival of the self; the objective of the lone wolf is to form or join the very "like-minded community" of which you speak. I was 100% about me. Now I am 100% about my family and name. When you prove to me that yours are as worthy as mine, then I will become 100% about yours too. Et voila! Community.
So, you are claiming that the strength of the jews (actually Eueopean zionists) is that they work together to dominate the world and discriminate against all others working to keep them fractured and powerless. OK, I'll buy it.
lol
i bet the 120 was measured by... yids right ?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOnQPXuU81Q
All of this may be true and only buys us a bit more time...time we are squandering in a quest to sustain the unsustainable. The corrupt Nanny State will fall without significant corrective actions, and these actions do not serve the interests of the financial elites and their puppet politicians. Our energy will only prolong the "recovery illusion" a bit and our military (paid for with more debt) only fuels our hubris. As for our reserve currency status--that is slowly crumbling as the world sees that we can't pay our bills any better than the PIIGS. The BIG RESET is in our future...just a matter of time.
why do you think the rush for the Great Gun Grab is on
If the Greeks need some pocket money why don't they get Vanna to sell some vowels for them? They sure do have enough to go around.
"The Dollar is the reserve curency of the world" - not much longer, the EUR and CNY are catching up fast.
"the us still has acces to far more domestic energy than Europe" - True, but they waste most of it, while Europe gets by on much less.
"the us has the largest millitary in the world." - and also the biggest debt burden and the US has to finance this largest military, which is largely ineffective. The military can win battles, but they cannot win wars. Not even against 3rd rate enemies (Iraq, Afghanistan).
The US is the collapsing empire, maybe they will not collapse first, but they will collapse. And it is not going to be pretty.
The problems facing the USA are clear. Any suggestions?
Unwind the whole corrupt crony faux-capitalist system.
And restore the Republic.
Unfortunately the Obamanation has us going in the other direction toward a dictatorship (progressive envision a utopian welfare state, but those have historically degraded into a dictatorship in very short order because no one works)
When Europe collapses, the dollar is gonna get real strong.
Precious metal and oil will crap the bed.
Let's hope the autocrats can keep those balls up in the air.
Peace.
http://www.angrysinner.blogspot.kr/2013/01/wednesday.html
Congrats TD!!
Truth, like water, always finds a path!!
Just picked you up on a MSM scan (RCP).
#21 fiat currencies always fail
Ummm, but that doesn't contain a number. You'll need to make it 2,000,001 or higher to keep the list looking pretty.
How about 200,000,000 guns the government will have to try to pry from our cold dead fingers?
Fiat currencies do not always fail. Typically, the currency loses value at a predictable rate, enabling commerce to continue, even though everyone knows that future value of the money will be less than present value. Old pesos get retired in favor of new pesos, and daily life continues on, without restoring metal-backed monetary regimes.
If a currency is replaced with a new currency, most people would define that as a failure.
There are two sides to every story; this article presents just one of them.
That's just, like, your opinion, man.
Don't under estimate the healing benefits of more cheap mortgages, and more new houses.
/sarc
And more debt, can't forget that!
And the other side is?
Silly me, its 'everything is great just behold the renumeration and tax free pensions enjoyed by the unelected EU commisars and their pen pushing minions'
So everything is fine surely? Sadly not,, just take a look at the EU banks - they manage to make their UScousins look like pillars of probity.
Sounds about right
Here is a comparison of the US and Spanish housing bubbles. Spain is still in the tank and we are close.
http://confoundedinterest.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/comparing-the-u-s-and...
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-14/spanish-home-prices-fall-most-o...
Hay carumba!
Did i mention LTRO?
did I mention ECB/fed < balance sheets<> ( did i mention flows)
The final bubble... UST vs. Gold
"There can be only one"
There is only one ;-)
Thunderdome: Two shall enter. One shall leave.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmRAiUPdRjk
My money is on gold.
It has beaten paper for thousands of years.
“You have to choose [as a voter] between trusting to the natural stability of gold and the natural stability and intelligence of the members of the government. And with due respect to these gentlemen, I advise you, as long as the capitalist system lasts, to vote for gold.” – George Bernard Shaw
nah, gold has nothing backing it.
this is what i saw on the media and they speak truth
Pretty much every commodity has beaten paper over the years, due to built-in depreciation of fiat. It's the smart businessperson who understands this, and keeps on truckin' without worrying about the supposed immorality of fiat.
Just to clarify what the actual line from the movie is...
"Two men enter; one man leaves!"
Yeah, I know you took a bit a liberty with it...just sayin...
Ugly...
government spending is at least going to slow down.
I guess he didn't read the recent "fiscal cliff" deal, does not know what the ACA is about and is unaware of this bald guy named Bennie.
One thing we can be assured of, Federal government spending in the USA will NOT "slow" down anytime in the near future.
sschu
Its funny when I hear talking heads on the TV talk about how we are going to raise taxes and "reduce" spending. Like we are suddenly going to get fiscally responsible. Spending cuts and reductions in the rate of spending growth, NEVER HAPPEN. We fall for it every time though.
Because if it was (going to slow down spending) it would have already done so. The FED will never unwind its position. It will never unwind its position because it can't unwind its position, because, you can't unwind a ponzi fraud.
#14 56.5 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Spain – a brand new all-time high.
#15 57.6 Percent: The unemployment rate for workers under the age of 25 in Greece – a brand new all-time high.
This will not end well.
"This will not end well." - I suppose that really depends on your point of view and your time horizon.
Yes, I suppose it does. But what cannot go on indefinitely never does...as the saying goes.
I think we all realize whats happening here.
The once powerful shepherds are hanging on by their bleeding fingernails to the only sled they've ever known as it careens down the slope and the sheep are blissfully unaware that the wolves are closing in all around them.
I always liked wolves personally...they are honest, purposeful and sincere ;-)
The " 20 Factoids" are tyler is partially right. Europe is funded by Japan and China. Europe has scientific and financial we== wealth.
Argentina is demanding the Faulklands back, and London is sinking into oblivion! Wake up BoE! Your austerity is paying off Cameron! Give some guns back, and level the playing field!
Argentina need a distraction from their own problems, wheel out less malvinas again.big yawn..
London is sinking . but under a tsunami of foreign money. Mostly freshly printed or looted.
Cammerons austerity is, as agresive as a Labrador puppy. Things here are very. Fragile. The banks (especially the bailed out ones) are scrambling to unwind/restructure/foreclose on a lot of debt - the boat cannot be rocked just yet.
Serious question if I may? I was reading about how the GBP component of the SDR could be sizeably reduced in 2015 - would you agree?
Did you read my post? Pay attention, entitled under-scholared one/
England...LOL. Did you, um, see their Olympics opening ceremony? They pushed multicult.
They let muslims have their own laws to be sensitive. They sanction barbarism in the name of not being called racist. The british committed national suicide. Wth do you expect from importing tons of africans? Did you REALLY THINK they were going to magically turn into norweigians with a tan? GTFO here.
You are a fucking mental Midget! Let's discuss European banking policy! You are a dumb ass wanabe! Stick to Fuckishima you moron!
Idiots like youself give a bad name to "revolt"! Fuck off trav777You're a parasite looking for a host! Importing muslims? Lay off the plutonium!
Yen Cross in deep DEEP denial.
ADDRESS the issue rather than attempt a cheap distraction via an ad hom.
+1. England is the biggest joke of all. The best lines EVER were the idiotic London douchebags calling the US "imperialist". OMFG.
Think about it: two major countries have a national fucking holiday set aside for celebrating independence from the failed British Empire, and they call other countries imperialist???? Really?
They have indeed committed suicide already, as has the rest of Western Europe. It's just a matter of the pills getting far enough into the bloodstream at this point. There is no turning back now....
"the failed British Empire,".........what in 1783 ? You jest. The Americans signed the peace treaty in Paris where their French Allies were about to explode following bankrupting themselves paying for Independence of 13 colonies.......DEBT destroyed France in 1789 because Americans fought for French Imperial Goals
The Ruling Elite told us that what how it was going to be. Americans do not do what the Ruling Elite says because they have a Government For THe People By The People...........and like morons they actually believe it !
"Wth do you expect from importing tons of africans?"
How many people do you get for a ton?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Japan is getting ready to pump massive amounts of money into its economy. Is it on the brink of an inflationary boom? Check out this article: http://www.globaleconomicmonitor.com/2013/01/is-japan-on-brink-of-inflat...
only thing europe is going through is changing from socialist states to capitalist states. Once complete the europe will have the necessary slave labor population to compete in global economy of 21st century.
Austerity doesn't take a toll on the economy, the building up of massive levels of debt, inflation of the money supply and government interventionism is what takes a huge toll on the economy.
"the building up of massive levels of debt, inflation of the money supply, taxing the shit out of people"
Add unemployment and it IS austerity on the taxpayer.
It was "Austerity" after 1928 that created Mass Unemployment in Germany and Rule by Decree under Mueller and Bruening. It was Hitler after 1933 that started putting people back to work using loans from US and UK
I blame the Euro and globalization.
I blame being rewarded for 2nd PLACE!
The collapse of the global econoomy is so 2012
It all comes down when the shearing hits the skin...and they are making the nicks now.
Never thought I would be in the position to tell later generations how bad it (is going to be) was.
Now, step away from all that for a moment and ponder this:
All of this is a man-made disaster because of some fancy pieces of paper that people decided were worth something. Seriously, just go back to zero with it all. If you rent, you now own the house, ditto with business debts. Empty houses/property you do not live in go to the state. Bank accounts get wiped out, debts get wiped out, the paper becomes worthless entirely. Sorry rich people, you're now worth no more than anyone else. Tear it all down and start fresh. Don't even have to do a gold standard thing either. Go fiat again, everyone gets some starting credits based on age/ablity. Then institute a system that nukes it all every 50~100 years or so and celebrate the damn thing with a big long holiday.
Those who are retired, sure they lose their nestegg, but with that starting credit, there are opportunities everywhere to invest, and ideally the credits would be enough to remain retired. Under this system, sure, gold and whatever else would become valuable as a store of wealth, and the prices would go crazy near the end of the cycle, but all that paper would become worthless the next day and the gold prices would crash the day after. There's absolutely zero reason why this does not work. Ban interest entirely, profit sharing is ok. Ban financial insurance instruments entirely, there should never be such a thing as a guaranteed profit or absolute security of wealth.
The simple fact of the matter, is that money is fucking stupid. It's stupid to drag it out forever. The only thing that matters is actual physical things of actual value. Monetary units are all fine and dandy for international trade, and again, there's no reason to not keep them for that. All money is, is an evolution of the barter system, a widely accepted substitution of value which is easily transported and transmutated into anything else. A dual-currency system would be preferrable as well. A domestic currency which is only useful for taxation and government spending, and a *real* currency that is for common use which is not accepted by the government, period. Come tax-time, the fiat would have value to those with taxes due, at all other times though... pretty much worthless. Government contractors being paid in the fiat would be forced to convert it to hard currency for actual living and ironically, the more of it there is, the less it's worth. If you produce nothing of value for society, for the public, welp, you're looking at some hard times. So that glut of housing laying around unused? Belongs to the government now. It can be distributed as needed. A token-rent basis wouldn't be bad, and it can always go secondary market.
But where's the incentive to work hard if it's all for naught in a few years time? And near the end, wouldn't everything skyrocket in price? And to that I say, why? What's the point in hoarding if it's going to zero anyways? And the point in working hard? Well, there's always a point. As your business expansion doesn't vanish as if by magic... unless, you're a rent-seeker. If anything, there would be a rush to spend that saved credit to expand... or more realistically, less incentive to stash it away to begin with. If a bushel of corn is equal to a bushel of wheat, that ratios not going to magically change. If a gram of gold buys a tank of gas, that won't change either. Encouraging a society that sees no point in the cash, exchanges favors/goods/services for favors/goods/services is not a bad thing at all.
There is no end-game, there is no "final objective" to push for. Sorry, world's not ending anytime soon. No high-score list to strive for, because in the end it's utterly pointless. Why the hell must we insist on a perpetual accumulation of this pretend "wealth" which does far more bad than it does good? Giving most of society a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start fresh, with some cash in their pocket to go after that big-idea of theirs. Why is this a bad thing? Large companies with long-term focus, in the end, will survive with no problems. Short-sighted companies will die at the next cycle for the betterment of all society.
Your post should be set to the tune of John Lennon's "Imagine".
Your version of Monopoly is just as stupid.......
I stopped after he mentioned "new fiat".
It literally does not matter. The notion that some gold-based currency will solve all the problems is a lie that ignores all the horrible shit that it caused in the past. Fiat has the magical ability to be wiped out on a cyclical basis and fully controlled if it be so desired. If every 50 years it just gets wiped out, poof, that's the end of it. No residual value, it just becomes paper.
I'm interested in how ZH-ers are preparing; what's your POA?
My POA: I've been saving all my plastic bottles, ready to store water. Once i get local news showing stories about haulage firms struggling with fuel prices, then i'll stock up on shit loads of tinned stuff.
p.s. i'm in the UK, so i could start stocking up on sticks as self defence, to thwart the police and their pesky batons.
Unfortunately, you're fucked.
You and your countrymen decided the best thing was to give up the right to defend your own castles, turning that time honored duty over to the king & his men...who have something a little more than just sticks.
Saving plastic bottles will do you no good, all you have ever needed were guns to take over the kings water plants when the king decides to ration it because you've become "unruly" or some other pretense.
I'd wish you good luck but you tend to export nothing but your annoying trinket pusher to appear in front of our low information voters to screech in some ridiculous quasi-cockney voice "But WAIT!!!...order now and we'll double your order, thats riiioght, two!!!"
Plus, there is your "other" spokeman/carnival barker, Piers Morgan.
Wait...
They aren't the same guy?
;-)
As a Yank, I see many favorable things about Europe
1. It's 400+ million people: educated, humanistic, resourceful, multi-talented, and experienced. Their rebound from the ruin of the second world war, done in one generation, is astounding. And this was done despite socialism.
2. Flexible governments: How about Thatcher's saving Britain from Socialism, or the quick reunification of Germany, or the founding of the Eurozone? Even considering the problems, the fact is that governmental policy has and can change (for better or worse, of course).
3. History: The cradle of western culture for the past 2000 years is not about to go belly up tomorrow over bad economic conditions. The continent weathered some pretty tough storms all through the last century, and will find a way through their current problems.
4. Good food. They have much better food over there than here. And NASCAR, they don't have NASCAR.
Thatcher didn't save anything. She merely wasted the time that was left for a more sustainable future. Her legacy is as much a failure as is Reagan in the US. In 1980, it was still time to act because Peak Oil was in decades. Now its too late, thanks to those ploutocratic lapdogs that launched a 20 years oil binge while destroying the social net and enriching a minority of new oligarchs.
Forward Soviet>
She squandered North Sea Oil using revenues to pay welfare benefits as she destroyed Manufacturing Industry and deregulated Finance. Thatcher's Legacy was the New World Order of Globalised Banking with easy credit paying for imported goods. Thatcher made Germany and Japan boom and boosted their exports using North Sea Oil revenues to pay for BMWs, Mercedes and as much as one country could import. Last UK Trade Surpolus 1981
Thatcher's saving Britain from Socialism.......giving Blair a Landslide in 1997 to bring former Communists into Government. German Unification which caused all the problems in European Finance and is busting German cities. Europe is in ruins. Romania and Bulgaria are run by gangsters. Poverty is widespread. Greeks starve and have no medical care. Europe did not "rebound" from war in one generation - Britain had food and clothing rationing until the mid-1950s and Forex Controls until 1979. As or (3) the same was said in 1933 when everyone expected the USA to go Fascist but in fact Europe did and Spain had its war in 1936 so the US could bed Franco down as a Dictator and Ally. Do you know what is going on ?.
im starting to grow desensitized to collapse talk.....ive immersed myself in it and yet......nothing.....europe still intact, dollar inex stable, stocks storming to new highs, real estate showing cosmetic improvement, treasury yields still low, budget deficit and net interest paid on debt actually spinning backwards:
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
im also growing tired of rotating/replenishing my stock of beef jerky, pasta, rice, beans and canned tuna.....there is just so much one can eat before being repulsed by it................
what to do.....what to do............
perhaps a trip to the mall, paid for on my newly minted visa, would do the trick........................
Yeah, I hear ya...
All most people can realistically do is obtain items that will be useful/retain value no matter how this all turns out - either a complete collapse/SHTF or everything is AOK.
Yeah, I know I went nuts a few years back, but that's pretty much been my thought process in obtaining guns and ammo.
Sure, if we really go Mad Max, I'm screwed along with basically everyone else...but if we just experience a relatively short period of serious "issues," guns/ammo will certainly be valuable...
...and if everything turns out OK, well, I may take a hit on that stuff, but I'm all but 100% positive that it will retain a decent amount of its value.
BTW, any people who are scrambling to buy their first serious gun right now and/or paying insane prices to do so, only have themselves to blame.
After the "scare" of '08/'09, you could really get some pretty good deals for about two years.
In fact, as late as this past October, I had the chance to buy as many Colt AR-15s as I wanted for less than $900 a piece....
Yes, I'm kicking myself in the ass for not buying more than I did.
Use these last few “bubble months” to prepare for what is ahead. At some point this “hope bubble” will disappear and then the time for preparation will be over.
that got my attention
The Bubble Mentality is going strong. I know because I sometimes go to the Main STream Media here in the USA and also give National Public Radio a listen as well. Today was such a day, I devoted some time to MSM to get a feel for what they are pushing. I tell you, it is unbelievable!
To be brief, they are pushing recovery as a done deal. They proclaim a turn around in housing and a return to house price inflation. The jobs picture may be slow, but it is steady progress upwards. Etc. Etc.
The MSM is selling a lie. Nothing les than a total lie. I expect they do this everyday, but since I rarely access MSM, I do not know that for certain.
If Americans still rely on corporate Media for information, then Americans are unaware that disaster is staring us in the face.
Having done research on NAZI propaganda back in joe college school, I can say the current "news" is no different.
I was just in Europe last month, for the second time in a year, on a nice vacation. I walked for hours, for miles and miles, and for days, and did not see a single police car. No cops, just decent white people behaving themselves.
Switzerland in collapse eh? What a joke. Clean streets and very "high living".
Denmark and Sweden falling apart? You have got to be kidding me. Nice cars, no crime to speak of, stores full of good food, and in the case of Scandinavia you never see poverty. Simply do not see it anywhere. No bums, no beggars, no homeless, and the people look very healthy.
Frankly I weigh standard of living based partly on how often I see cops. The standard of living is pretty decent for everyone in Europe compared to the police state paranoid deal we have going on here in USA (cops EVERYWHERE in US Police State), and we are all paying dearly for funding wars that Europeans did not get suckered into. To make matters worse, most Americans haven't a clue, and love the sight of cops & TSA thugs. If I had a choice I'd live in Europe in a heartbeat.
I was just in Europe last month.............a very small place apparently which others think is a Continent. Switzerland has major problems, Denmark and Sweden have major problems. Three small countries with populations smaller than London with major problems of immigration and crime. You didn't see it because you are a tourist. The financial system in Europe is imploding but you did not notice. Last time I heard an American say he had not seen many police cars or policemen was in Leningrad and the Intourist Guide beamed "That is the beauty of our system. We do not need many policemen". The Soviet Union apparently got by without "policemen"
Hey Sandmann no doubt there are problems in USA too, because it's more F'ed up than Europe. I spent a week in Slovenia as well and walked around without seeing any cops, and attended two outdoor concerts where people meander in and out, drinking and having a good time. Can't do that anywhere near my home in USA, there would be 60 cops at every concert and serious fences and gates and strict no alcohol prohibition zones. Sheeple don't notice it but I do. Went to Austria and walked around for hours on weekend nights to see happy people frolicking around.
I don't discount your statement that there are problems in Switzerland but what the heck are they? From what I could see, Swiss is Swiss. Perfection.
I have long been told about the great problems in Sweden from mooslims but again, didn't see any of it. Many nights walking around Stockholm and not a peep of crime or any threat of any menace, and streets clean as a whistle. Gothenburg, wow talk about a nice place full of healthy people. What the heck is the crisis in Sweden?
Based on my view UK is probably just as bad as USA on some levels, and I have not spent any time in Greece, Spain, Portugal. But to say all of Europe is a wreck on verge of collapse, it's just not true. A lot of the E European countries have been through hell with communism and will be strong consumer markets for decades to come.
Sure, there is an urgent need for banking reform but the European lifestyle seems far more likely to survive a coming crisis than USA.
Back to your message, just what problems are you referring to in Switzerland and how do you know of these problems, as a tourist yourself or reader of internet articles, or are you Swiss? Thanks in advance for your response.
It is not Stockholm but Malmo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Sweden As for CH http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=284................
http://cavatus.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/malmo-criminal-city/
http://cphpost.dk/news/local/bomb-attack-and-shooting-latest-malm%C3%B6-...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/7278532/Jews-lea...
You won's see cops in England either - they keep away from crime unless its homophobic or race-related (they get bonuses and penalties for dealing with these "hate" crimes). In England you have to build your own prison to protect yourself.............if you want to have a look at representative English viw of the police try this............They like to watch CCTV and keep warm but the rest of us get to be victims for CCTV filming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVOSfHFNlcI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX5cZgQVreU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9rmHPmnnKw
Whoa! All three countries you mentioned aren't even in the Eurozone: Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. Switzerland is not even in the EU. These have always been very civilized well-behaved countries. Its almost a list of the countries that were neutral in WW-II. You will notice that they aren't mentioned on the list up there.
But even these countires have put their very spiffy lifestyle on Mastercard. So far the nothern countires can still make the minimum payments. But the southern countries, which even nicer to visit, are in real trouble. They have a level of debt that their shrinking economies will soon not be able to service.
The thing to realize is that the real economies are mostly OK. People get up in the morning, go to work, buy food etc. Trucks still deliver all that nice cheese and wine to the stores. But the global money machine is badly broken. So things will cruise along, apparently going just fine until one day the money machine stops. Then all that niceness will stop overnight.
Funny article, Europe can't collapse with Lew the Jew, and Turbo Tax Timmy (Benny's successor) at the inkjet. cant and wont happen. Sorry kids. Globalization, monetization yep, collapse..... is relative
Why does the author assume that people are "laughing" at what is happening?
I'm tired of lists of facts. As I look around my small corner of the world it is obvious that most people are tired, dis-spirited, and hopeless. Even the ones with enough money to sugar-coat their lives are worried sick - they know they are one step away from being homeless sleeping under the bridges. People in my town are going through the motions of living normally but stop anyone for a quick conversation and its obvious that they know there is no future anywhere. Nobody has any solutions - there is no hopefulness. Even the children are just going through the motions - I teach as a substitute so I see them every day. This is a hollowed-out society waiting for the terminal event to completely collapse. There are no solutions. Sorry about that.
come on now, where is your american spirit??? there are things one can do.....and it all starts local.....a town of people moping around should realize that they have tremendous power to work towards self sufficiency......there is plenty communities can do to empower themselves....assuming they have the american spirit...........
I disagree. I don't think the TMZ viewers have a fucking clue. They just voted for less liberty and are happy as clams.
When things get too complex, it's always good to step back and look at the landscape. Reduce things to Fundamental Principles, and start from scratch:
The EU has an amazing wealth of educated and skilled people. People who are all being conned & enslaved by corrupt politicians and bankers with their fraudulent fiat-currency.
Time to ditch-the-fiat-bitch! Make the fiat-masters and politicians work for a living. For a change. If they know what 'work' is.
The DAX just hit a five year high - going back to 2008. The FTSE is about to do the same.
People setting themselves on fire - bullish.
Stocks hit at time highs just before the bottom fell out in the Great Depression.
It's all Central (Bankster) Planning bullcrap. Same as when they had the Communist Central Planners managing the 'News' with their phoney double-entry books, phoney factory production stats, phoney harvests, but private some-are-more-equal-than-others-deals.
Frikkin 'DAX"! Lived & worked in Deutschland for a number of years (as a highly-paid professional). You should see what my friends from former East Germany told me about the Commie days of Central Planning. They work in Frankfurt, and probably Wall St too.
Also... frikkin' "Tito Bandito!". Been there, seen it all. Getting the EU-deja-vu feeling.
Short politicians and bankers.
So true. To me it's pretty much clear at this point that one of those giant economies will fall and drag the rest into the abyss :
- Japan (too old too much debt)
- China (overheating unmature economy that looks like US pre 30s)
- Europe (too much debt, too old, demographic bombs, balkanisation, a fragile construction that can't hold much longer)
- USA (debt, corrupt govt, ...)
Ladies and gentleman, we know neither the day or the hour but we do know that we are in a long term bear market which will see new lows much more so than highs. Just continue to buy the dips in those precious metal resources and be nimble.
And now a message from the second most interesting man in the world:
"I don't always buy gold coins, but when I do, I buy gold eagles. Stay patient my friends."
BTFD
Meanwhile, those of us living in the United States smugly look down our noses at Europe because we are still living in a false bubble of debt-fueled prosperity.
Yes ! I am tired of American friends seemingly oblivious to the situation - and you should include Britain in "Europe" where the Squeeze is very tight from increased taxes, currency depreciation induced inflation, energy prices, water costs, pay cuts/freezes, QE destruction of savings, food inflation, Maybe Americans could try 20% Sales Tax and taxes at UK levels. My American friends seem to have lived a life of luxury and plenty selling houses quickly and floating on rising incomes especially the ones in Finance. It feels like it must have been for people in Europe in 1947 versus the US back then with Bankers being like Great Gatsby in the 1920s.
All this data is well known to readers here @ ZH. Europe is insolvent, why?
Because it cannot borrow. Because Europe cannot borrow it is insolvent.
Economics is maddenly simple: Because Europe cannot borrow it cannot service its debts, because of non-payment Europe cannot borrow ... all this in a vicious cycle.
Etc.!
Europeans have borrowed trillions of euros to buy cars, freeways, tract housing, box stores, 'resorts' and 'entertainment districts', airports, energy-wasting military 'goods' ...
Making 'use' of the goods is unable to service the loans. To do so requires more borrowing which is a) unsustainable and b) a tradition. Because countries cannot borrow, they are insolvent ... because they are insolvent ... etc.
Europe is knackered!
The unemployment rates are very high ... guess what? They will never improve! Europe needs a couple more Saudi Arabias that can offer them another 10 million barrels per day, to bring fuel costs down to affordable levels. This isn't going to happen, the oil isn't there, ours is an energy crisis not a credit crisis.
Our industrial economies are hung (hanged) out to dry.
Not only, this is not simply AN energy crisis, it is THE energy crisis, the historical endgame. Greece is the first country into the septic tank, the other European nations are certain to follow quickly.
Solution? Get rid of the cars, freeways, towers, resorts, factories, etc ... go back to small-scale non-industrial endeavors such as wine and liquor making, cooking oil production, clothes- and shoe making, home repair, etc ... enterprises that do not require credit. There is no choice, do this as an act of will ... or the process will be rammed like George Carlin's red-white-and blue dick up yr European (and American) candy asses.
See! There is a reason to read Zero Hedge comments!
Europeans have borrowed trillions of euros to buy cars, freeways, tract housing, box stores, 'resorts' and 'entertainment districts', airports, energy-wasting military 'goods' ...
Making 'use' of the goods is unable to service the loans. To do so requires more borrowing which is a) unsustainable and b) a tradition. Because countries cannot borrow, they are insolvent ... because they are insolvent ... etc.
_______________________________
On the point. But this is an 'american' world and 'american' economics is all about consumption.
Solvency is no worth measure in an 'american' world.
The only measure worth following is how insolvent entities manage to deepen their insolvency. It is all what matters in an 'american' world.
Approaching solvency or being solvent in terms of environment is like being marked for death in this 'american' world:
-either 'americans' are within to dry that solvency status to increase their insolvency
-or they are the gates waiting for the opportunity to consume that solvency.
'Americans' know no other solutions than 'american' solutions.
And the 'american' solutions are all about deepening the insolvency status.
Lead-tainted playthings and slow-roasted kittens
Black cooking marmites and foul public shittins'
Denial, bigotry and middle class kings
These are a few of my favorite things
Crap-covered roadsides and crisp Szechuan puppies
Truncheons and sweat shops and Chink neo-yuppies
Rare tiger penis that makes big the shwing
These are a few of my mattering things
When the dog woks
When the prole shites
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite theme:
That every 'American' is bad.
Dead female fetuses on toxic waste mountains
Resource depletion and shit-tainted fountains
Naked hypocrisy and trolling in spring
These are a few of my blobbing-up things
Citizenism and insanitation
The criminal rape of the Tibetan nation
Circular arguments that run 'round in rings
These are a few of my favorite things
When I troll blogs
When my butt stinks
When I'm feeling mad
I simply remember my mattering thing:
That every 'American' is bad.
Perform your 'american' duty, turn that stuff into an 'american' cultural item and try to monetize it.
Fantasy, the last harbour for 'americans'
Best thing is that people around the world are pushed under the train so that 'americans' can be allowed to wallow in their fantasy.
Consumption...
Lead-tainted playthings and slow-roasted kittens
Black cooking marmites and foul public shittins'
Denial, bigotry and middle class kings
These are a few of my favorite things
Crap-covered roadsides and crisp Szechuan puppies
Truncheons and sweat shops and Chink neo-yuppies
Rare tiger penis that makes big the shwing
These are a few of my mattering things
When the dog woks
When the prole shites
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite theme:
That every 'American' is bad.
Dead female fetuses on toxic waste mountains
Resource depletion and shit-tainted fountains
Naked hypocrisy and trolling in spring
These are a few of my blobbing-up things
Citizenism and insanitation
The criminal rape of the Tibetan nation
Circular arguments that run 'round in rings
These are a few of my favorite things
When I troll blogs
When my butt stinks
When I'm feeling mad
I simply remember my mattering thing:
That every 'American' is bad.
Perform your AnAnonymous doody, squat and turn that stuff into a Chinese citizenism cultural shit heap and try to ignore it.
Roadsides, the convenient harbour for Chinese citizenism citizens.
Best thing is that people around the world are pushed aside so that Chinese citizenism citizens can be allowed to wallow in their roadside open air latrines.
Excretion...
AnAnonymous knows no other solutions than Chinese citizenism solutions. And the Chinese citizenism solutions are all about deepening the crap on the roadside.
Used russian aircraft carriers, apartment buildings that topple over, drywall that ain't dry (toxic chemical soaked), toxic dog food, toxic toys... Yup, the peeeples repubic of cHiNa- the place to be! Now, shut up and get me an eggroll- Oh, on second thought, never mind.
...but every European market is at 52 week highs
As usual, the requirement for symetry allows 'americans' in any raving act.
No, it wont come to the US. On the very contrary, the demise of Europe will bring ease to the US.
This is an 'american' world and a US world order.
The world is organized so that the US market is the ultimate consumption sink. Every place will be shut down before to favour and preserve consumption in the US.
Today, the servants(the 'american' political class, the corporations) to the 'american' People, aka the 'american' middle class, have very few 'american' solutions to keep to their duty(protecting and bringing prosperity to their master)
If the 'american' political class/corporation want to keep doing their job, they have to sacrifice part of the 'american' middle class in order to ensure the salvation of the other part.
So far, they have shown to have no other solution.
Where to find 'american' middle class? Not a hard one. Mainly in 'american' nations. Not much to be found in other nations that are used to serve as the 'american' ritual sacrifice.
As announced long ago, Europe has been elected as the one to be pushed under the train to help and save the rest of the 'american' middle class
So the US will benefit from this. Every thing is made to make sure that US Americans can keep consuming.
For example: one product to be found in the US at $40 is to be found in Europe at €160. 'Americans' will come with such extravaganza like tax policies, custom fees...
Nope, it is simply that the more 'americans' residing in Europe are pushed out of their consumption, the more it will make room for 'Americans' residing in the US to consume.
There is still depletion of resources looming ahead, ensuring that the best days are gone.
But as Europe falls, the US will be maintained.
The salvation of the 'american' People, the 'american' middle class can only come at the expense of the sacrifice of some from within.
Lead-tainted playthings and slow-roasted kittens
Black cooking marmites and foul public shittins'
Denial, bigotry and middle class kings
These are a few of my favorite things
Crap-covered roadsides and crisp Szechuan puppies
Truncheons and sweat shops and Chink neo-yuppies
Rare tiger penis that makes big the shwing
These are a few of my mattering things
When the dog woks
When the prole shites
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite theme:
That every 'American' is bad.
Dead female fetuses on toxic waste mountains
Resource depletion and shit-tainted fountains
Naked hypocrisy and trolling in spring
These are a few of my blobbing-up things
Citizenism and insanitation
The criminal rape of the Tibetan nation
Circular arguments that run 'round in rings
These are a few of my favorite things
When I troll blogs
When my butt stinks
When I'm feeling mad
I simply remember my mattering thing:
That every 'American' is bad.
As usual, the requirement for symetry allows Chinese citizenism citizens to shit on both sides of the road.
No, he won't come to the US. On the very contrary, the demise of European roadsides is the Chinese citizenism doody of AnAnonymous.
This is an AnAnonymous turd and a Chinese citizenism world odor.
The world is organized so that the roadsides are the ultimate Chinese citizenism excretionary stink. Every place will be shit down onto, as one observes Chinese citizenism citizen exrcetions on roadsides worldwide.
As announced long ago, Europe has been elected as the one to have its roadsides pushed under the shitstain for the fecal release of the Chinese citizenism middle crass kingdom.
Things are bad in Southern Europe perhaps but there is no mass starvation. Personal tragedies and mass unemployment, foreclosures, suicides but no complete breakdown of society, people.
Yes, pay no attention to that roasting fellow on the Parliment steps...
Just another disgruntled consumer.
Sorry ZH commie-commenters. The problem is not "banksters". The problem is not the Jews. The problem is the total state and its mission to extinguish individual liberty and make us all slaves to the state.
We had a chance in Nov. to change course, now you are going to get the govt. you, the majority, voted for and all i get is schadenfreude.