After Greece, now #Spain?
The Choice
Which is it, Espãna?
Courage to leave the (demonstrable) failed policies and practices in the past or continue the road to destitution?
Tired, Failed Unionists
Look at the tired, worn faces of the unionists leading the la huelga nacional (national strike) across Spain today.
With the highest unemployment rates in the EU, doesn't Spain need to work more, not less? Just a thought.
Toxo and Méndez (CC OO and UGT respectively) pontificated today as if they have the real power in the country, not the Rajoy government which was just popularly elected in a landslide last November.
In fact, their old ways are out of step with a country facing financial ruin.
Their inflexibility, insularity, and inutility are barriers to saving Spain.
Narrow interests should not be allowed to hobble the economy of such a beautiful country.
The days of leftist union leaders demanding more from the taxypayers at whatever expense are over in Europe.
Are the unionists happy to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution?
Is Spain "Europe's biggest problem?"
Le Monde, France's leftist newspaper, singled out Spain in a frontpage headline as Europe's biggest problem (after Greece, I suppose).
The Rajoy government may not succeed in liberalizing the Spanish economy.
If it does not, Spain is likely the "next Greece."
Her youth - the future - are already abandoning the country because of the sky-high unemployment rate.
Worse, there is no hope, at least in the short run, for any positive change.
Conclusion
Spaniards have a choice.
They can support the leftists in the street smashing windows of businesses and whose policies only exacerbated Spain's finances under the Socialists and thus are responsible for the current economic morass.
Or they can give the Rajoy government a chance and give their country a chance to avoid a repeat of Greece.
Or watch the entire European Union unravel around them.
***
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
#Spain heads for #union strike, 29 March
So, at a time when Spain needs to work more, be more productive, and deliver value to global markets, here come the public unions calling for a general strike on 29 March.
Are the unionistas tone deaf ?
Out of touch public unions
Any change to the status quo that may require the rigid unions to make concessions is automatically deemed non-negotiable.
Maybe the union bosses have not noticed - the status quo is not sustainable. Spain is sinking along with the entire faux "European Union."
And what happens when there is no business, no economy, to pay workers?
How will the greedy public union bosses earn their high salaries and privileges then?
Rajoy's Popular Party was swept into office last November after the disastrous failure of the Socialists under Zapatero to rejuvenate Spain - to save the democracy.
Should not the unionistas be wary of obstructing reform that is desperately needed?
EU Technocrats Arrive
Spain is not going to be the "next Greece" and grovel to Brussels.
Rajoy will not inflict more damage to the Spanish economy to please EU technocrats.
His defiance to not meet deficit targets for 2012 has drawn the ire of Brussels and now EU bean counters will descend on Spain to "verify" the deficit numbers.
Post-Greece EU
It appears that the Greek debt swap will work in the short term.
Now Portugal, Spain, and Italy are under greater scrutiny to strengthen their economies.
The eurozone crisis persists and will persist until there is more economic freedom to compete in the global market and less intrusion from Brussels and self-interested unionistas.
***
Are the unionistas tone deaf ?
Out of touch public unions
Any change to the status quo that may require the rigid unions to make concessions is automatically deemed non-negotiable.
Maybe the union bosses have not noticed - the status quo is not sustainable. Spain is sinking along with the entire faux "European Union."
And what happens when there is no business, no economy, to pay workers?
How will the greedy public union bosses earn their high salaries and privileges then?
Rajoy's Popular Party was swept into office last November after the disastrous failure of the Socialists under Zapatero to rejuvenate Spain - to save the democracy.
Should not the unionistas be wary of obstructing reform that is desperately needed?
EU Technocrats Arrive
Spain is not going to be the "next Greece" and grovel to Brussels.
Rajoy will not inflict more damage to the Spanish economy to please EU technocrats.
His defiance to not meet deficit targets for 2012 has drawn the ire of Brussels and now EU bean counters will descend on Spain to "verify" the deficit numbers.
Post-Greece EU
It appears that the Greek debt swap will work in the short term.
Now Portugal, Spain, and Italy are under greater scrutiny to strengthen their economies.
The eurozone crisis persists and will persist until there is more economic freedom to compete in the global market and less intrusion from Brussels and self-interested unionistas.
***
Monday, March 5, 2012
#Spain Losing Its Future/#España pierde el futuro
While Greece steals most of the headlines in the Euro-mess, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, and yes, Spain are suffering dearly too.
Spain is where I really learned Spanish in 2002. Ten years later I can see from afar the destruction after the Socialist reign under Zapatero which coincided lamtentably with the current Euro-mess.
Whether Rajoy can steer the ship back onto course remains unclear. Certainly a break from Socialist orthodoxy is a good start.
Pain in Spain - Youth hit hardest
Unemployment is nearing 23% - nearly one in four Spaniards are out of a job. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the sinking European Union.
Spain also leads the Euro-zone in youth unemployment - 42.9%!
The IMF warns that the country could possibly risk losing a generation.
Brain Drain
Its future leaders are not staying home either. More than 300,000 Spaniards have fled abroad since la crísis.
A group called JESP (jóvenes emigrantes sobradamente preparados) - well-prepared young migrants - are participating in the global economy, as reported by Cinco Días, a business daily in Madrid.
Spain has more university-educated adults between the ages of 25 and 34 than the rest of the Euro-zone. The educated are usually more motivated, restless, and refuse to settle for mediocrity.
The JESPs are engaging the global economy and leaving Spain behind - a classic brain drain which does not augur well for the future.
What future?
Spain must shake away from socialism or it will never recover, just like the EU.
The public unions need to be flexible and the leadership needs to be more reasonable by thinking more about the country than their own greed.
The economy continues to contract.
Unemployment does not abate.
Rajoy has a chance to be bold and return the country to a road to recovery, off the road to serfdom.
***
Spain is where I really learned Spanish in 2002. Ten years later I can see from afar the destruction after the Socialist reign under Zapatero which coincided lamtentably with the current Euro-mess.
Whether Rajoy can steer the ship back onto course remains unclear. Certainly a break from Socialist orthodoxy is a good start.
Pain in Spain - Youth hit hardest
Unemployment is nearing 23% - nearly one in four Spaniards are out of a job. Spain has the highest unemployment rate in the sinking European Union.
Spain also leads the Euro-zone in youth unemployment - 42.9%!
The IMF warns that the country could possibly risk losing a generation.
Brain Drain
Its future leaders are not staying home either. More than 300,000 Spaniards have fled abroad since la crísis.
A group called JESP (jóvenes emigrantes sobradamente preparados) - well-prepared young migrants - are participating in the global economy, as reported by Cinco Días, a business daily in Madrid.
Spain has more university-educated adults between the ages of 25 and 34 than the rest of the Euro-zone. The educated are usually more motivated, restless, and refuse to settle for mediocrity.
The JESPs are engaging the global economy and leaving Spain behind - a classic brain drain which does not augur well for the future.
What future?
Spain must shake away from socialism or it will never recover, just like the EU.
The public unions need to be flexible and the leadership needs to be more reasonable by thinking more about the country than their own greed.
The economy continues to contract.
Unemployment does not abate.
Rajoy has a chance to be bold and return the country to a road to recovery, off the road to serfdom.
***
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