The un-equipped have been subsidized for too long and can't catch their own fish.
Europe's Riots, America's FutureSeptember 30, 2010
by Dan Mitchell
Riots and protests have swept across Europe, as
populations lured into government dependency are upset that there's no longer enough money to maintain the existing level of redistribution.
Here's an excerpt from a BBC report:
Tens of thousands of people from around Europe have marched across Brussels in a protest against
spending cuts by some EU governments. Spain has held a general strike, with protesters in Barcelona
clashing with police and torching a police car. Other protests against austerity measures have been
held in Greece, Italy, the Irish Republic and Latvia. In Greece and the Irish Republic, unemployment
figures are at their highest level in 10 years, while Spain's unemployment has doubled in just three
years. Police sealed off the EU headquarters and barricaded banks and shops ahead of the protest
in Brussels.
It was described by unions as a day of action under the slogan "No to austerity, priority to jobs and
growth". Americans may be tempted to smugly scoff at Europe's troubles, but it?s just a matter of
time before the same problems afflict America. This chart is based on Congressional Budget Office
projections (an optimistic "baseline" scenario and a more realistic "alternative" scenario) showing
how
the burden of federal government spending is about to skyrocket because of demographic
changes and entitlement programs.
In the optimistic scenario, the federal government climbs to 45 percent of GDP. Add in state and local
government, and that means the total burden of government will be about 60 percent of GDP higher
than France, Sweden, and Greece today. In the less optimistic scenario, the total burden of government
will be in uncharted territory, perhaps akin to Cuba or North Korea. Needless to say, America will be
convulsed by riots well before this point.
The solution, of course, is to limit the growth of government. During the Bush-Obama years,
howerver politicians have been heading in the wrong direction.
The only bright side, at least for those who feel good when others suffer, is that Europe's
welfare states will have descended into social chaos and barbarism by the time the riots
start in America.
http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2010/09/30/europes-riots-americas-future/
