Greece, Portugal, Spain, Ireland

[malaise]

Why is everyone attacking them today because of their economic crises when they were under the edict of the Washington Consensus. I asked hubby the other night if it dawned on him that the planet was fucked by two politicians with dementia (Reagan and Thatcher) who promoted the ideas of two lunatics (Hayek and Friedman). The so called New World Order was the most demented paradigm in history. It destroyed the entire global middle class in less than 30 years.

sp

[leftstreet]

1. Reagan, Thatcher and Mulroney

The true axis of evil

[Rockholm]

2. Gay Marriage.

Spain and Portugal already have it. I hear Ireland may get it. Greece, not yet.

[FarCenter]

3. The world can't afford a middle class

On a global basis, raising the standard of living of a majority of the 7 billion people to the middle class would exhaust resources almost immediately.

Having a divide between rich countrys, which have a large middle class, and underdeveloped countries, which do not, creates international tensions between nations and a risk of war.

Therefore, the plan is to have a small rich class and a large poor class. Look to Latin America, India, etc., for the social model of the future.

[malaise]

4. No middle class

no manufacturing.

We need a new model of development urgently. This neo-liberal crap has failed abysmally.

[mdmc]

6. k

r
:)

[FarCenter]

Why do you think a middle class is needed for manufacturing?

[malaise]

10. Not at all but they are

indispensable if those goods are ever going to be sold.
They are indispensable in terms of tax collection across the globe

[xchrom]

5. Highly recommend

[suede1]

7. Very good! k&r

[AllentownJake]

8. Friedman was a maniac

Hayek, is actually pretty sane and benign as long as you don't make wild swings from Keynse to Hayek policies, which the US appears to be doing, after handing all the money to the elite.

[AllentownJake]

9. Ummmm

You do realize that Spain was fascist, Greece was a total clusterfuck, Ireland was a backwater, and Italy was a complete mess 40 years ago.

Just saying.

:shrug:

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem bashing Reagan and Thatcher, but these places weren't exactly part of the global middle class when they were in office.

[malaise]

13. Can't argue with that observation

except that I didn't include Italy.

The reason I mention those countries is because they are being blamed for the market collapse yesterday and they were all under the thumb of the Washington Consensus model.

That said, your observation is valid.

One of these days/nights, we need to have a discussion on how countries acquired their wealth and became empires.

The truth is that England gained most of her wealth as a result of slavery and the looting of captures lands/peoples. Capitalism was fueled by Atlantic slavery as much as by the industrial revolution.

My favorite book on the subject is Capitalism and Slavery by Eric Williams.

[AllentownJake]

15. The Euro is a problem

I remember reading about it's implementation 10 years ago and thinking, this is going to be a clusterfuck.

You have 2 countries with most of Europe's wealth and you have other countries borrowing to catch up. The 2 countries with the most wealth control monetary policy. Had disaster written all over it 10 years ago, just a little shocked how quickly it is blowing up.

[formercia]

11. There's only so much money to go around

and it keeps going around in ever-decreasing circles.

:hi:

[malaise]

14. I still can't believe how many gullible people sat by and watched them

robbing us and destroying the lives of millions. How the fugg did they pull this off and when will humanity say Efuggingnough!!

[kimmerspixelated]

12. Well said, Malaise!