May
21
Burn, Baby Burn
“That government is best which governs least’’ Henry David Thoreau
The flames of anarchy are apparently spreading worldwide… Only if you had been chained to your bed with no TV for the past few weeks, would you have failed to notice that protesting and rioting seems to be making a global comeback, of sorts. From Slovenia to Thailand, over to Greece and back to the States, dissatisfaction spreads. And with it, a search for economic and social solutions gains urgency.
So what is going on? Just a few days ago, 15,000 Slovenian students protested against planned government reforms in a violent manner not witnessed in the two decades since Slovenia attained the status of an independent country. The students protested outside of parliament against plans to limit how much they can work while studying, which would lower their incomes. But they didn’t stop at words and cute banners. In a scene vaguely reminiscent of the 70’s student protest era in the States (without the romance), the students went militant launching various objects, including eggs and bricks into the parliament building, causing tens of thousands of Euros of damage. The verdict: 30 students were arrested, while the majority of the country immediately came out to condemn the violent act of defamation, with President Dr. Türk suggesting that it was an act of political “non-culture”. Which was very well put, considering the young country’s students have never been exposed to much democracy, or to much labor for that matter. But can I feel their pain? Yes I can. Economic prospects in an independent Slovenia for new college grads have hardly ever been worse.
Meanwhile, in Thailand, the divide between the rich and the poor is said to be fueling much of that country’s violent clashes. While it is not unusual for Thailand to experience major political protests that sometimes go sour, this is believed to be the first time the country’s class differences (between the bourgeoisie and the rural poor) have played such a large role. More than 60 people have died and 1,600 have been injured since the Red Shirts started their protests in March, but the military is firmly in control now, and an 8PM-6AM curfew is in effect. If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you know their military is no joke. So no worries, mate. Finally, there’s Greece, a Balkan country that gives new meaning to Churchill’s famous quote: “The Balkans produce more history than they can consume“. Its illustrious deficit is wreaking havoc globally, as they now owe more than they produce (map of Europe, with each country’s percent of government debt compared to GDP). What you may not know, is that most (rich) people in Greece don’t even bother to pay taxes, as it’s a whole lot easier to pay off the tax man instead. People protesting the government austerity measures were furious and it all lead up to the Euro hitting a 4 year low and launching on a precipitous decline against the US Dollar and other world currencies. So not only is Europe facing a litmus test in handling its first real banking crisis (even small countries like Slovenia will have to help bail Greece out), the rest of the world is even more scared that the poison will affect their economies too, and that we may all be headed for the double dip of this grand Recession.
Tags
Global trends, Politics, Society
