Agreed...this is not good news for anybody. And while some may see Germany's continued strength, they must ask themselves honest questions about how strong the German economy will remain as its primary trading partners' economies implode.

Weaver95: just don't start thinking this was the fault of 'socialism'. that would be a monumental mistake.

Step 1) Government, at the behest of its citizenry creates a huge social safety net and, necessarily attendant to that, creates a hugely hierarchical structure with the government controlling large facets of economic sphere.
Step 2) Government, at the behest of its citizenry refuses to fund it adequately
Step 3) Bankruptcy and ruinous conditions for everyone in the nation.

The populace's demand for a huge safety net, their society's inability to fund it, and the inability/refusal of politicians to make tough "leadership" decisions to say no are the causes. Call it what you want. The demands for the largesse of the treasury created a governmental structure in which any errors in the governance were magnified far beyond the capacity for the system to recover.

We saw some beautiful articles a few weeks ago about how even veteran stockbrokers and money managers cannot routinely "beat the average". Because they're people, and people have shiatty abilities to manage risk vs. reward.

This is what it looks like when your whole government regresses to the mean. And in the immortal words of Rick Perry: #oops.

Weaver95: StoneColdAtheist: Agreed...this is not good news for anybody. And while some may see Germany's continued strength, they must ask themselves honest questions about how strong the German economy will remain as its primary trading partners' economies implode.

I'm wondering how much longer can europe last? governments fall, whole economies are imploding...they're falling over like dominos in a slow motion/stop capture film.

The outlook is so grim that the Chinese are buying billions in Euro-bonds specifically to help shore up that currency. If Europe goes, the domino effect will hasten China's impending bubble burst, and exacerbate our situation, as well. I suspect that we'll have a much clearer picture in another few months, but it ain't pretty.

GaryPDX: Weaver95: GaryPDX: Weaver95: I'm wondering how much longer can europe last? governments fall, whole economies are imploding...they're falling over like dominos in a slow motion/stop capture film.

I suspect not much longer. They've pretty much run out of other peoples money.

just don't start thinking this was the fault of 'socialism'. that would be a monumental mistake.

Well, Spain just kicked out the Socialists. Probably too late. Also Nigel Farage (new window) seems to have an opinion. And besides, it's not classic Socialism, it's Fabian Socialism.

Yep. They kicked out the socialists. Their replacements are still far left of our "left" in the States. So, your point is irrelevant.