Austerity succeeded in trimming the bloated government sector. But instead of picking up the slack, the private sector destroyed jobs almost four times faster! The hope is that this fiasco will finally reverse course, that something will click and start a virtuous cycle before the unspeakable happens. But so far, it has relentlessly gotten worse.
Italy’s Corrupt Political Machinery Lurches Forward
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Italy’s Corrupt Political Machinery Lurches Forward
“Those wanting to prevent change are willing to do anything,” firebrand Beppe Grillo griped. “They are desperate. Four people, Napolitano, Bersani, Berlusconi, and Monti, met in a living room and decided….” They’d ganged up on him and restarted the corrupt political machinery he’d brought to a stop. The one that is strangling Italy’s economic core.
Germany’s Trial Balloon Of A “Plan B”
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Germany’s Trial Balloon Of A “Plan B”
Those close to the epicenter of power, those near Chancellor Merkel, have to toe the line on the euro – it’s far more than just a currency, it’s a sacred concept worth saving no matter what the costs. While the possibility of a small country’s exit from the euro has been accepted, the euro itself has been inviolable in those circles. Until now. An insider offered a “Plan B”; and the euro’s life is limited to five years!
The Worldwide Economy Is Fine, But The Sales Reps Are Lazy – Or Something
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The Worldwide Economy Is Fine, But The Sales Reps Are Lazy – Or Something
Some of the crown jewels of corporate America have reported declining revenues and earnings, and have lowered their forecasts, and in doing so, have unleashed a flood of obfuscation and excuses – from Easter falling on the wrong date to lazy sales reps. So when Caterpillar reported on Monday, it was almost refreshing in its unvarnished ugliness.
“But The Rising Star Is The USA”
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on “But The Rising Star Is The USA”
Aftermath Of A Bubble And What Rises From The Ashes
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Aftermath Of A Bubble And What Rises From The Ashes
Bubbles are a funny thing. Participants don’t see them. Outsiders shake their heads, then get sucked in themselves. Central banks create them but deny their existence. Money piles in on top of money. Risks no longer exist. Result: mayhem, capital destruction, devastation of the industry…. and a new beginning for the lucky ones. Take natural gas.
Cyprus Today: A Personal Account
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Cyprus Today: A Personal Account
Quiet … EMPTY … If you want to make a deal opening a shop of some sort, you can pick and choose amongst prime locations. The time is now, if that is your inclination, and if you have the financial staying power, or a concept for selling things people can’t do without, something cheap! Every second shop, ah OK, maybe every third or fourth, is closing down.
The New “Nazis” of Spain
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on The New “Nazis” of Spain
Secretary-General María Dolores de Cospedal, number two of the governing party in Spain, said that she knew she’d get criticized, “but this is pure Nazism.” The next day, she repeated it and added that going to someone’s house to “harass” him was “comparable to what occurred in the 30s in a European country.” A reference to Nazis marking the homes of Jews. But these “Nazis” are folks who are standing up to the banks and draconian mortgage laws that the government is hell-bent on protecting.
Google Spy Drones For Street View?
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Google Spy Drones For Street View?
In 2009, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, under fire for his company’s strategy to collect, store, and mine personal data, said on CNBC, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Privacy just makes you appear guilty. It’s the philosophy under which police states operate. But why a sudden about-face?