I am a little surpised that the riot phase of this long politico-economic drama known as EMU has kicked off so soon, and that it has done so first in Greece where the post-bubble hangover has barely begun.
The crisis is much further advanced in Spain, which is a year or two ahead of Greece in the crisis cycle.
My old job as Europe correspondent based in Brussels led me to spend a lot of time in cities that struck me as powder kegs – and indeed became powder kegs in the case of Rotterdam following the murder of Pim Fortyn, and Antwerp following the Muslim street riots (both of which I covered as a journalist). Lille, Strasbourg, Marseilles, Amsterdam, Brussels, all seemed inherently unstable, and I do not get the impression that the big cities of Spain and Italy are taking kindly to new immigrants.
The picture is going to get very ugly as Europe slides deeper into recession next year. The IMF expects Spain’s unemployment to reach 15pc. Immigrants are already being paid to leave the country. There will be riots in Spain too (there have been street skirmishes in Barcelona).
Hedge funds, bond vigilantes, and FX traders will be watching closely. In the end, a currency union is no stronger than the political will of the constituent states.
I saw this myself last year in Italy, Greece and Spain. What we should also watch is some locations here in canada. When the Fraser Institute cautioned on ethnic violence some time back, the Usual bunch with rose colored glasses cried foul. We shall see what happenes now won’t we.
maybe, just maybe, the Frase Institute knows a little bit more than Jack Layton.
Italy is definitely a place to watch. The significant connections in the Toronto Italian community back to Italy provide windows into whats going on.
I have heard from more than one person returning from Italy, usually the rural south, about how cousins etc have joined the police or the the Fascist party (seriously) and that anti immigration sentiment runs quite high.
I have said for some time that we will see expulsions from Europe, not advocating them by the way, just that you would see them. Remember the aboriginals of Europe are the Europeans. Not sure how that one plays out in Politically Correct world.
Related:
Martin Feldstein, Will the Euro Survive the Current Crisis?
Immigrants being paid to leave the country? Take a wild guess where they’ll head to. 5 to 1 odds it isn’t Afghanistan.
It has been along time since Allahu Ackbar has been heard shouted in the streets of Athens.
multi-culti riots . . who would have predicted that !
When I visited Spain in 1961 the Reconquista, the 700-year series of wars by which Spain was won back from the Moslems, was ancient history. When I visited Spain this year, celebration of Ferdinand and Isabella (the “Catholic Kings” who completed the Reconquista in 1492) was everywhere. And a new painting of El Cid Campeador in Burgos Cathedral, made him look like an 11th century film star. The Reconquista is ancient history no longer.
Are we starting to see native Europeans begin the fight to keep their countries and continent? If so, their adversaries also include the EU Grandees (as Steyn calls them) and the PC “progressive” European MSM. This helps explain the slow but steady general curtailment of Freedom of Speech and Press in Europe.
BTW, I’m one who’s been following Kate’s request the other day to minimize comments, due to server problems. Any word on those problems, Kate?
Tolerance has always been the attribute of wealthy and prosperous societies. Once the economic pendulum starts to swing the other way, the cracks in the society shows on the streets. Riots are also coming to large cities in the U.S, perhaps Toronto, Montreal.
At later stage majority will bring up own grievances against minorities which often goes parallel to revolts against authorities.
I know, Canada should be the last place it could happen, but it is not that different then any other family: when money dry up, they start fighting.
There were riots during both my visits to Athens and a really good [bad] one in Lima, Peru. I assume this is a result of the North African taint playing out as it frequently does in modern cultures with North African heritage.
So that is it !
Seen some news clips on TV (elliptical time passer, ha!) but the anchor never said … what was eating them.
Thx Kate – it is a world wide phenomena.
[ The internet has allowed the cat out of the bag and people are starting to wake up to the fraudulent nature of the private central banks, their fictitious debt and how politicians(and journalists) are prostituting themselves.] bobsyouuncle, Telegraph commenter;
interesting how “root causes” don’t apply in these cases of ethnic unrest…
maybe they just miss how things were “back home”?
Its so crazy what happens in greece with students actually !