The New Europe?

I know that many of my friends don't follow what's going on in the world. Some claim to be too busy to watch the news, or even read it on the web. Others will admit that they honestly don't care about current events. Still others will say that they purposely avoid it because most news tends to be negative, and it only serves to bring them down. But all people who ignore what's going on around the world need to realize something: what's happening in other parts of the world could wind up affecting them in a terrible way, and that they may have the power to minimize that effect. But they can't take action if they are ignorant of what is going on. Allow me to explain this further using the example of events that have taken place in Europe over this past year.

We start in Greece, home of the ancient gods of Mount Olympus. If those gods were real, they'd be frowning down upon the Greeks today, and may even leave Olympus for another home. You see, Greece has gone bankrupt. Why? Because they gave away too many government entitlements to their citizens over too long a period of time. They allowed workers to retire young and collect nice, fat pensions. They provided their citizens with free healthcare. They did this over the course of many, many years, and now they have run out of money. What a shock.

In no way is understanding the system of entitlements a matter of rocket science. In fact, the explanation is so simple that it's quite scary that liberals can't seem to grasp it. If you keep giving away everything you have, giving and giving and giving until you can't give no more, then eventually you will run out. Once you run out, what then will you do? There's only one thing left to do, isn't there? Start taking back what you gave away. That is what has happened in Greece, and that is why people there have been rioting in the streets. They don't want to give back what they've received all these years. Greece created a culture of dependency, so its current citizens know nothing else. Now that this culture has been turned upside down, the people have gone crazy.

Despite Greece only comprising 2% of the European economy, the European Union came to the rescue and awarded Greece a bailout. They did this because they know that if one domino falls, no matter how small, it can cause other dominos to fall around it. The same thing happened with Ireland. Ireland was on the verge of bankruptcy recently, and though also a relatively small portion of Europe's economy, the European Union again offered them a bailout. Ireland was hesitant to accept it at first, but in the end they caved. Thus the tally of countries bailed out by the EU this year stands at two, and it could still grow given the crises in Spain and Portugal.

It would be great if we could say that the violence that erupted in Greece was just an isolated incident. But unfortunately, it wasn't. Since then, we've seen riots break out in several other European countries as a result of governments cutting back on entitlements. The French rioted in Paris after the government raised the retirement age. Students rioted in Great Britain recently over the rising cost of tuition at public universities. They were even able to make contact with Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, as they sat inside their royal car. Then, just this past week in Italy, riots broke out in Rome after Silvio Berlusconi survived a no confidence vote in Italy's Parliament. The economic situation there is also dire, with unemployment at 8.5% and Italian citizens looking for a change in leadership to turn the tide.

So the question now becomes, "Can this ever happen in the United States?" My answer to this question is a resounding "yes." Greece, France, Great Britain, Italy...these are hardly third world countries. This isn't comparable to political unrest in countries like Haiti, Honduras, or Burma. This is Europe we're talking about, that wonderful continent which serves as the birthplace of Western culture. The land with amazing architecture, beautiful sights, and rich history that all Americans strive to visit at least once in their lifetime. If it can happen there, then guess what? It can happen here.

There is evidence to suggest that Europe is merely one step ahead of us. Here in America, we have at least four states that are on the verge of bankruptcy. These states, along with their deficits, are California ($1.3 trillion), Illinois ($1.1 trillion), New York ($690 billion), and New Jersey ($490 billion). What's most troubling about these particular states is that they comprise 13% of the entire U.S. economy. Now think about it...if the EU was concerned about Greece causing the dominos to start tumbling, and Greece is only 2% of the European economy, then how much more should our government be concerned about CA, IL, NY, and NJ? Hmmm...

Let's face it. These states have also given away too much for far too long. Politicians have given unions everything they've asked for in exchange for votes. Great health plans where workers don't even have to contribute, generous pensions, double dipping...it's been a way of life among public employees in this country. Just as in Europe, government entitlements have created a culture of dependency here in America. Just as in Europe, U.S. states are now being forced to cut back on those entitlements due to dire fiscal circumstances. Look no further than Governor Christie of New Jersey for evidence of this. So does it not make sense to say that the next step, rioting in the streets, could also happen here? As I write this blog entry, our military is holding drills to prepare our troops for civil unrest. Coincidence? I think not, though they would say that it's merely a routine annual exercise.

If our government doesn't cease giving handouts, if it doesn't stop in prolonging this culture of dependency that has been created, then we are in big trouble. Excessive spending needs to stop now, before it is too late. As much as I support the right to bear arms, I honestly do not want to see the day when fearmongers who hole themselves up with all kinds of weaponry to prepare for Armageddon are proven right. I'd like to think there's still time to stop this ship from sinking, and I truly believe there is. What can we do as citizens? First, we can learn to be self-sufficient. We can't control others from becoming dependent on the government, but we can control ourselves from doing so. Second, we need to get out and vote on Election Day for public servants who will show fiscal responsibility. Unfortunately, this never seems to happen in some states where the political machines still run the show (e.g., Barbara Boxer's re-election in CA and that of Harry Reid in NV).

If ever there was a time for U.S. citizens to stand up and involve themselves in the process of government, this is it. Being ignorant of what's going on in the world will only hurt us in the end. They may say ignorance is bliss, but if it prevails among us during this period of major crisis, it will become equated with sheer misery. Replacing several members of Congress with fiscal conservatives on November 2nd was a major step in the right direction, as well as the fact that several states elected more fiscally conservative governors and state legislators. But we still have a ways to go, and the window for salvaging our future closes a little more with each passing day. It is my prayer that we as Americans will take action and prevent the end of our world as we know it, before it is too late.