Continental (European) General Strike Begins.

[altus]

No again...I saw it on the news this morning...I mean i did not see anything prior to this day..

OK. The beeb's report mentions "Unions in Spain and Portugal started strikes at midnight to protest against austerity measures". Reporting on a strike the morning of the day it happens is hardly hiding the event.

[Mecky]

Here we go again! Them and us!

[alchresearch]

Looks like being confined to Spain, Portugal and Greece.

 

Yeah, CNN reported Europe-wide national strikes last week, when its just three countries.

[Happ Hazzard]

Leftist scum!

[altus]

Yeah, CNN reported Europe-wide national strikes last week, when its just three countries.

To be fair to CNN, they were probably reporting what they were told about planned action by the unions involved. ETUC have a map here which shows action all over the place. It also includes the disclaimer "The list of actions shown on this map is not definitive."

[janie48]

They should have been protesting 10 years ago at:

 

The massive credit bubble that convinced everyone that they were "rich"

 

The "light touch" regulation propounded by the likes of Gordon Brown and Alan Greenspan that allowed companies like AIG (in America) and Northern Rock (here in the UK) to get themselves into such an unholy mess

 

The speculative housing bubble that has created a generation of debt serfs

 

Pension raids by the likes of Gordon Brown (it's that man again)

 

Currency debasement that creates inflation at at time when wages are flat.

 

Instead they are protesting the symptoms of an unsustainable boom they all partook in.

 

It's the equivalent of fat people suing McDonalds for making them fat.

 

Too late, far, far too late.

 

You've had the party to end them all, you've had your fun, now it's 5:00 AM and the first light of dawn is revealing what a shambles everything is now in.

 

"They that sow the wind, shall reap the whirlwind"

You make some good points,waiting to protest in the middle of an economic crisis isn't really going to solve anything.Its very sad to see so many Countries suffering,but its a bit too late now that Europe is up to its eyes in debt.People taking strike action won't help the recovery.

[Expat owl]

Spains debt will reach 85.3% of GDP by the end of this year. Portugal is at 107% and Greece is a shining example at +160%.

Austerity is not seen as an acceptable option but nobody is coming up with any alternative apart from to spend more money and get further in debt.

 

All the above countries, and those others in Europe that are 'teetering' have been through the 'good times' and weren't too fussed about asking too many questions so now it's time to suck it up and get on with it. It may take another 10 years to undo the damage that has been caused by the freespending attitudes of the last 10-20 years so if anyone thinks that a few thousand Union members shouting slogans and blowing whistles is going to change anything.........think again !!