Saturday, February 04, 2012

Chart of the Day

From Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge:
[T]he one chart that truly captures the latent fear behind the scenes in Europe is that showing youth unemployment in the continent's troubled countries (and frankly everywhere else). Because the last thing Europe needs is a discontented, disenfranchised, and devoid of hope youth roving the streets with nothing to do, easily susceptible to extremist and xenophobic tendencies: after all, it must be "someone's" fault that there are no job opportunities for anyone. Below we present the youth (16-24) unemployment in three select European countries (and the general Eurozone as a reference point).


source: Zero Hedge
Durden also asks, "the real question is if there is no hope for tomorrow, what is the opportunity cost of doing something stupid and quite irrational today?" Answer: zero--meaning riot in the streets.

An equally important question is "what if Democrats replicate Europe's failed welfare state here in America?" Answer: see above.

(via reader Warren)

4 comments:

OBloodyHell said...

Costello: "Man, look at the gams on that babe!!"
Abbot: "Ohhh, no!! My mother taught me to never go out with a girl with beautiful legs!"
Costello: "What? Why not?"
Abbot: "Well, she might leave you..."
Costello: "Yeah, but a girl with lousy legs can leave you, too!"
Abbot: "Yeah, but... who cares?"

:-D

It's Spain, Greece, and Purtugal.

If they riot in the streets, who cares?

It's not like it was Germany, or England, nations that are actually capable of doing something significant on the world stage.

As far as America following suit, yeah, that would Be A Very Bad Thing.

OBloodyHell said...

"Portugal" Duh. Typo.


If Europe is contracting or if Europe is having difficulties, then it's much more difficult for us to create good jobs here at home," Obama said in December.

Huh? And why would THAT be? The USA doesn't need the Eurozone as a trading partner. It's useful, but hardly the cause of any major economic strife if they take themselves down the tubes through their own stupidity.

So "they won't pay off their loans from us" ? Geeeee. How many times has THAT happened in the last century?
:-S

We are a heck of a lot richer now than ever before, and those loans a heck of a lot smaller in terms of the big pie, than previous instances.

I fear our government's endless meddling and redistribution efforts far more than I fear any issues in Europe. Tell me GERMANY is going down, that's a concern. Tell me ENGLAND is going down, that is of some significance.

Hell tell me FRANCE is going down, and I'll hoard some cheese.

Greece, Spain, Portugal? Awww. Dang! And here I am without a harmonica to play the blues with...

Anonymous said...

Every time I read articles deploring the dangers that "idle young men" pose to their respective countries, I think of China. Not exactly the same thing, of course, but their strict "one-child" policy (and the cultural preference for boys) leaves them some 40+ million girls short. That's a lot of young men with no impetus to social responsibility (no need to settle down and provide for a wife and family); it's a lot of "idle young men" for a totalitarian state to worry about.

Do you suppose some of China's military build-up is related to giving these guys something useful to do? And what are the chances that China (with a population approaching 1.5 billion) might decide that it needs more territory and is wiling to sacrifice 20-50 million soldiers in order to acquire it?

THAT worries me more than Greece...

Anonymous said...

Oops! That was me, A_Nonny_Mouse!

For some reason Google didn't identify me.