RANT: Portugal Down the Rabbit Hole

Today Portugal goes down the rabbit hole. I mean this both figuratively and, even, strangely enough, literally.

Figuratively down a rabbit hole because today the Social Democrats take over government in Portugal, after having won the recent legislative elections. They're a bunch of neo-conservative pricks who pontificate about 'market reforms' and gladly kowtow to bullies like the EU and the IMF, whilst serving the interests of the super-rich and neo-con elites of Portugal and, to a lesser extent, the (fast-dwindling) upper-middle class. In doing so, they pander to the petty conservative fears of the middle-classes (or what remains of that in Portugal today) and even, to my endless amazement, some of the working class (in itself a fast-becoming oxymoron in that country if ever there was).

Literally down a rabbit hole because the man set to become Portugal's Prime Minister is a blandly handsome, thin-lipped creep by the surname of Passos Coelho (picture above - saying it all) - a surname loosely translated into English as "rabbit steps". How very fitting that this patronizing and sly technocrat set to banish Portugal into an abyss has a name so weirdly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. It's almost Orwellian in its sinister irony.

The PSD, or Social Democrats, coming into power at this C-R-U-C-I-A-L time are the biggest mistake yet made by the Portuguese electorate since the Carnation Revolution of 1974 that brought democracy to the country. Portugal sits on a precipice not at all unlike that over which Greece is falling as I write this. The last thing it needed was a pack of lying, conniving neo-conservatives to push it over that precipice with more cuts, more austerity, more capitulation to the financial terrorists in Brussels and Washington DC.

Portugal should never have been in the euro and, now that it's stuck with that poisoned chalice and more of its population is slipping into de facto poverty, it sees its welfare system being stripped away by the neo-conservative scheisters that champion that blight on humanity, the Washington Consensus.

I always say that a country gets the government it deserves. I've said it for years and I continue to believe in that implicitly. It hardly matters when I say that about countries like Nigeria or the UK, for example - countries I hardly give a toot about. It's a bit more difficult to swallow when that country is one that I know so well and that is part of my heritage, such as Portugal.

Prime Minister "Rabbit Steps" has led Portugal down a primrose path with false terror tactics against the former Socialist government. A government that, at least under the until recently Prime Minister, José Sócrates (pictured below), understood the many dangers of capitulating to the 'bailout package' being foisted on Lisbon by Brussels and Washington DC. And warned about that 'package' again and again. To no avail.



Passos Coelho wishes he could be as erudite, witty and smart as Sócrates no doubt is. The latter will be missed.

Portugal will fall down that rabbit hole. And for that I fear for it very, very much.

Do you get my point?

RAVE: Whew for Portugal...

It came close, so very close...but at least Portugal was able to raise enough money on the sovereign bond markets to steer clear of having to take an EU/ IMF 'bail-out'...

That is, at least for now...

Who knows how much longer Portugal will be able to resist the incredible pressures no doubt being placed upon it by the Twin Vultures, the EU and IMF, to agree to take that toxic potion that is a 'bail-out'...

The vultures that are the EU and IMF is so aptly illustrated in this poster for an Irish anti-bail-out demo last year...

'Bail-out'...what an innocuous-sounding, even glowing spin on such a heinous, crippling form of financial terrorism for EU countries, all orchestrated out of Washington D.C., with the full acquiescence of Brussels (make that Berlin and Paris)...

Still, for now, Portugal has resisted... VIVA PORTUGAL WITHOUT EU/IMF ENSLAVEMENT!!!

Y ahora...Espana?

Do you get my point?

RANT: Leave Portugal Alone, Merkozy!

The year has barely started and already an EU member state is under enormous pressure from the Twin Towers of Financial Terror (aka the EU and IMF) to accept a bail-out due to 'sovereign debt' issues...

Last year it was Greece and Ireland that were forced to whore out their economies to EU-IMF bailouts (aka How-To-Impoverish-Your-Country-And-Enslave-Your-Citizens-And-Make-It-Look-So-Inevitable) - in the past few days it's Portugal that is coming under huge strain.

It's that bloody Eurotrash couple at it again - Merkel and Sarkozy, or as I like to dub them, 'Merkozy'.

Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates has been making repeated and urgent assertions that Portugal does NOT require the bail-out and does not wish to take on such a loan. Hmmm, where have I heard that type of talk before?

What's that? Yet another European Prime Minister desperately declaring their country's ability to avoid a bail-out on the eve of being forced to take one. Sound familiar? Ireland, anyone?

What the hell is Portugal, a beautiful and small country with a proud history, doing in the illogical and inequitable monstrosity that is the Euro?  A club that was only meant for the likes of Germany and France - the richer, hypocritical lands of Merkozy.

Even Belgium can't afford being in the Eurozone...how ironic is that?

I can only hope that Portugal will somehow be able to avoid this festering trap that is an EU/IMF loan - but, alas, I very much doubt it.

The country can ill afford having further slashing of its social services and pensions - it's madness.

Get your Franco-German hands off Portugal, Merkozy!

Do you get my point?

RAVE: Viva Portugal!

Yesterday at the World Cup, Italy made me utterly embarrassed to have a name that is so flagrantly Italian! Proud as I am of being un italiano, their performance against New Zealand was the stuff of nightmares and passport changes. Dirty and (s)crappy football the New Zealanders may have played, but the Italians only have themselves to blame for such a pathetic result.

I still think Italy will make it through to the next round, by the way - scraaaaaaaping through, once again...anyway...

I can only say today THANK GOODNESS I'M HALF-PORTUGUESE!!!

Italianissimo my name and surname may indeed be, with my entire paternal side italiano, but whilst my maternal side is decidedly more 'mixed' (with everything from German to French to Danish - and more - thrown in there), it is predominantly Portuguese. I lived in Portugal for a few years, even finishing my high schooling there, had countless holidays in beautiful Lisboa and Cascais, grew up surrounded by Portuguese food, music and language, etc etc.

Enfim, I have claims to my Portuguese heritage. Relief.

Because today Portugal were frankly STUNNING in their 7-0 annihilation of North Korea.

What a display of finesse, of beautiful, flowing and attacking football - and, well, undoubtedly THE performance of any single team in a match in this World Cup thus far.

I even had love, even affection, for Ronaldo today - and that's saying a lot.

North Korea pushovers, huh? Yeah, well, they had tons more possession against the highly fancied Brazilians than they did against Portugal, and Brazil could only muster a 2-1 victory against the plucky Asians in the end.

Portugal deserved all the goals they got. Portugal deserve all the praise they get. They were sublime.

Can they build on the momentum? Are they now one of the true dark horses to take it all the way? Who knows. Frankly, who cares. Today they made their own history and they gave this World Cup ever so much more magic.

PORTUGAL!!!

PORTUGAL!!!

VIVA PORTUGAL!!!

RAVE/ PREDICTIONS: World Cup Hopes

I will keep this one short and I shall keep it brief. It's all to do with which countries I would love to win the World Cup, the one country that I believe will actually win it and those I believe simply won't make it.

First off, sorry Bafana Bafana, you're just not going to make it. The South African guys availed themselves quite well against Mexico in the opening match of the tournament. But this is a team I simply cannot get excited about - their football is simply not world class.

For me, my two favourites have to be the two countries that comprise the majority of my (rather multi-national, rather crazy!) heritage: Italy and Portugal.

Portugal are notorious for being 'chokers' and this is not their strongest squad ever, but at least when they play exciting football, it's great to watch. And never, EVER discount Italia - as so many have been doing prior to this World Cup. Italy has 'no chance', many say. Oh yeah? And just how fancied were they before the 2006 World Cup which they went on to win? Not very much, I can assure you.

Italy are like Germany. You never, ever discount them at this level of football championships.

There are some very fancied teams that many are saying have a very good chance of winning it this time around, all of which I actually disagree with: Netherlands (huge chokers, just like the Portuguese - the Dutch will not win); England (always overrated, just never have what it takes to win in the end, and this year will be no different for the Limeys) and, to a lesser extent, those perennial under-performers, Spain.

This time around, I do think there is a (very) outside chance the Spanish could just go all the way. But for me it's such an outside chance it's not even worth placing a proper bet on. The Spanish just don't convince me, much as I do enjoy their football and style.

Of course, as ever, Brazil have to be one of the favourites and they, just like Italy and Germany, can never ever be discounted. Yes, they could win it. I would be a fool to discount that much raw talent and pedigree of heritage.

This is not the time for an African country to do it. Nor do I foresee any huge shocks like a USA or a Serbia or one of those other 'really dark horses' to make it all the way and win it. It's just not going to happen, methinks.

So who do I actually think is going to win the 2010 World Cup?

ARGENTINA

Yes, Argentina are my bet. I've been saying it for months leading up this World Cup, and I will stand by it: this is the country that has the talent and the oomph to make it all the way and win it.

And I really hope that they do. They play great football (if a bit dirty times, it be said). It has the world's most exciting player at present - Lionel Messi. It's a great country deserving of a triumph like this. I want it for Argentina for what it stands for in Latin America, for the culture it has given the world, for its troubled past, for what it went through with that disgusting bunch of international finance Mafia in 2002, the IMF, and for everything that Argentina is.

Not to mention that there are more of my family name in the telephone book of Buenos Aires than in Italy!

FUERZA ARGENTINA!!!

FORZA ITALIA!!!

FORCA PORTUGAL!!! 

RANT: Cuidado Portugal y España, Careful Ireland

My rant for today is essentially three words: Portugal, Ireland, Spain.

It's very simple - if the European Union saw fit to literally throw Greece to the proverbial wolves (i.e. the detestable IMF), then what is stopping it happening to these three countries?

The cartoon here by the brilliant Brazilian Latuff says it all...

The plates to be broken here are those of Portugal, Spain and Italy. However, although Italy was cited as being 'in trouble' a few weeks back, to my understanding it really is Ireland that is the actual 'I' in 'PIGS'...at least for now.

'PIGS' is the frankly disgusting acronym given to these four Eurozone countries, all in apparent trouble with their so-called 'sovereign debt'. Greece was in the worst trouble, hence it being sold down the river last week. But the public coffers in Portugal look pretty bad too, as is the case for Ireland. And Spain, the fourth biggest economy in the Eurozone, is said to be in very bad shape too.

So, will the EU allow three more countries to go the way of Greece? Certainly, Portugal and Ireland look quite expendable, for want of a better word. Portugal never seemed to ride very well on the EU bandwagon (must be that 'Club Med-southern European thing', methinks). But it's quite ironic that Ireland is in the 'PIGS club' given that it was a shining beacon of free market, neo-liberal economics until just recently. Ireland was the place to be in the EU, a true 'success story' it seemed - especially for those in IT, direct marketing, business or anyone with a bit of cash or an entrepreneurial streak.

How the tables have turned. Now Ireland is just another basket case. Hmmmm, yet another strike for neo-liberal Friedmanite economics.

And what of Spain? Can the EU really afford to let a country of that size and importance falter and possibly even be in danger of defaulting on its debt obligations? What then? And what will be of the Euro?

How much longer can this madness go on? Are Germany and France going to snub these countries too? Will the IMF simply become the de facto bank for the Eurozone?

For now, I am very worried for these three countries - not to mention all of the European Union.

I am half-Portuguese, a heritage of which I am proud, and I lived in Lisbon for a few years, a city in which I finished my schooling and which I visited every opportunity I had during my university vacations, it being a city I love and know so well. I do not want to see that beautiful country thrown to the dogs.

When will this European club ever finally come together and be united and there for all its members?

After all, is the second word in the letters 'EU' not union? Where is the union in this band of misfits?

Do you get my point?

RANT: The Scam that is 'Sovereign Debt'

'Sovereign debt.' The latest chapter in the mess that is the ongoing financial and economic crisis hitting most of the Western world, and many other countries aside. In short, sovereign debt is supposedly what a country's treasury (i.e. government coffers) has in terms of debt.

And, oh boy, are many countries now on the verge of sovereign debt default, i.e. the inability to pay national debt, whether it to be foreign creditors, pay for social programs at home, raise sufficient capital through treasury bonds issuance, etc. The effect on local economies, not to mention the global economy, if countries start to default on their own national debt, could be quite catastrophic.

Greece is first up.

Greece is on the verge of defaulting on its debt payments. The European Union is freaking out. The Eurozone is freaking out. I mean, countries in Europe don't default on their payments, do they? That's something the likes of Brazil and Argentina and Nigeria did back in the 1980s. Not an EU and euro-based country. Right? Well...no. Greece is on the verge of default. That is fact.

The Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, has blamed his country's economic crisis on international speculators (i.e. the likes of Goldman Sachs and their fellow blood-sucking brethren in the international financial world) with their buying up of Greek treasury bonds and, now, dumping of them. Some pooh-pooh that notion (always international financiers or Wall Street apologists, by the way), but don't get analysts like my man, Max Keiser, started on that notion. For him, and many others, the imminent collapse of Greece is entirely the fault of international speculators that are playing havoc with entire national economies.

I, for one, totally believe what Papandreou accuses Wall Street of doing to Greece.

And there are others too who may almost be on the verge of national debt default...

Spain





Ireland





Italy - beautiful land of my ancestors...





Portugal - the other land of my ancestors and a beautiful country I know so well...what a shame...




And don't let's forget about a country that has already defaulted on it's so-called 'debt'...

Yes, Iceland




The land of geysers and volcanoes, the fabled Blue Lagoon, green energy - and, now, the highest debt per capita load on the planet...

Poor Iceland. A canary in the coalmine of what is fundamentally sick - nay, perverted and twisted - about the current global uber-capitalist model.

Sovereign debt is a scam because how can national treasuries be in control of their economies when they are at the mercy of international financial and currency speculators? There's nothing sovereign about this debt any more, hence the total and utter scam thereof.

It's a farce and just the latest chapter, writ HUGE, that demonstrates just how fundamentally flawed, corrupt and outrageously amoral the current neo-liberal, profit-at-all-costs, unregulated financial markets a la Milton Friedman and the Chicago Boys that is world capitalism. It's sick to the core. Adam Smith and Maynard Keynes must be turning in their graves with just how sick the system has become.

Yet, national governments in Europe must also take the blame (not to mention that of the United States, now in debt to the tune of 14 TRILLION dollars, although that endless warmongering is hardly cheap, now is it?). This is what you get when you bail out banks and financial institutions that were reckless and perverse in how they played the stock markets and economies of the world.

Using public money (i.e. the money of citizens) to bail out, to the tune of billions and billions of dollars and euros, the very crooks and scheisters that got us into the mess, was not only madness, but MORALLY BANKRUPT of all those politicians who allowed this to happen. You bloody bastards, all of you.

So what would I like to see? I would like to see the likes of Greece, Spain, Portgal and Ireland DEFAULT on their so-called sovereign debts. And, better still, give the IMF the biggest middle finger ever seen in financial history by saying 'NO! We will not take your loans!' Because these countries should know these IMF 'loans' will come laden with Friedmanite and Chicagoesque preconditions to 'liberalize' economies, slash public spending, 'open up markets even more', and all the other Friedmanite bullshit that got us into this horrific and amoral mess in the first place.

But, of course, I have better chances of seeing pink elephants having a full-scale Grand Prix in the sky than I do of those countries having the courage and the foresight to do just that.

THIS is the perfect time for a complete review and even overhaul of capitalism as we know it. It has never been more perfect - or more needed. I'm certainly not advocating communism or any other 'ism' for that matter. What I am advocating is that we stop this madness where 0.01% of the richest people in the richest economies can hold entire countries to ransom. And, in the process, destroy the very fabric and social and human rights within those countries. I don't want to see European countries like Greece, Ireland and Spain collapse or relegated to economic basketcase status. I'm funny that way.

Stop this obsession with Friedmanite uber-capitalism and the 'Stock Market is King' economic mentality, like some demented mantra. It is NOT working.

Enough is enough. Basta!

Do you get my point?