German Official Warns of Immediate 'Revolution' if EU Adopts US Model

[ashling]

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble urges adherence to Europe's welfare model

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/05/29-6

Europe must not drop its welfare model in favor of US standards or it will spark a revolution "not tomorrow but the same day," Germany's Finance Minister warned on Tuesday.

Speaking at a conference in Paris, Wolfgang Schäuble was joined by other German, French and Italian ministers in issuing warning calls over the soaring unemployment plaguing nearly six million European youths, and that threatens an "entire generation of people" and risks losing "the battle for Europe's unity."

Warning of "catastrophe," Schäuble said, "We need to be more successful in our fight against youth unemployment; otherwise, we will lose the battle for Europe's unity."

***

If U.S. welfare standards were introduced in Europe, "we would have revolution, not tomorrow, but on the very same day," Schaeuble told a conference in Paris.

"We have to rescue an entire generation of young people who are scared. We have the best-educated generation and we are putting them on hold. This is not acceptable," added Italian Labor Minister Enrico Giovannini.

[liberal_at_heart]

1. They are more effective in their protesting than we are that's for sure.

[DJ13]

2. That says something about our sorry assed welfare system, doesnt it?

[hobbit709]

6. It says a large book about our system.

[Laelth]

3. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[stillwaiting]

4. +1 nt

[malaise]

5. K & R

for visibility

[SoCalDem]

7. This is why our leaders have resisted single payer & a more liberal approach to governance

When you try to take it away, people tend to get pissed off.. By permanently withholding security from most of us, they have kept us constantly off-kilter...always seeking-but never quite "getting there".. People who live like that (this) are on permanent defense.. Anyone who has ever played sports, knows that most points are scored on offense.. Perpetual defense wears you down, makes you tired and when you always lose, apathy can set in.

Europeans may be angry, less wealthy and upset, but they will fight if their rights & benefits are endangered.

[Puzzledtraveller]

8. Why is the unemployment rate so high in some european countries?

edited to say "some".

[dipsydoodle]

10. Reasons vary

In Spain for example its largely due to the complete collapse of their construction industry. In Greece there's an odd background. Greece bluffed its way into the Euro. Doing so gave them greater access to the international bond market. Much of those funds were then used to grossly inflate their public sector and in doing so compensate for the absense of employment opportunites in their private sector. As a result they reduced unemployment but had built an unsustainable / unaffordable model.

[Starry Messenger]

9. k&r

I wish our leaders were as frightened of us.

[felix_numinous]

11. Well at least we can be a horrible warning.

“If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.”


― Catherine Aird