Monday, May 17, 2010

Interesting. Britain’ deficit could cost you your life.

Your political life, that is.

Maybe your lifestyle.

Readers know I like Gwynne Dyer’s columns, and in his most recent, re the election in Britain, he made the following ‘interesting’ observation:

“Former PM Gordon Brown tried hard to make a deal with the Lib Dems (you know Gwynne is a superb writer because he throws around funky short forms regularly - with abandon) that would keep the Labour party in power, but his party, aware of the savage cuts that any incoming government would have to make to deal with a runaway budget deficit, didn’t agree.”

(Here’s the interesting bit).

“Many of them thought this was a good election to lose...” (May 16 issue of the London Free Press)

Really, you run an expensive, tiring, election campaign... to lose?

Wow. I knew budget deficits were powerful things (not as fast as a speeding bullet, but still able to jump over tall buildings), but not that powerful.


["Save your money. Tough times ahead"]

However, after reading Eric Margolis’s column today, and learning that Britain’s “new government must quickly slash $240 billion in spending or risk a Greek-style financial crisis” I can see why someone might want to steer clear of that job.

I guess that’s what happens when an economy is not performing as well as parties or people would hope.

Should we keep an eye on Britain and Greece?

I think so.

Because if one of them folds, we might see others fold up like cheap tents as well.

Lifestyles may be on the line, including our own.

***

How would you feel if you lived in Greece and your legacy to the world could turn out to be a “Greek-style financial crisis?”

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