Letter from Spain August 12, 2012
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Economy, European Politics, The Left.trackback
Here’s a post from ejh’s (sometimes of this parish) The Spanish Disaster blog. Well worth reading for a sense, as he puts it the ‘madness’ of the current austerity measures.
Thanks for this.
My intention is to try and publish at least once a week (probably on Sundays, as that fits in with work) for the foreseeable future. Not that much is foreseeable about Spain’s future at the moment, except a lot of very bad things.
No bother. I think the example you provide re lunches shows up a sort of punitive aspect to the approaches to this crisis, or at least an element of compulsion that come what may more money will be soaked out (albeit short term since people’s capacity to pay will buckle and presumably sooner rather than later).
ejh,
to what extent is this story being replicated in Portugal? I’ve heard more about Spain but maybe thats simply because Spain’s bigger and its stories are being fed into the media more often.
Nice blog a chara
I’m afraid, being in Spain and not Portugal, that I have no idea…
no probs cheers. Must see if I can find out about Portugal.
And sure enough bad news from Portugal doesnt take long to come along,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/aug/16/eurozone-crisis-china-trade-merkel-canada#block-502cc019b579b8532ead4082
The poor Portuguese have literally pawned the kitchen sink when it comes to gold. Portugal’s gold exports increased more than five-fold to 519.4 million euros last year from 102.1 million euros in 2009,
Problem is the gold supplies for households is gone and even pawn shops are shutting. Sad story about people pawning their wedding rings just for another few months rent but sure enough that wont keep the wolf from the door.
The man who had to sell his rings now makes 15 a day cleaning shoes and said ““It’s okay for the gold shops around me to go broke, they’ve already made their profit,” Oliveira said. “What I would like to know is who will help me and my wife when we get evicted?”
With unemployment projected to rise to 15.9% from 15.5 hard to see who will.
32% unemployment in Andalucia. Mind boggling number.
Saw that report before. I know the leading guy is immune from arrest as a TD but have any others been arrested?
Several people were arrested both at the supermarkets and following the eviction of activists from a landed estate owned by the defence ministry.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/robin-hood-activist-collective-evicted-from-spanish-farm.aspx?pageID=238&nid=27504&NewsCatID=344
Arrest warrants have been issued for Gordillo for his part in the land occupation. Another UI mayor, Pedro Romero of Espera, has also had an arrest warrant issued against him.
thanks
Interesting documentary about the lan occupations in Marinaleda and how the local UI council run the town.
Today’s letter
Fresh Spain
New Spain: the plague of pawn shops