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Stay tuned over the next five years. Most of the European welfare systems are teetering on the brink. The pension funds are busted, the healthcare systems are h

Stay tuned over the next five years. Most of the European welfare systems are teetering on the brink. The pension funds are busted, the healthcare systems are having huge budget problems, and yields are shooting up on the municipal and national bonds. Eventually you run out of other people's money. Remember that Greece looked pretty good ten years ago.

Daishiman 9y ago
This applies to the entire planet (except for countries with growing populations, and that is a substantially worse problem), and European states have much greater safeguards and are in general far more stable than most other places in the world.
- maoistinquisitr 9y ago
  It really is worse in Europe on the fiscal front. About half of German municipalities have busted pension funds, for example. The problem is also huge in America, but it's an order worse and more imminent in Europe. Ceteris paribus the USA will probably blow up around 2025 or so, but instead hopefully in the wake of Europe's more imminent fiscal crises we can correct course somehow to avoid their fate.
  - carterehsmith 9y ago
    Oh, we've been hearing the same (German pension funds are underfunded, Germany is about to collapse) things for the last 2 decades at least. Did Germany collapse? Oh no, but sure will in two years... or whatever. Same with US. By now it should have turned to 1997 with Curt Russell being president &c, but it did not really happen. BTW same with any stock that someone on the internet has bought or shorted. Sure it's going down... about to collapse!!! Going up... buy now!!
    - QAPereo 9y ago
      To be fair, Detroit more or less conformed to the hype, a la Robocop, at least for a while. Cali is doomed long term with the water situation (Caddilac Desert is a great read), the future of Louisiana is unclear, and so on. The predictions have been off as to timing, but the trajectory seems accurate.
carterehsmith 9y ago
>> Most of the European welfare systems are teetering on the brink. Thanks. I love getting some hot macroeconomic advice from a random person on an internet forum. Especially if it does not provide any sort of backing analysis, that is just the best way to do it.

Daishiman 9y ago

This applies to the entire planet (except for countries with growing populations, and that is a substantially worse problem), and European states have much greater safeguards and are in general far more stable than most other places in the world.

maoistinquisitr 9y ago
It really is worse in Europe on the fiscal front. About half of German municipalities have busted pension funds, for example. The problem is also huge in America, but it's an order worse and more imminent in Europe. Ceteris paribus the USA will probably blow up around 2025 or so, but instead hopefully in the wake of Europe's more imminent fiscal crises we can correct course somehow to avoid their fate.
- carterehsmith 9y ago
  Oh, we've been hearing the same (German pension funds are underfunded, Germany is about to collapse) things for the last 2 decades at least. Did Germany collapse? Oh no, but sure will in two years... or whatever. Same with US. By now it should have turned to 1997 with Curt Russell being president &c, but it did not really happen. BTW same with any stock that someone on the internet has bought or shorted. Sure it's going down... about to collapse!!! Going up... buy now!!
  - QAPereo 9y ago
    To be fair, Detroit more or less conformed to the hype, a la Robocop, at least for a while. Cali is doomed long term with the water situation (Caddilac Desert is a great read), the future of Louisiana is unclear, and so on. The predictions have been off as to timing, but the trajectory seems accurate.

carterehsmith 9y ago

>> Most of the European welfare systems are teetering on the brink. Thanks. I love getting some hot macroeconomic advice from a random person on an internet forum. Especially if it does not provide any sort of backing analysis, that is just the best way to do it.