Greece is a smoking ruin and getting worse. The UK was outperforming Ireland until the new UK government started swinging a chainsaw around in an ideologically

Greece is a smoking ruin and getting worse. The UK was outperforming Ireland until the new UK government started swinging a chainsaw around in an ideologically-based austerity drive, and now its growth has vanished. Ireland is improving (hello from Cork) in relative terms because it genuinely had nowhere further south left to go. 20% of the population is on the dole, property prices are down 60% from 2007 and are still falling, mobility of potential jobseekers has been curtailed by the fact that they can't sell up and move because their mortgages are worth twice what the house is. We also took the old government out back and swung an axe into its head in February. The party of government for 80% of the entire history of Ireland as an independent state is now polling in fourth position. Its erstwhile coalition partner is within the margin of error of zero. You cannot but imperil private sector growth by removing massive amounts of cash from the economy all at once[1]. Public employees spend that money they're paid. [1. Please note use of phrase 'all at once'.]