Weekend Economists: "So much to do, so little done, such things to be." April 20-22, 2012

[bread_and_roses]

57. "Dutch Austerity Talks Fail as Geithner Prods Europe"

posted by alp227 in LBN

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/world/europe/budget-talks-collapse-in-the-netherlands-elections-expected.html?_r=1

BRUSSELS — More uncertainty loomed for the euro zone on Saturday after the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, said he expected new elections to take place following the collapse of talks on new austerity measures.

The announcement is unwelcome news for Europe’s single currency zone, particularly because the Netherlands is one of just four countries using the euro currency that have maintained a coveted AAA credit rating.

Over the weekend, officials from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank met in Washington and sought ways to bolster contingency plans if the debt crisis in Europe worsened. The United States Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, declined to pledge any new money to a rescue fund but urged European leaders to be aggressive.

“The success of the next phase of the crisis response will hinge on Europe’s willingness and ability, together with the European Central Bank, to apply its tools and processes creatively, flexibly and aggressively to support countries as they implement reforms and stay ahead of markets,” he said Saturday.

So - the Netherlands has an AAA credit rating but it, too, must embrace "austerity?" And don't get me started on Geithner - the slobbering half-wit "assistant" to the Bankster Franken-monster. It is so clear that all this is nothing but the vehicle on which the 1%er Vampires are intending to crush any vestige of the "commons" - any vestige of power or even simple security for workers, mothers, children.

Alas, here, unlike in France (at least unlike in France if I understand what I've read correctly - since nothing makes any sense just about anywhere with our Corporate Overlords and their Media Tools filtering and talking-pointing ... on top of my own ignorance, which our Masters do nothing to rectify - I mistrust my own ability to understand what I read and sort it all out) - anyway, unlike in France, the challenge is coming from the Right - the Islam-hating fear-mongering Right - like here, sad to say.

The likely fruit of that - here and there - scares me more than anything except the poisoning of the earth.