All's Queasy on the European Front...

New Democracy won in Greece. They are pro-bailout. Now if they can finally form a government and get a majority, Greece will have a government. For fuck's sake! Are you kidding me? Europe is a disaster area. Then we find out what happens with Spain and Italy (the real five letter swear word in this charade of financial incompetence.)


Laura, Tim and i were watching the Euro games on Sunday. UEFA has a new tie-breaking system which is baffling and there were several different opinions on who would advance if either x, y or z happened. I turned to Laura and said "Is it any wonder the Euro Zone is a wreck when they can't even come up with a clear tie-breaker for the European Cup."


"No." She said. "It's not a surprise at all. It's just sad."


What has Europe giving to the world?

1. Colonialism has destroyed the world. See the Caribbean, Africa, South America, Asia, etc.
2. Two World Wars. A botched Treaty of Versailles that ensured another world war. The rise of dictators and radical governments (Mussolini, Hitler.) These two conflicts are seen by some historians as one 31-year war, often refered to as the European self-mutilation.  Certainly these 2 conflicts define the 20th century. I often consider myself fortunate that we all won't be around to see the 22nd century. Excepting, of course, the party that will be 2112!
3. And now the Euro currency debacle. 

Kim Stanley Robinson wrote a book called The Year's of Rice and Salt, where the black plague has killed 99% of Europe and it is the East that influences the world. Sometimes it doesn't sound like a bad idea. But i suppose that pretty much the same thing would have happened. The Japanese rape of Nanking and suppression of Manchuria and Korea were horrifying and despicable. 

But 7 weeks from manana, i retreat back to the New World. And not soon enough.

Ugh! Too serious. Most stop my brain from thinking. Hello Bender Tuesday!