As Greeks finally face up to reality after decades of ostrich economics and systemic corruption other “miracle” states like Portugal, Spain and Ireland are also staggering out of the party with massive financial hangovers. They, with others, chose to ignore Micawber’s Golden Rule
“Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”
The spectacle has had quite an impact on European electorates in Britain, Czechoslovakia and, now, Holland. In each case the voters have ignored the sweet, seductive notes tumbling out of left wing flutes conjuring up images of Big Government riding to the rescue with shiploads of cash squeezed out of taxpayers and/or borrowed from China.
The parties that have caught the public mood have emphasised austerity, public sector cuts and transparent accounting. They have also attempted (as far as any politician can for, like estate agents and care salesmen the bald, unvarnished truth is rarely detectable in their DNA) to be honest with the voters by admitting there will be some pain ahead.
It’s as if everybody has suddenly grown up and realised that promises of a world full of rainbows and butterflies peddled for so long by the dream weavers of the left is something just for the under fives.
Coincidentally voters have also begun to question the sanity of allowing unrestricted access for millions of immigrants from all corners of the earth. For the first time in Britain and Holland there was a degree of honest and open debate about this issue. The model of the multi-cultural society so beloved by those who are wealthy enough to reside in areas where property values insulate them from it’s negative impact is, at last, being subjected to critical analysis.
The cracks have begun to appear in the consensus. Can this brave new era of realism survive or will those promises of rainbows and butterflies seduce us once more. Only time can tell.
But for now it would appear that the voters of Europe are saying Farewell Father Christmas, Hello Mr Scrooge…….
