Western Europe - the Seeds of their Own Destruction

Greece/Italy/Spain/Portugal:  All four of these European Union countries have massive unemployment, declining GDP, and out of control deficits.  If you'd like a pictorial description of their deficits - it's like a snowball, rolling down a hill, getting bigger and bigger, rolling faster and faster, as the countries race toward an economic catastrophe.

Social Welfare States, in general, over regulate, over tax, and spend more resources than the country can handle on entitlement programs, eventually bankrupting the country, and putting themselves in jeopardy of becoming a dictatorship - or a Communist dictatorship, when economic conditions become particularly dire.

The Seeds of their own Destruction and "Free Stuff":   "Free Stuff" - large, and growing expenditures for entitlements (social security, medicare, medicaid, unemployment, food stamps, housing subsidies, education) , exacerbate their deficit shortfall in two ways - it encourages people not to work - which reduces their tax base, and it also increases the federal outlays for entitlements .

Welfare/Unemployment Benefits Recipients: Many people on welfare (foodstamps/housing subsidies) and on unemployment choose to sit at home rather than go to work at the "Walmart"'s of this world. Comment: This is one of the major factors relating to their current economic woes. In order to get people off the dole, and save at least some of the billions being poured into these entitlement areas, they need to do one of the following:

a.) Directly reduce entitlement dollars: Make the pay/benefit differential between "Walmart", and welfare/unemployment greater by reducing the entitlement payments, and/or reducing the timeframes that the entitlement payments are allowable, or

b) Enforce Entitlement Rules:  They need to ensure that people on welfare or unemployment  actually look for/accept semi-suitable employment

Working Poor: Heretofore, I've been a supporter of not charging federal income taxes to individuals/families below a certain income level. Since their income was low, and it's typically a struggle to make ends meet, thought that this was most humane way to approach things. The fact that these individuals/families weren't contributing anything to cover the necessary expenses to run their countries, was, well, just the way it had to be.

However, after seeing what Liberals have managed to do - bribe people with money that they don't even have, now believe that a change needs to be made.  They really need to adjust the income tax brackets so that everyone pays federal income taxes. There's simply no other way to ensure that everyone has "skin in the game", and is concerned about federal spending/the deficit - i.e., that it's just not "someone else's problem".

Final Comment: By making every working person pay federal income taxes, am confident that they can get a more mature/rational voting pattern, and therefore make real strides toward solving their economic problems.

Grim Financial Situation:   The situation of Western Europe is grim. To have a chance at financial viability and survival, they need to make drastic and immediate changes to entitlement programs (see above).   NOTE:   Excessive taxing of the rich will most likely have the opposite effect desired. Instead of garnering additional revenue to cover debt, it will most likely drive the rich out of the country and therefore actually reduce revenue. 

     a.  Possible Dissolution of the European Union:  Would not be at all surprised to see the European Union dissolve.  Can easily picture the more affluent countries - to save themselves, abandoning the poorer countries to their own inadequate means.
    
     b.  Total chaos leading to a Coup:  The spectre of total economic failure and the seizing of power by a dictator (or Communist dictator) looms - particularly for the poorer Western European countries.  NOTE: Social Democracies tiptoe on the edge of becoming Dictatorships, and in an economic downturn can easily slide into same............. Consider the current state of affairs in Greece. Just a little more turmoil, a few more riots, and a communistic strongman could easily declare martial law and seize total power.  NOTE:  If you'd like to read an article on the flaws inherent in Communism go to "onemanandhisview", title "Communism".

Side note:  While all of the above also applies to the United States, we have mitigating factors that could help us stave off financial disaster:    

     a.  Natural Resources:  Recent studies have shown that the United States has the largest energy reserves on Earth.  Our untapped energy reserves - oil, natural gas and coal rival none, and represent a great opportunity for this country - both for energy independence, and for job growth.    We have huge supplies of energy (coal, gas, oil) within this country. Now, with our new recovery techniques (such as fracking), we have the capability to garner and utilize this energy.

     b.  Farmland:  The United States is not dependent on foreign countries for the vast majority of our food.  Being dependent on other countries for food to feed a burgeoning population is like playing a life or death struggle with one hand tied behind your back. 

Final Comment:  They/we stand at the precipice of the abyss.  Immediate corrective actions - before the "seeds of their own destruction" - out of control entitlement spending, dooms us all.