Yesterday, I took aim at a truly pathetic human being who lives as an “adult baby.” But what got me upset was not his lifestyle, but rather the fact that he was mooching off the taxpayers thanks to the dumb bureaucrats at the Social Security Administration, who granted him “disability’ status, which means he gets to live the rest of his life at the expense of taxpayers.
Is it possible, though, for an entire nation to live as an adult baby? I don’t know the answer, but some people in Portugal want to give it a try. Here is an excerpt from the EU Observer, featuring some jaw-dropping assertions by a Portuguese union boss.
Speaking at a rally in the western German town of Meschede on Tuesday evening, Merkel suggested southern Europeans are not working enough, while Germans are expected to bail them out. “It is also about not being able to retire earlier in countries such as Greece, Spain, Portugal than in Germany, instead everyone should try a little bit to make the same efforts – that is important,” she said. …”Yes Germany will help but Germany will only help when the others try. And that must be clear,” she said. Her comments sparked outrage on the German political scene, with the Social Democratic opposition calling her “populist” for giving a “coarse representation of Greek realities,” while the European Greens labelled her remarks “absurd.” In Portugal, trade unionist were also angered by the suggestion that southern Europeans are having a nice time on the beach while the Germans are working hard for their bailouts. “This is the purest colonialism,” Portuguese trade union chief Manuel Carvalho da Silva said, as quoted by DPA. He blasted Merkel for showing “no solidarity” and supporting a system where “the rich continue to live at the expense of the poorest countries in a disastrous system of exploitation.”
Let’s parse Mr. da Silva’s remarks. He starts by accusing Merkel of colonialism, but he never explains why refusing to write more blank checks means the German Chancellor is a colonialist.
Mr. da Silva then says Merkel is failing to show “solidarity.” But this assumes that German taxpayers have a moral obligation to support fiscally reckless politicians and interest groups in Portugal and other nations.
Last but not least, Mr. da Silva claims Merkel is promoting a system that allows the rich to exploit the poor. This accusation actually is true, but not in the way Mr. da Silva means. This post, using a chart put together by the New York Times, shows that the bailouts are mostly for the purpose of bailing out the big European banks that foolishly bought bonds from irresponsible governments. In other words, poor German taxpayers are subsidizing rich (and foolish) German bankers.
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
[…] P.S. I don’t want to imply that Portugal is a total basket case. True, I’m not optimistic about the country’s future, but at least some lawmakers now acknowledge that Keynesian spending was a big mistake. And there are even signs that Portuguese officials are beginning to realize that lower tax rates should be part of the solution. But good policy may be impossible since so many people now have a moocher mentality. […]
Your article is so good I’ve bookmarked it already.
Well how can you expect portuguese imigrants to contribute to soceity if they are not supported by the german government to get an education. With a better education the portuguse can get jobs, work, pay taxes and support that country (germany). I am portuguese and I was very upset by Merkel’s comments. I’m an imigrant I’m not taking advantage of the system. I work,pay taxes and I’m supporting my country. Sandra
[…] already know about the fiscal crises in nations such as Greece and Portugal, and it’s probably just a matter of time before Spain, Italy, and Belgium face similar […]
[…] Is Portugal an “Adult Baby” Nation? por Dan Mitchell: […]
Subsidize.. at the expense of the germans? But the germans will get their money back with 5-6% interest, based on austerity measures in Portugal… So in other words:
Poor portuguese tax payers are subsidizing “poor German taxpayers” who “are subsidizing rich (and foolish) German bankers.” who didn’t think twice about lending money for portuguese politicians to build highways and subsidize large portuguese and european corporatations.
In the end, even though the portuguese politicians were reckless (and borderline criminal) with their money, the portuguese taxpayer will pay for german bank bailouts due to recklessness…
But hey, since when did banks pay for recklessness and overlending to the people?
Social Democracy is the prevailing ideology in Europe. Under such ideology it is ok to force those who produce more to support those who (most often incentivized by the Welfare State itself) choose mediocrity.
Under such ideology, it becomes morally indefensible to support the Dutch or German citizen who chooses mediocrity but not the Greek or Portugese citizen that does the same. It is only a matter of time before this ideological dissonance is resolved and the more productive amongst Europeans accept and acquiesce to a more permanent transfer of wealth between once independent European nations. Just like the Italian North perpetually supports the Italian South, just like the English South perpetually supports the English North, etc. so will the more productive Germans and Northern Europeans end up perpetually supporting the more mediocre South. Perhaps in fits and starts and with occasional backtracking, that will be the eventual state of the European Union.
This, of course, will only further hamper the resolve of those still productive amongst Europeans to continue producing and thus exacerbate Europe’s existential problem. Even under current incentives, Europe is already anchored to a long term 1.5% annual growth trendline, in a world that is now growing at a 4.5% annual average. The European Western standard of living advantage compared to the rest of the world continues to erode by 3% per year, the losses perpetually compounding. Europe has been and will continue to ride history into insignificance. The new united Europe trans-national redistribution incentives will further accelerate this decline.
And so, what is the newly discovered American ideal of hope and change? Europe, of course!
Put that together with this http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704076804576180522989644198.html?KEYWORDS=portugal+and+education
and you are not far off the mark. They are failing to educate their population, that’s not going to fly in our brave new world.
Katherine
It sounds like normal class warfare, where the socialist rich continue to get rich off of the taxes of others