It is an unfortunate truth that here in Europe we have all been living beyond our means for the last couple of decades. Our Governments have been elected on the promise of continued enrichment and we have happily accepted this as being without any kind of pay back in due course. We now need to pay back the money and reduce the debts and the deficits but the reality of cutbacks is not proving popular with the voter. Now all over the continent the people are voting in anti-austerity governments as they can't countenance living less well. Today there are more demonstrations in Spain and the Greeks still cannot form a Government from the disparate members of parliament that have won seats.
I believe that most people are realistic to the need to cut back but are less enthusiastic about it affecting their own circumstances. The Bankers should be taxed more heavily or Civil Servants need to work longer before getting their pension but when it is suggested that we might have to take a cut in pay, work longer hours or pay more tax that pain should be suffered by others not us.
As the old saying goes turkeys won't vote for Christmas so who is going to vote in a Government that will cause us to live less well? I do however think that we are approaching the endgame that things are going to have to get a lot worse before they can begin to get better, we have a lot of bills to pay and it is going to be painful. How do we do it, I'm afraid I don't have any solution, but I do think that the Islanders of the West Coast of Scotland must continue to have their vital lifeline ferry service.
No comments:
Post a Comment