I admire people who were born gifted. Unfortunately I cannot be counted amongst them. Instead, I came into this world bearing an enormous curse. Right throughout my now long life, and wherever I go in the world, I have always managed to get into serious trouble by poking holes into people's seemingly watertight arguments. As a result I have never been popular. At least, not for more than five minutes, or what felt like that huge length of time.
So, when, from a distance, I look at what has been happening in Europe, I do not expect people's attitude towards me to have changed much. You see, unfortunately I like to call a spade a ruddy shovel.
Except for Germany, and perhaps France (why is everybody trying to get into bed with China these days?), let us face it, the rest of Europe is plainly speaking bankrupt. Now, it has finally understood that all countries need small, transparent and accountable governments.
However, that realisation came at a cost. Painful austerity measures that do not just simply translate into statistics, but that, behind those numbers, have disappointed and desperate faces. All that after dishonest politicians had, for years, led people to believe that the economic situation was perfectly under control.
Despite the stringent budgetary cuts, for some countries, the cost of borrowing continues to rise. Why? Simply because Angela Merkel has declared that Germany will not stand good for any European country that defaults. Would you lend your precious money to somebody who is unable to offer you sureties? Precisely.
Yet, when I read that some politicians, especially on the far left, attribute this rise to the evils of speculation, I shake my head and take comfort in the thought that there are people in this world who were born less gifted than me.
