Espana

Well, Spain seems to be in trouble. Financial trouble even though they got a ton of money recently and the banks are now "formally" asking for more.  This time the trouble is economic rather than, some 75 years ago, mainly political. Unfortunately for the common man, the effects are pretty much the same.

I had and still have a great friend from grade school whose father escaped Spain during the revolution in the 30s.  I do remember only one story; that of being stopped on the road at some checkpoint and this father being lucky to escape with his life. It is pretty vague after half a century but vivid in that our school books really didn't mention Spain other in references to Isabella and the New World.

Similarly there was a book written in the late 60s (picture) that tells the story of a bullfighter rising from poverty in the time of my friend's father getting out. If you read it, or can find it, you can literally taste the dust and poverty, the orange groves at night stealing something to eat.  It is a magnificent read and still occupies my favorite shelf in the book case.

Why now this morning? Seems that Spain, a supposedly minor player in the world is going to go under some time soon and there will be trouble. Already 20% or more of their population is out of work and that is going to swell past its current unmanageable state. For reasons past my brain, their banks won't survive the crisis and the trickle-down to our banks and our economy will be severe. I worry that I can't grasp the all this and I listen to the pundits and politicians tell me the whys and wherefores and it doesn't make sense. I just have to assume I'm too stupid.

Like this morning on CNBC, they had a guest, a US Congressman from some backwater southern district in some backwater southern state, opine that the reason people didn't get a job is that we have made it too easy on them to live off unemployment.  The normally well versed panel actually gasped at this assessment; this "if they get hungry enough they will work" plantation master attitude. So what are we to think about Spain? If they get hungry enough in the austerity and aftermath that they will "go find work" where there are no jobs?

Anyway, this beautiful country with head spinning history and culture is in deep trouble.  I hope they survive. They have given us a great deal.  I'm also not holding my breath.