It seems unthinkable, but you only have to look at the situation in Greece to see how civil unrest has become more and more obvious across parts of Europe that are in dire straits. Everyone knows there have been two World Wars, both many decades ago. Surely it would be unthinkable that a third would be anywhere near a possibility if the Euro were to crash?
Those who hated the idea of the Euro pointed out that trying to have one set of rules that would govern a series of vastly different and diverse countries was foolhardy at best. And now that reality is settling in. Look up Greece in the news and you will see sights you never thought you would see again – swastikas, Nazi symbolism and pure hatred aimed at, among others, Germany’s Angela Merkel. Quite what she must think of all this in private is something to be speculated on for sure.
You cannot blame the Greeks for feeling cheated, upset and frustrated. When they first joined the Euro things were rosy and the country’s government took advantage of the good life. But there would always come a time when payback would be necessary. Rules that benefited one would never benefit another, which is why some countries, including Greece, are now in real trouble. What’s more, there is no sign of any change in the situation, except for the worse perhaps.
In a sense, European peace is already being severely tested, again in Greece more than anywhere else. But we can see why this is the case in Greece, and the situation could be very similar soon in Spain as well, not to mention a few other choice countries. How can we look to the future when the future for many is no better than the situation they are living in now? There is a lot of anger directed towards the naïve politicians – and this is quite rightly the case as well.