classical_hero
In whom I trust
It is good to hear that you have a job. Do you think that Portugal will eventually have to default on it's debt? What things would you do to help improve the economic situation.
Ask a middle class Portuguese
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innonimatu
the resident Cassandra
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Hm... I will accept the invite, because I would like to answer two of the questions. But I'll try not to post too much here!
About emigration: roughly from what I've seen it's (mostly) white-collar emigrants to wealthier EU countries, young recent graduates without a family yet and considering long-term emigration. And (mostly) blue-collar skilled workers to Africa, especially Angola, where they expect to remain for relatively short periods. Neither movement seems (so far) to be very big. Brazil not among the most sought destinations. Some of the resident immigrants have also been leaving, and there it is noticeable that many brazilians are leaving.
As for the debt: it will be "defaulted" on, though the default when it comes will probably be presented under the guise of a negotiation. It's simply impossible to even support the payment of interest (that's being serviced by taking yet more debt) with an economy under recession due to reduced consumption. But bankers don't like the work "default", not do the international they control. So they'll probably try to rig some other "solution" when kicking the can down the road any further becomes impossible. There are too many possibilities open to make any good guess now.
The whole EU is bricking itself into this classical austerity/depression trap anyway, the local plan seems to he to wait until a shift on an european-scale. Head-in-the sand policy, but politicians' survival instincts have made that the national policy everywhere...
About emigration: roughly from what I've seen it's (mostly) white-collar emigrants to wealthier EU countries, young recent graduates without a family yet and considering long-term emigration. And (mostly) blue-collar skilled workers to Africa, especially Angola, where they expect to remain for relatively short periods. Neither movement seems (so far) to be very big. Brazil not among the most sought destinations. Some of the resident immigrants have also been leaving, and there it is noticeable that many brazilians are leaving.
As for the debt: it will be "defaulted" on, though the default when it comes will probably be presented under the guise of a negotiation. It's simply impossible to even support the payment of interest (that's being serviced by taking yet more debt) with an economy under recession due to reduced consumption. But bankers don't like the work "default", not do the international they control. So they'll probably try to rig some other "solution" when kicking the can down the road any further becomes impossible. There are too many possibilities open to make any good guess now.
The whole EU is bricking itself into this classical austerity/depression trap anyway, the local plan seems to he to wait until a shift on an european-scale. Head-in-the sand policy, but politicians' survival instincts have made that the national policy everywhere...
I'm typing on my pocket computer, which has a stunningly broken screen. I can't even see 75% of the screen, the rest is shattered. I rely on the predictive wizardry of SwiftKey3 ;-)
But the reason that's especially funny in this thread is because there's a Portuguese word 'saudades' that means just about exactly this! its that longing feeling of homesickness, yearning, comfort, despair, and pining for the good old days.
Yes, "Saudade" is one of our passports, its an unique word in all languages, only present in Portuguese one, and all countries that speak Portuguese use it.
I thought Lisbon was really cool when I was there, wish I could have stayed longer. I stayed at Home Youth Hostel, dunno if you would know it. Main thing I saw when i was there was the Castle of São Jorge, thought it was awesome, some great veiws over the city
The city of Lisbon is known as the city of the seven hills, from seven diffrent places in Lisbon, inluding Castle of São Jorge you have great views.
You passed by Bairro Alto I suppose.
Yes fortunately I have one but unemployment is rising. This government doesn't undertand that if people dont have money or a job they dont consume any goods, if they dont consume stores and services are shut down or loose clients/quality, more people unemployed and then they pay this unemployed people as they should. But they loose a lot more money for believing in cutting wages and raising taxes. In Portugal we never think for the future, if this continues it will be a disaster.
I think the solution was to tell Portuguese that this is going to be hard for all, but lets start producing, lets create more jobs, even being payed less to put economy to work. Instead, government puts the weight in people that are not guilty of this and have less resources to survive or to live a decent life.
innonimatu
the resident Cassandra
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2006
- Messages
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But we can't start producing, or at least the private sector can't, because the expected return on capital invested doesn't justify it. More rational to just buy government bonds, at these interest rates, seeing as the EU seems bent on both keeping interest rates high and guaranteeing that states do not default! It's the classical depression trap so well known from the 1930s!
The avowed strategy of the portuguese government (and of the other EU governments and the IMF) has been to slash production costs by cutting wages, with the purpose of increasing the marginal efficiency of capital and so eventually fomenting investment. The problem is that the returns of capital don't depend only on costs, they depend also on consumption. This they dismiss with a magical invocation: "exports". Which just so happens to be what every other governments is also chanting! World leaders do have great faith on a contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization - for there is nowhere else to export to! Even if some country has a success with that strategy it will be short-lived as others undercut it - a race to some bottom which will be set by popular rebellion.
Money creation on behalf of states for investment would be the only way of reducing interest rates on saving so as to restarting investment. No can do under the Euro rules. Further depression until a default will therefore be inevitable, for only that will destroy the propensity to save and force and end to the depression cycle. And it will have to come either: coupled with capital controls and an exit from the euro (if it happens in a single country); or the default must happen "eurozone"-wide.
The avowed strategy of the portuguese government (and of the other EU governments and the IMF) has been to slash production costs by cutting wages, with the purpose of increasing the marginal efficiency of capital and so eventually fomenting investment. The problem is that the returns of capital don't depend only on costs, they depend also on consumption. This they dismiss with a magical invocation: "exports". Which just so happens to be what every other governments is also chanting! World leaders do have great faith on a contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization - for there is nowhere else to export to! Even if some country has a success with that strategy it will be short-lived as others undercut it - a race to some bottom which will be set by popular rebellion.
Money creation on behalf of states for investment would be the only way of reducing interest rates on saving so as to restarting investment. No can do under the Euro rules. Further depression until a default will therefore be inevitable, for only that will destroy the propensity to save and force and end to the depression cycle. And it will have to come either: coupled with capital controls and an exit from the euro (if it happens in a single country); or the default must happen "eurozone"-wide.
Your question can have several meanings, I will try to reply.
You generally have a good/spacious house. Many ppl have a debt to pay for it but thats another story..
You have good weather, many sunny days. We usually dont take advantage of solar energy...we have plenty but almost no one invest on it...
There are suburbs and suburbs, some are well arquitected but most of them are not arquitected correctly, the only purpose maximaze the houses to sell, no space for natural parks or space for parking ppl cars.
Almost all jobs are concentrated in the big city, has it happens in every big city in the world but our public transport system has many problems and some ppl quit using them and use personal car instead.
But if you want to eat, alot of good places to eat (specially in the bigs cities), restaurants & food is one of our best passports. Type of places where you eat and want to come back.
If you like the beaches, if you live/work near them, its very nice, few kms to the next beach and you can go there when you want. But out of the summer you usually dont have assistance, if you like to swim be careful, some foreign ppl and even portuguese people die drownen every year in our beaches.
And then you have the peace and quiet interior of Portugal, where you have alot of nature and traditional events and historical places.
Did I helped? something more you like to know be my guest.
Quackers
The Frog
Who is the most famous Portugease at present?
I'm thinking Ronaldo..what do you think of him? Oh, and Mourinho?
I'm thinking Ronaldo..what do you think of him? Oh, and Mourinho?
Since Portugal it is all about football (soccer).....I would say both of them are. Its like a love/hate relation, specially with Ronaldo, both are arrogant but ronaldo use to make poor games in Portugal team.
I dont know how it is in other countries, but here the time of news in tv is divided in two parts, news in general and news about football..
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