SAR #11295

One size fits all none.

Rumor Mill: The Telegraph is reporting that EU leaders are discussing formation of a single Uber-Treasury to oversee tax and budgetary policies for all 17 eurozone nations. Good Idea if you can get 17 nations to give up their sovereignty before Greece pulls the house down.

So Much For Recovery: Sharp declines in consumer sentiment generally signal dramatic increases in unemployment. The theory is that workers know their jobs are at risk before the actual cuts arrive. That said, raise your hand if you know what consumer confidence just did.

Water, Water, Everywhere: The flooding in Thailand – well over a month old – will continue for several more weeks. The waters are expected to be a meter-deep in Bangkok. About 10% of Thailand's rice crop has already been destroyed. Thailand is – or was – the world's largest exporter of rice.

Public Enemy: Even the Republicans have started to notice that “few economists have been more correct about the economic crisis of the last several years than the proudly liberal Paul Krugman.”

Slightseeing: Travel agents are inviting us to visit Europe, where progress is their most important talking point. As of Sunday, European leaders have boldly agreed to… announce something later in the week. Maybe. By Wednesday evening European leaders will have held nine conferences in five days. When they lose their jobs they can form a convention planning bureau.

What, Me Worry? Goldman Sachs has already set aside $10 billion for year-end bonuses.

Vocabulary: Define 'outside investors' as used in this sentence: “European finance ministers are considering setting up a fund to entice outside investors to buy troubled euro-area government bonds.” (Hint, it is a synonym for “deus ex machina”.)

Asked & Answered: Is the flat tax fair? No, of course not, that's why the right wing is in favor of it.

Limits: According to the International Water Management Institute, within 14 years water scarcity will force most of North Africa and the Middle East, plus Pakistan, South Africa and large parts of China and India to depend on food imports for their survival. The Institute did not explain just where all this food would come from.

Sic Transit Gloria: He who dies with the most toys, dies. Gaddafi had hidden away about $200 billion, but he's still dead.

Subversion: Go look, it's worth the click.

Burn Before Reading: Economists at the European Commission reviewed the situation in Greece and issued a confidential report detailing how the austerity measures imposed by the EU/ECB had lead to recession, not to a sudden burst of productivity.

Just-us: Six of the eight GOP Wannabees want to wipe away lifetime tenure for federal judges, cut the budgets of courts that displease them and force judges to come before Congress to explain their decisions. Michelle Bachmann wants to prevent the court from getting involved in social issues like segregation, voting, abortion and slavery. Also, Rick Santorum claims that Obama “lost the war in Iraq”. Not true, but even if it were, it 'tis a far, far better thing than starting the damned thing in the first place. Ron Paul promises to end all federal student aid. Rick 'Birther' Perry says he doesn't know if Obama's birth certificate is Obama's birth certificate.

Stopped Clock: Iran's Ahmadinejad thinks it is “an ugly thing” that the US spends more on its military than on its unemployed.