Socialist Hollande defeats conservative Nicolas Sarkozy to be France's president

The data actually shows that of the 17 member countries in the Eurozone, government spending as a percentage of GDP was down in 14 of them. The exceptions are Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia. Austerity was particularly harsh in the PIIGS. And this doesn't include the UK or additional cuts to date in 2012 and expected in the future.

The data actually shows that total spending went UP. That is the part you wish to hide. Total dollars spent increased. You want to show it as a percent of GDP because you wish to hide the facts. Tell us, do retirement needs, bond interest, defense spending all have to go up simply because GDP does? No, they do not.
 
Oh you read the data?

Sf isn't going to like that...

LOL... no, he did not. Total spending has been increasing in Europe. But because GDP growth was faster than spending growth he is going to pretend that 'harsh' austerity measures have been implemented.
 
The data actually shows that total spending went UP. That is the part you wish to hide. Total dollars spent increased. You want to show it as a percent of GDP because you wish to hide the facts. Tell us, do retirement needs, bond interest, defense spending all have to go up simply because GDP does? No, they do not.


SF, you don't have data showing that total dollars spent increased. You're leaving out 2011 altogether. If Eurostat had total dollars spent available, I would post that data. If you have data for 2011, please post it. Looking at the data you did post, the PIIGS all cut spending from 2009 to 2010. They cut further from 2010 to 2011.

And spending as a percentage of GDP is an appropriate measure. Total dollars spent fails to account for population changes and the like.

Also, too, I take it you don't think the Republicans cut spending in the 1990s?
 
SF, you don't have data showing that total dollars spent increased. You're leaving out 2011 altogether. If Eurostat had total dollars spent available, I would post that data. If you have data for 2011, please post it. Looking at the data you did post, the PIIGS all cut spending from 2009 to 2010. They cut further from 2010 to 2011.

And spending as a percentage of GDP is an appropriate measure. Total dollars spent fails to account for population changes and the like.

Also, too, I take it you don't think the Republicans cut spending in the 1990s?

the data for 2011 is on that chart for the countries that have reported it. The others have not, which makes it comical that you believe you know that they cut spending in 2011. They say they did, so you believe it. Good little lemming.
 
Also, if you want to look at per capita spending that is fine... but as a percent of GDP that fails to account for changes in technology etc... GDP can grow without a need for spending to grow. That is a large part of why Clinton was able to show a 'decline' in spending in the late 90's. GDP growth was faster than spending growth.
 
Spain spending is still higher than 2008, Portugal is higher than 2008, Italy is higher than 2008... pretending they have been implementing 'harsh austerity' because they have come down from 2009? Hilarious.

greece and Ireland have come down since 2008.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/7/farewell-to-european-superstate-373589602/

Another author for you to attack...


SF, you can choose to believe IBD editorial board and this fellow from Cato if you want. I'm not buying because I believe in reality.
 
Translation: 'I am going to continue attacking websites and authors, because I don't want to look at reality'

yeah.. that is your common cop out Dung.


The whole "there isn't really austerity" is the right-wing talking point of the day. I'm not interested. You choose to believe it if you wish. Here's another:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corne...spending-cuts-europe-please-veronique-de-rugy


I'm sure if I kept looking I could dig up a few more. If I were a betting man, I'd put money down that this trope appears in a WSJ op-ed tomorrow. I'm not trashing these sources (with the exception of the IBD editorial, which is truly worthless trash), I just refuse to accept their version of reality. But you can choose to if you wish.
 
The whole "there isn't really austerity" is the right-wing talking point of the day. I'm not interested. You choose to believe it if you wish. Here's another:

I'm sure if I kept looking I could dig up a few more. If I were a betting man, I'd put money down that this trope appears in a WSJ op-ed tomorrow. I'm not trashing these sources (with the exception of the IBD editorial, which is truly worthless trash), I just refuse to accept their version of reality. But you can choose to if you wish.

Again... do keep right on attacking the sources... it is your standard M.O.

The fact that the data says the exact same thing says it is you and your ilk that are full of shit.

I understand why you refuse to accept reality. It does truly paint your masters in a bad light with their constant 'we just need to spend more to get out of debt'.
 
Surely a large part of that is deficit spending and bailouts? I can tell you from first hand experience that there has been many cuts in public spending in the UK.

1) yes, most countries it is deficit spending. That doesn't change the fact that it is spending. It just means they are outspending revenue.

2) the fact remains that overall spending is UP from 2008. Yes, 2009 likely had (as we did in the US) a lot of the bailout spending. Which is why I took 2008 as the base year.

3) The fact that overall spending is up doesn't mean that they aren't cutting some areas of public spending. It means they aren't cutting spending as a whole as the left continually proclaims.
 
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