World Crisis is not just about Economics… Social Unrest could be worse!

The world today is undergoing serious crisis in every corner. And I am not talking about the economy right now. Its the social one that I am talking.

South Asia:

India: is the big daddy of this region. Elections are upon us. Congress and BJP are trying to fight it out. But the Third Front with regional parties and the Left has made a solid claim this time. From all practical scenarios, it seems to be pointing to a HUNG parliament. Horse trading and coalition later.. the country could again see a mid term election. Meanwhile, a terrorist attack of the type of Mumbai 26/11 can happen any time. Why? Not necessarily because Jehadis in Pak really want it, but because we have done very little to curb the right points. It is any body’s guess where Dawood Ibrahim and his gang gets most of their money? Mumbai. And through smuggling, extortion and Hawala rackets. The guys who actually financed the 26/11 attacks were really the citizens of India whose money was funneled through all these mafia guys all the way into Dawood and Jehadi hands. Taliban, it would seem, has also joined hands with D company. So, expect this mafia thing to strengthen. Economy is unravelling as well. Although there are some analysts I have read who predict India to be militarily and economically the largest country by 2060, surpassing China in 2030.

Pakistan: Well, its citizens would be lucky to have the same country by next year. It would either be broken and / or taken over by Jehadis and Taliban. I give Zardari some more weeks. After that he is “gone” – figuratively or literally. His days are numbered in that polity now. I can bet that the Army will take over.

Sri lanka: I hope as hell that some anti-LTTE party comes to power in Tamil Nadu. I am sure LTTE must have faced discriminatiion, but I am convinced that with all those criminal activities that they have been involved in against India, Sri Lanka of course, and others.. they have lost ALL moral rights for any good! They are no more than mercenaries of death and have no business being in any country of South Asia.

Bangladesh: I have not followed the huge crisis that happened there between the paramilitary and its Army. But it looks real bad there. The mess of ISI’s terrorism has been installed there pretty well and it will take a long time to get this all out.

Latin America: Usual suspects – Cuba and Venezuela are firmly with moronic leadership. Chavez is getting more and more mad every day and I am not sure how long his country will remain liveable. El Salvador is having its elections and there is a big turmoil brewing there as well between the traditional parties and the left wing Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). This one may win this time. That would mean more influence of people like Chavez in that country as well. Although El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, it is the 3rd largest economy in that region. It also has the highest remittances per capita into the country (almost equal to its exports).

Not many really realize that there has been a spectacular rise in the left wing rule in Latin America. Every one knows of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. But then there is Bolivia (Evo Morales). In Chile, Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria – a left politician became President in 2006 against a right wing Billionaire[2]. In Uruguay as well, Tabare Vazquez – another Left wing leader became President in 2004.

Even in Peru, the left-wing leader Ollanta Humala barely lost against Alan Pérez. Even that could have been a Left Wing country otherwise.

What this basically means is the amenability of this region to machinations of China – a communist state – as opposed to the US.

Europe: Even in Europe as the economy is unravelling, unrest has been growing. Even end of last year there were several instances of violence and rioting in Spain, Denmark, Italy and Greece.

THE unrest that has gripped Greece this week is spilling into the rest of Europe, raising concerns that it could be a trigger for opponents of globalisation, disaffected youth and others outraged by economic turmoil. Protesters in Spain, Denmark and Italy smashed shop windows, pelted police with bottles and attacked banks this week, while in France cars were set ablaze on Thursday outside the Greek consulate in Bordeaux, where protesters warned about a looming “insurrection”.

Lets see the other countries now: [3]

In Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat parliament the session was cancelled on Feb 26, as they faced protesters who were protesting against cutting benefits.
In UK, British workers help protests at power plants against the use of foreign workers.
In Bulgaria, workers at Kremikovtzi steel mill protested against lay-offs and unpaid salaries.
In Prague, thousands of farmers marched for higher prices for their products and subsidies. They were from Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Poland.
In France, 8 Union Federations called a “Day of Action” on March 19.A Union leader was killed and several shops have been burned in Guadeloupe, a French region (part of EU).
Opel workers in Germany demanded that GM scrap plans for plant closures in Europe.
Greek farmers protested against the Bulgarian products until the Government announced subsidies on some products.
100,000 people protested in Dublin, Ireland against Government cutback.
Second Government collapsed in Latvia in last week of February due to the financial crisis.
In Montenegro, workers wanted payments and resumption of production at an aluminium plant.
Poland announced arms cut and 10,000 people in arms industry workers were to be laid off. They were protesting.
Thousands of opposition people rallied in Moscow and Vladivostok against the Financial crisis.
Even in Ukraine, hundreds of workers protested against the current President Viktor Yushchenko due to Financial crisis.

Economy economy! What about Social Costs?
Everyone keeps talking of economy as if its a single dimensional game. No one is talking of the social costs and social unrests. There are big fissures in the social fabric in almost every country in the world. The unrest in various regions are taking the society to the brink. Now, throw in financial mess into the fray and you see that this is a recipe for ultimate disaster.

There is a talk of how the financial mess in the world can create a bigger spectre of war in Africa which will pushed further into utter poverty![4]

I feel the world is behaving in a very naive manner by not looking at the complete spectrum of economy and social costs.

Reference Links:

1. A nation divided
2. Michelle Bachelet
3. Fears of unrest spreading across Europe
4. Spectre of War As Global Economy Crumbles in ‘The Great Recession’