Spain’s had a rough go since the world economy tanked in 2008 (great explainer here). And what’s happened since should sound way too familiar: Banks got bailed out, and people are getting sold out.
Today, the country is in full-blown depression. A quarter of the workers can’t find jobs, and young people have it especially bad. It’s a painfully complicated situation that isn’t improving quickly enough because, well, politicians.
The Spanish government is shredding safety nets and making rule changes that are supposed to boost employment, but in reality they’re turning people into disposable assets and worsening inequality.
Why are they doing it? Because Germany said so. The stated goal is to reduce debt (which it isn’t), but the entire premise for the plan — that Spain spent too much in the run-up to the crisis — is completely bogus. It was the banks! They were slinging shitty loans like Halloween candy, creating a debt-driven bubble. Well, the f**king thing burst, and here we are.
Protesters want the government to quit trippin’ over debts that were questionable to begin with and start investing in stuff that’s actually going to help, like education, health, and employment efforts.
If you’re wondering why you should care, keep in mind that we live in a tangled global economy and what happens in Europe can have significant global effects. But beyond that, who really wants to live in a world that values profits over people?
