European Opinion: The changing face of the USA - by Gero Schließ

History is being written right now in America. That is always exciting. But in this case it is also dramatic. An entire country is changing before our eyes. Though he may not have started it, Donald Trump is the man who is now speeding up and steering this process in a very dangerous direction. Like a bulldozer on a rampage, he is destroying the foundations of this freedom-loving and once so self-assured nation.

And the country is letting him do it. Trump insults women - then gets more votes from them than his Republican rivals. He endorses liberal abortion policies, advertises for sex clubs in his casinos and stomps on Christian values - yet he has the support of ultra-conservative Evangelical Christians. Indeed, the list of those Trump has insulted goes on and on.

The country seems rotten, like a once mighty tree that is leaning precariously. It remains to be seen if it can weather the gathering storm or will come crashing down.

In the eyes of a growing number of voters, the country's elite, which only thinks of itself, is also rotten. It is an elite that, despite the country's economic well-being, has starved the middle-class and robbed them of the fruits of their labor. The fact that more and more Americans are growing angry is understandable. But the conclusions that they are reaching are not.

Read more: Opinion: The changing face of the USA | Opinion | DW.COM | 05.03.2016

Politicians out of touch with reality - social unrest spreads around the world - by RM

From Brazil to Turkey, Bulgaria to Egypt, Spain to India, Greece to Mexico,and so on, people are protesting against their governments. This comes as a result of many factors, accumulated anger, poverty, deprivation, disparity, exclusion and marginalization. The people in power are accused of arrogance, misrule, corruption, nepotism, and unwillingness to compromise.

People  interviewed watching the G8 leaders cosying up to to each other in Northern Ireland, surrounded by great luxury, attending "bla-bla" meetings and social events, said they felt absolutely no affinity with this "comedy". The general observation was that the G8 leaders were acting like prima-donas instead of elected officials, and did not tackle real pressing issues.

It is becoming more and more clear that the incapacity of traditional political representatives to deal with the new demands of a changing world has resulted in a disconnect between them and the public at large. This is a most alarming development. Looking back at history one can say safely that this is what usually causes public disturbances which eventually lead to revolutions and the established order.

One can only hope that the politicians presently at the helm of their governments around the world witnessing  the people they are supposed to represent openly revolt against them, will take this as a serious warning to take corrective action before its too late.

EU-Digest

The Unwisdom of Elites - by Paul Krugman

The past three years have been a disaster for most Western economies. The United States has mass long-term unemployment for the first time since the 1930s. Meanwhile, Europe’s single currency is coming apart at the seams. How did it all go so wrong?

The fact is that what we’re experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. The policies that got us into this mess weren’t responses to public demand. They were, with few exceptions, policies championed by small groups of influential people — in many cases, the same people now lecturing the rest of us on the need to get serious. And by trying to shift the blame to the general populace, elites are ducking some much-needed reflection on their own catastrophic mistakes.

For more: The Unwisdom of Elites - NYTimes.com

What Is Wrong With The U.S. Economy? Here Are 10 Economic Charts That Will Blow Your Mind - by John Nyaradi

Ten economic charts which nobody seems to want to read, but should.

Note EU-Digest: a scary scenario, which could also very well happen in Europe. Let us hope someone among Europe's political elite, who usually do not look further than their "nationalistic self centered noses", will sit up and take notice.

For more: What Is Wrong With The U.S. Economy? Here Are 10 Economic Charts That Will Blow Your Mind | Benzinga.com