LOOKING ELSEWHERE FOR GROWTH

According to the Associated Press 'Global Economy Tracker', which follows economic and financial metrics for 22 countries that make up more than 80% of the world's economic output, here below a snapshot of performance for EU countries: Slowest Growth (October-December quarter, year over year) Spain: 0.6% Italy: 1.3% United Kingdom: 1.5% France: 1.5% Belgium: 1.8% In comparison countries that exhibit the fastest growth (October-December quarter, year over year) are: Argentina: 10.1% China: 8.2% Indonesia: 6.9% Brazil: 5.0% Highest unemployment Spain: 20.2% Belgium: 8.1%   Most worrisome for the EU is the fact that 5 of the 16 eurozone states have their public finances in shambles. Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy are all drowning in debt. In order for the Euro and the EU to hold together, two things have got to happen: Number one, Germany and the other European nations that are in good financial conditions have got to agree to keep bailing out countries such as Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Number two, the European nations receiving bailouts have to convince their citizens to comply with the very harsh austerity measures being imposed upon them by the EU and the IMF. Those two things should not be taken for granted. In Germany, taxpayers are already sick and tired of pouring hundreds of billions of euros into a black hole. How long are Germans going to accept to carry weak countries on their back? Secondly, if there is an overwhelming backlash against auterity in some parts of Europe, will some nations actually attempt to leave the EU??