Greece is still a train wreck
The country faces a 5 billion euro bond payment, which it doesn't have, and European finance ministers aren't helping.
On Thursday, I said that European leaders looked to be headed toward another round of kick the can on Monday with more delay on approving the next 31.5 billion euro rescue fund payout to Greece.
At the time of this writing, Jim Jubak didn't own shares of any companies mentioned in this post in personal portfolios. The mutual fund he manages, Jubak Global Equity Fund (JUBAX), may or may not own positions in any stock mentioned. For a full list of the stocks in the fund as of the end of the most recent quarter, see the fund's portfolio here. The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.
Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion.That is “trillion” with a “T.” That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion.
Numbers that large are sometimes hard to understand. Some people may wonder why they matter. Here is why: This year, the Federal Government will spend $220 billion on interest. That is more money to pay interest on our national debt than we’ll spend on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. That is more money to pay interest on our debt this year than we will spend on education, homeland security, transportation, and veterans benefits combined. It is more money in one year than we are likely to spend to rebuild the devastated gulf coast in a way that honors the best of America.
And the cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the Federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and States of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on.
Every dollar we pay in interest is a dollar that is not going to investment in America’s priorities.
Senator Barack Obama
Senate Floor Speech on Public Debt
March 16, 2006
Anyone want to bet we have MORE FAILED LEADERSHIP in the next two months?
there is no such thing as "obamanomics" but there is definitely such a thing as "Paraobamanoia" which can be treated with equal doses of humanity, intensive therapy and education. start tomorrow!
"ENTIRELY" is what we reasonable, logical, grounded and bi-partisan folks refer to as an "absolute statement" and these are almost never correct, and is certainly false here. MOST of the fault lies with the tea baggers and conservatives in the House who have taken a blood oath with the lo bbyist gr over no rquist to never, ever, ever, ever raise taxes on anyone. they have thus shackled and ens laved themselves to a lo bbyist and are unable to govern America. they must be removed.
unfortunately, with blind voters from the red states able to feed them, they will remain at the Washington slop trough of greed feeding off of lo bbyists and illg otten campaign finance funds in the millions doled out to protect the accumulation of wealth by the elite one percent.
and the sheeple will sit by and say only "baaaaa - baaaaa" while they too are sheared and sla ughtered along with future generations. the balanced approach is the only way out and it is currently blocked by the republican party of no roadblock. wake up.
p.s. nice article JJ!
And Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, France and the USA are not? LOL
All of these countries are running massive deficits, even if they are not as great as they were. They still are trying to Borrow, Print and Spend their way to prosperity. Obamanomics still does not and never will work. We have been following this formula for 4 years now, has it helped here?
This will not end well and it will be ENTIRELY the democrats fault. We need to BALANCE the budget by slashing spending. Until we realize that we will spiral into a depression.
MORE ON MSN MONEY
DATA PROVIDERS
Copyright © 2013 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Quotes are real-time for NASDAQ, NYSE and AMEX. See delay times for other exchanges.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Thomson Reuters (click for restrictions). Real-time quotes provided by BATS Exchange. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Interactive Data Real-Time Services. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by SIX Financial Information.
Japanese stock price data provided by Nomura Research Institute Ltd.; quotes delayed 20 minutes. Canadian fund data provided by CANNEX Financial Exchanges Ltd.
LATEST POSTS
When it comes to efficiency gains, a watt saved is a watt earned.
FIDELITY VIEWPOINTS
- How to sell covered calls - Fidelity Investments
- Savvy year-end tax moves to consider now - Fidelity Investments
- Seven ways to prepare for tax changes
- Five reasons an annual review is crucial - Fidelity Investments
- Take a look at mid caps now - Fidelity Investments
- State of the sector: Health care - Fidelity Investments
VIDEO ON MSN MONEY
ABOUT
Top Stocks provides analysis about the most noteworthy stocks in the market each day, combining some of the best content from around the MSN Money site and the rest of the Web.
Contributors include professional investors and journalists affiliated with MSN Money.
Follow us on Twitter @topstocksmsn.

