Let's call that land Croatia (and it has 4.5 million people)...A piece of heaven everyone says (and I agree). But if you live here you realize that that heaven is just a mirage. Yes it is a land of opportunities if you have a strong background and no consciousness. Lack of backbone and shame also helps.
Protest started last month, some would say too late. It seems like it's a football match - people vs. political elites.
After 20 years of bad moves, wrong choices, theft, injustice, bad leadership, nepotism...people had decided to say enough. Young people.
You all remember the war? Ex Yugoslavia? Well, people on the streets today were children during that war. We all lost our childhoods. Then in our new, beautiful, finally independent country some strange people took charge. They call themselves founders of the country - like they were the ones with guns (honestly, most of them went abroad when the whole thing started).
Bad leadership, bad decisions, it all led to the situation that in a country with 4.5 million people we today have 1.3 million employed. Out of that 1.3 employed almost 100 000 hasn't gotten their paycheck in the last 3 months (or longer), how many are paid legal minimum or below is not known (it's estimated about 30% or more), 1.2 million are retired. and 350 000 are registered at the unemployment office (real number is over 500 000 because government and their bureaucrats are using all means necessary to reduce the numbers).
After 20 years of bad moves, wrong choices, theft, injustice, bad leadership, nepotism...people had decided to say enough. Young people.
You all remember the war? Ex Yugoslavia? Well, people on the streets today were children during that war. We all lost our childhoods. Then in our new, beautiful, finally independent country some strange people took charge. They call themselves founders of the country - like they were the ones with guns (honestly, most of them went abroad when the whole thing started).
Bad leadership, bad decisions, it all led to the situation that in a country with 4.5 million people we today have 1.3 million employed. Out of that 1.3 employed almost 100 000 hasn't gotten their paycheck in the last 3 months (or longer), how many are paid legal minimum or below is not known (it's estimated about 30% or more), 1.2 million are retired. and 350 000 are registered at the unemployment office (real number is over 500 000 because government and their bureaucrats are using all means necessary to reduce the numbers).
1.2 million people work for the rest of the country.
30 000 people under the age of 30, with college and masters degrees are unemployed.
Imagine this - you have an amazing country, loads of potential and you sell all your banks to foreigners, you sell the factories, land, companies during the process of privatization (Croatian privatization will be taught all over the world someday as an example - of how not to do it) to foreigners, you shut down the industry, you neglect the most fertile land in the region (that could feed the entire country ( and your neighbours). You make a series of absurd moves, you stick to the same stories for 20 years (mostly lies and fairy tales) - and then when those young people who lost their childhood, lose their youth and have no perspective say ENOUGH, you avoid them. You treat them like morons (let us not forget this is a bunch of educated people) only thing you talk about is European Union and how we have to get in, avoid speaking to those people - Then you're bound to piss those people off. Piss everyone off. And If the Prime minister won't come to the people, the people will come to her. And we did. And we keep coming. Every other day.
What got us out on the streets is not Africa, Middle East or Greece. Our problems are deeper than recession. They started 15 (maybe even 20 years ago) and no one is facing them. Ex prime minister is in Austrian prison, whole bunch of public figures is in prison for fraud, money laundering and god knows what else. Current prime minister inherited her position from the guy that's awaiting trial in Austria (to me that's enough reason for early elections).
The ones that aren't in prison yet are saying that they knew nothing about all the crime that was going on under their noses (enough reason for resignation). In my opinion they all fear elections, because if they lose they lose their immunity and they all end up in prison.
Now the position of an average Croatian family (4 members):
Average monthly income 5 311 - 63732 kn (kuna's) a year
Living expenses – total 76 188 (a year):
Food and beverage 24 427 kn
Alcohol and tobacco 2 736
Clothes 5 533
Rent and bills 10 966
Furniture, household expenses (fixing, cleaning..) 3 976
Health 2 112
Transport 8 363
Communication 3 919
Recreation and culture 4 567
Education 762
Hotels and restaurants 2 372
Rest 6435
30 000 people under the age of 30, with college and masters degrees are unemployed.
Imagine this - you have an amazing country, loads of potential and you sell all your banks to foreigners, you sell the factories, land, companies during the process of privatization (Croatian privatization will be taught all over the world someday as an example - of how not to do it) to foreigners, you shut down the industry, you neglect the most fertile land in the region (that could feed the entire country ( and your neighbours). You make a series of absurd moves, you stick to the same stories for 20 years (mostly lies and fairy tales) - and then when those young people who lost their childhood, lose their youth and have no perspective say ENOUGH, you avoid them. You treat them like morons (let us not forget this is a bunch of educated people) only thing you talk about is European Union and how we have to get in, avoid speaking to those people - Then you're bound to piss those people off. Piss everyone off. And If the Prime minister won't come to the people, the people will come to her. And we did. And we keep coming. Every other day.
What got us out on the streets is not Africa, Middle East or Greece. Our problems are deeper than recession. They started 15 (maybe even 20 years ago) and no one is facing them. Ex prime minister is in Austrian prison, whole bunch of public figures is in prison for fraud, money laundering and god knows what else. Current prime minister inherited her position from the guy that's awaiting trial in Austria (to me that's enough reason for early elections).
The ones that aren't in prison yet are saying that they knew nothing about all the crime that was going on under their noses (enough reason for resignation). In my opinion they all fear elections, because if they lose they lose their immunity and they all end up in prison.
Now the position of an average Croatian family (4 members):
Average monthly income 5 311 - 63732 kn (kuna's) a year
Living expenses – total 76 188 (a year):
Food and beverage 24 427 kn
Alcohol and tobacco 2 736
Clothes 5 533
Rent and bills 10 966
Furniture, household expenses (fixing, cleaning..) 3 976
Health 2 112
Transport 8 363
Communication 3 919
Recreation and culture 4 567
Education 762
Hotels and restaurants 2 372
Rest 6435
Total spendings::
Living expenses 76188
Savings 2052
Credit payment 5854
Investments 8380
Rest 571
Average worker earns - 63732 a year
Average worker spends - 93045 a year
Difference - 29313 kn
When i moved away from home in 2003, 2700 was enough to get me through the month (food, rent, bills) I even had enough to save some money. In 2011 I have double, and I am barely getting through the month...that's how things have degraded. (bread, sugar, salt, pasta, fruit, vegetables...prices are through the roof)
People are hungry, their children are hungry. It's not about disliking somebody it's not on a personal level. It's about being fed up.
We're not sheep. And we refuse to be treated like sheep (have I mentioned that church only looks after it's own interest, and have always sided with the politicians).
These are peaceful protests, hooligans are being dealt with by the protesters. We have no leaders. Despite what the media has been reporting. Oh, yes the media. Censorship at it's best.
