Political and social change always follow an economic crisis. Greece's riots brought on by austerity measures to reign in government spending and public debt is a harbinger of things to come.

The U.S. housing bubble bust started from the east coast heading west, so to has the crisis in state budgets and now protests over spending cuts.

"(CNN) -- A California movement protesting $1 billion in budget cuts to the state's university system appeared to have burgeoned into a nationwide demonstration on Thursday.

Students and professors in dozens of states were challenging administrators and state lawmakers over budget cuts and tuition increases that they say are reducing students' class options and increasing their expenses.

Some of the demonstrations turned chaotic. In Oakland, California, police arrested 160 protesters who shut down a major freeway, according to city police spokeswoman April McFarland...."

Read more:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/...ay.of.action/index.html

Be careful with ur hyping gold when other metals are aquiring value (technologically) e.g titanium, palladium etc, for me gold is super speculation

Bailouts and guarantees of financial institutions in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis have severely dented the balance sheets of governments. Goverments had taken on the mantle of saviours of the economy instead of letting the free market cull the weak and overleveraged players. A carbon copy is the bailout of shareholders (mostly nobles) in the Mississippi Bubble of 1720 leading to the French Revolution of 1789 - 1799.

Austerity measures undertaken herewith portend increased unemployment and higher taxation, a witches brew for civil unrest.

"LISBON, March 8 (Reuters) - Portugal plans to cut its budget deficit to below the EU's 3-percent limit by 2013 by reducing investment and capping public sector wage growth, although it will also rely on the economy recovering from this year.

The plan, which Portugal has to submit to Brussels, projects a fall in the deficit at 2.8 percent of gross domestic product in 2013 from 8.3 percent this year and also raises taxes on high incomes and stock market gains, according to a draft document.

The austerity plan is seen as the key to convincing markets that Portugal will tackle rising deficits and debt as investors examine the country for signs whether it may be next in line to run into Greece-style fiscal problems...."

Read more:

http://www.reuters.com/a...e/idUSLIS00231020100308

A changing of the guard.

"The old order is under threat at the world's billionaires club. Traditionally dominated by Americans and Europeans, the top ranks of the world's richest people have been infiltrated by scores of ultra-rich entrepreneurs from the developing world – capped by the Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim.

Today, Slim, the titan of mobile phones in Mexico, criticised as a ruthless monopolist, was crowned as the richest person in the world by Forbes magazine, which calculated his net worth at $53.5bn (£35.7bn). Bolstered by a surge in the share price of his America Movil empire, Slim's wealth edged ahead of the $53bn fortune amassed by the Microsoft boss Bill Gates, making the portly cigar-smoking 70-year-old the first non-American to hold the top spot since 1994...."

Read more:

http://www.guardian.co.u...s-rich-list-carlos-slim