Defeatism at its worst

Hat tip: Journal de Negócios

The Communist Party, bless their little revolutionary hearts, are making an official question to the Minister on how it is possible young people going to the "Centros de Emprego" ("employment centers", public offices helping people finding work), now are being asked to emigrate?

I already knew the government statements concerning getting rid of am embarrassing problem - in fact it has publicly been stated that the young should leave their comfort zone, implying it is their own fault, and emigrate to get a job.  Now the public announcement has become official policy and has been implemented. (*)

Amazingly, the government is not worried about brain drain, the millions of investment lost or even that Portugal has NO FUTURE without young people.   Are there any demographers working for the government in Portugal?  They could tell any politicians with a brain (not many) that Portugal needs more young people - not less.  In not too many years the demographic bomb will have created a society with more old than people working.  And it is worse in Portugal than practically anywhere else, because of a birth rate of 1.3. Who will pay for all these old people?

Have you noticed all the countries in Europe (and even world wide) doing the opposite?  Trying to keep their young at home, even considering threatening them with a bill for their education if they emigrate! And what about all the measures taken to attract and invite well educated young from abroad to come stay?  I bet other countries are very happy to receive the educated, hard working and dynamic young people now leaving Portugal.  Because a lot of the best will be the ones with guts to leave.  By the way, they will probably leave for good - as statistics show that young people emigrating do usually not come back.

Asking young people to emigrate is the worst defeatist policy I can imagine.  Well, I suppose selling Portugal to the highest bidder is slightly worse - but might in fact be better for the young.

I had some hopes for the new PSD government, but it is just more of the same.  Let us solve the problems any way possible.  Here is a good one.  Get the young to leave.  Less unemployment, less demonstrations/uprisings, less costs, less babies, less schools.  Our policies will work and we will be elected again.

Shame on you!

(*) The only bright spot in all this is that the "Centros de Emprego", now can be closed.  Just replace it with a warning:  "There are no jobs in Portugal.  Emigrate."   Next, we can close the Ministry of Labor.

Brain drain

I have lost my ability for speech, I am flabbergasted, I am so astounded that I have somebody else write this.  Dictation is by tears.

The government has made an announcement.  It comes from the "Secretário de Estado da Juventude e do Desporto", Alexandre Miguel Mestre. "A secretariado de estado" is one of many subministers (trick to have governments seem smaller than they are as the number of überministers can be small).  "Juventude and Desporto" is youth and sport.  Mr. Mestre belongs to the Deputy and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Miguel Relvas.

What a Deputy and Parliamentary Affairs Minister does, nobody knew.  Now we know he is the boss of Mr. Mestre.

Mr. Mestre has announced that young people should leave their comfort zone to find a job.  I entirely agree, until Mr. Mestre then declares all of Portugal the comfort zone of youths.  Yes, you already got the geist of his communiqúe.

Mr. Mestre is asking young people to emigrate to find a job.  Pack the luggage. Leave the country. Get lost.  There is no future here.  Our investment in you is a write off.

He then continues "the country can not look at emigration only with negativistic (politician speak for pessimist) eyes  concerning brain drain"

Mr. Mestre - you should have told East Germany so many years ago...   In spite of them making the DDR a prison to try stop people running away, to this day the brain drain is still felt in the eastern part of Germany.

However, I can see your point and the advantages.   It will permit lower expenses, lower the number of infants, improve the unemployment statistics, decrease the amount and violence of demonstrations and it will permit people like you to stay in power.

When every person in Portugal with any initiative or IQ has left, then the rest can leave - as there is no reason to remain and the country will have no future.

The last one leaving can turn off the lights.

PS.  The subministry seems to be closed already.  The rats are smart and are always the first to leave the sinking ship.   When you try to access the website - it says:

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