I have solved the mystery

Fictitious, for now...

Here I went and  practically proclaimed most Portuguese politicians dishonest thieving corrupt incompetent conniving  bastards.   I am of course referring to the gentlemen and a few ladies who got us into this mess of social misery and near bankruptcy.

I was wrong.

I sincerely apologize and I eat my words.

The explanation is much more simple.  It is one of simple minds.  You see, most politicians are numerically challenged.  I.e. they do not understand numbers very well or at all, many in fact suffer from dyscalculia.  Also they are geographically challenged.  Beyond their own navels they really do not see the world around them. Furthermore, they are culturally challenged as well.  They tend not to see other cultures.  This goes well with my claim that narcissists all are culturally and geographically challenged.

My mommas  (I have had the luck of more than one) always taught me to help and treat with respect the mentally and otherwise challenged members of our species (before PC, the era of politically correct, they were mental cases and handicapped).  And so I have tried.  And thus my apology, albeit belated.

You see I found the reason for the mess.  Because of the many who have heard my ravings or the few who have read my ravings in my blog (spread it please), some say.  "People can't be that evil.  They can't be that conniving. No, it is very simple.  It is all caused by stupidity!".  In my ignorance I ignored their arguments as I thought I knew better.  And also I do not like non PC statements.  If they had said mentally challenged I might have listened - instead they dared call the concept by its name.

We now get to source of the mystery.  How did the Portuguese politicians manage to overspend so much?  Because nobody in their right mind would do so consciously.  It is quite simple and all involves the word billion.

When I write billion, I (as well as the EU) mean the number 1 000 000 000, a 1000 million, 10 to the 9th, 10^9.  But in Europe a billion generally means 1 000 000 000 000, a million million, 10 to the 12th, 10^12.  It is an American custom to use 10^9 as a billion.  In France, Germany, Scandinavia and other countries we use the word "milliard" for 10^9 as we are civilized - just ask the French.  The funny thing is that some countries like the UK and Portugal do not have a word for 10^9.   Instead they say a thousand million. As in "The Earth is approximately 4.5 thousand million years old."  It is somewhat primitive but a good way to have much needed daily math lessons.  On the other hand I am glad they do not say "4.5 thousand thousand thousand years old".

What has that to do with the mystery?  Well, read on - I am nearly there.

The GDP of Portugal is 170 billion euros.  I.e. 170 000 000 000 euros.  The Portuguese public debt varies according to different sources and your political standpoint.  But pretty much all agree it is currently around the GDP.  I.e. 170 billion.

Here are couple of further facts:  Everybody reads the GDP numbers from international sources, as they simply to do not believe national sources, when it comes to GDP.  They all state a GDP in billions.
When looking at public debt everybody only look at their own doctored numbers, as they come from trusted national sources easily manipulated.

Do you see it?  The Portuguese politicians were told:  The GDP is 170 billion euros and the public debt is 170 thousand millions.  In other numbers: GDP 170 000 000 000 000 versus debt 170 000 000 000.  A debt a thousand times less, no less, than the GDP.  This is where the feeble minded mentally challenged politicians made the mistake.  They actually thought Portugal had the lowest debt, percentage wise, in Europe.  They mistook the GDP billion for a Portuguese billion (bilião).

It was an honest mistake.

So now we are in this mess with nobody to blame really.  But at least the mystery is solved and the conspiracy theories have been disproven.  There are no malicious people behind the financial crisis.  No conscious corruptness.  It is all an unfortunate accident.  The only possible blame is on the people.  The people should be more careful with whom they elect.