...it's better to go out with a bang than a whimper?  

Here's an image of America's death throws

Now the rioting for continued benifits has spread to London.
They say the peaceful protest was hijacked by the few anarchists, but I didn't hear that all the peaceful crowds left when the protest turned violent.

There ain't no more money there, so they will smash what is left.

Kind of looks like a right wing. tea party rally.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1328385/STUDENT-TUITION-FEES-PROTEST-Rioters-hijack-middle-class-march.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/8123194/Student-tuition-fee-protest-turns-violent-as-Tory-headquarters-evacuated.html

doesn't make it smart.

I would say foreclosures on overpriced homes, while painful in the short term, are better than rioting and smashing.

In Greece the roiters killed people.  Those people had mothers and maybe husbands or wifes and children.

I would rather loss my house than have my child murdered by a mob.

I will take the wimper.

Finally, foreclosures aren't necessarily a death toll.  The U.S. has gone through that many times and emerged very well, thank you.

these signs can be seen in just about every industry in the country. Even in your own field of law, Phil. Or am I mistaken in all these articles I've been reading about new law grads who can't find work?

Here's the difference between Greece and the USA: In the US, if some Americans manage to get angry enough to protest (real protests, not astroturf) then the cops just beat the snot out of everybody. In Greece protesters will throw molotov cocktails at the cops if they get out of hand.

As a result, you have two different paradigms in each country. In the US, the people fear the government. In Greece, the government fear the people. There are consequences for this difference. It's for this reason that Greece will recover before we do.

Yeah, new grads are having a hard time finding a job. And what is the unemployment rate for young people in Greece, Spain, France, etc.

We have been in depressions and recessions before.  The Greek (European) model is not in a recession or depression.  It is a new type of crisis.  THe system is collapsing under its own weight.

It is like Spain where the socialist governemt says, "Ain't nothing there."  THAT'S THE SOCIALIST VIEW.

As to your paradigm as to who fears who.  Molotov cocktails are more likely to kill people.

For some strange reason, the Left doesn't understand death as different AND WORSE.

"Oh, gosh, someone burnt to death,  Rough luck old bean, butwe need an extra pension check."

"Oh, sorry sonny.  We burnt your father to death. But he happened to be standing there and we want to retire at 60."