Global pandemic of unrest

The Economic Intelligence Unit (pointy-headed UK analysts) recently released a report entitled Manning the Barricades, which warns of serious social unrest over the next two years as a result of the global financial crisis. It’s their third report since the credit crisis began in August 2007 and focuses on the political fallout. The report includes a social unrest index that identifies where the risks are greatest (rush to this index to check out where your country rates amongst the 165 countries listed).

Here’s some tidbits:

• 50 million people globally will be tossed out of work
• rising unemployment, falling house prices, pension funds nearing bankruptcy and personal wealth declining could topple Governments – high-risk countries being Zimbabwe, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia, Sudan, Ukraine, Moldova and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
• political turmoil from the global recession is replacing terrorism
• an economic collapse in eastern Europe could tear apart the European Union and create a new Iron Curtain

Don’t read it if you’re already depressed from the global financial hissy fit!

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