text: But the EU is an economic mess. Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece are all finaincial basket cases. Italy's banks are a disaster, worse than the US in the Depression. Greece is so in debt its life expectancy is dropping to third world levels. Portugal is not far behind with cuts to health care and a diaspora of the educated. And Spain's youth have a 30% unemployment rate, surrounded by empty homes, but horribly crowded in their living arrangements. Europe is ripe for an explosion.