The idea that suffering is good for both the soul and the economy is widely held. To “austerians”, a financial crisis is a mark of moral turpitude, to be redeemed only by suffering. But an economy exists on earth, not in the afterlife. Those who advocate the path of austerity need to show that it is not just moral, but effective. How is this to be done? By pointing to successful examples. In Europe, that example is often the Baltics and, above all, Latvia, a crisis-hit country that was rescued and is now – we are told – blooming. Is it? And, if it is, does this bring lessons for others? The answer to both questions is: only up to a point.
人们普遍认为，紧缩既符合道义又有利于manbetx20客户端下载 。对“紧缩派”而言，金融危机是道德败坏的标志，只有经历紧缩之苦才能赎罪。但manbetx20客户端下载 存在于当世，而非来生。那些提倡紧缩的人必须证明，紧缩不仅符合道义，而且还很有效。如何才能证明？答案是举出成功的例子。在欧洲，人们往往把波罗的海国家当作例子，尤其是拉脱维亚——拉脱维亚曾遭受危机冲击，后来得到纾困，现在（我们被告知）manbetx20客户端下载 蓬勃发展。真是这样吗？若果真如此，其他国家能以此为榜样吗？这两个问题的答案均是：只是在某种程度上如此。