Top of descent: Sweden has a problem, Europe an even bigger one and a visit well worth it

Ain't life weird. Greece issued for the first time since years new government bonds and they were oversubscribed 6 times! One of our Belgian top economists even found it necessary to state on national tv that "Greece is the only one that is still offering a reasonable interest". The interest he refers to is 6% and yes that's a lot more than anyone else but, and he didn't mention that did he, Greece is still virtually bankrupt. The only reason that banks are buying the bonds is because of the interest rate and because they have seen that European politicians are not going to let any euro-country default. In contrast Sweden, which has one of the healthiest government finances in the world, had difficulties placing its government bonds. Everyone who is not blinded by the hunt for interest will see that this situation is crazy. Question is: how long will it last before it blows up (again) in our face?

"Human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe now face a crisis unprecedented since the
end of the Cold War. Serious violations – including corruption, immunity from prosecution,
impunity, human trafficking, racism, hate speech and discrimination – are on the rise throughout the
continent. People’s rights are also threatened by the impact of the economic crisis and growing inequalities.
The Council of Europe and its member States must act urgently to stop this erosion of fundamental rights.": this is the opening paragraph of Thorbjorn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe, in a just released report titled: State of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe.
In the document they list following shocking numbers:

Discrimination against ethnic and national minorities: 39 of 47 states
Overcrowded prisons: 30 states
Corruption: 26 states
Police misconduct: 23 states
Violation of human rights of immigrants and asylum seekers: 20 states
Human trafficking: 11 states
Limited freedom of speech: 8 states

In addition they found countries where the judicial system is completely corrupt and they fear that unemployment and poverty in some countries will drive the population to extremism and confrontation.

Yes I know the membership of the Council of Europe is larger than the EU. But with scores like 39 or 30 states out of 49, many EU countries are involved too. None have been named though because of... political pressure. Freedom of speech???

I was scrolling through some photo albums and came across a trip to Seoul in 2007. Every aviation enthusiast has heard about the Smithsonian in Washington DC and, if in the neighbourhood, has visited it (like I did). But I can recommend the Korean War Museum too. Tragic as the Korean military situation has been over the past 50 odd years, they do have a smashing collection! What else would you call following line-up: O-1G Bird Dog, S-2 Tracker, KT-1, T-37, C-46, C-123, H-5H, MiG-15, OH-23G and so much more! So when you do find yourself in that corner of the world, go and have a look, it is well worth it.