Elefantes Blancos del Gobierno

It never ceases to amaze me that, despite all of the contrary evidence, people tend to think that government is wiser than they about how to spend their money, and that it acts in the best interests of the people rather than the government.

Exhibit A: Cuidad Real International Airport



Now, if you don't know where this is, you have a lot in common with the people of Spain (it;s about 100 miles form Madrid). You see, it's the brainchild of all those brilliant people who work in government. It's a €1 billion airport project, which the Spanish government recently sold to a Chinese consortium for -- ready? -- 10,000 Euros. And it's in pristine condition because it's never been used.

There are, of course, a few people who are quite happy about this. Like the friends of Spanish politicians who run the construction companies that were paid to create this white elephant. But the people of Spain? They're just next in line to slide into the same morass that the Greek government created for its people. For the same reasons.