There is widespread trouble in the EU.
Romania (I have a good friend who immigrated here from there and can't wait to get his take this week)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/romania-politics-idUSL5E8D612420120206
Greece
http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/53270
(That's 5 Austerity packages, with more on the way people, bailing out gamblers who played with our futures casino style)
Portugal -- (A country I would consider moving to, for a lot of reasons)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/11/portugal-protest-idUSL5E8DB0UP20120211
Normally, this isn't on the list of things that happens there...
Spain (Union busting going on big)
Bulgaria -- (Anti ATCA)
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=136604
http://www.geekosystem.com/europe-protests-acta/
Slovakia (Corruption in privatization)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6fc1858c-48cd-11e1-954a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1mGtobkum
Russia (Anti Putin)
http://www.eesti.ca/?op=article&articleid=35155
US (Occupy is global discussion now, the difference being much less violence here, but the world is watching)
http://www.the-99-declaration.org/
http://www.northjersey.com/news/021012_Eviction_delayed_for_Occupy_Newark_protesters.html
(many more)
IMHO, we are moving into some very interesting times. Austerity measures are pounding the EU, threatening the Euro, knocking out leaders, and destablizing that part of the world rapidly.
Liberal economic ideas, polluted with neo-liberal ones (free market, trickle down basically) are failing, just as neo-conservative ones are (free market, supply siders), as both really prioritize big business and finance over the health of the nations they serve, leaving people on the hook for massive debt, and in danger of a financial coup the size of which we've not seen before.
The door is opening for facists, with confidence in the traditional conservative / liberal factions waning rapidly. Could be the beginnings of another world war, if that happens. We've seen a lot of this movie before.
What we do here in the US is going to matter. Right now, our economic situation is on a modest growth path, and that's notable all things considered. If we deny that, the implications to the rest of the world will resonate loudly. If we affirm that, we may see some avoidance of the worst.
Economies are linked together on a scale not seen. The impacts can happen on a scale yet seen.
Read through a few of those and ask yourself whether or not you really want to face Austerity up front, close and personal, because it is a definite reality if we do not continue to elect people who are aligned with ordinary people on economic issues. Yes, that means labor people.