Portugal - are we doing that bad?

Most of you know what I'm talking about. Recent news reporting new and forced elections, the arrival of the IMF, the need of an economic rescue, big government deficit and high unemployment rates put everyone looking at Portugal just as if they're looking at some 3rd world country (and made you wonder if you should postpone your holiday here). I'm surely not going to deny any of the above mentioned news, but at the same time, I wonder when will the media feel satisfied with the twisted image that they're passing.
Though Portuguese people are facing a bad economical period, unemployment affects 11% of the population and government keeps announcing cuts to our beloved Welfare State, I'd say that our life goes on. We talk about the crisis and our economical condition in the streets and cafés, but so have we been doing during the last 10 years, when the crisis was firstly announced in Portugal and no one suspected that it would become an World Crisis. After the initial shock people got used to “the word”, got bored of endless news talking about unemployment, cuts and social cases... We stopped listening and our lives went back to normality. Of course we worry, of course we save, of course some people are having serious problems to pay their mortgages, but maybe all this is now part of the above mentioned “normality”.
Every now and then a demonstration or a strike stops the country but none of these are violent. We're celebrating the 37th anniversary of the Red Carnation Revolution, which put an end to 31 years of a fascist dictatorship without making one single death, and I think that this shows the character of the Portuguese people.
In the streets people know how inviting our long history can be, our world heritage monuments, rich gastronomy and wines, long sand beaches and golf courses, and everyone is very looking forward to receive tourists. You'd also be surprised with our English skills and general education. Moreover God decided to be kind and this year Spring arrived earlier, inviting everyone to go to the beach or to enjoy our grilled sardines with a fresh sparkling wine in an open restaurant... are you really going to miss all this just because of some rumors?

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