WHEN SPAIN'S UNEMPLOYMENT reached 3 million, the Zapatero government angrly fired back at observers who thought the country would reach the 4-million mark before the end of the year. There's no way we're going to ever reach 4 million unemployed, the Labor minister Celestino Corbacho said, much less before the end of 2009. He, Zapatero himself, other cabinet members and administration officials started a media appearances barrage accusing those observers not just of being wrong, but of actually wishing the unemployment to skyrocket in order to damage Zapatero. That they preferred the country to go into tatters if that meant that they could stick a fork in the prime minister's eye. (interestingly, they had been criticizing Bush for questioning the patriotism of his critics...)

Today, April 24 2009, the Spanish government had to officially confirm that already in March 31, that is, only three months into the year,the number of unemployed in Spain reached the figure there was no way whatsoever it was going to reach not even before the end of the year. Welcome to the country of 4 million unemployed, which is a staggering rate 17.36 pct.

And Zapatero is still boasting that Spain's economy is one of the world's best equipped for the recovery. Meanwhile, no meaningful measures are adopted; just spending in non-productive works that create a handful of temporary jobs that will be over in two or three months. But hey, when Obama fixes the American economy, the tide will lift all boats, right?

Wrong. Spain has very specific problems that will drag the country from that recovery unless they're fixed. And they won't be fixed if the government not only refuses to see the problems, but bullies anyone who mentions them.

We couldn't have a more incompetent administration at the worst moment.