Whenever we get together with family on special occassions - like Christmas - we will raise our glasses jubilating the words "aos presentes e ausentes". It's one (and maybe the only) thing I took on board from my mother in law and it is a lot less casual than a mere excuse to get drinking.
Initially I thought those words to nearly religiously encompass those that deceased and are no longer with us, but it is not (just that).
It honours all those that cannot or even did not want to be present, for whichever emotional or practical reason and that includes those that have passed away. For a moment, it brings those that are elsewhere, side by side, to those that are present.
There is a certain irrelevance about the motive that would have prevented other people from standing there with us, maybe even a degree of selfish sense of forgiveness, messaging we are not revolted with whom is not joining us, albeit overwhelmed with gratitude for all those occassions that they did, even if in mere memory.
This year I have seen people having to have to abondon their, our, my world, more than ever before insofar I can vividly remember. Whether it is an uncurable desease or economic dispair in an individual life or whether affected by nationwide armed conflict or some unbalanced or environmentally threatened society hardly recognizable on a map, as soon as a disproportionate hardshift takes over, through time, there is a certain irrelevance as to whether someone manages to keep their vital organs functioning or not.
It is not mere human nature, but simply natural to anything living to seek growth and set root in an environment. In a crowded world that often implies indvidual paths cross and intentions conflict. We are not all equal, we are all different. That should not mean we should ignore each other, but rather the opposite, I would think. But that's just me. Cheers.
2012-12-24
2012-11-23
The price of unity
A couple of days ago I happened to catch a publicity video on television, prime time hour, by and for the European Union. Viewers are reminded of where to personallly visit the local delegation of the European Union and invited to come and find answers to any questions they may have.
If I should go, I am sure I would find an attentive person, probably not too busy, showing me the range of free publications on what the EU did, does and wants to continue within and beyond its borders.
I am afraid I would not know where to start.
I feel I have no clue on which programmes exist, let alone how much they would cost to execute. Apparently less than 10 % of the EU's budget goes to maintaining its institutions and I am not sure if I want to find out how many digits the other 90 % correspond to.
I see populations revolting - by less or more violent methods - against their national governments because the distance between what governments do or can do and what a population wants seems larger than ever. I hear individuals and businesses in less or more organized forms putting informed questions on the destination of tax contributions within a national society and economy. Would a supranational governance in the capital of Belgium secure better results ?
Despite or rather more likely due to the current economic downfall and austerity I see busy people committed to the communities they live and /or work in, encountering manners I thought a while ago had gone forever. Not a bad angle especially at Christmas time, I would think. Spend a little less (money), give a little more (thought and attention). Why on earth would less funding of centrally coordinated programmes, in today's economic situation, be a threat to people's sense of unity ?
If I should go, I am sure I would find an attentive person, probably not too busy, showing me the range of free publications on what the EU did, does and wants to continue within and beyond its borders.
I am afraid I would not know where to start.
I feel I have no clue on which programmes exist, let alone how much they would cost to execute. Apparently less than 10 % of the EU's budget goes to maintaining its institutions and I am not sure if I want to find out how many digits the other 90 % correspond to.
I see populations revolting - by less or more violent methods - against their national governments because the distance between what governments do or can do and what a population wants seems larger than ever. I hear individuals and businesses in less or more organized forms putting informed questions on the destination of tax contributions within a national society and economy. Would a supranational governance in the capital of Belgium secure better results ?
Despite or rather more likely due to the current economic downfall and austerity I see busy people committed to the communities they live and /or work in, encountering manners I thought a while ago had gone forever. Not a bad angle especially at Christmas time, I would think. Spend a little less (money), give a little more (thought and attention). Why on earth would less funding of centrally coordinated programmes, in today's economic situation, be a threat to people's sense of unity ?
2012-11-15
Shaken or stirred ?
The variety and tone of opinions, beliefs, plain gossip, press declarations speculating on the true intention(s) of Angela Merkel's visits to Greece, Spain and Portugal make an explosive cocktail for any person to measure and mix.
Favouring the German electorate, pushing for further southern austerity and/or reform, seeking cheap brown and green field acquisitions, 5l% joint venturing in emerging continents, looking for a personal retirement home ...... I think the only conspiracy theoratical observation that has not been made through media is that maybe Merkel's quick visits serve to test each of these countries' military readiness in the event necessary.
A lot has changed since the times when Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and the like, sneaked into neutral Lisbon as a prime stage of international espionage and intrige in the midst of the last century. Or hasn't it ? In today's internet age, nations need not physically place intelligence officers in a long term stand off against other nations or intermediaries inside street café's or midnight casinos and information can easily be released, re-routed or intercepted from any distance.
Possibly the best modern manner to get an executive feel of a foreign and sovereign country's (social, economic and military) ability is to come in over the red carpet in perfect daylight and look its leaders in the eye.
Germany is not Angela Merkel, Germany is not a young nation, Germany is not new to programming the financing and integration of foreign territory and their populations in despair, Germany does not typically operate on impulses.
The facts are that Mrs M.'s stirring into what once were sovereign matters have shaken up entire populations in the EU's outmost corners into a reflection and internal debate on their do's and don't's for the next 5 or so years, long enough to commence causing some permanent behaviourial changes whilst gradually setting their domestic politicians aside.
Many people in southern Europe proudly use and rely upon quite a league of Germany designed and generally also manufactured goods, quite a few are employed direclty or indirectly by a German enterprise, some will have their children in German schools or in apprenticeships according to German models, an increasing number is studying the German language and will go on more or less finite assignments in Germany.
It would seem that the only aspect these countries are missing is a similar level of secured quality in public governance, but then again, southern Europeans are not famous for their patience.
A brilliant plan, I would have to admit, and wonder by when visits on similar terms to Italy, France and the UK have been scheduled. How does "Geschüttelt ... nicht gerührt", sound ?
Favouring the German electorate, pushing for further southern austerity and/or reform, seeking cheap brown and green field acquisitions, 5l% joint venturing in emerging continents, looking for a personal retirement home ...... I think the only conspiracy theoratical observation that has not been made through media is that maybe Merkel's quick visits serve to test each of these countries' military readiness in the event necessary.
A lot has changed since the times when Ian Fleming, John le Carré, and the like, sneaked into neutral Lisbon as a prime stage of international espionage and intrige in the midst of the last century. Or hasn't it ? In today's internet age, nations need not physically place intelligence officers in a long term stand off against other nations or intermediaries inside street café's or midnight casinos and information can easily be released, re-routed or intercepted from any distance.
Possibly the best modern manner to get an executive feel of a foreign and sovereign country's (social, economic and military) ability is to come in over the red carpet in perfect daylight and look its leaders in the eye.
Germany is not Angela Merkel, Germany is not a young nation, Germany is not new to programming the financing and integration of foreign territory and their populations in despair, Germany does not typically operate on impulses.
The facts are that Mrs M.'s stirring into what once were sovereign matters have shaken up entire populations in the EU's outmost corners into a reflection and internal debate on their do's and don't's for the next 5 or so years, long enough to commence causing some permanent behaviourial changes whilst gradually setting their domestic politicians aside.
Many people in southern Europe proudly use and rely upon quite a league of Germany designed and generally also manufactured goods, quite a few are employed direclty or indirectly by a German enterprise, some will have their children in German schools or in apprenticeships according to German models, an increasing number is studying the German language and will go on more or less finite assignments in Germany.
It would seem that the only aspect these countries are missing is a similar level of secured quality in public governance, but then again, southern Europeans are not famous for their patience.
A brilliant plan, I would have to admit, and wonder by when visits on similar terms to Italy, France and the UK have been scheduled. How does "Geschüttelt ... nicht gerührt", sound ?
2012-11-04
The inflated price of integration
I bet Mrs Merkel and Mr Obama meet each other over in-private video conference a lot more than either one of them do in the public appearances with other heads of state we are formally fed over official videostreams. They have a lot of SWOT points in common to analyze, including currency, domestic economy, emerging powers elsewhere in the world, social insurance, banking, and of course, re-election. Ah, I almost forgot, and forward looking responsabilities associated with a nobel prize for peace.
While the US is - necessarily - pushed to prioritise homeland issues, Germany is carefully extending its influence across sovereign borders. Merkel would be a good advisor on the pricing of putting a social insurance system first, whereas Obama would have some best practice to share on how to lead in central governance and handling swing (member) states, while managing Latino populations within bounderies.
In the 19th century the US had to pardon and pay about US$ 30 million to compensate debt burdened France, Spain and Russia in order to annex what's most of the US' midwest and Alaska today. At today's rate that would reasonably correspond to the € 500 billion the recently constituted ESM has been building up. For the US it concerned a series of property transactions valued for a price per visible square kilometer or acre to subsequently occupy. For Germany, Europe the ESM is intended to be a mere safetynet to guarantee future harmonization, albeit with a more centrally decreed harmony.
Both continents have had their share of civil and military warfare and subsequent sets of treaties on a more tempting road of civilized harmony and this is where the foundations of the political parties we must listen to nearly every day can be found.
On that road, on both continents, outspoken warnings against the threats of partisan politics and territorial expansionist movements, as well as the very constitional legitimacy of money supply monopolies are as old as the fundamentals of democracy. In Europe this means the time of Augustus and Alexander the Great and in the US back to the gentlemen that became to known as the founding fathers.
There is no doubt we are all being pointed back into history to discover our mistakes and the origins of today's crises. I wonder whether we will find what we are looking for shortly after invididuals laid down arms and uniforms in order to seek and hide in collective party driven debate, lobby, influencing, in other words when being a politician - in today's meaning - became full time (paid) jobs.
Barack Obama asks 4 more years and Angela Merkel wants a further 5. Tik tak tik tak.
While the US is - necessarily - pushed to prioritise homeland issues, Germany is carefully extending its influence across sovereign borders. Merkel would be a good advisor on the pricing of putting a social insurance system first, whereas Obama would have some best practice to share on how to lead in central governance and handling swing (member) states, while managing Latino populations within bounderies.
In the 19th century the US had to pardon and pay about US$ 30 million to compensate debt burdened France, Spain and Russia in order to annex what's most of the US' midwest and Alaska today. At today's rate that would reasonably correspond to the € 500 billion the recently constituted ESM has been building up. For the US it concerned a series of property transactions valued for a price per visible square kilometer or acre to subsequently occupy. For Germany, Europe the ESM is intended to be a mere safetynet to guarantee future harmonization, albeit with a more centrally decreed harmony.
Both continents have had their share of civil and military warfare and subsequent sets of treaties on a more tempting road of civilized harmony and this is where the foundations of the political parties we must listen to nearly every day can be found.
On that road, on both continents, outspoken warnings against the threats of partisan politics and territorial expansionist movements, as well as the very constitional legitimacy of money supply monopolies are as old as the fundamentals of democracy. In Europe this means the time of Augustus and Alexander the Great and in the US back to the gentlemen that became to known as the founding fathers.
There is no doubt we are all being pointed back into history to discover our mistakes and the origins of today's crises. I wonder whether we will find what we are looking for shortly after invididuals laid down arms and uniforms in order to seek and hide in collective party driven debate, lobby, influencing, in other words when being a politician - in today's meaning - became full time (paid) jobs.
Barack Obama asks 4 more years and Angela Merkel wants a further 5. Tik tak tik tak.
2012-10-30
La donna è mobile ...
When in the midst of 2010, due to an imminent threat for a bailout, the word Portugal showed up much more than usual in newsstreams in the four corners of the world, that was an occasion for several overseas friends and fellows to get back in touch with me to curiously certify whether the economic and social situation really was a bad as reported.
In an attempt to picture the events to a distant outsider, I sought comparison of another drastic event in world news earlier that year, which was the earthquacke in Haiti. Clearly with no intent to compare the devastation and misfortune to a population, I sought to illustrate that if (public) finance crises, like earthquackes are both constantly monitored in known risk areas, what makes every difference to people's lives is the ability of a government led action to respond when disaster does indeed hit.
In the first 48 hours after the Haiti earthquacke nearly no foreign aid had came in because of the uncontrolled responsiveness of the local authorities. And so it was in Portugal, plain panic as if some alien force was about to strike, drove politicians, institutions, private enterprise and the general public in all kinds of opposite directions, generating a nationwide paralisation, which was exactly the last thing the country needed.
I have to admit I admire, envy, the apparent serene determined manner in which the entire United States put in a motion a preventive plan to fence against the threat of approaching hurricane Sandy. Any person from some woodpanel manufacturer pulling in extra workers to accelerate production and distribution to a functioning top down, bottom up alert and civil aid system no to mention the policing of temporarily abandoned properties .... under the circumstances it just seems to work and whatever the real extent of the disaster, in a matter of days a nation will move on with a general feeling that they have done as much as was possible to mitigate a common threat.
It is that practical spirit that will confine a disaster to its minimum potential. I would not want to imagine the aftermath without it.
When public interest and knowledge towards tropical storms evolved, we substituted scientific and technical locators with female names, by the example of what heroic (male) seafarers had been doing for centuries. Somehow it would seem that for whom is in an unavoidable hitspot for surrounding stormy wheather, the idea that what's imminent is a female figure will make it easier to cope.
So I would suggest that we substitute the range of technical financial and political terminology that crises hit populations have to have come to read about daily, with sweet or passionate female names and that we do so in the early stage, before a tropical storm either evaporates or turns into a hurricane category 1 - 5.
Imagine if in 1996 Spain would have baptized its accelarating property development sector with, say "Carmen" or "Mercedes" than we would all know in 2003 - when private lending vs per capita income was reaching concerning high's- and again in 2008 when bank capitalization was becoming worrysome low, then in 2012 we would all know "she" was now a vibrant teenager on her way of becoming a grown woman with a mind of her own. Who knows, we may get tempted to have her stick around for a long love hate relationship or just maybe shut the door in her face any given day.
In an attempt to picture the events to a distant outsider, I sought comparison of another drastic event in world news earlier that year, which was the earthquacke in Haiti. Clearly with no intent to compare the devastation and misfortune to a population, I sought to illustrate that if (public) finance crises, like earthquackes are both constantly monitored in known risk areas, what makes every difference to people's lives is the ability of a government led action to respond when disaster does indeed hit.
In the first 48 hours after the Haiti earthquacke nearly no foreign aid had came in because of the uncontrolled responsiveness of the local authorities. And so it was in Portugal, plain panic as if some alien force was about to strike, drove politicians, institutions, private enterprise and the general public in all kinds of opposite directions, generating a nationwide paralisation, which was exactly the last thing the country needed.
I have to admit I admire, envy, the apparent serene determined manner in which the entire United States put in a motion a preventive plan to fence against the threat of approaching hurricane Sandy. Any person from some woodpanel manufacturer pulling in extra workers to accelerate production and distribution to a functioning top down, bottom up alert and civil aid system no to mention the policing of temporarily abandoned properties .... under the circumstances it just seems to work and whatever the real extent of the disaster, in a matter of days a nation will move on with a general feeling that they have done as much as was possible to mitigate a common threat.
It is that practical spirit that will confine a disaster to its minimum potential. I would not want to imagine the aftermath without it.
When public interest and knowledge towards tropical storms evolved, we substituted scientific and technical locators with female names, by the example of what heroic (male) seafarers had been doing for centuries. Somehow it would seem that for whom is in an unavoidable hitspot for surrounding stormy wheather, the idea that what's imminent is a female figure will make it easier to cope.
So I would suggest that we substitute the range of technical financial and political terminology that crises hit populations have to have come to read about daily, with sweet or passionate female names and that we do so in the early stage, before a tropical storm either evaporates or turns into a hurricane category 1 - 5.
Imagine if in 1996 Spain would have baptized its accelarating property development sector with, say "Carmen" or "Mercedes" than we would all know in 2003 - when private lending vs per capita income was reaching concerning high's- and again in 2008 when bank capitalization was becoming worrysome low, then in 2012 we would all know "she" was now a vibrant teenager on her way of becoming a grown woman with a mind of her own. Who knows, we may get tempted to have her stick around for a long love hate relationship or just maybe shut the door in her face any given day.
2012-10-29
Whom says "B", is really saying "A"
So after a relatively tough but not so very long journey of IMF/EU/ECB close guided austerity which has passed the milestone of the severest state budget proposal in recent history in terms of tax collection (and not expense cutting), Portugal's prime minister has now launched the suggestion that the fundamentals of the financial assistance programme should be revised, not be understood as a renegotiation.
This idea arose on the rather informal occasion of what formally was not an act of government and happened to involve the members of parliament of the two governing political parties, thus exlcuding the 4 or 5 opposition parties.
Mr Passos Coelho is certainly not as new to domestic politics as he is to international institutional shadowed governance and my guess is that he should have a fair idea, by now, of when and what to message in his current position.
On a mere national level, one could argue that this is just another politician starting to have to think of re-election. From an interantional perspective, I suspect the prime minister's announcement was previewed, pre-authorized and planned by Portugal's foreign creditors, most of which must constantly consider the contagious effects within an Eurozone.
This would imply that the Portuguese government, the political parties which created it, the IMF, the EU and the ECB all have finally come to terms that the austerity package as a combination of sovereign financial aid with structural reforms as it was agreed and implemented in the spring of 2011 will not work or, worse, is seriously threathened with adverse effects.
There's a popular quote which more or less dictates that people, and thus societies and the governments they produce, will cause change either when they realistically want to or when they simply have to and in Portugal's case it has arrived to the latter.
While they will be composing plan B on some serious cuts in state apparatus for submission to creditors, I wonder if Mr Passos Coelho and his political followers are conscient whether in fact they will be surrendering towards the very first intentions of a plan A, carefully kept in a drawer in some foreign desk.
For sake of the Portuguese population I hope that that desk belongs to someone of good faith and in search of synergies in cross border terms. I am not so sure that desk houses at institutions like the IMF, the EU or the ECB, however.
This idea arose on the rather informal occasion of what formally was not an act of government and happened to involve the members of parliament of the two governing political parties, thus exlcuding the 4 or 5 opposition parties.
Mr Passos Coelho is certainly not as new to domestic politics as he is to international institutional shadowed governance and my guess is that he should have a fair idea, by now, of when and what to message in his current position.
On a mere national level, one could argue that this is just another politician starting to have to think of re-election. From an interantional perspective, I suspect the prime minister's announcement was previewed, pre-authorized and planned by Portugal's foreign creditors, most of which must constantly consider the contagious effects within an Eurozone.
This would imply that the Portuguese government, the political parties which created it, the IMF, the EU and the ECB all have finally come to terms that the austerity package as a combination of sovereign financial aid with structural reforms as it was agreed and implemented in the spring of 2011 will not work or, worse, is seriously threathened with adverse effects.
There's a popular quote which more or less dictates that people, and thus societies and the governments they produce, will cause change either when they realistically want to or when they simply have to and in Portugal's case it has arrived to the latter.
While they will be composing plan B on some serious cuts in state apparatus for submission to creditors, I wonder if Mr Passos Coelho and his political followers are conscient whether in fact they will be surrendering towards the very first intentions of a plan A, carefully kept in a drawer in some foreign desk.
For sake of the Portuguese population I hope that that desk belongs to someone of good faith and in search of synergies in cross border terms. I am not so sure that desk houses at institutions like the IMF, the EU or the ECB, however.
2012-10-18
Thinking out of a box of chocolates
Life may be a box of chocolates, but Belgian politics certainly are not. Outsiders pretty much know what to expect on the inside and so it was with the municipal elections this past Sunday.
Traditional parties who have been losing their creaminess while in office seek to fence what they still can before being unwrapped. Innovated noisier and occasional nut filled parties win votes and rebel against the established with a too glossy cherry on top, proclaiming future tasty victories on a wider national level in the future, denied by melting losers.
In their competing fury, all parties appear to forget the people that elected them in the first place, whereas perhaps what the electorate really needs is some chocolate milkshake, chocolate spread, chocolate springles, chocolate mousse ........
I spend many of my adolescent years in a then still relative informally bilingual Antwerp part of a not yet federal Kingdom and my interests did not - of course - connect with local politics at all. At present time however, they still do not and it strikes me that neighbouring countries, not to mention the rest of the world take a fairly similar position of indifference, which is intriguing if you consider the proportional amount of municipal, provincial, federal and national political bodies the country houses, not to mention the EU parliament and other institutions.
The to the ouside world apparent eternal inward looking struggle over language may gain more momentum than most would wish for when the next national elections are held in 2014, along with referenda in Scotland, Catalunya and, of course, the European Parliament.
I wonder if Mr Barroso, whose mandate is up also in 2014, would expect Flanders and Wallonie (and thus Brussels itself) to potentially negotiate EU membership in similar vein as he recently suggested Catalunya should.
Too many chefs in the praline kitchen maybe ?
Traditional parties who have been losing their creaminess while in office seek to fence what they still can before being unwrapped. Innovated noisier and occasional nut filled parties win votes and rebel against the established with a too glossy cherry on top, proclaiming future tasty victories on a wider national level in the future, denied by melting losers.
In their competing fury, all parties appear to forget the people that elected them in the first place, whereas perhaps what the electorate really needs is some chocolate milkshake, chocolate spread, chocolate springles, chocolate mousse ........
I spend many of my adolescent years in a then still relative informally bilingual Antwerp part of a not yet federal Kingdom and my interests did not - of course - connect with local politics at all. At present time however, they still do not and it strikes me that neighbouring countries, not to mention the rest of the world take a fairly similar position of indifference, which is intriguing if you consider the proportional amount of municipal, provincial, federal and national political bodies the country houses, not to mention the EU parliament and other institutions.
The to the ouside world apparent eternal inward looking struggle over language may gain more momentum than most would wish for when the next national elections are held in 2014, along with referenda in Scotland, Catalunya and, of course, the European Parliament.
I wonder if Mr Barroso, whose mandate is up also in 2014, would expect Flanders and Wallonie (and thus Brussels itself) to potentially negotiate EU membership in similar vein as he recently suggested Catalunya should.
Too many chefs in the praline kitchen maybe ?
2012-10-13
Peace of mind
When we all debated the somewhat surprising and possibly too original angle of the Nobel Peace prize for Al Gore's climate change initiative in 2007, I could detect a meaningful sense in the award within a world which was at relative peace or durable truce in arms and thus potentially set for a next level of ambitious harmony.
I had greater difficulty with the award to then recently elected Barack Obama in 2009, which suggested that a mere mass media caught message of hope in itself would be a contributor to a better world. It certainly can be, but does it dignify the messenger a Nobel Peace Prize ?
With the EU now being the 2012 Laureate for peace, I hear the explanation of the Norwegian branch but get troubled with the thought of whom might come to collect the award, but maybe I am wrong and a random EU citizen will be invited to rent a white tie and come to Oslo City Hall.
I suposse that the gross of Nobel prizes will have primarily served to stimulate or attribute an impulse to whom is need for an extra push in the right direction and in that respect the thought that the EU would be one of the neediest candidates at this point in time is scary.
The amount of socialogical studies on nut cases like the one that conducted the attacks on Utøya and very near from where the Nobel Peace Committee itself is elected, tend to demonstrate that such cases are indeed an increasing threat to (inter)national security or even stability, which in itself hints that we are facing a tough job looking forward in catering to individual freedom within a more collective (self) rule. Then again, that is a hard issue to handle, not exclusive to the EU.
It would have fit the Nobel institute well in today's world to step out of the normal 9 month nominee evaluation period and pick 14 year old Malala Yousafzai as a vibrant forward looking candidate in need of a push.
Oh well, at least we can find comfort knowing that this Monday, the Nobel prize in economic sciences will not go to the European Union.
I had greater difficulty with the award to then recently elected Barack Obama in 2009, which suggested that a mere mass media caught message of hope in itself would be a contributor to a better world. It certainly can be, but does it dignify the messenger a Nobel Peace Prize ?
With the EU now being the 2012 Laureate for peace, I hear the explanation of the Norwegian branch but get troubled with the thought of whom might come to collect the award, but maybe I am wrong and a random EU citizen will be invited to rent a white tie and come to Oslo City Hall.
I suposse that the gross of Nobel prizes will have primarily served to stimulate or attribute an impulse to whom is need for an extra push in the right direction and in that respect the thought that the EU would be one of the neediest candidates at this point in time is scary.
The amount of socialogical studies on nut cases like the one that conducted the attacks on Utøya and very near from where the Nobel Peace Committee itself is elected, tend to demonstrate that such cases are indeed an increasing threat to (inter)national security or even stability, which in itself hints that we are facing a tough job looking forward in catering to individual freedom within a more collective (self) rule. Then again, that is a hard issue to handle, not exclusive to the EU.
It would have fit the Nobel institute well in today's world to step out of the normal 9 month nominee evaluation period and pick 14 year old Malala Yousafzai as a vibrant forward looking candidate in need of a push.
Oh well, at least we can find comfort knowing that this Monday, the Nobel prize in economic sciences will not go to the European Union.
2012-10-09
The luxury of being small
I think I would instantly like Jean-Claude Juncker if I would meet him personally. A man with many hats and an apparent constant flair of realistic optimism and persistent relativism that tends to fill rooms which otherwise would risk being overloaded with generally serious, less affirmative fellow governors on the many European summits. I am starting to detect a linear regression between the amount of backpatting, hugging and kissing a head of state or finance minister gets from Mr Juncker and the level of trouble the respective country is in, at that point in time.
He has done well for the subjects of the Grand Duke and Duchness of Luxembourg and in return they made him prime minister, five full mandates in a row. No wonder other European heads of state and finance ministers welcome a lucky hug.
Possibly Mr Juncker's smooth abilities are a natural inheretance from his predecessors. Through history Luxembourg has shown equal skill in simultaneously handle foreign royalty, generals and governors, and generally managed to be at the origin of multilateral foundations.
Three official languages amongst a population of much less than a million, half of which are immigrants, nearly nill natural resources or comparative advantages show not be a restraint for maintaining a prosperous and peaceful little nation.
Perhaps there are more best practices to be envied and/or copied by the many mini-provinces and states around Europe that have not managed to remain sovereign throughout modern history.
I doubt Mr Juncker would have anticipated that taking on the presidency of the Eurogroup back in 2005 would be more than less of a part time back office job and I am afraid the Eurozone just got lucky with having a president who happend to prime minister a reasonable self governing country.
So when Mr Juncker declares it is about time Angela Merkel goes to Greece on what Germany calls a normal visit without agenda, I suspect he already looks beyond a rough day of local anger and protest and the manageability of an outcome we commoners will only learn about later this month.
I cannot help wondering who will pick up the bill for the extra security arrangements this day.
He has done well for the subjects of the Grand Duke and Duchness of Luxembourg and in return they made him prime minister, five full mandates in a row. No wonder other European heads of state and finance ministers welcome a lucky hug.
Possibly Mr Juncker's smooth abilities are a natural inheretance from his predecessors. Through history Luxembourg has shown equal skill in simultaneously handle foreign royalty, generals and governors, and generally managed to be at the origin of multilateral foundations.
Three official languages amongst a population of much less than a million, half of which are immigrants, nearly nill natural resources or comparative advantages show not be a restraint for maintaining a prosperous and peaceful little nation.
Perhaps there are more best practices to be envied and/or copied by the many mini-provinces and states around Europe that have not managed to remain sovereign throughout modern history.
I doubt Mr Juncker would have anticipated that taking on the presidency of the Eurogroup back in 2005 would be more than less of a part time back office job and I am afraid the Eurozone just got lucky with having a president who happend to prime minister a reasonable self governing country.
So when Mr Juncker declares it is about time Angela Merkel goes to Greece on what Germany calls a normal visit without agenda, I suspect he already looks beyond a rough day of local anger and protest and the manageability of an outcome we commoners will only learn about later this month.
I cannot help wondering who will pick up the bill for the extra security arrangements this day.
2012-10-02
Confiteor Deo
There would have to be a deep rooted and widespread feeling of mea culpa haunting those Eurozone countries where governments have fallen ahead of bailouts or similar foreign (politically) negotiated terms.
It is this sentiment, nearly in the original Roman Catholic closed confession sense, what makes Ireland different from Greece, Portugal and Spain in the intensly debated adequacy of troika aid or influence on an economy and a society, which we have now seen operative long enough to seek comparison with self imposed austerity programmes in various other countries.
In nearly all southern Eurozone members, less than the regular handful of established political parties will woo for at least another 100 years inside institutional corredors and seek to occupy local front page and prime time tv news to pinpoint which party was responsible for not avoiding and / or formally soliciting foreign financing conditions.
This is less innocent than what meets eye, even if one believes that a politician's job description is to talk more than to undertake. It is what maintains any kind of structural recovery programming of a country inside the traditional political arena or box and thus almost consequently outside a wider perspective of other stakeholders that would represent the general public's interest closer, in a more pragmatic manner and with swifter skill to implement, i.e. better, than political delegates organized in parties generally do.
Public submission of ideas or otherwise referenda at this stage risks being something similar to inviting Real Madrid fans to come in the last 10 minutes of a game to try to invert the score. As a consequence, patronizing politicians, whether in or out of government will continue to clash with a streetwise protesting society.
This does not imply politicians are the only ones to blame, after all most of them are (by)products of the same national civil society, nor does is relieve the general public from guilt for allowing matters (not) to evolve further.
It is mostly this what will prolongue (the perception of) a crisis longer than need be and neither deja vu censure motions, early elections nor strikes and massive demonstrations will take us out of the box. Time to get out of the confessional and out of the box.
It is this sentiment, nearly in the original Roman Catholic closed confession sense, what makes Ireland different from Greece, Portugal and Spain in the intensly debated adequacy of troika aid or influence on an economy and a society, which we have now seen operative long enough to seek comparison with self imposed austerity programmes in various other countries.
In nearly all southern Eurozone members, less than the regular handful of established political parties will woo for at least another 100 years inside institutional corredors and seek to occupy local front page and prime time tv news to pinpoint which party was responsible for not avoiding and / or formally soliciting foreign financing conditions.
This is less innocent than what meets eye, even if one believes that a politician's job description is to talk more than to undertake. It is what maintains any kind of structural recovery programming of a country inside the traditional political arena or box and thus almost consequently outside a wider perspective of other stakeholders that would represent the general public's interest closer, in a more pragmatic manner and with swifter skill to implement, i.e. better, than political delegates organized in parties generally do.
Public submission of ideas or otherwise referenda at this stage risks being something similar to inviting Real Madrid fans to come in the last 10 minutes of a game to try to invert the score. As a consequence, patronizing politicians, whether in or out of government will continue to clash with a streetwise protesting society.
This does not imply politicians are the only ones to blame, after all most of them are (by)products of the same national civil society, nor does is relieve the general public from guilt for allowing matters (not) to evolve further.
It is mostly this what will prolongue (the perception of) a crisis longer than need be and neither deja vu censure motions, early elections nor strikes and massive demonstrations will take us out of the box. Time to get out of the confessional and out of the box.
2012-10-01
Connecting whom with what ?
1998 was an exciting year in Lisbon. Above all it was a year wherein my wife and me got family and friends from nearly every continent to Lisbon for our wedding and we subsequently commenced building our home. Queen Beatrix and His Royal Heighness Claus - and many other heads of state - also came to visit but that was on the occassion of the World Exhibtion.
At the final day of the Expo 98, waves of people from within Portugal and elsewhere travelled to the exhibition's site to have one final glance of Portugal's glorious and natural role as a host to a refreshing connection with ocean life. "I'll call you when I get there" was the talk amongst Lisbonners, who were well on their way on beating a world record of mobile phone ownership per capita.
Then, much before another wave of spectacular midnight fireworks to get a party going, a social disaster struck the air; the three national mobile phone networks blacked out, leaving a million texting and roaming individuals with no alternative than to cue up in front of dozens of fixed phone booths .
Even worse, all of a sudden the masses were suprisingly confronted with having to verbally agree in the time allowed by a coin of a 100 Escudos and a nervous crowd behind them, where and when to meet in the unfamiliar surroundings of this newly constructed part of Lisbon.
I suspect that somewhere in the crowd a disguished Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg thought by themselves, there must be another way.
And indeed a bit more than a decade later, enormous amounts of people pretty much anywhere in the world manage to get together without ever having exchanged a single conversation, crowding behind a single slogan, claiming to be the representing democratic majority of a population's purpose.
Maybe.
I can also understand Mr Rajoy's reaction via the media and press that a million protesters on a square do not per sé represent a further 30 million at home, school or work, especially in times where news does indeed travel fast anywhere.
At the final day of the Expo 98, waves of people from within Portugal and elsewhere travelled to the exhibition's site to have one final glance of Portugal's glorious and natural role as a host to a refreshing connection with ocean life. "I'll call you when I get there" was the talk amongst Lisbonners, who were well on their way on beating a world record of mobile phone ownership per capita.
Then, much before another wave of spectacular midnight fireworks to get a party going, a social disaster struck the air; the three national mobile phone networks blacked out, leaving a million texting and roaming individuals with no alternative than to cue up in front of dozens of fixed phone booths .
Even worse, all of a sudden the masses were suprisingly confronted with having to verbally agree in the time allowed by a coin of a 100 Escudos and a nervous crowd behind them, where and when to meet in the unfamiliar surroundings of this newly constructed part of Lisbon.
I suspect that somewhere in the crowd a disguished Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg thought by themselves, there must be another way.
And indeed a bit more than a decade later, enormous amounts of people pretty much anywhere in the world manage to get together without ever having exchanged a single conversation, crowding behind a single slogan, claiming to be the representing democratic majority of a population's purpose.
Maybe.
I can also understand Mr Rajoy's reaction via the media and press that a million protesters on a square do not per sé represent a further 30 million at home, school or work, especially in times where news does indeed travel fast anywhere.
2012-09-25
1, 2,3,4, can I have a little more
Entirely unconsciously and totally unintentionally, Portugal's prime minister rendered an excellent democratic service to the population when he decided to announce a substantial shift in social security payroll withholdings from employers to employees, as another austerity measure in search for an increase in productivity and employment.
The Economist questioned whether in 15 minutes (the duration of the press announcement) Mr Passos Coelho threw away 15 months of thorough sacrifice to secure the type of social cohesion that had come to distinguish Portugal from Greece.
The threatened impact of the announced measure on millions of net salaries has generated the type of popular response which in the far future historians might come to describe as the Arab originating 4 step approach whereby civil protest typically chrystallised in the early 21st century;
- immediate twittering, site posting and blogging severe critisism and calling upon revolt;
- grouping and facebooking together and organize and schedule revolt;
- an actual old fashioned physical gathering on set locations to demonstrate,
It will not happen this time ... a step 5, whereby a population as such will actually see through some sort of implementable measure that would fit their rights and collective need and I am not referring to referenda or early elections. Instead most people will eventually come to terms with the inevitability of some alternate burdensome and plausible austerity measure for sake of the immediate future of Portugal.
Important is however, that matters and manners which traditionally appeared to be so exclusively vested within the chambers of a political elite, to be subsequently disseminated to a population standing by on a kind of need to know basis only, are fairly surely and not so slowely evaporating and that the traditional gap is reaching a more mature width.
All together now .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_CvWJocY-Y
2012-09-18
Germinating democracy
Another anxiously awaited Euro up or under perceived event last Wednesday was the preliminary (!) ruling of the German constitutional court on the German government's conditioned ability whereby it could subscribe the ESM, so needed to mitigate further panic on the short term, although politically engineered to provide long term security for the Eurozone (exposed) countries.
I suppose in the heat of the moment, it had not occurred to me and apparently neither to many people that the plaintiff who had put the injuction against further financial advancements of the present German government intended role in safeguarding the Euro was a "mere" sum of organized civilians.
In a democracy - which should automatically imply a functioning judiciary system - it should be irrelevant who pursues to subject any matter to a test of constitutionality, but I have to admit I am impressed with the reaching ability of this Mehr Demokratie, a Berlin based organization of already more than 20 years old, proclaiming politicians are caught up in their own web and that democratie is thus to be secured via referenda and other civil initiatives, including protest. They are the main sponsor of an international network for democracy for which the logo has recently been innovated to what I perceive to be small leaves of germinating (not Germanating!) seeds.
In today's world in order to be righteous in proclaiming nearly anything and especially sensitive matters as popular democracy in an union as the European one, it would be essential that a connection is made with other nations.
Looking ahead, I cannot help wondering whether it would work, a fairly educated and experienced organization in one country, planned, structured and office equipped, looking to match up with possibly more hot headed striking, stone throwing, flag burning, supermarket robbing, foreign car bashing, suicided bombing initiatives spread around the world, some of which one can only wonder how much was initiated by the equally ordinary civilians in the forefront.
Then again, isn't that where the true deficit lies, in a national population's lack of belief or mere hope for a functioning judiciary system, where all are equal before ... etc. After all, in order for someone to be perceived a Robin Hood, someone near would need to be seen in the role of the incompetent Sheriff of Nottingham.
I suppose in the heat of the moment, it had not occurred to me and apparently neither to many people that the plaintiff who had put the injuction against further financial advancements of the present German government intended role in safeguarding the Euro was a "mere" sum of organized civilians.
In a democracy - which should automatically imply a functioning judiciary system - it should be irrelevant who pursues to subject any matter to a test of constitutionality, but I have to admit I am impressed with the reaching ability of this Mehr Demokratie, a Berlin based organization of already more than 20 years old, proclaiming politicians are caught up in their own web and that democratie is thus to be secured via referenda and other civil initiatives, including protest. They are the main sponsor of an international network for democracy for which the logo has recently been innovated to what I perceive to be small leaves of germinating (not Germanating!) seeds.
In today's world in order to be righteous in proclaiming nearly anything and especially sensitive matters as popular democracy in an union as the European one, it would be essential that a connection is made with other nations.
Looking ahead, I cannot help wondering whether it would work, a fairly educated and experienced organization in one country, planned, structured and office equipped, looking to match up with possibly more hot headed striking, stone throwing, flag burning, supermarket robbing, foreign car bashing, suicided bombing initiatives spread around the world, some of which one can only wonder how much was initiated by the equally ordinary civilians in the forefront.
Then again, isn't that where the true deficit lies, in a national population's lack of belief or mere hope for a functioning judiciary system, where all are equal before ... etc. After all, in order for someone to be perceived a Robin Hood, someone near would need to be seen in the role of the incompetent Sheriff of Nottingham.
2012-09-12
On maintaindra
There is something terribly wrong or extremely right, depending on one's view or position, surrounding the elections in The Netherlands. While the Dutch and their candidate political representatives tend to consider that political agendas elsewhere in Europe will have a more relevant bearing on their near future than the outcome of this Wednesday's national elections, many in Europe are anxiously awaiting the election results as an apparent influencer on a wider multi-national political forefront.
On a normal working / business day, about 75 % of 12 million voters will select among 20 political parties, including a party for animal rights and another party against copyrights, representatives in a 150 seats national parliament / lower house.
The Netherlands has a long tradition of what I would consider a fair democratic approach to society, probably best reflected in the survival of the Staten-Generaal, a kind of round table coalition - one province, one vote - from its natural mutual voluntary founding in the early middle ages, through foreign Spanish, French, German occupancies, religious and world trade conflicts, to this very day.
(I cannot think of any other country that honours German, Spanish and French influences in its national anthem and coat of arms.)
The Netherlands is too old to be referred to as a melting pot of cultures, too young to be regarded a civilization in itself, too small to be regarded an economic, political or otherwise world power, too big or developed to be regarded as emerging or risky. Perhaps it is the sum or mix of these various ingredients, of which a general open and honest, nearly blunt form of expression is not the least significant, that makes the elections such a meaningful indicator of what is into play amongst an electorate, a population, at present.
In that respect I can see why many (politicians) from the outside looking in, are worried on what will be expressed on the current status of matters. It is not about the quality of politicians but the quality of a group of sufficiently informed people speaking their mind.
On a normal working / business day, about 75 % of 12 million voters will select among 20 political parties, including a party for animal rights and another party against copyrights, representatives in a 150 seats national parliament / lower house.
The Netherlands has a long tradition of what I would consider a fair democratic approach to society, probably best reflected in the survival of the Staten-Generaal, a kind of round table coalition - one province, one vote - from its natural mutual voluntary founding in the early middle ages, through foreign Spanish, French, German occupancies, religious and world trade conflicts, to this very day.
(I cannot think of any other country that honours German, Spanish and French influences in its national anthem and coat of arms.)
The Netherlands is too old to be referred to as a melting pot of cultures, too young to be regarded a civilization in itself, too small to be regarded an economic, political or otherwise world power, too big or developed to be regarded as emerging or risky. Perhaps it is the sum or mix of these various ingredients, of which a general open and honest, nearly blunt form of expression is not the least significant, that makes the elections such a meaningful indicator of what is into play amongst an electorate, a population, at present.
In that respect I can see why many (politicians) from the outside looking in, are worried on what will be expressed on the current status of matters. It is not about the quality of politicians but the quality of a group of sufficiently informed people speaking their mind.
2012-08-18
Diplomatic marathon
When back in 1992 Catalunya got busy denominating the olympic games as local Jocs Olimpics rather than Juegos Olimpicos, the rest of Castilliano speaking Spain was enjoying the festivities on the 500 years of Columbus' discovery of what became Latin America.
On the Aztec, Maia and Inca side of the ocean, however, governmental leaders and popular activists saw no reason for any joyful celebration, commemorating self invited conquerers as the causers of centuries of war, murder and slavery. Either way, the world had irreversably become a smaller place.
In 2012 we see nationalisation of Spain's Repsol's subsidiary in Argentina, a presidential decree from Morales for Coca Cola and McDonalds to abandon Bolivia by mid December, all in the name of financial, civil and/or cultural sovereignty, adding up to other contemporary Bolivarian sentiment in Venezuela, Columbia ...
I am not sure if anyone knows why Julian Assange picked the Embassy of Ecuador, among the dozens on that side of Hyde Park, but then again he has obvioulsy demonstrated before to know things most of us do not, yet.
The UNASUR ministers for foreign affairs, some of whom met only a few days ago on the occasion of celebrating Ecuador's speerheading liberation from Spain, will have an urgent meeting this Sunday with the "British threat" as the sole item on the agenda.
This may very well be(come) a bit more than another north-south political divide.
2012-08-13
Αρχαίο Πνεύμα αθάνατο, αγνέ πατέρα .......
Besides a desire for digging up some records or maybe borrow Jacques Rogge's or Boris Johnson's personal i-pod, I would have to recognize that very few nations could pull off a show like Brittania did at the closure of the London summer olympics. A window to the world, smoothly mixing domestic tradition with rebellion, portions of nearly popular bad taste, sarcasm and without arrogance, reminding us of British branding with the appropriate contemporarian twist to the olympic message. Neither too little nor too many ingredients, like a typical masala dish.
Like his predecessors, Jacques Rogge is well on the way in presiding over the sustainable construction of something greater and evidently more so than, for instance, his fellow countryman Herman van Rompuy backed by other Brussels based nationally delegated waged politicians.
The comité international olympique has seen its share of intercontinental armed confllicts, propaganda, terrorism and boycots threatening its fundamentals. Like any large organization it does not portray a perfect transparent democracy in its functioning and decisionmaking, but has managed to be the undisputed speerhead of by now more than 200 national committees made up of countries' many private of government controlled sportsfederations composed by sportsclubs and corporations many of which represent the type of egos and stars we do not see, yet, at the olympic games.
Yet the mission and values toned at the top of the IOC seem to be at such a short distance from a single potential sportsperson somewhere in the world. Ask athletes from South-Sudan, East Timor or Yugoslavia what the IOC did for them when their countries were still overwhelmed with smoking guns, or check with disabled warveterans who set the stage for paralympics. Then there are the youth olympics or the Truce Foundation.
If sports and athletism are to be given the significance what popmusic meant in the last few decades, than this obese world may actually get a bit fitter.
Like his predecessors, Jacques Rogge is well on the way in presiding over the sustainable construction of something greater and evidently more so than, for instance, his fellow countryman Herman van Rompuy backed by other Brussels based nationally delegated waged politicians.
The comité international olympique has seen its share of intercontinental armed confllicts, propaganda, terrorism and boycots threatening its fundamentals. Like any large organization it does not portray a perfect transparent democracy in its functioning and decisionmaking, but has managed to be the undisputed speerhead of by now more than 200 national committees made up of countries' many private of government controlled sportsfederations composed by sportsclubs and corporations many of which represent the type of egos and stars we do not see, yet, at the olympic games.
Yet the mission and values toned at the top of the IOC seem to be at such a short distance from a single potential sportsperson somewhere in the world. Ask athletes from South-Sudan, East Timor or Yugoslavia what the IOC did for them when their countries were still overwhelmed with smoking guns, or check with disabled warveterans who set the stage for paralympics. Then there are the youth olympics or the Truce Foundation.
If sports and athletism are to be given the significance what popmusic meant in the last few decades, than this obese world may actually get a bit fitter.
2012-08-10
onto 2020
A few more hours and the eternal olympic flame will symbolically be relayed from London to Rio and 20 000 high level sportspeople a third of which retired into trainers and olympic committee rep's, along with a few million visitors, not too mention impressive numbers of volunteers, will return to their homes, leaving 3 500 low budget homes for the people of London to occupy along newly constructed sports venues and infrastructure.
What an event.
Not as many broken world records but many personal ones, generally athletes are faster, higher, stronger and at younger and older ages.
The United Kingdom will have disbursed a very debated UK£ 3.5 billion to make it all happen and soon discussions will rise again whether it was all worth it. If back in the initial stages of the industrial revolution - so wonderfully portrayed in the opening ceremony - politicians and investors would have made a real cost-benefit analysis of railroad construction, no one would have made the advancement then. The benefits will show for decades and far beyond the construction site, many of which difficult to express in a monetary return on the financial investment.
Unfortunately olympic athletes do not trigger an as widespread national pride (or shame) as professional footballplayers do for many countries, but I sense positive evolutions and I think Darwin would agree.
Between 2014 and 2018 we will see olympic (summer and winter) games and world football championships in Russia and Brasil. No (financial) worries there.
Already before that, in 2013, the world will come to know the winning candidate which will have the privilige to invest in hosting the 2020 summer olympics.
Rome cancelled their bid and several other cities in the US, Canada did not advance in formalising candidacies, all due to current financial restraints. Apparently Madrid is and has been the strongest candidate, coming from several prior bids, over Istanbul and Tokyo.
Hm ... let the games continue, please. More volunteers wanted.
What an event.
Not as many broken world records but many personal ones, generally athletes are faster, higher, stronger and at younger and older ages.
The United Kingdom will have disbursed a very debated UK£ 3.5 billion to make it all happen and soon discussions will rise again whether it was all worth it. If back in the initial stages of the industrial revolution - so wonderfully portrayed in the opening ceremony - politicians and investors would have made a real cost-benefit analysis of railroad construction, no one would have made the advancement then. The benefits will show for decades and far beyond the construction site, many of which difficult to express in a monetary return on the financial investment.
Unfortunately olympic athletes do not trigger an as widespread national pride (or shame) as professional footballplayers do for many countries, but I sense positive evolutions and I think Darwin would agree.
Between 2014 and 2018 we will see olympic (summer and winter) games and world football championships in Russia and Brasil. No (financial) worries there.
Already before that, in 2013, the world will come to know the winning candidate which will have the privilige to invest in hosting the 2020 summer olympics.
Rome cancelled their bid and several other cities in the US, Canada did not advance in formalising candidacies, all due to current financial restraints. Apparently Madrid is and has been the strongest candidate, coming from several prior bids, over Istanbul and Tokyo.
Hm ... let the games continue, please. More volunteers wanted.
2012-07-20
A gold medal for democracy
I am an absolute fan of the olympic games and worship the general individual achievements of those athletes who with few resources, powered by mere passion, each with their own story often characterised by the natural comparitive advantages their countries may have, be it snowy mountains, flat long distances, water and wind, whatever would have driven a young national to commence practising in her/his backyard to one day seek the stage amongst the world's best as the only reward.
It is exciting to observe the opening cerimonies over time, the long rows of soviet participants in the past or the one or two participants of some newly founded or liberated state, all coming together under a common banner, while honouring their own.
Prometheus and Heracles would be proud of each and every one of them.
A beautiful tradition that over time has managed to remain reasonably immune to modern political turmoil, in similar vein as the ancient olympiades sought temporary truces to allow athletes to participate.
I was once a proud owner of an authentic and offical "Athens 1996" t-shirt, free from any safeguard of the then still candidate status for the summer olympics.
At the time it would have appeared that only a formality stood in between the nomination of Athens as the obvious host city of the modern Olympic Games at their 100th anniversary.
Eventually it was Atlanta that was elected, and the 1996 Olympics would become the most private sponsered games ever to that date. Critics would quickly convert the games into the CNN and Coca Cola games and that was not because Coca Cola Corporation was founded there also about 100 years ago.
For the London 2012 games this has turned out quit different as private capital has come to abandon the race and funding needed to come, once again, from the city, country, in other words the general population.
A gold medal for democracy at its finest.
It is exciting to observe the opening cerimonies over time, the long rows of soviet participants in the past or the one or two participants of some newly founded or liberated state, all coming together under a common banner, while honouring their own.
Prometheus and Heracles would be proud of each and every one of them.
A beautiful tradition that over time has managed to remain reasonably immune to modern political turmoil, in similar vein as the ancient olympiades sought temporary truces to allow athletes to participate.
I was once a proud owner of an authentic and offical "Athens 1996" t-shirt, free from any safeguard of the then still candidate status for the summer olympics.
At the time it would have appeared that only a formality stood in between the nomination of Athens as the obvious host city of the modern Olympic Games at their 100th anniversary.
Eventually it was Atlanta that was elected, and the 1996 Olympics would become the most private sponsered games ever to that date. Critics would quickly convert the games into the CNN and Coca Cola games and that was not because Coca Cola Corporation was founded there also about 100 years ago.
For the London 2012 games this has turned out quit different as private capital has come to abandon the race and funding needed to come, once again, from the city, country, in other words the general population.
A gold medal for democracy at its finest.
2012-07-16
Planets and metaphors
A year ago I could still imagine that when a 100 years from now a person would browse a European history book the current crisis would show up in one maybe two pages amongst the long treaty road for a peaceful and prosperous continent, more and more in harmony with the entire world.
Gradually I am starting to envisage that it will the booming 80´s and 90´s that will cover the shortest of tales in historic timelines. A type of late revived belle epoque where we thought anything was unlimitedly possible and thus more something to be remembered in the bright areas of arts, fashion, design rather than grey enduring economics and finance.
This is no longer about lost teenagers who had to stay at home while mom and dad went partying. Younger generations will, of course, be affected. A different story is whether this is a bad or good thing but, either way, relevant enough to be a permanent part of the roots of whom is growing up today.
So I allowed into my home the recently released children's book "a crise explicada a crianças" about a bear, bees and honey but my youngsters were not impressed with my imitation of Portugal's finance minister's slow and comprehensive tone and prefer a Winnie the Pooh DVD instead. Wonderful book for immature adults who welcome a bit of self-irony though.
So I allowed into my car a download of the latest music of Boss AC, a talented hop-hop rapper and one of those performers who finds the classical balance between chanting while challenging hot issues. This particular song with an excellent tune for waking up on the road to school in the morning touches on bubbles that burst.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqlurzmr5nU
Now, for my son, who until recently the context of bubble would only arise when playing with soap or supermario, the moment had come to inquire whether the word bubble referred to the song's earlier referral to our round globe. An excellent question to raise in the midst of morning innercity traffic and otherwise daily household logistics.
I believe I managed reasonably to compare the man artificially created free flowing and eventually uncontrollable bubble the song is about, with the type of not bad intended fantasy stories my son and his schoolmates invent every now and then to the extent that fantasy mixes into reality. "Every now and then, adults like daddy, do the same, but then bigger and longer, but eventually they always burst".
Gradually I am starting to envisage that it will the booming 80´s and 90´s that will cover the shortest of tales in historic timelines. A type of late revived belle epoque where we thought anything was unlimitedly possible and thus more something to be remembered in the bright areas of arts, fashion, design rather than grey enduring economics and finance.
This is no longer about lost teenagers who had to stay at home while mom and dad went partying. Younger generations will, of course, be affected. A different story is whether this is a bad or good thing but, either way, relevant enough to be a permanent part of the roots of whom is growing up today.
So I allowed into my home the recently released children's book "a crise explicada a crianças" about a bear, bees and honey but my youngsters were not impressed with my imitation of Portugal's finance minister's slow and comprehensive tone and prefer a Winnie the Pooh DVD instead. Wonderful book for immature adults who welcome a bit of self-irony though.
So I allowed into my car a download of the latest music of Boss AC, a talented hop-hop rapper and one of those performers who finds the classical balance between chanting while challenging hot issues. This particular song with an excellent tune for waking up on the road to school in the morning touches on bubbles that burst.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqlurzmr5nU
Now, for my son, who until recently the context of bubble would only arise when playing with soap or supermario, the moment had come to inquire whether the word bubble referred to the song's earlier referral to our round globe. An excellent question to raise in the midst of morning innercity traffic and otherwise daily household logistics.
I believe I managed reasonably to compare the man artificially created free flowing and eventually uncontrollable bubble the song is about, with the type of not bad intended fantasy stories my son and his schoolmates invent every now and then to the extent that fantasy mixes into reality. "Every now and then, adults like daddy, do the same, but then bigger and longer, but eventually they always burst".
2012-07-11
The perfect European
I remember back in the good old days when those many Brussels's non-food & beverage souvenir shops around the Grande Place fairly abruptly replaced the traditional Belgian lace and Louis XIV - baroque minatiures in their front line windows, with loads of China made European flagged merchandising, pretty much anything that allowed a random number of yellow shining stars printed on a blue background tradeable for only a couple of Belgian Franks.
With Germany united, the single market becoming casheable for businesses, the Schengen agreement celebrated by travellers and the easy accession by disciplined and modern Sweden, Austria and Finland, Brussels' road to the capital of Europe (and not just the European Union) had become inquestionable. The ideal moment in time for a bit of innocent and harmless self-irony.
Internet and social networks were still a relative exclusivity and a popular item any tourist could easily lift on any streetcorner and proudly communicate to friends at any corner of the world was a sarcastic postcard on "the perfect European".
A funny cartoonized postcard illustrating a typical national of the then selective 15 member states, touching on cliché views much older than any United Europe dream.
"Humorous as a German, Organised as a Greek, Humble as Spaniard, Available as a Belgian, Talkative as a Finn, Generous as a Dutchman, Sober as the Irish,Cooking like a Brit", etc.
I have not really been down to the Grand Place for quite a few years or bought a postcard anywhere for that matter, but I wonder how funny or festive any European, or any other person, would still think that postcard would be in today's context.
Especially in times of recession, the perfect European Unionist should be .... her/himself.
With Germany united, the single market becoming casheable for businesses, the Schengen agreement celebrated by travellers and the easy accession by disciplined and modern Sweden, Austria and Finland, Brussels' road to the capital of Europe (and not just the European Union) had become inquestionable. The ideal moment in time for a bit of innocent and harmless self-irony.
Internet and social networks were still a relative exclusivity and a popular item any tourist could easily lift on any streetcorner and proudly communicate to friends at any corner of the world was a sarcastic postcard on "the perfect European".
A funny cartoonized postcard illustrating a typical national of the then selective 15 member states, touching on cliché views much older than any United Europe dream.
"Humorous as a German, Organised as a Greek, Humble as Spaniard, Available as a Belgian, Talkative as a Finn, Generous as a Dutchman, Sober as the Irish,Cooking like a Brit", etc.
I have not really been down to the Grand Place for quite a few years or bought a postcard anywhere for that matter, but I wonder how funny or festive any European, or any other person, would still think that postcard would be in today's context.
Especially in times of recession, the perfect European Unionist should be .... her/himself.
2012-07-10
Mastering morality
One of my favourites in Confucius' dogma is the story wherein he compares the head of family, a doctor and a surgeon;
The father/family head is dedicated every day to avoid illness entering his home and thus secure health, stability and progress. The father is known and his daily contribution respected within the family and maybe a couple of neighbours.
The doctor of a village will regularly attend to the population to avoid deseases from worsening or spreading and his work is known and appreciated throughout the village.
A surgeon rushes to life or death situations and his interventions are renowned throughout an entire nation.
This was in ancient China where news could travel only as fast as a horsemen's thrive. Confucius could not have predicted mass newspapers, television and thus also not youtubes and facebooks, but the idea still persists with most infamous people and places not seeking fame nor reward for their doings. After all 1 billion registrants or subscribers, means at least 6 billion are not.
Throughout his lifetime Confucius will certainly not have been able to imagine a woman to represent any of these functions.
Although many people and especially those citizens in currently foreign financially aided or assisted countries may think of Angela Merkel as the imprudent physician who in an annoyingly surgical manner operates into countries most intimate vasculature I would have to hand it to her.
Whereas I understand the frustration of populations in Greece, Ireland, Spain and the like, Angela Merkel is possibly the only politician in Europe these days who holds onto the priorities and promises she committed to, insofar could be foreseen, before her electorate. First the state budgets of each of the 16 bundeslanden, then the national finance plan for Germany and only then the ties to the 27 European Union Member States, among which the countries that share the same currency.
After all, Confucius' down to earth and humane philosophy in this story also dictates in a style of leading by example that one should first take care of one's family before catering to a wider community to ultimately arrive at some greater good for all.
Maybe we all just need some of Confucius' wisdom ..... and pacience.
The father/family head is dedicated every day to avoid illness entering his home and thus secure health, stability and progress. The father is known and his daily contribution respected within the family and maybe a couple of neighbours.
The doctor of a village will regularly attend to the population to avoid deseases from worsening or spreading and his work is known and appreciated throughout the village.
A surgeon rushes to life or death situations and his interventions are renowned throughout an entire nation.
This was in ancient China where news could travel only as fast as a horsemen's thrive. Confucius could not have predicted mass newspapers, television and thus also not youtubes and facebooks, but the idea still persists with most infamous people and places not seeking fame nor reward for their doings. After all 1 billion registrants or subscribers, means at least 6 billion are not.
Throughout his lifetime Confucius will certainly not have been able to imagine a woman to represent any of these functions.
Although many people and especially those citizens in currently foreign financially aided or assisted countries may think of Angela Merkel as the imprudent physician who in an annoyingly surgical manner operates into countries most intimate vasculature I would have to hand it to her.
Whereas I understand the frustration of populations in Greece, Ireland, Spain and the like, Angela Merkel is possibly the only politician in Europe these days who holds onto the priorities and promises she committed to, insofar could be foreseen, before her electorate. First the state budgets of each of the 16 bundeslanden, then the national finance plan for Germany and only then the ties to the 27 European Union Member States, among which the countries that share the same currency.
After all, Confucius' down to earth and humane philosophy in this story also dictates in a style of leading by example that one should first take care of one's family before catering to a wider community to ultimately arrive at some greater good for all.
Maybe we all just need some of Confucius' wisdom ..... and pacience.
2012-06-27
Radio Ga-Ga
As a child it puzzled me why my father demanded abrupt silence in the living room when the evening news commenced, while he would simultaneously and often severly be the only one to break that same silence commenting the reporting of events on the television set, similar to how many people experience watching sports matches with intermittent states of excitement, disturbence or plain bordom.
I guess me and my sisters would more closely watch my father than the men in grey suits parling about matters of no influence on our toys and homework.
Occassionally I find myself requiring the same from my children today, and I am equipped with an one click instant recording and search and find favorites button on a multi connectable mobile phone.
Europe had delayed access to progress of television broadcasting due to the interference of world war II and as a young boy my father's family will have circled around a hidden radio to take note of the failed operations of Allied forces to cross the Rhine before winter, leaving millions of people cut off from any supplies whatsoever until the following spring.
My father was born in the intial years of the great depression and I do not think he really had a notion of what was happening in the world at a time, or rather how different the general state of the world was only a couple of years before the then economic collapse. Why should he?
As a student and eventually a professional my father will have seen Europe in apparent endless reconstruction, re-affirming its place in world politics and economics, even consciously abandoning significant industrial manufacturing to the benefit of less developed countries. My sisters and me knew no better than the next day being always better than the day before.
He was a strong believer of economic integration, multilateral cutting of red tape and barriers to free trade and movement of commodities and people. But, he was simultaneously very against any concession of sovereignty or political union.
I can imagine my father's sharp irony on the wave of declarations and proposals originating from or intermediated by Brussels in the last few years taking up too much antenna time and filling one hole with the other. I do not think he misses that, but I do miss him.
I guess me and my sisters would more closely watch my father than the men in grey suits parling about matters of no influence on our toys and homework.
Occassionally I find myself requiring the same from my children today, and I am equipped with an one click instant recording and search and find favorites button on a multi connectable mobile phone.
Europe had delayed access to progress of television broadcasting due to the interference of world war II and as a young boy my father's family will have circled around a hidden radio to take note of the failed operations of Allied forces to cross the Rhine before winter, leaving millions of people cut off from any supplies whatsoever until the following spring.
My father was born in the intial years of the great depression and I do not think he really had a notion of what was happening in the world at a time, or rather how different the general state of the world was only a couple of years before the then economic collapse. Why should he?
As a student and eventually a professional my father will have seen Europe in apparent endless reconstruction, re-affirming its place in world politics and economics, even consciously abandoning significant industrial manufacturing to the benefit of less developed countries. My sisters and me knew no better than the next day being always better than the day before.
He was a strong believer of economic integration, multilateral cutting of red tape and barriers to free trade and movement of commodities and people. But, he was simultaneously very against any concession of sovereignty or political union.
I can imagine my father's sharp irony on the wave of declarations and proposals originating from or intermediated by Brussels in the last few years taking up too much antenna time and filling one hole with the other. I do not think he misses that, but I do miss him.
2012-06-26
The perfect storm
This Sunday was a wonderfully sunny day in Portugal. For a large part of the population, the ideal day for a getaway into nature. The kind of day that, should there have been some sort of country wide political election, abstention levels may very well have reached another record.
On this same day, the entire government joined in meeting to commemorate and performance review the completion of the first year of its mandate.
From day 1 this government has sought - and reasonably succeeded - to portray a business management style of governance, lean and mean, in constant search of demonstrating KPI's to very nervous stakeholders at home and abroad. Sceptical critics will argue that this government is simply acting as a management committee executing the action plan outlined by bailout creditors a year ago, a plan that was finetuned with troika delegates in about 3 weeks on site.
By means of perspective, the the overall economic structural reform bailout package of Portugal is about 80 % of the potential size of Spain's pre-bailout foreign aided credit line destined at the banking sector only. The geographic size of Portugal is less than Castilla y Leon, the economy's GDP nearly the same as Catalunya's, the population about equal to the residents and commuters of Madrid and Barcelona together. Portugal's goverment's fiercest regional struggle is with the individual populist governor of Madeira. Spain has the Basque country to deal with.
Maybe more than a decade ago, I heard a reknown Portuguese political commentator in a room filled with foreign businessmen mention that the Portuguese people are very easy to govern. A fact is that the near absence of protest in contrast to other countries in recent times has been international news.
Within one year this government has looked at more sensitive and structural issues than any other before, drafting packages intended to stimulate employment mobility, competition, swifter justice while simultaneously search for foreign investours and export markets for anything from wind energy to pastry. This on top of initial measures of salary cuts and tax increases.
Whereas Greece's need for bailout is explained by cheating of Eurozone convergence data, Ireland's by excessive confidence of its banks, for Portugal the exact causes are found in a long and wide variety of overspending and productivity gaps that have been fairly visible for quite some time.
The main issue on this Sunday's agenda will have been the unprojected and possibly unexpected downturn in corporate earnings and private consumption to the extent that the principal KPI regarding the deficit target at FY-end will not be met.
The troika memorandum is based on what a government can do.
It would appear that the Portuguese government overestimated its role as a mere agent in the country wide needed reforms, or maybe private producers and consumers underestimate their place in this endeavour. Either perspective is not new, at all. Any business or action plan, in order to succeed, needs alignment of the key players. Also not new.
Stormy wheather ahead.
On this same day, the entire government joined in meeting to commemorate and performance review the completion of the first year of its mandate.
From day 1 this government has sought - and reasonably succeeded - to portray a business management style of governance, lean and mean, in constant search of demonstrating KPI's to very nervous stakeholders at home and abroad. Sceptical critics will argue that this government is simply acting as a management committee executing the action plan outlined by bailout creditors a year ago, a plan that was finetuned with troika delegates in about 3 weeks on site.
By means of perspective, the the overall economic structural reform bailout package of Portugal is about 80 % of the potential size of Spain's pre-bailout foreign aided credit line destined at the banking sector only. The geographic size of Portugal is less than Castilla y Leon, the economy's GDP nearly the same as Catalunya's, the population about equal to the residents and commuters of Madrid and Barcelona together. Portugal's goverment's fiercest regional struggle is with the individual populist governor of Madeira. Spain has the Basque country to deal with.
Maybe more than a decade ago, I heard a reknown Portuguese political commentator in a room filled with foreign businessmen mention that the Portuguese people are very easy to govern. A fact is that the near absence of protest in contrast to other countries in recent times has been international news.
Within one year this government has looked at more sensitive and structural issues than any other before, drafting packages intended to stimulate employment mobility, competition, swifter justice while simultaneously search for foreign investours and export markets for anything from wind energy to pastry. This on top of initial measures of salary cuts and tax increases.
Whereas Greece's need for bailout is explained by cheating of Eurozone convergence data, Ireland's by excessive confidence of its banks, for Portugal the exact causes are found in a long and wide variety of overspending and productivity gaps that have been fairly visible for quite some time.
The main issue on this Sunday's agenda will have been the unprojected and possibly unexpected downturn in corporate earnings and private consumption to the extent that the principal KPI regarding the deficit target at FY-end will not be met.
The troika memorandum is based on what a government can do.
It would appear that the Portuguese government overestimated its role as a mere agent in the country wide needed reforms, or maybe private producers and consumers underestimate their place in this endeavour. Either perspective is not new, at all. Any business or action plan, in order to succeed, needs alignment of the key players. Also not new.
Stormy wheather ahead.
2012-06-23
Pandora's oasis
If you travel over the roads in Cyprus, the bright green hockey field of the UK air field base near Limassol stands out like an oasis amongst the general dry landscape. A few years ago there was talk of the UK withdrawing its airforce in face of a tight national budget. I wonder if it has been nations budgetting issues that will make the UK decide it better stay put.
Cyprus' search for financial rescue since 2011 has hardly been noticed in world news in the midst of the Egyptian and Greek revolts, Turkish-Israelian diplomatic tensions, not to mention outright wars in Libia and Syria, all within a 700 km radius.
In similar vein, Cyprus' acession to the European Union was overshadowed by the political and private investment celebrations in the west of the simultanous EU entry of some significant former Soviet bloc countries. How interesting is it that most foreign direct investment into Russia and Russian outword investement into the EU is routing through Cyprus.
Now Cyprus - logically highly exposed to the Greek economy and financial sector - is wondering whether to get it's needed bailout from Russia or the fellow Euro group members and it would seem that the pro's and con's of a Russian no formal questions asked financial guarantee, outfavour the EU's Germany flavoured structural reorganization demands. Consequently Russia will be able to offer a lower interest rate.
In case any one hasn't noticed, at the end of this month Denmark will pass on the chair and agenda of the EU presidency to Cyprus.
Cyprus' search for financial rescue since 2011 has hardly been noticed in world news in the midst of the Egyptian and Greek revolts, Turkish-Israelian diplomatic tensions, not to mention outright wars in Libia and Syria, all within a 700 km radius.
In similar vein, Cyprus' acession to the European Union was overshadowed by the political and private investment celebrations in the west of the simultanous EU entry of some significant former Soviet bloc countries. How interesting is it that most foreign direct investment into Russia and Russian outword investement into the EU is routing through Cyprus.
Now Cyprus - logically highly exposed to the Greek economy and financial sector - is wondering whether to get it's needed bailout from Russia or the fellow Euro group members and it would seem that the pro's and con's of a Russian no formal questions asked financial guarantee, outfavour the EU's Germany flavoured structural reorganization demands. Consequently Russia will be able to offer a lower interest rate.
In case any one hasn't noticed, at the end of this month Denmark will pass on the chair and agenda of the EU presidency to Cyprus.
2012-06-22
20+20=60 or 10 ?
Agenda 21, Rio+20, G20, G77, G132..... As an ordinary (world) citizen I get confused, not very different from when I watch television commercials promising powered up formulas of an already existing product to solve the same old hurdle. What is exactly new and will the renewed composition work better and if it does why does it only pop up now ? Should I stop confining the now old version ?
With the exception of the coordination between the organizers of the now annual event of the 20 largest economies and the once in a decade conference on what has been modernised from environmental green to sustainable development, who have managed to mitigate fuel and travel cost expenditures in troubled times, I miss a practical overlapse of the agendas in both venues.
I believe I am an average motivated recycler with a proudly self installed IKEA set of separation bins which I hope everyone at home employs. We accept paying a little more for consumables and materials that state they are better for the environment. We give to the poor but frankly only insofar we come across them. Gradually I try to transpire the purpose to my children. That is about it as far as my day-to-day actions for a more sustainable world is concerned. I cannot help wondering frequently how insignificant these contributions are and them promise myself to do more, one day.
I do however spend a lot time and energy in seeking short and long term effeciency and synergy in my work, for myself and the people I work with, in and out of the office so that everyone can concentrate on their own contributive production specific to their job and interest, within a cultivated logic of sustainability and I truly believe that is where we can and should all make a difference, whether in our business or personal community.
That is what I missed in this week's wordly events. In one place, world political leaders with their top financial delegates seek to govern and budget for growth, employment, production, financial regulations and yes the word "green" showed up somewhere, while 8000 kms southwards enormous numbers of delegates do not get much further than wording an update of common concerns intranslatable into actions due to a lack of governance and budget.
I get even more confused if the main reason for the absence of any (funding of) actions at Rio+20 is a conflict between the original G77 (developing) countries and the original G7 largest economies as they were measured 20 years ago.
The G77 is G132 today and the G7 is thus now G20. A third of G20 members are also part of the founding G77 countries, which basically means that in what concerns world economic growth decisions they are part of the top 20 but when it come to sustainable development they fall back to still being a developing country.
So if it takes 20 years for 7 developing countries to take a seat at the large economy forum, 357 years from now we will have a first and single G132 perfectly integrated world economic sustainable development conference. I wonder on which planet though.
With the exception of the coordination between the organizers of the now annual event of the 20 largest economies and the once in a decade conference on what has been modernised from environmental green to sustainable development, who have managed to mitigate fuel and travel cost expenditures in troubled times, I miss a practical overlapse of the agendas in both venues.
I believe I am an average motivated recycler with a proudly self installed IKEA set of separation bins which I hope everyone at home employs. We accept paying a little more for consumables and materials that state they are better for the environment. We give to the poor but frankly only insofar we come across them. Gradually I try to transpire the purpose to my children. That is about it as far as my day-to-day actions for a more sustainable world is concerned. I cannot help wondering frequently how insignificant these contributions are and them promise myself to do more, one day.
I do however spend a lot time and energy in seeking short and long term effeciency and synergy in my work, for myself and the people I work with, in and out of the office so that everyone can concentrate on their own contributive production specific to their job and interest, within a cultivated logic of sustainability and I truly believe that is where we can and should all make a difference, whether in our business or personal community.
That is what I missed in this week's wordly events. In one place, world political leaders with their top financial delegates seek to govern and budget for growth, employment, production, financial regulations and yes the word "green" showed up somewhere, while 8000 kms southwards enormous numbers of delegates do not get much further than wording an update of common concerns intranslatable into actions due to a lack of governance and budget.
I get even more confused if the main reason for the absence of any (funding of) actions at Rio+20 is a conflict between the original G77 (developing) countries and the original G7 largest economies as they were measured 20 years ago.
The G77 is G132 today and the G7 is thus now G20. A third of G20 members are also part of the founding G77 countries, which basically means that in what concerns world economic growth decisions they are part of the top 20 but when it come to sustainable development they fall back to still being a developing country.
So if it takes 20 years for 7 developing countries to take a seat at the large economy forum, 357 years from now we will have a first and single G132 perfectly integrated world economic sustainable development conference. I wonder on which planet though.
2012-06-16
The ballot is round too (two)
So in the early evening (GMT+0) this Sunday millions of people in Europe and beyond will nervously crowd in front of televisions in order to grasp some first hand insights, followed by close minute-to-minute monitoring of decisive moments for the future of the Euro.
What's considered the toughest group phase in recent football history has come down to two decisive matches wherein any team can still fall out or get through.
Maybe, in between the first and second half of the matches, some tv stations will flash the first projections of the Greek elections to then revert to the detailed commentary of sports analists on what we are up agains for the next 45 minutes of sports entertainment.
In both the football and the politcal arena, hundreds of millions of €uros are at stake. Apparently the UEFA can expect to receive about € 50 million in sponsoring and tv broadcasting rights for each of the tournament's 31 matches, most of which will go to national football federations and private clubs for the "borrowing" of players to their national teams.
Quite a few players this Sunday and throughout the tournament, earn per day what only a minority of the Greek population gets paid for an entire year of employment.
Except for the Irish, the losing teams in the first round will be confronted, upon their return home, with some fierce public debate on the justifiability of expensive show off life styles in view of their social effectiveness.
The Greek team will likely play its last match in the Euro 2012 today. I wonder which practical arrangements Greece and UEFA managed to make in order to allow the national team to cast their vote. I wonder if it occurred to players what the effect on abstention levels in their country would be if they would drag a television crew along with them standing in line among commoners to shoot their ballots. While we are at it, I wonder what the effects for overall appreciation of European political leaders would be if they would show up in shorts, try shooting a couple of balls, maybe elbow some political opponents, sweat a bit .....
Who knows, may be we will discover some natural talent. Spartacus did.
What's considered the toughest group phase in recent football history has come down to two decisive matches wherein any team can still fall out or get through.
Maybe, in between the first and second half of the matches, some tv stations will flash the first projections of the Greek elections to then revert to the detailed commentary of sports analists on what we are up agains for the next 45 minutes of sports entertainment.
In both the football and the politcal arena, hundreds of millions of €uros are at stake. Apparently the UEFA can expect to receive about € 50 million in sponsoring and tv broadcasting rights for each of the tournament's 31 matches, most of which will go to national football federations and private clubs for the "borrowing" of players to their national teams.
Quite a few players this Sunday and throughout the tournament, earn per day what only a minority of the Greek population gets paid for an entire year of employment.
Except for the Irish, the losing teams in the first round will be confronted, upon their return home, with some fierce public debate on the justifiability of expensive show off life styles in view of their social effectiveness.
The Greek team will likely play its last match in the Euro 2012 today. I wonder which practical arrangements Greece and UEFA managed to make in order to allow the national team to cast their vote. I wonder if it occurred to players what the effect on abstention levels in their country would be if they would drag a television crew along with them standing in line among commoners to shoot their ballots. While we are at it, I wonder what the effects for overall appreciation of European political leaders would be if they would show up in shorts, try shooting a couple of balls, maybe elbow some political opponents, sweat a bit .....
Who knows, may be we will discover some natural talent. Spartacus did.
2012-06-15
Justified laziness ?
At the beginning of this 21st century, through immigration and increased wealth in the Middle and Near East, the then not yet officially troubled western economies came to be more acquainted to the differences practiced by traditional banks from the Islamic world. The most exquisite aspect western investours identified and are still struggling with in Islamic banking and finance, is the avoidance of charging interest.
As far I understand Sharia law basically looks to allow a return on the provision of monies over time only if there is an investment / ownership participation in property but by no means would the outright surrendering of money allow additional money to be earned off the borrower, i.e. the charging of interest.
The Jewish society for long has had similar prohibitions with the particular difference that the Tanakh does allow interest charges but only to non-Jews.
In Europe, throughout most of the centuries where there was a significant rule of the Roman Catholic church, the doctrine on interest charges is less black and white but both opponents and supporters of interest earnings appear to agree that the collection of interest is generally associated to certain degrees of exploitation, abuse and a thus a cause of conflict between rich and poor.
Traditionally the christian logic should be that the return for the provision of a loan to those in need would simply be repaid in gratitude. Within the same line of thinking, the desire of lenders to claim interest would generally be perceived as immoral, unproductive, almost lazy.
This however was Europe in the middle ages. Today, those who are in need of borrowing are seen by some material lenders as the immoral and unproductive lazy ones.
I guess it all comes down to the true intentions of the borrower.
As far I understand Sharia law basically looks to allow a return on the provision of monies over time only if there is an investment / ownership participation in property but by no means would the outright surrendering of money allow additional money to be earned off the borrower, i.e. the charging of interest.
The Jewish society for long has had similar prohibitions with the particular difference that the Tanakh does allow interest charges but only to non-Jews.
In Europe, throughout most of the centuries where there was a significant rule of the Roman Catholic church, the doctrine on interest charges is less black and white but both opponents and supporters of interest earnings appear to agree that the collection of interest is generally associated to certain degrees of exploitation, abuse and a thus a cause of conflict between rich and poor.
Traditionally the christian logic should be that the return for the provision of a loan to those in need would simply be repaid in gratitude. Within the same line of thinking, the desire of lenders to claim interest would generally be perceived as immoral, unproductive, almost lazy.
This however was Europe in the middle ages. Today, those who are in need of borrowing are seen by some material lenders as the immoral and unproductive lazy ones.
I guess it all comes down to the true intentions of the borrower.
2012-06-13
the ball is round
Today, while teams of the Germany and Netherlands national football federations warm up for what self proclaimed critics call an early final in the Euro 2012 championship, according to specialists in a totally unrelated field both countries are on the verge of losing their AAA credibility status.
Especially in the traditionally developed countries people generally tend to claim that a football tournament amongst national teams is just another sport event and no connection lies or should be sought between the representing nations historic conflicts.
Apparently clashes between football fans of Poland and Russia had a historical taste to them and whether we will youtube more acts of violence or not, let there be no doubt that there are millons of chats, jokes, wordplays shifting to more serious and even healthy discussions going around as football teams group on sportsfields surrounded by equally coloured fans.
None of the participating countries in the Euro 2012 are at war with one another. Then again, all of the participating countries are going through some form of economic recession (technically or not) to the extent it affects their general population.
I believe people - in general - have become wiser over time. I also share the opinion of many that politicians - in general - are lacking an ability to adjust strategies and team up their nations to score points.
The ball is round and economies are in vicious circles. Of course there is a connection.
Especially in the traditionally developed countries people generally tend to claim that a football tournament amongst national teams is just another sport event and no connection lies or should be sought between the representing nations historic conflicts.
Apparently clashes between football fans of Poland and Russia had a historical taste to them and whether we will youtube more acts of violence or not, let there be no doubt that there are millons of chats, jokes, wordplays shifting to more serious and even healthy discussions going around as football teams group on sportsfields surrounded by equally coloured fans.
None of the participating countries in the Euro 2012 are at war with one another. Then again, all of the participating countries are going through some form of economic recession (technically or not) to the extent it affects their general population.
I believe people - in general - have become wiser over time. I also share the opinion of many that politicians - in general - are lacking an ability to adjust strategies and team up their nations to score points.
The ball is round and economies are in vicious circles. Of course there is a connection.
2012-06-11
Too trendy terminology
For whichever reason, in southern European countries it is simply not as common as in many northern European and other countries, among which the United States, to attribute more popular or easy recognisable terminology to law packages or otherwise legal arrangements.
So when in the eye of the world's press and financial analysists, Spain avoids the term "rescate" as the closest of translations of a what the world has come accustomed to as "bail-out", this may very well be because it is not - legally - exactly that.
Bail is an equally old term, throughout most of history associated with criminal offences and still used as such today by most common law jurisdicitons, pretty much those Anglo-Saxon countries where loud voices now insist on Spain having sollicited a "bail-out" independently of how Spain would want to circumscribe its formal application . There is no question that most of the world has embraced English as the dominant language in finance today but I sense some exaggeration in the slang being thrown around, not so very different from the evolving manner wherein obnoxious teenagers exchange text messages with one another .... dudes.
The reverse also happens. When Portugal took note of rating agencies' attibution of near "junk" level, the population revolted by collecting and mailing garbish to the head offices of those agencies, on the simple basis of the insult taken that a country's (financial) status had been downgraded to what was translatable to "lixo", not exactly the definition Michael Milken had in mind for high yield debt issuers.
History, a language, a legal system are components of what make up a society or nation even and the cross border mix of them is what makes the world such an interesting place, all the more reason to take particular care in their reading.
So when in the eye of the world's press and financial analysists, Spain avoids the term "rescate" as the closest of translations of a what the world has come accustomed to as "bail-out", this may very well be because it is not - legally - exactly that.
Bail is an equally old term, throughout most of history associated with criminal offences and still used as such today by most common law jurisdicitons, pretty much those Anglo-Saxon countries where loud voices now insist on Spain having sollicited a "bail-out" independently of how Spain would want to circumscribe its formal application . There is no question that most of the world has embraced English as the dominant language in finance today but I sense some exaggeration in the slang being thrown around, not so very different from the evolving manner wherein obnoxious teenagers exchange text messages with one another .... dudes.
The reverse also happens. When Portugal took note of rating agencies' attibution of near "junk" level, the population revolted by collecting and mailing garbish to the head offices of those agencies, on the simple basis of the insult taken that a country's (financial) status had been downgraded to what was translatable to "lixo", not exactly the definition Michael Milken had in mind for high yield debt issuers.
History, a language, a legal system are components of what make up a society or nation even and the cross border mix of them is what makes the world such an interesting place, all the more reason to take particular care in their reading.
2012-06-05
anno 2012
So after the financial analists, investors, economists, diplomats and portions of old and new politicians, the time has now come for the historians to take the stage and explain the world's present dispair.
Insofar sovereign countries represent nations I see justice in the wording "tell me where you come from and I'll tell you where you are going". For leaner and meaner individual cases of private persons or businesses this is not necessarily so, as it should be.
The Economist hit it right on when - about a year ago - it drew a straight comparison between the political (and popular) struggle in Belgium with the "relationship" Germany-Greece. If in a small developed and relatively young country like Belgium - the federation of Vlaanderen and the federation of Wallonie can hardly find sufficient common grounds to form a government with a plan, how on earth will Germany and Greece ever reach a mutual beneficial implementable understanding, reasonably backed up by their population ?
At the same time, many analists sought to argue that either Greece or Germany would eventually have to abandon the Euro, by the way. I guess we will find out soon enough.
The fact that we are now digging into more detail of what preceded the financial and then social-economic depression in 1929, shows a common need for a more solid explanation for the present equally common mea culpa state of mind in what we tradtionally refer to as developed countries.
The bad or sad news is that we are getting accustomed to the thought of for how long we will see the effects of the current crisis. The goods news is that we are getting to the roots of causes. The question remains as to how we will act upon arriving at some sort of conclusion.
Insofar sovereign countries represent nations I see justice in the wording "tell me where you come from and I'll tell you where you are going". For leaner and meaner individual cases of private persons or businesses this is not necessarily so, as it should be.
The Economist hit it right on when - about a year ago - it drew a straight comparison between the political (and popular) struggle in Belgium with the "relationship" Germany-Greece. If in a small developed and relatively young country like Belgium - the federation of Vlaanderen and the federation of Wallonie can hardly find sufficient common grounds to form a government with a plan, how on earth will Germany and Greece ever reach a mutual beneficial implementable understanding, reasonably backed up by their population ?
At the same time, many analists sought to argue that either Greece or Germany would eventually have to abandon the Euro, by the way. I guess we will find out soon enough.
The fact that we are now digging into more detail of what preceded the financial and then social-economic depression in 1929, shows a common need for a more solid explanation for the present equally common mea culpa state of mind in what we tradtionally refer to as developed countries.
The bad or sad news is that we are getting accustomed to the thought of for how long we will see the effects of the current crisis. The goods news is that we are getting to the roots of causes. The question remains as to how we will act upon arriving at some sort of conclusion.
2012-05-31
One minute reprimand
It occurred to me whether the outrage engined out of Greece over Cristine Lagarde's statements this week was merely coincidental to the country's current political vacuum with no other perceived wrongdo-ers to target. I think it was.
The type and tone in cascating popular reactions shows how one an international institution like the IMF is commencing to integrate into member countries, becoming part of the local civil society (and this in substitution of local national leaders).
It is a sign that people are starting to accept the inevitable presence of the IMF, in one way or the other, impacting day-to-day life, going forward. Basically the Greek are starting to treat Cristine Lagarde as one of their own and that does imply that occasional harsh institutional statements trigger personal mud throwing. I suppose the various local election runners are grateful for the deviation.
When I was a student, the IMF and the World Bank were clear landmarks of the developed world, active only amongst populations in the developing world. A nice and clear geographical divide and any outrages from one or the other head of a developing African state on forms of neocolonist attitudes were easily set aside for the greater good of lifting a country's population out of their misery.
Cristine Lagarde did state a week earlier, when most of the world was inclining to give up on an ungovernable Greece, that the IMF was open to listen to ideas on how to do a more effective job. It is not out of place or time to remind people in Greece, nor the many around the world that seek immediate solidarity, where the IMF really comes from and - unfortunately - still has a lot of work to do.
While the IMF's active role in politics in a traditionally more developed world is becoming part of daily life, do we really want its leaders to also wonder and ponder the politically correct declarations we think we want to hear ?
The type and tone in cascating popular reactions shows how one an international institution like the IMF is commencing to integrate into member countries, becoming part of the local civil society (and this in substitution of local national leaders).
It is a sign that people are starting to accept the inevitable presence of the IMF, in one way or the other, impacting day-to-day life, going forward. Basically the Greek are starting to treat Cristine Lagarde as one of their own and that does imply that occasional harsh institutional statements trigger personal mud throwing. I suppose the various local election runners are grateful for the deviation.
When I was a student, the IMF and the World Bank were clear landmarks of the developed world, active only amongst populations in the developing world. A nice and clear geographical divide and any outrages from one or the other head of a developing African state on forms of neocolonist attitudes were easily set aside for the greater good of lifting a country's population out of their misery.
Cristine Lagarde did state a week earlier, when most of the world was inclining to give up on an ungovernable Greece, that the IMF was open to listen to ideas on how to do a more effective job. It is not out of place or time to remind people in Greece, nor the many around the world that seek immediate solidarity, where the IMF really comes from and - unfortunately - still has a lot of work to do.
While the IMF's active role in politics in a traditionally more developed world is becoming part of daily life, do we really want its leaders to also wonder and ponder the politically correct declarations we think we want to hear ?
2012-05-29
Conscious abstention
What shocked me most in the results of the Greek elections in May 2012, was not the vote political parties with more radical philosophies managed to obtain. In that respect, Greece showed not to be an exception from other troubled European democracies.
Hardshift triggers protest and even those people who managed to detect and seriously think about some concrete intentions or measures in the election programmes of the various political parties in Greece, will have at least considered whether the time had come for more radical measures.
Frankly , I also doubt how surprised really Europe's political leaders said they were with these election results, after they so urgently sought to convince the then Greek prime minister in November 2011 not to seek a referendum pretty much on the same key issues.
What suprised me was an abstention of over 35 %.
We have got used to high abstention rates in most individual European countries, not to mention the enormous absence of voters in elections for the European Parliament (57% in 2009). At such rates, I would have to agree with those analists that claim all political parties are loosers.
However, I would have thought that for the Greek electorate this time would be different, a unique moment in recent history where placing a vote would matter, even if it serves for one's own conscious possibly with very little else to hold onto.
An urgent lesson for any politician ?
Hardshift triggers protest and even those people who managed to detect and seriously think about some concrete intentions or measures in the election programmes of the various political parties in Greece, will have at least considered whether the time had come for more radical measures.
Frankly , I also doubt how surprised really Europe's political leaders said they were with these election results, after they so urgently sought to convince the then Greek prime minister in November 2011 not to seek a referendum pretty much on the same key issues.
What suprised me was an abstention of over 35 %.
We have got used to high abstention rates in most individual European countries, not to mention the enormous absence of voters in elections for the European Parliament (57% in 2009). At such rates, I would have to agree with those analists that claim all political parties are loosers.
However, I would have thought that for the Greek electorate this time would be different, a unique moment in recent history where placing a vote would matter, even if it serves for one's own conscious possibly with very little else to hold onto.
An urgent lesson for any politician ?
2012-05-28
Politicians are human. Human beings in fact. They sleep, eat and drink, take showers, get dressed, every day. Most of them live in ordinary homes and have family and friends to simply converse, laugh and cry with. Many will even play with their children, cook dinner, watch tv, read a book, visit local cafés and stores.
And then, of course, they will go to work pretty much every day, which is when the commoners cross paths with them, whether in traffic, an occasional gathering, but certainly via media, especially at present times.
So what is the difference - if any - between politicians and commoners ?
I like to revisit straighforward words in wikipedia and as such remembered that politician comes from the word "polis", a Greek word, interestingly enough.
A politician is a human being involved in influencing public policy and decison making. It stroke me as interesting that wikipedia's definition, which I accept in full, hints that the pursue of a position in politics can be by any means including a coup d'etat, electoral fraud, conquest and thus not necessarly by election. Another enlightning angle is that the exercise of politics does not imply governance through public office, but could also be conducted through corporations and other self-ruling entities.
And then, of course, they will go to work pretty much every day, which is when the commoners cross paths with them, whether in traffic, an occasional gathering, but certainly via media, especially at present times.
So what is the difference - if any - between politicians and commoners ?
I like to revisit straighforward words in wikipedia and as such remembered that politician comes from the word "polis", a Greek word, interestingly enough.
A politician is a human being involved in influencing public policy and decison making. It stroke me as interesting that wikipedia's definition, which I accept in full, hints that the pursue of a position in politics can be by any means including a coup d'etat, electoral fraud, conquest and thus not necessarly by election. Another enlightning angle is that the exercise of politics does not imply governance through public office, but could also be conducted through corporations and other self-ruling entities.
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