Xmas is coming….An optimistic article

Dear all,

I have promised to write something optimistic in the spirit of Xmas. This year financial crisis would keep us more at home, with friends and family, watching DVD’s or TV and listening to more music. I suggest that all of you keep up with home parties and take advantage of every possible chance for entertainment. But i would like to share my predictions for 2009 with you. I will not complaint or play Kassandra’s role in an ancient tragedy. The opposite : I will highlight all the possible positive things for you.

Next year wil be amazing and positive. Why?

1) Obama, Brown and other world leaders, will find the sollution to boost economy, to improve environment through a new Green Agreement and will eliminate poverty and conflicts. Our PASOK leader George Papandreou will shift politics of the country and lead us to a new era of prosperity and peace.

2) Multinationals will distribute further global wealth and will apply a new code of ethics, based on the principle of limit profits in favour of social investment and better paid employment.

3) Microsoft and Google will take the decision to distribute for free hardware and software to all people IT illiterate in order to secure access to knowledge to all humans on earth on equal basis. Also will donate significant amounts to open source communities and as a result software will be distributed freely to all communities with limited financial sources.

4) Cinema and arts will gain more financial support globally. A new century of cultural production will begin with more people creating and producing their work, without financial burdens and expensive PR experts. Radio and Internet will be again the main media for information and knowledge distribution.

5) In 2009′s  world, Al Queida fighters will give up their weapons and will support an everlasting peace that was never experienced before by our planet. Democratic regimes with total respect of woman and human rights will emerge globally and the most important: without even a bullet to be shot.

6) In a sudden move, International Olympic Federation and all high level athletes would decide to eliminate doping from sports and sponsors will link their finance to develop massive programs of sports than to finance expensive PR events. A new era of sport’s industry would start based on people’s joy for sports and not to Media and Multinational’s interests.

7) In another sudden move big players in food industry would sign an agreement on consumer protection and “chemical clean” production. They would finance a huge restructuring program of farming and land cultivation, securing a bright nutritional future for all of us.

8) EU Commission decides to declare Europe as a Green area. So in a period of 5 years : all cars must have hybridic engines, stricter urban planning, massive housing projects for poor parts of population and every citizen must have equal and free access to education in all levels (academic institutions included…)

9) Governments will decide to pass to a different democratic system. Will pass more responsibilities and participatory mechanisms to society. Public information would be equally accessed by everyone in combination with point (3). Corruption will disappear because the new world would not need weapons or armies. All those military structures would be given to societies and huge numbers of employment would be created for recycling the useless weaponry. Automatically funds will be distributed to researchers and new scientists to draw teh new peaceful world. Human sciencies and health research would be really boosted. Pharmaceutical companies would offer medicines to eliminate diseases and to face new ones. Costs would be so low that countries in africa would be relieved by HIV or other killing agents…

10) My son will finish University on time, my friend Marcella will have a major success on her work and my other friend Sabina would be a world champion (i dont give last names…they know for what i’m talking about). My mother will be relieved by diabetes and I will get married again HAPILLY!!! All my other friends would be happy with their lives, breaking their current isolation, showing understanding to each other and never fight again.

If i was writing to Santa Clause that would be my letter….mor or less!!!

Happy Xmas to all.

Short News on environment and health- 10/10/08

A new regulation was issued on Sept 1st 2008, defining the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) on food. EU Commission states that increases food safety through harmonization of maximum levels, but Pesticide Action Network in Europe disagrees. Why? Because EU took the worse limits in the worse state and harmonize the others… They have started a campaign in order to make EU Commission to think again!!

“Experts estimate that by 2050 some 200 million people will be displaced by environmental problems, a number of people roughly equal to two-thirds of the United States today” says  U.N. University`s Institute on the Environment and Human Security in Bonn, Germany. That creates a major challenge for the global migration movement and urbanization as a phenomenon. Read the article by ANTARA news here.

See the UK partly success in health targets announced Oct 7th 2008. Deaths by cancer, heart diseases, stroke and suicides cut down according to country’s health plan. On the other hand deaths by accidents are not falling down (most probably the opposite will raise), even the investment on road safety and car industry’s improvements. Read Independent on that.

Health Day presents a study that demonstrates the useful moderate drinking of red wine. Red wine against lung cancer, even for smokers. This doesnt mean that you have to continue smoking, but moderate consumption of red wine produces antioxidants to the blood imrpoving lung’s situation.

Discover Magazine presents an excellent story : the first City that would be oil-independent is in United Arab Emirates. Is called East Masdar, is constructed now and attached to Abu Dhabi Airport. This City would be carbon-neutral, zero-waste. And most important of all, would not have cars consuming gasoline…..

A question towards EU Parliament and Commission….

At the same time that EU Governments are guaranteeing loans of banks, nationalizing banks and contributing cash to stock markets,

At the same time that you are discussing enormous amounts in European Central Bank to support capital markets with tax payers money, with zero transparency on those decisions,

You are addressing Olympic Airlines, the state air carrier of Greece, as a violator of EU’s competition legislative framework, on the basis that Greek State financed company’s debts to the Banks that you are nationalizing…

So what exactly you are telling to EU tax payers and Greek tax payers? That you could finance illegally on your discreet, any entity you think is important and that small states of EU must follow strict rules in the opposite direction?

That emergency is not applying to residents of a country, that normally have to pay more to be linked and connected with the rest of member states (on transportation costs…) and now they are in danger to remain without air transportion in reasonable prices?

And that EU is not a fair and transparent financial system, but follows the interests of big multinationals against the will of its own citizens?

Could you answer in a way to legitimize your actions over the last 3 days?

EU and Russia : new deal is needed?

The idea of this post, came by the article of Paul Gillespie, editor on foreign policy in Irish Times, under the title European Union and Russia after Georgia.

What really was tested during recent conflict in Caucasus, was the ability of a common foreign policy to come up with a sollution. The integration of Georgia as a member of European neighbourhood policy (ENP) was pushing EU to intervene and to compromise two countries enjoying a special relation with EU’s structures.

On the one hand the nessecity of a dela with Russia on energy and security issues and on the other hand the support to EU’s promises for security and prosperity to nations linked with its own institutions, passed a crash test.

My evaluation of the results is :

1. EU could play a universal role even with internal contradictions of national interests. The agreement negotiatied by Nikola Sharkozy and the success of being signed by two conflicting parties, demonstrates a more effective foreign policy by EU compare it to USA’s attitude.

2. The future of a common foreign policy of EU must be focused on soft measures rather than the hard ones. The unarmed EU observers could be far more reaching to neighbour’s hearts than the idea of a military intervention.

3. EU could negotiate more effectively in a multipolar world. Even if expresses its own opinion as an accumulation of various policies by member states, still its financial and culutral ties with certain regions makes it a valuable player in world’s stability.

4. Even if the agreement signed by Russia and Georgia has various ambiguous clauses, still legalizing EU as a credible peace maker and observer of the situation. Plus gives the upper hand to EU to demand the proof of willingness by Russia to cooperate with Europe.

I would agree with Gillespie’s opinion that this is not a new cold war. Russia is not strong enough to play this role and i think Putin’s doctrine doesnt include isolatism. Russia needs the cooperation with Europe, even if the alliances with Beijing could be an alternative, but not enough in a globalized economy. Russia still accounts for less than 7% of USA economy and less than 10% of the EU’s. In October talks between EU and Russia for a new agreement a new perspective must be demonstrated.

In my opinion two axes of policy are crucial :

a. The gradual integration within EU institution’s of Russia’s neighbours must respect a mutual security doctrine (even with partial disagreement with USA).

b. The Energy agreement must be accompanied by several measures in the benefit of institutional support to Russian Federation.

The new deal must be a win/win situation. Otherwise would not be sustainable.

This European Union is just….outdated!!!

I have just read an excellent article on Irish referendum by Ivan Krastev published in Open Democracy. Ivan is the Chair of Liberal Studies in Sofia and executive director of the International Commission on the Balkans chaired by Giuliano Amato.

His article is pointing out a fundamental crisis on European Dream as an explanation to Irish people decision: European integration and universalism is “crushing on the rising global states (China, India) and new forces (religion, nationalism)”. And according to his argument,

European elites are deciding to ignore the problem.

This is why during the last summit european leaders decide that Irish referendum is not a problem for the ratification of Lisbon Treaty.

In other words are applying the “evasion by trivialisation” strategy. That means :

1. The problem of irish vote is not political bu a problem of communication.

2. Ireland and other member states were not obliged to call for people’s vote.

Now my questions – in line with authors questions-:

1. Are europeans happy with the continuation of European integration? Because so far what EU leaders presenting as an urgent issue for Treaty’s ratification is the creation of European Common Foreign Policy and its consequence of a European Army.

2. Is still Europe a model for the rest of the world? Because till now Europe was a unique example of prosperity and social security. Is that model still on? or is already passed over by Russian, Chinese and Indian growth?

3. Accordin to author Obama’s promise is generating enthusiasm in US politics. In Europe, which of us is eagger to campaign for yes on the Treaty? Europe is facing apathy and boredom by voters. That will reflect in 2009 elections. People will not vote massively. And what makes Europe inattractive to its own citizens?

So as far as i ave understood EU is ready to repeat mistakes of the past :

No one could persuade European to embrace a non democratic dream, based on vague ideas of “common defence” (i dont really understand against who we have to fight…) or “common values” (do we need a new treaty to define them?) or “better european funds management” (which is not ready to touch farm subsidies).

We need more time to discuss and decide Europe’s common future in today’s global economy. We need more dialogue to decide a European structure against the problematic national ones. We need more dialogue towards a fair democratic system.

The current effort of treaty’s ratification is just outdated.

Ireland said NO : ASK before ENTER

On TimesOnline i have found this article. I think is a good analysis on Ireland’s NO to a future European Constitution-Treaty (or whatever other name will come along the way). But apart of all arguments within national context, the journalist David Sharrock misses the point :

“Europeans are not ready to be United. They are satisfied with Nice Treaty’s arrangements and probably they dont want common foreign policy, or High Commissioner or an elected EU Commision’s president or a common army or even a common fiscal policy (i wouldnt bet on their excitement on ECB’s political power in Frankfurt).”

I could mention varous reasons why a pan-european referrendum would fail to give “YES” a majority vote :

A global economic crisis that Europeans feel as EU beraucracy equally responsible with USA or Oil Producing Countries

The EU’s political failure on persuading tax payers on €uro’s benefits (sooner or later € will be the easy target of anti-EU movement)

Lack of patience to an expensive bureaucracy in Brussels, distancing themselves from average tax payer, suggesting “popular” ideas like the one of 65 hours’ working week and fed by expensive multinational’s lobbies.

Finally, if you try to “smuggle” consensus on such an important text, that would replace the constitutional context in each member state, demonstrates the initial failure of the deal : You have to ASK US if we like it or not…..before entering our homes!!!!

E.G. I’m in favour of the Treaty. But i’m also amazed by the fact of politicians so afraid of their own voters-citizens…This is why millions of Europeans supported the irish “NO”.

Χθες ψηφίσαμε και την νέα Ευρωπαϊκή Συνθήκη…λέτε τώρα να ζήσουμε καλύτερα;

Χθες το βράδυ αργά η ελληνική βουλή κύρωσε και την νέα Συνθήκη της Λισσαβώνας. Τελικά πάλι συνοπτικά, χωρίς καμμιά ουσιαστική συζήτηση και εν μια νυκτί αποφασίσαμε να επικυρώσουμε μια συνθήκη που είναι το Ευρωπαϊκό Σύνταγμα που “βούλιαξε” πριν απο μια πενταετία.

Και τώρα τι; Λέτε να έχουμε καλύτερη ζωή στην Ευρώπη; Η νέα συνθήκη έχει προβλέψει την ακρίβεια και το ακριβό πετρέλαιο; Θα μας βοηθήσει περισσότερο με το νέο σύστημα ψηφοφορίας για τα εθνικά μας θέματα;

Ή μήπως είναι η αρχή της Ευρώπης των 65 ωρών εργασίας; Ή μήπως είναι η Ευρώπη που θα αντιμετωπίζει με σχετικές πλειοψηφίες “ενοχλητικά” θέματα όπως το Κυπριακό; Ή από την άλλη μεριά θα δώσει λύσεις σε θέματα όπως ο γάμς μεταξύ ομοφύλων και τα σύμφωνα ελεύθερης συμβίωσης; Ή θα προστατέψει τα δικαιώματα του καταναλωτή καλύτερα;

Αν σας ρωτήσω όλους σας τι ψήφισε η ελληνική βουλή και σε σχέση με όλα αυτά που ρωτάω τι θα μου πείτε; Ακόμα και εκ των υστέρων τι καταλάβατε απο την νέα αυτή Συνθήκη;