ONE LINER 0011 - Greek Financial Crisis, Currency, and the Cold War...

The Greek financial struggle with the Euro in recent, at least 5 years, became a subject of many heated discussions in Europe and in the US.  Everybody has an expert opinion on why GREXIT (Greek exit from the Euro Zone) would be a disaster to the economies of the World. 

Greece was admitted to the Eurozone in 2001.  The discussion on the Greek chances to succeed started right away and never stopped.  Greek economy seemed a bit ‘incompatible’ with the Euro. 

I have been a long time supporter of the theory, that the week, traditional economies shouldn’t enter the Eurozone, since they (if they encounter the problem with cost of goods production) loose the ability to manipulate the value of their currency, and instead they have to respond to all the particularities of the Euro, set and enforced by the biggest and strongest economies, like Germany, France etc (*1).  And all that happens without the benefit of the Greek people.

However, this is not my argument at this moment.  Greece has been admitted to the Eurozone, and should stay there, even though in the minds of the common people in Europe, Greece is the Least Hardworking, and the Least Trustworthy country in the European Union… (*2).

Greece tries to renegotiate terms of the debt payment, as well as the new, significant loans.  International banks, exposed to the Greek debt, try to impose the harder austerity measures on the Greek nation.  This doesn’t sit well with the nation, which for years have been suffering dire straits and increasingly worsening social services.  So, on Sunday, July 5, in the country-wide referendum, Greek people rejected the farther going austerity measures.  They do not want to go out of the Eurozone, but to get new help and try to return to the normal lives, if it’s at all possible…(*3).

Both sides try to play ‘hard ball’, no one is ready to give in… and definitely Europe doesn’t want to increase the exposure to the new Greek debt. 

There is another, political aspect of this ‘game’.  In the middle of June this year, while the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras visited Russia to take part in the St. Petersburg International Investment Forum - Putin offered him financial help (*4) initially related to the prospective Russian natural gas pipeline (going through the Greece). 

Knowing the aggressive expansionist tendencies of the Russian President, already well visible in the case of the Ukraine, and Transnistria, such an offer is not without the strings attached. 

Right after the WWII, Russia sponsored a socialist revolution in Greece (*5) when the royalist government was restored by plebiscite in 1946.  It took 3 years, then, to remove the communist threat with help of the West.

Now the West (mainly the European Union) should think very carefully how to proceed in this matter. 

One thing is to loose some of the money, Greece owns to the European Countries, and other foreign banks - and completely another, is to have the Russia control Greece and this part of Mediterranean.

Greece is still a member of NATO, and if it is too Russian-friendly, it would be devastating for the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and it’s policies.

So, what’s gonna be…?

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*1 - http://www.indiana.edu/~eucenter/documents/Euro-and-Greece-Explained.pdf

*2 - http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/07/5-facts-about-greece-and-the-eu/

*3 - http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/world/europe/greek-referendum-debt-crisis-vote.html?_r=1

*4 - http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2015/06/19/greece-signs-deal-with-russia-to-build-gas-pipeline

*5 - http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/greek-civil-war-ends

ONE LINER 0010 - Immigration - love it or hate it...

It looks like no matter where we look, we are reminded that IMMIGRATION (and in fact, it’s un-controlled, illegal part) is a part of our reality, will stay a part of our reality for any foreseeable future.

We, in the States have a continuous influx of the immigrants form the Latin American countries - the influx we are completely unable to control or regulate.  Europe, especially Italy (being the closest to Africa European country), has to deal with the Africans coming there, crossing the Mediterranean on a variety of not-sea-worthy vessels, and drowning in numbers…  Australia deals with the South-Asians, who go there to better their lives and/or to study…

The countries like the USA, Canada and Australia are the countries of emigrants.  They were created for and by the Europeans who, for one reason or another were looking to start the new lives far away from where they grew up.  The reasons were completely different in the case of the USA (religious persecution in England…, and then famine…, and then wars…, and then political asylum…) and Australia (a ‘promised land’ - white country… and then wars… and then poverty…, and then political asylum…), or were they?

At the end, all developed, and politically stable countries, who enjoyed at the same time the economical booms, and prosperity, have become the destination in the dreams of all the people who’s lives were far from the economical and political stability. 

Be it a political oppression in the communist states (like USSR, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland…), or fear for survival in the war stricken countries (like former Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Albania in the 90-ties, or Syria, Iraq, Libia, Mali, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, sub-Saharan countries, in the recent years), millions of people always had a very good reason to try to escape, and, even rising their lives try to reach the ‘promised lands’.

Little they knew, that in the ‘promised lands’ no-one wanted them, and in fact, no-one cared.  Little they knew, that when the immigrants reach the point of the ‘critical mass’, the whole societies revolt against them, and their lives not only do not improve, but in some cases even worsen.

And here comes the point why I decided to write this article:

WE  ARE ALL MISTAKEN  (IN THE DEVELOPED AND STABLE COUNTRIES) - when we think about the immigration problem in the terms pertaining to our welfare, and it’s good or bad impact on our countries.  WE ARE ALL WRONG.

Also the argument on the subject of the immigration, we have in the States, starts from the wrong thesis. 

We all talk about it, the subject is one of the decisive topics of the election campaigns, and yet we start the discussion from the wrong premise.  All we hear is that the America was built on, and by the immigrants.  That is a fact.  But drawing the conclusions just from the historical references is not enough and may be completely wrong.  We used to have a slavery - and we developed understanding that it was wrong, and won’t be repeated.  We used to burn the alleged witches…, and then we grew understanding that it wasn’t right. 

We, as a society evolve, the same way as the world evolves around us.  The increasing availability of the information and the speed with which this information reaches even the most remote parts of the world is changing the people’s perception of the world.  Is it good or bad, it’s another story.  One may always argue that the ‘ignorance is bliss’.  But it doesn’t change the equation.  The ‘gene is out of the bottle’.  The world has changed and it’s changing constantly with the ever increasing speed.

We have to understand that - like nomadic tribes change location in search of the grass to feed their cattle, not caring about the artificially imposed (by the English, French or Spanish Colonialists) borders - people will always move in search of the better pasture.  It’s not something which started happening right now, it’s been always like that  (I do not want to put too much emphasis on this reference, but such an exodus was described even in the Bible).

So, we have to accept it as part of our reality.  The world is changing.  Hitler wanted the blood purity of the nation and all the people in the world knew that it was a wrong concept.  Australia until quite recently had a constitutional motto - to be a white nation.  Come-on!  Even there the concept hasn’t survived.

THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF STOPPING OR LIMITING OF THE INFLUX OF IMMIGRANTS TO THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD IS WRONG.  ANY ACTING ON IT - FUTILE.

At this point of the development of the Civilization, we simply can’t deny anybody’s right to better their lives.  The fact that someone was born in the now corrupt and dangerous, post-colonial African, or Asian country, dosn’t mean that that person has to endure the abuse for the rest of his/her life. 

And again the argument is not about our (American) roots as a immigrant country, but simply about the humanitarian effort to help those who do not have anything.  Let’s not fool ourselves, the immigration in the numbers we are experiencing, will cost a lot.  It’s not that (as the politicians try to tell you in the election campaign speeches) make us rich or even improve our lives.  But the world is decided on those who have and those who have not.  For centuries the countries who have have taken advantage of those who have not.  It’s been happening today all around the globe. 

Colonialism, and late the Economical and Technological Hegemony of the developed countries are to blame (in great degree) for the poverty, wars and political instability of the so called 3rd World.  Even the corruption (I should say ‘uncontrollable’ corruption) in these countries is the direct result of the situation we have created.

So, since WE HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE PROBLEM - WE HAVE TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.

Europe, after the Arab Spring has been dealing with the thousands of African immigrants crossing the see.  Italy is the closest to Africa European country.  Hundreds of thousands of the immigrants crossed what’s called ‘The Sicilian Canal’ trying to reach a small island of Lampedusa.  Thousands haven’t succeeded and died trying. 

Corpses were washing off the beaches of the Italy. 

It took them a long time, but finally the Government in Brussels reacted.  The military vessels monitor the open see and pick daily hundreds of the immigrants.  They are brought ashore and start their way though the system.  At this point, thanks to operation ’Triton’, people stopped drowning. 

the Mediterranean Sea has been recently named “Mare Nostrum” (in Latin “Our Sea”).  It’s the beginning - a step in the right direction. 

The next step - in my opinion - would be the creation of the World-wide refugee registry.  This kind of registry should contain all the immigrants who enter the system in any country in the World. 

It is unfair to Italy, that all the African immigrants stay and are processed in Italy.  According to the World-wide Registry, they should be distributed among all the countries in the region, who have abilities to accept the certain number of immigrants.

The most immigrant-friendly European country is without the doubt Norway.  At the beginning of 1992 the immigrant population in Norway was 183,000 persons, or 4.3 per cent of the total population. 23 years later, at the beginning of 2015, the number had risen to 815,000 persons, (or 15.6 per cent of the population).  A small country, with the best understanding of the global population trends.

We all, especially in USA, should look into the Norwegian approach (or solution) and learn.  The world is changing, and we have to be productive about it - not by building fences and using the military drones to control the borders, but by building the IMMIGRATION CENTERS to which those who really want to enter the US would go and register.  You can’t limit the immigration - but you can very well control it. 

And think about:  human trafficking is a multi-billion Dollar business.  By accepting the immigration and controlling it, you can easily defeat the trafficking business.  But it would be too logical.  It’s always easier to respond with more ‘SWAT’ teams or ‘special forces’- like border guards.  It’s business after all.

ONE LINER 0009 - America, you should know better…

I am a ‘news junkie’. 

A long time ago I realized, that taking your news from one source (however trustworthy it is) leads to loosing perspective.  What’s more:  if, for any reason your source of information gets manipulated by the government, or other groups of interest, you get ‘skewed’ information, or information missing some, important parts.

That is why I watch, or listen to (beside our, available in America, networks), original AlJazeera English (which is often skewed as well, but in different direction), or Italian RAINews24 - directly from Milano. 

I saw recently the ceremony of swearing in of the new President of the Republic - Sergio Mattarella.

And, at that moment I had an epiphany… I will explain in a moment what caused it.

Most of ‘thinking’ Americans consider the USA the secular country.  Apparently our forefathers thought about the newly formed USA as a secular country.  Otherwise we wouldn’t have the FIRST AMENDMENT in our US Constitution.  This Amendment guarantees the separation of the State and Church.  This is what constitutes the secular, modern country, as opposed to the countries, which are run along the religious law, however you call it.  It’s not only Islamic ‘SHARIA’ which we should be afraid of - any religion imposed on the policy of any country makes it ’non-modern’ (let’s say it: BACKWARD) country…

You would think that Italians are, as a nation, deeply religious people.  You wouldn’t think it about Americans…  Yes, the whole South is deeply religious, but that’s it… Our Nation is not religious… Or is it?

So, I watched the ceremony of swearing in of the new (XII-th in the short history of the modern Italian Republic) President of the Republic - Sergio Mattarella.

I was expecting some convoluted and referring to the glorious history and the God, line.  And what I heard?  Here we go: « Giuro di essere fedele alla Repubblica e di osservarne lealmente la Costituzione » what translates in simple:

‘I swear to be faithful to the Republic and to uphold loyally the Constitution’.

At the same time every politician in the secular US of A swears on the Bible, finishing his or hers oath uttering: ‘…so help mi God’.

Helloooooooooooo!

Maybe it’s time to revise these oaths.  Maybe it’s time to enter the Modern World, a world where the European Countries already found themselves…

Instead, we allow the people like Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rand Paul, Mike Huckabee, and others, to express the total disregard to the Constitution of the USA and run their campaigns on the fundamentally religious agenda.

It’s unbelievable, when a US Senator (Rand Paul) says openly, that:

‘the United States are in the religious war with Islam’.

What ???!!! … we are in war with the ‘religious extremists’ (whose religion is, in their minds, Islam), but we do not fight religious wars (at least now - the last Crusade ended in 1444 what led to fall of Constantinople in 1453).  No matter what side the religious extremists are on - all of them pull their countries back into the Middle Ages.

America, you should know better…

ONE LINER 0008 - Pope’s Gaffe, or back to the ‘hard lines’?

I have been called by the term ‘infidel’ by the members of all the religions.  It’s offensive, it may hurt… but I do not give it a thought! (of course I had a stronger expression on my mind - self ‘censorship’).
I am an atheist, have been for a long time.  
And yet, I thought that I would, maybe, have a positive opinion about the current Pontiff, since he seemed to open up on the possibility of the major changes in the rules imposed on the believers by the Church.

Well, until today.  Today the Pope responded to some of the journalists questions during a short Press Conference on board of his plane flying toward Philippines.
Of course some questions asked the Pope for his opinion (or the opinion of the church) on what happened in Paris to the journalists of Charlie Hebdo.  And then the Pope, who right after the terrorist attack condemned it strongly, this time stated:
“(…) We all have the obligation to speak openly.  Have this liberty, but without offending.  It’s truth that one can’t react violently, but if Mr. Gassbarri, who is my friend, says a bad word against my mother, he should expect a punch! And this is normal!  One can’t provoke.  One can’t insult the believes of others. One can’t make jokes about believes.(…)”(*1)

Oh really!?  And I can’t say a bad words about your mother (=Church) even though ‘she’ is filled with the convicted pedophiles, and abusive-slave-running nuns (in Ireland in the 40-ties to 60-ties), and ‘she’ prefers to have millions of new AIDS infection instead of letting people in Africa use condoms… 

Yeah, according to the Pope, you can’t offend anybody’s feelings, even though that person might be worst person on the planet.  
You can’t offend the religion, even though it’s responsible for millions and millions of killed in it’s name?!  And I am not talking about the Islam - I am talking about Pope’s religion, and not that far ago, just a few hundred years ago.  
Are we forgetting about the Crusades?, Inquisition? - and other bright moments in the history of that religion?  
Every Religion imposes on it’s believers it’s dogma, without questioning, without the right to express any free thought by anybody.  And every religion punishes for any attempt to contradict it

Answering to a journalist’s question, the Pope confirmed that the Church (or/and himself) stands still for the censorship, and not the free expression.  
Any form of censorship, political correctness (which is simply self-censorship) is harmful to the society as whole.  Any form of that censorship allows the bullies to triumph.  Any form of the censorship makes the truth vacant from the every day life of the people, replaced by the dogma, and the official, approved political line.

Do we want to live in the Orwellian 1984?  No - the Pope is wrong.  Je Suis Charlie.


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ad *1:  http://www.corriere.it/esteri/15_gennaio_15/intervista-papa-bergoglio-filippine-sri-lanka-624f6434-9cab-11e4-8bf6-694fc7ea2d25.shtml

ONE LINER 0007 - War with Terrorism - and the role of Russia

On January 7, 2015 the Paris headquarters of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were attacked by 2 well armed terrorists. 10 journalists and 2 policemen were slaughtered… A same night another terrorist killed a police-woman and a day later barricaded himself with hostages in a kosher supermarket at the outskirts of Paris.  He killed 4 Jewish customers of this market before being killed by police.
We all know about it.  We all felt shocked and revolted by this heinous, barbaric attack on the French democracy, and all the principles of the modern, democratic civilization.  We all joined the millions of other people in the peaceful protest, posting “Je Suit Charlie”, or “Je Suit Juif” - filling for the victims. And the victims are not limited to these 17 who lost their lives, but we all, without exception.

I discussed these events with my friends.  2 days after the terrorists were eliminated by the French special forces (about 88 thousands of the officers were called for this man hunt), I had a talk with one of my friends, who lives in Paris.  He is of Jewish origins and lives in predominantly Muslim neighborhood of Paris.  He has the best appreciation of the French society changing toward less and less tolerance.  He has an appreciation of the loss of civil liberties, as governments react to stop the terrorist attacks.  France had a very tumultuous period when the Algeria was fighting for their independence.  The bombs were blown, people died, there was no peace on the streets of Paris in the 70-ties.  
Now, when the terrorism incited by the misguided religious fanatics hits Europe again, the result is very easily predicted.  The anti-terrorist squads in the Police, and the Army grow in numbers and in strength.  The terrorism has to be stopped, or at least impeded as much as possible, and if in the process some civil liberties become extinct… It’s the cost everyone agrees on.

So, when I discussed this topic with my friend from Paris, he said something, what I initially discarded completely, as sounding preposterous.  He said: ‘and now we can say “Good Bye” to the free Ukraine.  It will be sacrificed in the war with terrorism’.

After a while it dawned on me - Putin, however crazy, imperialistic, and ruthless he is - has been quite successful in the fight with his domestic, terrorist threat coming from Chechen Republic, and other predominately Muslim territories.  His hands are not tied up by the Democratic Virtues with which the powers of the West have to deal with.  While we, in the West, realize, that the war with the terrorism coming from the Middle East, and Northern Africa is the most dangerous and destructive threat she have ever encountered, ANY ally in this fight is and will be welcomed.  
This is why we never criticized the ruthless dictator of Egypt who kept everything ‘in check’…  This is why we accept the completely anti-democratic government of Turkey…  This is why we will give Putin what he really wants, to make him the active member of anti-terrorist coalition.  
And what does he want?  Ukraine.  All other ‘former republics’ to the West from Russia are already the members of NATO, but Ukraine…

Europe has never been as decisive as the US in making the Russia suffer for his annexation of Crimea and the obvious invasion of the Eastern Ukraine.  They do not want the war, even if it’s not bullets, but money, what is used as a weapon.  It doesn’t make anybody in Europe sleep well.  The specter of the ’long, cold winter’ without the Russian oil and gas is not easily acceptable by the Europeans.  And now we have the next argument against ostracizing the re-born Russian Empire.

A few weeks ago Premier Renzi (of Italy) said: “La Russia che e’ debole, non serve nessuno” (Weak Russia is not useful to anybody).  

I would like to be mistaken about that, but I am afraid, that it’s only matter of time (a short time), before we accept another change in the Ukraine government - the change for the pro-Russian stooge.  Ukraine will be sacrificed, like Poland and part of Germany were at Yalta Conference, (February 4–11, 1945) - for the GREATER GOOD.

JE SUIS CHARLIE