Socrates, portuguese PM, at his best

There are those who have very clear ideas about this crisis in Portugal. Fanaticism and hatred Pets help to better withstand disruptions, but are not as useful when what is needed is to find solutions.

And then there are others, most of the Portuguese, I think, who do not know what tothink about all of this and believes in a little bit here and another there, and that suspect that basically nobody has the courage to tell the whole truth.

The days of yesterday can only increase the doubts of those who have doubts. On one hand, José Socrates, Portugal ex PM, with his undeniable gift of oratory, regardless of content, came to say that he tried to protect us, people, to the last of the big bad wolf, or IMF, but that the other boys do not care if we are devoured like Grandma and Capuchin.

For him, external assistance will martyr "families, individuals and businesses who will suffer harsher measures of austerity and restraint." Plays the logger until the end. The other, economists advocates of foreign aid (Blame, though, Jose Socrates for his need) confirms that it is true that there will come tougher measures of austerity and restraint, which will be harder and harder, but only sin to come later, since there is no other way to solve national problems. They say it will hurt a lot, in less time, and lead to healing. 

But to confuse the issue, the Opposition that accuses Socrates of lack of transparency does not say a thing or defends another. Okay, okay, I have one certainty now: that Jose Socrates, after quitting as PM, last night announced its candidature at the forthcoming elections. And others followed him immediately footsteps. Cavaco, Portugal's President, can listen to whoever he wants, but I bet the PM declared open the election campaign.




source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12845668

Critiques on Italy's concern about immigration

The European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso implicitly criticized Italy because it is concerned primarily with the flow of illegal immigrants and refugees that come from Libya and less with the issue of human rights. 
During a meeting of diplomats in Brussels, France and Germany supported the implementation of restrictive measures against Lybia as the repression of protests against the regime of Kadhafi increase.This issue created around the illegal migration and refugees, is  used as a means of not supporting democracy and I am not in agreement with at. Countries should support human rights wherever they are being threatened.

New strike in Bolivia against the increase of food prices

The social conflicts intensified with the paralization in the bolivian economy, translated in a strike and manifistations, in a country that is one of the pooorest in South America.
Bolivia is facing this friday the second strike in less then two months against the increase of prices in food and public transportation.   
Cochamba City, the third largest in the country, has its public schools closed, hospitals reduced to emergencies and public transportion scarce or nonexistent. The capital, La Paz, is hampered by public discontent. The mobilization is carried out by the powerful union strength Bolivian Workers Central and its leaders demand wage increases to pay off the rising prices of food and vital services such as transportation. 
The increase in prices is very significant in a country where, according to the 2010 United Nations Program for Development, six in ten people live in poverty and three in ten will not have enough to eat. The last large-scale mobilization against prices in Bolivia, December 30, ended in violence, making fifteen wounded.  
Nowadays, with a price increase of around 30 per cent in relation to transport and 40 percent sugar, Evo Morales maintains that the rise in 2011 will not be less than inflation in 2010. The Bolivian President is faced with the longest and most profound social and economic crisis since coming to power in 2006.

Egypt: turning point demands too much of people's lives

        What a high price people pay for change! Criminals running wild, political paralysis, destruction of people’s livelihoods and anarchy as police abandon their posts and their role as the custodians of law and order — in short, complete chaos.

        The Obama administration said they view the attacks as a way to purposely terrorize journalists, and White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that all detained journalists should be released, according to an article by the Los Angeles Times.

        Intimidating journalists and attempting to prevent the coverage of the anti-Murabak protests in Egypt is wrong. The Egyptian government cannot keep its country united and peaceful by cutting off communication to its citizens — such as cell phone and Internet service, and it cannot win its people’s loyalty by censoring them.

        "I blame some friendly states that have completely unfriendly stations which set the young against the state … with false claims and exaggeration,” said Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman. According to the article, “he urged Egyptians to ignore ‘the rumors and satellite channels that incite you against the state.’"

        Shahira Amin, No. 2 editor for Nile TV, a state-run television network in Egypt, resigned when she was only allowed to show pro-Murabak demonstrators on the air, according to MSNBC.

        Journalists from other countries must be allowed to cover a peaceful protest without interference from the Egyptian government.

        Egypt is a sovereign nation and technically has the right to control its communication — but the Egyptian people have the basic human right to be informed. Creating a unsafe atmosphere for journalists from other nations will not change the dissatisfaction of the protesters.


        When will politicians in this world understand one quite simple fact that a corrupt and dictatorial regime will not last forever. Change is the only constant in this life. One cannot fight against the tide of democracy and hope to win.

Obama gives priority to education in the State of the Union

             One of the major themes President Barack Obama covered in the State of the Union address Tuesday was education. 

             "This is our generation's Sputnik moment," he said, referring to the U.S. response to of the first satellite's launch by the Soviet Union in 1957.
             Investing on new technologies, raising standards, producing more math and science teachers will help U.S. compete with the emerging economies such as China and India. 

             “Maintaining our leadership in research and technology is crucial to America’s success.  But if we want to win the future -– if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas -– then we also have to win the race to educate our kids.”

             Obama also said that currently a quarter of the United States’ students do not finish high school and that, in the 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs will require more education than just a high-school degree.

             In addition, he called upon not only educators, but also parents and the everyday citizen as making sure every child gets a chance to succeed is the responsibility of communities.

             “That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities. It’s a family that first instills the love of learning in a child,” Obama said.

Pope says condoms sometimes are justified

Pope Benedict XVI said on Tuesday that the use of condoms is acceptable to help prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday welcomed the relaxation of the Vatican’s stance against condom use.


http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-21/world/vatican.pope.condoms_1_condom-hiv-prevention-michel-sidibe?_s=PM:WORLD

South Korea defense Minister Kim resigns

South Korea defence minister Kim Tae Young has resigned amid a wave of criticism that South Korea was unprepared for a North Korea bombardment on Tuesday that  destroyed dozens of houses and killed four people.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11838750