Former Icelandic Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, can breathe at last. The court found him guilty of a minor charge while clearing him from others that could have mean up to two years in jail. So, the judges lost the chance to send a strong message to the world: business should be subservient to people and… [Read more…]
Time to close another year. As I never was good at doing inventories of everything that happen to balance, I’ll just take one significant occurrence. If something, 2011 was the year of “the People occupying the Public Square”; Time magazine was right, for once. In Tunisia, in Egypt, in Israel, in Europe and in the… [Read more…]
Two decades ago, when the Soviet Union imploded, the prevalent opinion in the press as well as in the Academy, was that time had arrived for a unified or “globalized” world. In tune with this spirit, a series of “global” forums and institutions turned to become a regular feature. Some of them (like the World… [Read more…]
The death of Hitchens stirred a handful of pro and con commentaries, which suits well the style of his own interventions in political and cultural matters. Two of his traits seem to gather coincidence: the quality of his English writing (which I’m not able to judge) and the integrity of his adherence to his atheism… [Read more…]
As the events in the East side of the Atlantic show no sign of recovery from the crisis in the short-term, Obama recalls his Hawaiian roots and a rediscovered Pacific vocation. So, he gathered some of the countries with shores in the great ocean for a conference in his natal island, and then started the usual “good… [Read more…]
When I was asked to illustrate an article about the problems faced by Obama that render him overwhelmed I couldn’t help it but remembered the Time magazine’s cover that shocked me out back in 1978: A few days later, as I started reading a longtime procrastinated book by Harold Bloom (Omen of Millennium, translated into… [Read more…]
Argentina’s incumbent President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner re-election by a landslide 54,4% sends a message to other politicians: “bail the people instead of the banks; in the end, it pays better on the ballots”. This is a message that the Big Media aren’t eager to spread, but the whisper has started to jump over the… [Read more…]
What would be Steve Jobs’ fate after dropping from college in other time or place? I’m not trying to diminish Jobs’ personality ignoring his strong character, ingenuity, creativity or any other of his virtues abundantly praised after his death. Not even I’m trying to conceal his Darwinian adaptation to the capitalistic wild rules: kill or… [Read more…]
Joseph Nye’s notion of “soft power” as a complement to military “hard power” has brought confidence to American strategists in their ability to attract and influence the best intelligences of the world. Now, after a decade of focusing in the “war on terror” and its disastrous economic and social showing, it’s time to take notice… [Read more…]
After the 9/11 attacks, the hysteria for retaliation led the American people into the abyss of unending war, lost of civil liberties, moral debacle, monstrous debt and economic chaos. Bin Laden couldn’t dream of a biggest success. I’m not arguing here with the “truth” about who actually was the mastermind behind the attacks. I’m answering… [Read more…]
I know this is old news, but I feel that his extraordinary piece in the New York Times was indicative of the level of distortion in American politics. When one of the richest men demands more taxes (for him and his fellow billionaires) in a time of crisis, while the democratically elected politicians refuse to… [Read more…]
The prolonged crisis of Capitalism in the core countries of the “globalized” economy has an ideological by-product in the extremist political rhetoric. Although it would be more appropriate to speak of the descent into barbarism by the publishers of the Right and the mass media. Thus, any attempt to sustain the social protection of population at… [Read more…]
Sergio Bergman (2nd from right) is an Argentine rabbi of frequent media appearances who associated himself with local center-right politicians. He endorsed the movement headed by Mr. Blumberg (who’s son died when kidnapped) for “security” against marginalized youngsters. Then organized an NGO to raise money from wealthy Jews and contend in the community elections. Last… [Read more…]
Since the middle of 2010 the Cuban government launched economic measures aimed to improve its low productivity. They intend to ease the creation of small business and to fire half a million State employees. Is this the start of a sort of Cuban NEP? May this bring to the building of a middle class with… [Read more…]
As Barack Obama is adjusting details for his first trip to Latin America (South of Mexico) in March, questions raise about the scales scheduled and the motifs behind. First questions deal with the jump from Brazil to Chile , ignoring Argentina –which lies in between. Diplomatic explanations don’t keep at bay the local opposition from… [Read more…]
April 24, 2012
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