21 septembre 2011

O escândalo da Madeira!


O escândalo da Madeira!

A situação de divida publica da Madeira não é nova. O atropelamento das leis e regras financeiras e outras têm sido praticas comuns do governo regional, em nome da situação de excepção da região, da situação ultraperiférica, etc. O governo regional tem feito tudo aquilo que tem querido sem respeito nem contenção. A impunidade desde há muito que reina naquela região. No entanto, a situação actual  a que se chegou é inaceitável e insustentável. O governo regional, pela mão do seu presidente, Jardim, decidiu não seguir a política de austeridade pedida pelos governos centrais e continuar a gastar – e isto desde há vários anos – e continuava aliás, aparentemente, sem intenção de o fazer. Para isso omitiu despesas contraídas, ocultou gastos, mentiu, contra todas as regras contabilísticas, contra qualquer boa gestão financeira, contra toda a ética. O resultado são mais de 2.000 milhões de euros de divida oculta, que poderá ainda ser superior pois não se sabe exactamente qual a verdadeira dimensão da situação. Isto é uma situação muito grave, pois pode contribuir para aumentar significativamente o défice publico português e por em causa o plano de austeridade do pais e o acordo com a União europeia e o FMI.

Miguel Sousa Tavares escreveu bem no jornal Expresso de 17 de Setembro, vários jornais e comentadores criticaram a situação. Mas servirá isso de algo? A procuradoria geral da República anunciou uma investigação criminal sobre esta situação e é bom que a justiça portuguesa actue para identificar todas as situações criminais passiveis de ser punidas legalmente. Este tipo de situações não é aceitável e o pais não pode continuar a aceitar situações de impunidade, seja a nível regional, seja local ou mesmo central. Certamente a punição política é importante mas não chega. Este tipo de situações tem de ser devidamente controlada e verificada, não pode ser permitida. E o pais tem de se dotar dos mecanismos que permitam evitar isto. 

Conhecendo o pais (e a Madeira) como se conhece, não seria de surpreender que o Sr. Alberto João Jardim volte a ganhar as próximas eleições em Outubro. Isso seria um atestado não apenas da ignorância dos votantes regionais, mas também da falta de respeito, seja pela democracia, seja pela lei como por Portugal em geral também. Esperemos entretanto.

E que se faça, em qualquer caso, aquilo que deve ser feito para evitar estas situações no futuro. De uma vez por todas. Porque senão, e ao contrario daquilo que o primeiro ministro pretende, será tempo de sair às ruas e exigir mais justiça, mais seriedade, menos impunidade e menos corrupção. 

10 juin 2010

It’s time to give back your Nobel peace prize, Mr Obama

US President Barack Obama has failed to condemn Israel over Gaza ship attack. Apparently he considered that there was not enough evidence to condemn Israel. Shame on him. When Mr Obama won the US elections in November 2008 and came to power, there was a wave of hope around the world. The world hoped that, in what seemed to be a new enlightened and impartial understanding of the world and geopolitics, Mr Obama could decisively contribute for world peace, by unblocking certain situations, namely the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. One and a half years later and having received a Nobel peace prize in the meantime, Mr Obama has failed to deliver and to fulfil the expectations. So far not only nothing has been done to put Israel and Palestina back on track towards peace, but the situation has even worsened, because Israel doesn’t comply with any international law, with any rules. Yet Mr Obama had good reasons and justifications to condemn Israel, as half of the world has and as the world expected.
The question is whether Mr Obama considers that it is normal and acceptable according to international law, that a state attacks several ships in international waters, kills a dozen civilians and injures tens? And, according to witnesses, deliberately killed these people, not in self defence? Has Mr Obama forgotten that Israel has imposed a blockade to the Gaza territory since 2007 (with complacency from the rest of the world) when it does not have any jurisdiction over the territory, which it occupies? Has Mr Obama forgotten that Israeli troops have invaded the same territory last year and killed some 1,300 people (in justification for some 12 people killed by Palestinian rocket attacks)? Has Mr Obama ignored that Israel kills several Palestinian civilians every week (sometimes it seems all the people there are terrorists and Hamas activists… one wonders why), in total disrespect for law and international rules? Has Mr Obama forgotten that hundreds of unarmed Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children, were killed with Israel’s participation in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, in 1982? Does Mr Obama ignore the daily humiliation and oppression that the Palestinian population of Gaza and the west bank suffer daily in their land? (a friend was recently there in a delegation of the EP and was scandalised with the way Palestinians are treated).


Does Mr Obama consider normal and not condemnable that Israel, after invading the ships, takes some 700 people by force to Israel and obliges them to sign unacceptable declarations to expel them out of the country?


No Mr Obama, you cannot ignore all these facts and you should not forget History. According to Argentinean newspaper pagina12, already 87 years ago, Revisionist Zionism ideologue Ze'ev Jabotinsky, declared that the only way to impose the Jewish state was to crush the Arabs. No wonder then, when Ron Torossian, organizer of the demonstration in front of the Turkish Mission to the UN, “We are with Israel” said "I think we should kill a hundred Arabs or a thousand Arabs for every Jew they kill" (/ / gravker.com, 1610). Well, why not a hundred thousand, a million, then? Do you agree to this? Or don’t you think it should be condemned? Well, without strong world opposition and action from real democratic nations, I fear that might soon happen.


And Mr Obama, by not condemning Israel firmly, by not obliging Israel to follow international law and sit for peace talks instead, not only you are failing to contribute to world peace, the US is being an accomplice of Israel’s terrorist agenda.. As usual, the US is providing the international backup and space for Israel’s oppression and terror policy, with the excuse to support "the only democracy in the region". Yet instead the US is promoting world terrorism. And there is no democracy in Israel anymore.


Mr Obama, a simple clarification of the facts isn’t enough and there must be an international independent investigation commission, not one controlled by Israel. Are you naïf? Or making fools of us? Or do you consider that the ten Americans travelling with the convoy of humanitarian aid to Gaza, including Joe Meadors (signalman on the USS Liberty, bombarded by Israeli planes and torpedo boats in 1967), Ann Wright (Colonel of the US Army) and Edward L. Peck (former deputy director of counter-terrorism task force of Reagan's cabinet) were all terrorists as well and deserved punishment?


On top of this, Israel does not even respect the US, they believe they are above everything, untouchable. That is why they have also fooled Vice President Joe Biden, who has also been defending the blockade of Gaza and said that Israel "had the right to know what cargo the ship carried”. Remember when he went to Israel, supposedly to encourage the peace process, last March and your friend Mr Netanyahu announced the construction of 1600 new buildings in Palestinian occupied territory? That was a slap in the face… but it seems Mr Biden has a short memory, after all.


The truth is it doesn’t matter whether it’s Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama or whoever sits in the White House, the truth is no changes will occur in the blind support from the US to Israel’s policy, no matter who is in the government there, no matter the atrocities committed by Israel’s government and military. I don’t expect any changes, but I would expect some honesty… at least be honest and do not pretend to promote peace in the Middle East. Ah, and be consequent, return you Nobel peace prize.
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08 juin 2010

Blind for Israel

"Cegos por Israel" (Blind for Israel) is an excellent article that Rui Tavares (who is a member to the European Parliament) published in the newspaper "Público" last 2 June and also in his personal blog. Check  here the original article in portuguese.


I have allowed myself to make a 'free' translation in english of what he wrote so that more people can read it. I think it is important to disseminate this type of opinion articles, particularly when the media in Portugal, unlike in many other countries in Europe, seem to deliberately justify and clear Israel's actions, with tendentious articles, that blindly defend the indefensible, such as newspaper Público or even the TV channels (RTP, etc). It seems these always try to justify whatever Israel does, without any critical and/or objective approach. That is for me unacceptable and there is less and less patience to read certain articles published in Públcio, for instance.


Blind for Israel
by Rui Tavares


"I have family in Israel and Jewish relatives or of Jewish descent, who, if they so wished, could obtain Israeli citizenship. Theoretically, it seems that even I could claim the right to live in one of those villages that I have never visited, but to which Palestinians who were born there cannot return - the villages where already their parents, grandparents and great grandparents were born.
What represented a hope of justice (and still does) for Jews around the world, after centuries of persecution, has actually been a tragedy for Palestinians. There are no affinities - ideological, family, or of pure obstination - that can silence this truth.
Unlike fanatics of all kinds suggest, within and outside the region, it is obvious that the world does not know how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
With more or less detail, the solution can only be to have two separate states side by side, according to the 1967 borders, with occasional exchanges of land on a 1:1 basis; Jerusalem as a shared capital of both states, perhaps under international supervision, with financial and moral compensation for the Palestinian refugees, with the possibility of living in their independent state or, in some negotiated cases, return to their home place.
Another possible solution, supported by a minority although still by many people who want peace, would be to have a single state with equal rights for all religions and people living on its territory.
Like any non-fanatic, I am not worried about the details. What I want is that Palestinians may reach self-determination with dignity, in the same way as any other nation in the world. At the same time, I respect the state of Israel and the Israeli citizenship of my cousins. I cannot respect, however, the actions of the Israeli government because this government has not respected any limits of decency, honesty or international law. Neither have they respected their own commitments. It's even hard to believe that they have made those commitments in good faith. The Israeli government is a pariah one and should be treated as such.
However, for some fanatics, to be a "friend of Israel" seems to imply two things: first that everything the Israeli government does, no matter how brutal and inhumane, is always legitimate, is always justifiable, second, that international standards are not to be applied equally to Israel as to other countries.
Extraordinary as it may seem, these fanatics of Israel can justify everything, even the recent raid and kidnapping of a small fleet of unarmed boats in international waters, killing a dozen people. When a boat is in international waters, it is acceptable to approach it, perhaps to guard it or even escort it, at most. It is certainly not acceptable to attack the boat and kill the passengers, that is an act of pure piracy. Not even a so-called "state of war", mentioned by some commentators, could justify this: and Israel has not declared war on Turkey (in international waters, attacking a boat means attacking the territory of its flag), and even if it had, wars have rules to which States are obliged by signing conventions - and even when they do not sign, war crimes continue to exist. You may decide: what happened was either piracy, act of terrorism or war crime. But it is never justifiable.
It is often said that the fanatics are the worst enemies of Israel. It's true: the fanatical Muslims,
the fanatic pseudo-friends of Israel in the West and, increasingly, the fanatics in the Israeli Government."


By Rui Tavares, Historian, independent MEP.
(Http://twitter.com/ruitavares)
[free translation, not the responsibility of the article's author]

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06 janvier 2010

My music:

TOP40 - BEST TRACKS/ mixes of 2009

Once again I have selected the best tracks & remixes I have heard during the past year. It's not easy to select the best among so many different & great music... I came to the following list bellow (check the videos or the music in the links), in alphabetical order, different styles yet all interesting! Maybe you'll discover something new in the list. Next list to be published in the next days, the best albums of the year (yes, they still do complete albums...).



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Ali Love > Diminishing Returns (Luca C. & Brigante Remix)
Azari & III > Hungry For The Power
Bibio > The Palm of Your Wave (Bibio Remix)
Calvin Harris > Ready for the Weekend
Delphic > Counterpoint - The Chain Remix
Delphic > Doubt
Depeche Mode > Peace (The Exploding Plastic Inevitable JK Disco Dub)
DJ Hell feat. Bryan Ferry > You can dance
Don Diablo > I am not from France (Cagedbaby's Rollerdisco Lcross Campaign Mix)
Estroe > Le Flaneur feat. Miss Kittin
Franz Ferdinand > Ulysses (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation)
The Golden Filter > Favourite things
Grizzly Bear > Cheerleader (Neon Indian 'Studio 6669' Remix)
Grizzly Bear > Two Weeks (Fred Falke Extended Mix)
Gui Boratto > I Feel Love
Jamie Jones > Summertime (Extended Radio Mix) [feat. Ost & Kjex]
The Juan Maclean > Happy House (Cut Copy Remix)
Julius Papp feat. Gina Rene > A Thousand Years (2009 Main Vocal Mix)
Jump Jump Dance Dance > Do It For Love
King Midas Sound > Waiting for You
Kollektiv Turmstrasse > Flaschenpost
Krikor & The Dead Hillbillies > God will break it all
Lindstrom & Christabelle > Lovesick
Maps > Let Go Of The Fear (Dub)
Memory Cassette > Asleep At A Party
Miike Snow > Animal (Fred Falke Remix)
Misstress Barbara > Dance Me To The End Of Love
Munk feat. Asia Argento > No Milk - Mercury Remix
Neon Indian > Deadbeat Summer
O Children > Dead Disco Dancer (The Golden Filter Remix)
Passion Pit > The Reeling (Miike Snow Remix)
Peaches > Lose You (Yuksek and Brodinski Remix)
Phoenix > Listztomania (Classixx version)
Simian Mobile Disco > Audacity Of Huge (Allez-Allez Remix)
Social Disco Club & Maia > The Way You Move (Greg Wilson Version)
Tensnake > Holding Back (My Love)
Tiga > Love Don't Dance Here Anymore
Washed Out > Belong
What Kind Of Breeze Do You Blow > Love of Luxury (Lake Heartbeat's Lake Luxury Remix)
Yacht > Psychic City (Classixx Remix)
Yas > Get it right (Heartbreak's heart of Q mix -Mirwais edit)
Solomun > After Rain Comes Sun
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Y.A.S. - GET IT RIGHT with text (directed by Stephane Sednaoui) HQ from ouiiiii on Vimeo.

Brussels_bashing: Diabolo fee...

I was surprised the other day when I took the train from the Central Railway station in Brussels to the airport. Instead of the previous 3€ I paid 5€. That was an increase of 60% and I thought the machine (yes they have 2 automatic ticket machines, primitive as they might be...) was crazy... I blamed it on the cold weather, but had no time to check. On the way back, already in 2010, it had already increased to 5.05€. And the loudspeekers announced a certain "Diabolo fee" (interesting name) for anyone travelling from or to the airport.

Checking the SNCB website I found out that they are building a new track to Antwerp (they say also to Brussels but that is not true, it exists already). So they're asking everybody who is travelling to and from the airport (mostly foreigners, tourists or people who come for business) to pay 2.05€ that will be paid to this Diabolo company (good name!) to build this track to Antwerp, in the middle of the E19 highway. Good business! We, who use this (not so good infrastructure) have to pay now so that others will be able to have access to an infrastructure in the future.


But let's not forget the trains... You should have seen the train I took from the airport to central Brussels... a relic from World War II, undoubtedly. Or maybe they bought it from Ceausescu's Romania... I do not mind paying well for public transport services, but I like also its quality to improve accordingly. Forget it. Even though the rail link between Brussels-centre & the airport has improved in recent years - now instead of 30 or 40 minutes it only takes 20 (or 15 if you're lucky) - which is basically due to the fact that most trains now only stop at Central station and North station (instead of the previous 5 - yes you read well 5 stations - the previous 2 with Schaerbeek, Diegem and Zaventem). So that is 20 minutes to travel 12 kms. Nowadays it's not bad, even though at times one would walk faster than the train, I have the feeling. And when the train stops at North station for loooong minutes?...

Anyway, despite the well known capability of belgian to provide efficient public services, I would advise the SNCB to travel to some european capitals like Stockholm (Arlanda airport is 40 km away from the city centre and the train takes 20 minutes to do that) or Oslo, for instance, to check how you do it. Even in Portugal, which is certainly not one of the most developed european countries, I take 40/45 minutes by train from my town (and it's not a central airport) to central Lisbon, 75 kms away. That is 100 km/h. And it stops once. The train called "airport-express" in Brussels takes 15/20 min to do 12 km. That is an average of 48 km/h (or 36).


No further comments, but these guys are clever... Finally in 2009, they realised Antwerp needed a fast link to te airport (and yes not paid by the wealthy locals, no, paid by all travellers to Brussels airport). This is a best practise case and should be reproduced, everywhere.

12 août 2009

NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS

From now on, there will not be one but three BLOGS from "contestatario!
This "contestatariobe blog" will continue for comments on politics, economy and social affairs.

A new blog called MusikandSounds will focus on music and cinema, with film reviews, music playlists, reviews and videos.

Finally another blog will be used for travel pictures and impressions, of present and past journeys - Kosmicjourneys.

I will try to update blogs regularly, as far as possible, or when there is something relevant to say. But i don't promise anything.