EVENTS up to the SUMMIT of the AMERICAS
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I am deeply deeply moved by the Summit of the Americas
and the Historical Development of Espousing a Comprehensive
Feeling of Peace Fraternity and Cooperation Between all
Nations of our Super-Continent. Tolerance to Other Nations'
Political and Social Structures, no matter how different from
our own, Support towards Other Nations in their Attempts
to fulfill their Political, Social and Economic Dreams and
Aspirations and Universal Respect for Fundamental and
Indispensable Values of Human Rights, Human Dignity
and Human Liberty all seem to be reaching a new level
of maturity. BRAVO to all States Involved and for their
Commitment towards leaving past enmities aside and
working together with the ONE and ONLY GOAL; to
leave behind for our kids and descendants a better place,
physically and otherwise, than was handed down to us.
China must abide by International Law and all its Adopted
International Obligations faithfully, including all its Assumed
Responsibilities and Obligations under the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea. China must understand
better than many other States, first because of its Size and
second because of its Seat as a Permanent Member of Our
Security Council, that full Conformity with International
Law is a One-Way Street and that arbitrary deviations will,
in the long run, lead to loss of credibility, a perilous Political
and Military Position and a loss of Influence towards its
Neighbors and the International Community.
Yesterday I heard some Saudi ambassador to the U.S. claim
that the war in Yemen is not ``Sunni versus Shiite, it is good
versus evil". And, imagine! he said this as an argument for
our State to support Saudi Arabia in that war. In my ears,
the declaration sounded like ``the war is not (as you thought)
fratricidal, it is (even worse) utter imbecility, idiocy and
stupidity". Is that an argument for convincing us to dish
out more funding and more military support for one Nation
to slaughter another in the name of Bush-like arguments?
Our only involvement should be to act as facilitators and
offer good services if and when the Parties decide that they
are serious about negotiating Peace and, preferably, with
the involvement and under the auspices of both the Arab
League and the United Nations.
Just THINK, THINK!!! Why would a police officer, in the
absence of a condemning video, knowing that he did something
wrong, admit to a guilt that will probably result in, at least, his
losing a job and, at worst, in life without parole or the death
penalty for murder? Those that think that police officers,
despite the obvious conflict of interest, would be saintly
enough or honorable enough to tell the truth under these
hypothetical, but all too common circumstances, are deluding
themselves and Police Departments, by allowing the use of
weapons in a variety of circumstances when they can be
completely avoided and where violence is unjustifiable, are
setting their officers up for crimes, lying, perjury and, also,
themselves for disservice, confrontation and liability.
I am afraid that, without videos, police are telling whatever
to let themselves exonerated by biased and sympathetic
grand-sham juries or real juries, and that videos show more
and more policemen treating our black fellow citizens like
deer and shooting to kill without any need whatsoever and
then lying on the radio about the circumstances. President
Obama, what more do you need, how many more preventable
and unjustifiable slaughters do you actually need to enforce
a heavy-handed radical reform of policing towards a much
less violent, harassing and assaulting mode? Why is a police
officer even allowed in our culture to use a gun for traffic
stops? Why is a police officer even authorized to draw a gun
against someone fleeing? Such rules have to be scrapped NOW!
STOP IRRATIONAL POLICE BEHAVIOR NOW, PUT
BIGOTS BEHIND BARS or in PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT
where they really need to be, instead of on the streets
practicing, under the auspices of the Cities, the States
and the Federal Government, their targeting and hunting
skills on our minority fellow citizens.
Being tired of listening to people and living amongst people
that have such a hard time adopting a balanced approach
and are sometimes indifferent towards making an effort to
be as objective as humanely possible in their judgements,
it is correct for Iran's critics to ask that Iran accepts the
established World Order and Unequivocally Recognize
the State of Israel and its Right to Exist Alongside an
Independent and Sovereign Palestinian State and it is,
also, correct for Israel's critics to remark that this cannot
be a prerequisite of a nuclear deal, unless and until Israel
fulfills its International Responsibilities in Ceasing the
Settlement of Occupied Territories and in Working in
Good Faith towards the Establishment of a Peaceful and
Democratic Palestinian State. These welcome moves that
are so interconnected that Must Occur Simultaneously,
should be accomplished in a Summit of the Leaders
of the States and Authorities Involved under the Good
Offices of an Honest Conciliator or Mediator, perhaps
Papa Francesco or another Person or Government that
all involved can work with and trust.
How can the Mother Continent advance and stand on its
feet, proud and on Equal Standing with all other Continents
in terms of Economic, Social and Political Progress, when
its own people commit unthinkable atrocities against their
own, in fact among the best of their own, who are trying
to educate and improve themselves, and the gravest of
breaches of the Laws of Armed Conflict and Humanitarian
Laws in attacking knowingly and deliberately Innocent
Civilians? Just Unimaginable Acts of Unthinkable Brutality,
and so, so Heartbreaking...
Another horrific tragedy at sea. I hope for the best for the
surviving sailors and for the families of those lost at sea.
If you are a State Legislator, Indiana or anywhere else, DO
NOT INTRODUCE BILLS or PASS LAWS LIKE THIS.
Passing them and, then, finding excuses to defend their
content, is a regrettable state of affairs and an abominable
practice and you will be held accountable by the States'
Citizens and the U.S. Citizens the next time you go around
pleading for and salivating after their votes...
The meaning of the celebrations of the defeat of Nazism and
commemorations of the innocent victims of Nazism, including
all unjustifiably perished Citizens of the World, regardless of
Nationality, Ethnicity, Sex or Religion, also has the default
significance of a reminder of our own responsibility and heavy
burden, not only to avoid, but also to actively resist, political
behaviors that have features and exhibit traits common to
those that, left unchecked, led eventually to the tragedies that
the Nazis and their active and passive supporters perpetrated.
Thus, the German Chancellor is absolutely correct in refusing
to be a guest of the Russian President, who despite hosting
a commemoration for the victims, has initiated an era in
which Modern Russia has started behaving towards its most
vulnerable neighbors in exactly the same way that Hitler's
Germany had treated its own weakest neighbors in the late
30's and up to its total defeat and surrender. How could
anyone not understand the German Chancellor in adopting
this, I am certain, difficult and uncomfortable, but, to a large
extent, justifiable and unavoidable decision?
Bravo to all Nigerians who are exercising their voting rights
with calm, respect and introspection about the future of this
formidable African State.
I want to send my Condolences to the Relatives of all those
that lost their lives in the GermanWings tragedy. And, also,
to commend the French, and, alongside, the Spanish and
the German, Investigators, Leaders and Authorities, because,
unlike the Malaysian Plane Mystery, they gave CLEAR
and immediate information with TRUTH and JUSTICE
being their ONLY OBJECTS and PURPOSES of their
investigations and announcements. As a side issue, the
mental and psychological support, which is critically
lacking in modern societies, that are so much centered on
profit and material wealth, should be reintroduced and
reevaluated in a fundamental way. And, if everything
fails, support should be provided for means of individual
willful termination of life, rather that having unhelped and
mentally unstable individuals searching for ways, through
participation in ``political actions" or mass murder, to
terminate their own lives and, in the process, sacrificing
unjustifiably the lives of many other innocent beings.
Benishek's fundamental deviation of his actions from his
declared political positions, without any radical changes
in public circumstances, but with fundamental changes
in personal circumstances, shows that he is a selfish person
that cannot be trusted or followed. I hope the voters will
implement his own originally declared policy by voting
him out of office and showing that in Northern Michigan
we require mature political thinking, honesty and sincerity
and will not stand to be politically manipulated by people
that think they are better and can do anything they want
in service of personal interests...
Governor Snyder, publish for the sake of transparency and
information the amount that our State has spent so far
in pursuing legal suits against same sex marriage. Where,
I am wondering, is your ``business friendliness" and your
``fiscal responsibility"? Where is the truth behind all the
rhetorical blurbing about equal rights, equal opportunities
and equal treatment of all of Michigan's Citizens? NOW
is your last chance of firing, or at least reprimanding, and
instructing the obstinate and mindless resource waster
State Attorney General to stand down and, thus, salvage,
at the eleventh hour your own reputation in the eyes of the
State's Citizens before getting us all embarrassed and
humiliated Nationally as a bigot and backward State in
front of our Nation's Highest Court...
I hope this Nation is wiser than electing Cruz as President.
From the few things that I have heard him utter regarding
Foreign Policy and Foreign Relations, he is one of the most
unbalanced, most unreasonable and least likely to improve
Foreign Relations persons that anyone could select. Also,
he has a propensity for populism, which is a bad omen as
far as conducting a credible Foreign Policy and maintaining
good and solid International Relations with as many States
as possible.
Τσίπρα, τουλάχιστον αυτό το χρωστάς στους Έλληνες, και
ειδικά στους ψηφοφόρους του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ: Καμμία ανοχή, όχι
μόνο σε σκάνδαλα, αλλά ακόμα και σε υπόνοιες απρεπούς
πολιτικής συμπεριφοράς. Δώσε τα παπούτσια και δείξε την
πόρτα στον Κατρούγκαλο αμέσως; αλλοιώς, εάν κάτι πιο
σοβαρό αποκαλυφθεί στο μέλλον, θα είσαι συνεργός και
υποστηρικτής.
Nothing in Politics in this World can make one happier than
seeing the Elected Representatives of the People of States
with Strong Ties and/or Strong Disagreements coming together
to Strengthen those Ties and to Discuss in a Spirit of Peace,
Understanding and Cooperation those Differences and to
look for ways in which Disagreements and Differences can
be either bridged or constructively exploited to provide new
Ideas and new Impetus for renewed Cooperation with the
Goals of Peace, Development and Prosperity for all Citizens.
SOUTH KOREA, CHINA and JAPAN, and especially, your
Foreign Ministers, I Salute You for both your Efforts and
for the Example that you set by your Actions for our Africa,
our Europe and our Americas, where, unfortunately, there
is currently some shortage of Good Will and some hesitation...
I do have a very friendly advice to the State Department: Before
you agree on granting asylum on political grounds to neo-dissident
African Heads of State or their associates, you should make sure
that their European (Swiss) and American (including Caribbean)
bank accounts, as well as Asian investments are not excessively fat.
We do not want to be engaged in situations where opportunistic
``leaders" form coalitions with others, milk the finances of their
States and their Citizens and, then, when disagreement strikes, are
welcomed to live happily ever after in our United States and spend
here their ill gained fortunes, while their country-folk face economic
and civil hardships and our United States pretentiously cries foul
about deficient standards of governance and offers expert help on
improving those standards...
Κρίμα... Πού βρέθηκαν τόσοι φελλοί πραγματικά είναι άξιον
απορίας. Ήξερα ότι στην Ελλάδα υπάρχει μεγάλη ημιμάθεια,
καθότι πολλοί φοιτητές, ειδικά οι πολιτικά εμπλεκόμενοι,
είναι μαθημένοι να παίρνουν βαθμούς με ``αέρα" και να
``περνάνε" τα μαθήματα από το φλάμπουρο... Επί της ουσίας
του συγκεκριμένου, θα αναφέρω τα σχόλια του ΠΑΣΟΚ τα
οποία βρήκα αρμόζοντα και συμπαθητικά:
«Θα εξοφλήσουμε με "αέρα" το δάνειο της ευρωζώνης και του ΔΝΤ,
λέει ο υπουργός επικρατείας, κ. Φλαμπουράρης. Χαριτολογώντας ελπίζουμε.
Προφανώς και οι δανειστές μας -χαριτολογώντας και αυτοί- θα μας δώσουν
τις επόμενες δόσεις σε "αέρα". Ελπίζουμε τις εσωτερικές τουλάχιστον
πληρωμές η κυβέρνηση -σοβαρολογώντας- να τις κάνει σε ευρώ».
My feeling is that the United Kingdom is doing the right thing
in joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and that
our United States, together with Australia, Japan and South
Korea, should be there. The concerns that the United States
raised regarding high standards of governance, including
transparency, as well as environmental and social safeguards,
could best be dealt with by participation and influence in the
new multilateral structure; not by staying outside and criticizing
its constitution, which, a priori, seems to be aiming at creating
an organization that would bring, not only Asian Nations, but
all global economic players closer together in cooperation and
investment projects.
No one says that police draw their guns or shoot people, without
there being some cause for alarm. What everybody senses is that,
on many occasions the drawing of the gun is an overreaction, it
is an abuse of authority and that the shooting constitutes
disproportionate force to the disturbance that caused it and
its potential consequences and it is, therefore, unjustifiable.
Shooting a child in a playground because it brandishes a toy
gun, or shooting a mentally unstable unarmed person running
naked in a parking lot, or choking a man because he is selling
contraband, are instances that remind one of the use of nuclear
weapons to repeal an attack of individuals on horseback...
Utah would also do well not to engage in ``pioneering" medieval
ways of executing citizens using firing squads. I guess the next
``innovative" move from the Mormon State would be to readopt
and re-allow polygamy as a desperate move forward...
Iran would do well to follow modernity and civilization and
leave decisions that are apt to the individual and the family
sphere to individuals and families to make without undue
political interference.
Barack, two very urgent messages:
1. Domestically, stop the meaningless rhetoric. Unless the Federal
Government and the Justice Department prosecute policemen
that use force needlessly, at least for manslaughter, we will all
see more murders of innocent (some mentally unstable) black
fellow citizens of ours and abuses will go on with impunity
under very questionable pretexts.
2. Foreign policy-wise, before you approve of sanctions against
States like Venezuela, ask the State Department to thoroughly
examine other avenues. Our goal is not to have all States in
the Americas and elsewhere mimic our own style of Government,
nor should we engage in actions or measures that create frictions
and enmity. We should hold talks and be investigating the best
possible ways that our Powerful State and its Government can
constructively help other States and their Governments overcome
their difficulties; not raise new obstacles under nefarious pretexts.
Thumbs up to the Chancellor, who, in a very honest, friendly
and straightforward way, gave hearty advice to the Japanese
Prime Minister about how a State's own acknowledgement,
without equivocation of mistakes and breaches of the international
legal order and norms, can help drastically in its own reincorporation
into the community of nations and in gracious relationships of
partnership and cooperation with its neighbors.
Thumbs down to Australia's Prime Minister, who, instead of
recognizing the fact that Australia, despite its positive intentions,
has in the past made several mistakes in handling the refugee
and immigration crisis it faces, he tried to pass on the blame
onto the U.N. agencies whose role is precisely to advocate for
and to support efforts to create better conditions and treatment
for the World's most vulnerable and who would not be performing
their assigned duties diligently if they had not been vocal about
all shortcomings and grievances that come to their attention.
Ο άλλος φελλός μας έχει πει επανειλημένα ότι ``όλοι μαζί τα
φάγαμε". Και έχει δίκιο. Όταν το ψοφίμι βγήκε στην αυλή όλα
τα όρνια επέπεσαν μαζικά. Όμως ο αλητάμπουρας εσκεμμένα
δε μας αποκάλυψε ποιός και γιατί έσφαξε το πτηνό μέσα στο
σπίτι χωρίς να έχει καλεσμένους, και, επίσης, δε μας είπε
γιατί όταν όλοι επέπεσαν στο κουφάρι, είχε μόνο μείνει πια
το μαύρο κρέας...
Η γελοιότητα του τερπνού χαζόβλαχου και του ομορφονιού
Μπαρουφάκη αποδεικνύουν ότι, παρ' όλες τις δηλώσεις και
τα ξεφωνητά ότι η Ελλάδα ``δεν είναι χώρα της φάπας", είναι
παρά ταύτα ψωροκώσταινα, όπου το κόμμα του 40% ελλείπεται
σοβαρών επιλογών ανθρώπων για να στελεχώσει μία κυβέρνηση
ώρας ιδιαίτερης εθνικής ανάγκης και παραθύρου τεράστιας
ευκαιρίας αναγκαίων μεταρρυθμίσεων.
I am wondering sometimes and dreaming of how the Prophet
might have walked among these antiquities and might have
expressed his admiration for the talent, the aesthetics and the
creativity of his ancestors. How has it come to pass in our
``advanced" societies that these Muhammad-haters are investing
themselves out of nowhere with the authority to put words and
actions and intentions in the Prophet's Person without, possibly,
those having ever existed? And how has it come to pass that
views completely unrelated to persons and teaching of eras
past have come to the fore to justify the brutality, savagery
and ignorance so pervasive in our times?
ASSYRIA, MESOPOTAMIA and IRAQ my heart bleeds for
you and I feel guilty and devastated that, in a historical second,
we are-my contemporaries-destroying what it took you hundreds
of years of education and culture to create...
From homo sapiens and homo humanus, we have disintegrated
to homo bestialis. Shame on the brutes and uneducated vandals,
regardless of race, sex, language or religion...
Kudos to David Greene because, during his interview with
Boris Fetisov, he managed to tread a very fine line, not
putting under undue pressure a player who himself has
been treading a very fine line throughout his entire life
and athletic career. Of course, this resulted in a mostly
downgraded interview containing personal information,
interesting for some, uninteresting for others, and rather
uninformative as far as public policy and issues are
concerned... but so be it. After all he is a sportsman,
largely irresponsible for most other issues.
As in every other sector of our private and public lives,
there are unfortunately many of those ``heroes" and people
that supposedly ``serve through self-sacrifice" that will use
their service when the first opportunity arises to make a
quick and easy buck without having a second thought that
this may be cancelling out many of their highly praised
services and celebrated accomplishments (if there was
anything to celebrate about them, in the first place); after
all, ours is one of the very few places where doing a job and
being paid for it is oftentimes labeled ``volunteering",
which is meaningless, since, in that same sense, every
worker that has a job is volunteering... Not to mention
the frustrating thing that all suits with a clear personal
interest in mind are always dressed as done for the wider
public good and for raising awareness about something
or other...
I am dumbfounded by SYRIZA's and Tipras' claim that European
Governments had ``set a trap" against the Greek Government and
its program. My impression is that SYRIZA had not at all realized
and understood in the pre-election period that Greece belongs to
a group of States and has borrowed heavily from that group of
States and, consequently, Greece and its Government cannot expect
to adopt unilateral decisions or measures, be it in the economic or
foreign policy sphere, but they always have to coordinate with
their partners. They also must be aware that their bargaining
position is rather weak, not only because of the borrowing issue,
but, simply, because Greece is a State with a small population and,
in a well functioning representative democratic system, membership
in an international organization of that magnitude unavoidably
entails that Greece's voice will be one among many and, often,
among many conflicting and disagreeing ones.
Perhaps, whereas Tsipras and Varoufakis needed, in reality, to
take Political Science 101, they were given too much credit and,
without people knowing their true qualities or lack thereof, have
invested a lot of faith in them and developed a lot of unjustified
expectations of increased Greek power by their assuming the helm.
Our Congresspeople should digest that the American people are not
naive bystanders, but are following very closely they shenanigans.
Would the Congress leaders break protocol, in the same exact way
that they broke it by extending an invitation to the Israeli Prime
Minister without first consulting with the State Department, and
ask the Prime Minister during his speech why a State that has
surreptitiously developed nuclear weapons and has not signed the
Non-Proliferation Treaty feels entitled to play World Cop against
proliferation or what authority gives such a State the moral
standing to play that role? Congressmen and Congresswomen,
we are watching and are expecting an even-handed approach.
Since you broke protocol for, break it also against, and seek those
answers on behalf of your voters or do not expect us to be your
voters the next time around...
Two pieces of very positive, unfortunately rarely positive, news from
the Middle East: First the Iraqi Museum opened its gates. Needless
to say that, with the modern Islamic anti-Muhammadan stance on
``mental haram", fighting against free thought and supporting the
destruction of the Cultural Heritage of our Muslim ancestors and
of our Humanity, the significance of an official Muslim Government's
staunch support for the Arts, Letters and Sciences is hard to over
estimate.
Second, I strongly applaud the announcement by the Kurdish Leader
Abdullah Ocalan, for permanent cessation of armed struggle and for
working Peacefully and Cooperatively with the Turkish Government
to find a new path. Peace, Unity, Fraternity and Cooperation should
be chosen whenever possible over aggression, enmity, divisiveness and
fruitless and sterile antagonism, that do not serve the interests of the
People and do not lead to development and prosperity for any Party.
Raw, unconcealed, shameless cynicism. Putin sent to Boris' mother,
along with the ~5,000 Ukrainian mothers, his deepest condolences
and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice, as he has repeatedly
pledged to work tirelessly to end the conflict in Ukraine...
It seems that, as far as Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Protection, IS will leave us the same utter devastation
and heartbreak that the Taliban before them have
handed down. Where on earth does the Koran say,
or how on earth do these people derive from the Prophet's
life and the Prophet's descendants' lives, some of whom
excelled in Arts and Letters, that there is a fatwa
against our Humanity's most precious cultural and
intellectual achievements?
The Obama Administration in cooperation with Congress
should promote a law on changing the handling of those
cases of people of age (above 18 years old), who book
tickets to travel and join the IS forces in the Middle East.
Instead of arresting and incarcerating them before
boarding, at the point of departure, they should allow
them to join the fight, while immediately stripping them
from their Citizenship or Residency Rights and placing
them in a no-fly list. The European States should do
exactly the same. No individual should be deprived of
the choice of joining the forces they prefer, but if they
prefer forces that violate savagely Human Rights Law
and commit grave breaches against the Laws and the
Customs of War on tape, then they should not have
even the label of American or European Citizenship,
let alone the accompanying Rights such a Citizenship
confers on the holders.
I encourage the Swiss to intensify production and increase
importation of toilet paper in as large quantities as it is
humanely possible. Blatter again created a big mess and
FIFA is going to order and consume disproportionate
quantities for cleaning the old fart's s**t...
It is of no consolation and of no significance whatsoever that a
huge bank like HSBC, having being involved in so many
inappropriate and, some would say, outright fraudulent dealings,
has ended the year with only a 17% drop in earnings and $18.7bn
in profits. In my opinion, such colossi should be ending in the red
or barely profitable after repeated and deliberate and, in essence,
contemptuous behavior similar to that HSBC has engaged in
are brought out in the open. It is a pity because it really shows
that politicians, governments and authorities are in those banks'
pockets and rather unwilling or unable to adopt much harsher,
but well deserved, fines and punishments...
Μπράβο στο Γλέζο! Παρ' όλο που διαφωνώ μαζί του ως προς
τη γραμμή που πρέπει να ακολουθηθεί τη συγκεκριμένη χρονική
στιγμή (εκείνος προτείνει άμεση απελευθέρωση από το μνημόνιο
και, συνεπώς, ολική ρίξη με τους εταίρους, ενώ εγώ προτιμώ την
ολοκλήρωση του προσυμφωνημένου προγράμματος και την
μετέπειτα χάραξη εθνικής στρατηγικής στα πλαίσια μιας καλάς
σχεδιασμένης οικονομικής πολιτικής εντός της αντοχής του
κράτους), εξέφρασε τη μόνη τίμια μετεκλογική στάση: Αν ο
ΣΥΡΙΖΑ εξελέγη για να ακολουθήσει την προηγούμενη
πολιτική, απλά μετονομάζοντάς την, τότε η πολιτική τιμιότητα
θα του επέβαλλε να συνεργαστεί με την προηγούμενη κυβέρνηση
και να κάνει υπομονή μέχρις εξόδου από το μνημόνιο για να
δώσει υποσχέσεις και να διατυπώσει νέες ιδέες και εξαγγελείες.
Αν ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ ήταν ειλικρινής στις προεκλογικές υποσχέσεις,
τότε πρέπει μετεκλογικά να ακολουθήσει πολιτική Γλέζου,
με ολική ρίξη και άμεση απελευθέρωση από το μνημόνιο. Αλλά
μου φαίνεται, με βάση αρχικές παρατηρήσεις, ότι πάλι σε
βολευτάκηδες πέσαμε που νοιάζονται πιο πολύ για καρέκλες
και για καλούς μισθούς και φράγκα, παρά για τη συνέπεια και
την ειλικρίνια των λεγομένων και των υποσχέσεών τους...
Μανώλη, κι εσύ κι εγώ πάλι απογοητευμένοι θα μείνουμε,
μόνο που εσύ, όπως εσημείωσες, έχεις επωμισθεί τώρα και
μέρος της ευθύνης... αλλά, Μανώλη, την συλλογική ευθύνη
για το καλό όλων μας και της πατρίδας όλοι ξερουμε ότι την
έφερες βαριά στους ώμους πάντα...
Τώρα με τις υπογραφές, ξεγυμνώθηκε ο Μπαρουφάκλας
και αποκαλύφθηκε πέραν πάσας αμφιβολίας ότι, εκτός
της εγκαταστάσεως νέων προσώπων στις αυτές καρέκλες,
πλάνο Β' ούτε είχε υπάρξει, ούτε είχε, κατ' επέκταση, κανείς
επεξεργαστεί με σοβαρότητα... Πάπαλα, Τσιπρο-Μπαρούφες...
Being from Greece, I have very little sympathy for striking workers
earning $50/hour and being at the apex of the worker earnings
hierarchy. They should be reminded that, historically, those unions
that had pushed in the past for unreasonable benefits, with complete
or substantial disregard for the workings of the markets, including
the UAW, almost brought the entire industries to their knees and
would have been left almost entirely destitute, had it not been for
the last minute intervention of the U.S. Government, an otherwise
free-market supporting and entirely non-Socialist - God forbid -
Government...
My terrible feelings and worries manifested last night in a nightmare:
I was in the middle of a political process paralleling 1938. The Anschluss
of Crimea had occurred, the München Agreement had occurred and the
Sudetenland of Donesk and Luhansk occupied, with the local Gauleiters
already installed and cleansing. The defensive coalition are waiting for
the invasion of another, new Poland, only this time without the unwavering
proclamation of a commitment to its defense. And, moreover, engulfed by
a terror, utter terror, on when and how our United States will be drawn
in: Will there be another Pearl Harbor, of a different, perhaps, nature,
that will preempt the hand and awake the war-weary and tired Superpower,
what form will it really take and will there be a temptation, for the first
time in a long while, to re-polish and re-sharpen the nuclear heads on
either side?
Maybe it was too much to have expected Germany to play an unadulterated
role of an idealist leader in Europe, upholding the values and the ideals of the
United States, while at the same time avoiding the grave mistakes of our
Superpower of calibrating its relations and external behavior according to
convenience and self-interest, often against its own ideals, in the altar of
financial superiority, and economic penetration and expansion. That is,
unfortunately, the light under which the Minsk pseudo-accord or, more
appropriately, debacle, should be interpreted and the ongoing failures
in the handling of the Ukrainian conflict should be seen.
Angela Merkel and François Hollande seem to have sacrificed, in the
Temple of German and French Almighty Commerce and Energy Security,
and at the Altar of Appeasement, in addition to Crimea, the town of
Debaltseve. How else can a reasonable person justify the time allowance
between a ``ceasefire" agreement and a deadline for a ceasefire, and how
else can they justify their tragically negligent, woefully insufficient and
deliberately amateurish composition of a shameful ``peace accord" that
sacrificed all Ukrainian Dignity as lebensraum to another Führer's
ambitions and appetite?
What an irony! The journalist says ``One reason is money".
And the article reeks ``It's ONLY MONEY, IDIOTS!!!"
Τσίπρα και Βαρουφάκη, τώρα βγάλτε το σκασμό! Αφού
στο εσωτερικό, μέσα σε τόσες αξιοπρεπείς επιλογές,
πετύχατε να επιβραβεύσετε το Κομματοκυνισμό και
τον Βολευτισμό, που έφεραν τη χώρα στα πρόθυρα της
καταστροφής, που προσποιείστε ότι καίγεστε να
επιδιορθώσετε, θα πάτε αύριο πάλι τσάρκα στις
Πρωτεύουσες να επιδείξετε ρηχή, υποκριτή και
ανάρμοστη γενναιότητα, Κουγκιά και παλληκαριά...
Αρκετά! Κάντε το σωστό πρώτα στα εύκολα, που
δε κοστίζουν, ώστε να εμπνεύσετε κάποια εμπιστοσύνη
για την ειλικρίνιά σας και στα δύσκολα...
The discovery of the ~1000 Fatimid coins off the coast of
Israel is awe striking and should be a loud and clear reminder
to Humanity that we have much much much more to share
and be united by than to quarrel about and be divided by.
This part of Humanity's and Western Civilization's heritage
is the latest endowment of our common past, part of the
History of the Polities that form an invaluable bridge from
Assyria, Egypt, Greece, Rome through Muslim - Arab and
Persian - Science and Culture to the Revolutions of the
Renaissance and our present day lives and achievements.
To me, they mean the World. To people that have not at
all understood or digested their significance and refuse to
acknowledge the Unity and the Continuity of it all, they
probably mean nothing or very little and I conjecture
that they are the dangerous ones that see division, hatred,
enmity and a clash of cultures and traditions everywhere...
Ελπίζω οι ΣΥΝΑΣΠΙΣΜΙΤΕΣ να κάνουν το καθήκον τους
και να ψηφίσουν κατά συνείδηση Αλιβιζάτο ώστε να στείλουν
και ένα ηχηρό μήνυμα στην ηγεσία ότι οι μέρες της αγέλης
και του μαντριού του Άντριου Παπάντριου έχουν περιοριστεί
στο χρονοντούλαπο της Ιστορίας και ότι ανατέλει φως στο
βάθος του τούνελου...
Ας κάνει ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ το καθήκον του για μία διεθνώς
αναγνωρισμένη εξωκομματική προσωπικότητα με
προοδευτική πολιτική στάση και δράση εκτός
κομματικών μηχανισμών. Η Ελάδα έχει μεγάλη
και σημαντική σύγχρονη πολιτκή ιστορία και
σημαντικούς ανθρώπους. Σταματήστε τις ανακυκλώσεις
των ίδιων και των ίδιων συνεργών της παρούσας
Εθνικής κατάντιας και αφερεγγυότητας για την
Προεδρία της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας.
Unfortunately, the same demand has to be repeated: Police
have to stand down when it comes to arresting or pursuing
a suspect and there is no cause for fearing against attacking
or harming another citizen or threatening the life of someone.
If you face someone throwing stones, just make sure that
no one is inside the stone throwing area and let the thrower
throw at their heart's satisfaction. If you face a man that
does not speak English, follow him discretely from a distance
until he arrives home. There is absolutely no reason for either
injuring, or, a fortiori, killing an individual for insignificant
reasons like these. You are there to serve and protect people
from themselves and from others. Your job description
should not emphasize arresting, harassing and injuring
people, especially innocent people. If this calling you find
too much and too difficult to handle, do something else other
than police work. We do not need beasts among us, supposedly
working on our behalf and for our protection, but out to show
aggressiveness beyond reasonable bounds...
There are two things I want to point out about the events in
Chapel Hill:
1. It does not matter whether, in this specific case, the motive was
hatred for Muslims or not. Regardless, in general, there is a
significant percentage - minority, but significant still - of the
U.S. population that either despise or hold Muslims under
great suspicion. And this can only be changed through proper
education and enlightenment, but it will take time.
2. It does not matter whether, in this specific case, the motive
was trivial. There is a, luckily small, percentage of the adult
male population, who lacking other outlets for their machismo
and ways to showcase their manhood and ``bravery", choose
to brandish hand guns and other weapons and threaten or
use them against their fellow citizens for trivial reasons,
where ignoring an incident or asking to be excused is the
only right solution, e.g., for a parking spot, for playing
music too loud or for passing in front in a shopping line.
So Erdogan's comments have a degree of truth, but are besides
the point, and he should do better to focus on Turkey, whose
record, historically and at present, is not that much more enviable
Knox and her associates know what happened that fateful day
in the apartment and marrying a childhood sweetheart or
creating a bubble of romance are not going to change this
knowledge, nor are they going to absolve any conscience that
is heavy or alleviate any tormenting feelings. And if what many
people suspect is right, we'll soon hear about turmoil and a
subsequent divorce also...
Η Ελλάδα ομιλεί από στόμα γελοίου υπουργού εξωτερικών
περί ``Ουκρανολογίας" για να γλείψει τη Ρωσσία μήπως
και πέσει κανένα γρόσι. Μόνο που συνθλίβομαι όταν σκέφτομαι
ότι κάποιοι μπορεί να μιλήσουν παρομοίως για ``Κυπρολογία"
ή για ``Μακεδονολογία" για τα προβλήματα που απασχολούν
τη δικιά μας εξωτερική πολιτική. Έχει η Ελλάδα συνειδητοποιήσει
ότι, ως ασθενής πολιτικά, κοινωνικά και στρατιωτικά χώρα, έχει
υπέρτατο συμφέρον να στέκεται αταλάντευτα στο πλευρό των
ασθενών και έναντι των ισχυρών όταν αυτοί καταχρώνται τα
δίκαια και παρανομούν ενάντια των ασθενών?
Χοντρός-Φαιδρός (with my apologies to Laurel and Hardy)
Schettino is not a Captain; just a disgrace to Navigation and
a disgrace to the Laws and the Customs of the Sea.
Unfortunately, Argentina is not the only State on the Planet
to provably have a shallow, mindless, impulsive, tweeting
crap as its President. What a tasteless triviality to mock the
accent of a speaker of a foreign language and this by a
President on an Official Foreign Visit where one would have
thought that tactfulness and alertness so as to be as respectful
as possible and to honor the hospitality shown by one's hosts
would be paramount in the visitor's (unfortunately, in this
case, it seems, nonexistent) mind...
Jeb Bush is not convincing at all in promoting ``upward mobility"
of the lowest and the middle class, since, rather simply, he is running
as the candidate of a political Party that now and again has supported
and represented and has been the staunchest ally of huge capital and,
in addition, had inhibited all efforts by the current President of any
and most attempts to encourage and promote narrowing the gap and,
even worse, has attempted to repeal some of the President's most
decisive, helpful and constructive measures in that regard. When
proof is ample and readily available, it is simply untenable to believe
in the contrary, at least when the judges are intelligent.
Δυστυχώς, απ΄ ό,τι μπορεί κανείς να κρίνει από τις λίγες πρώτες
ημέρες, δίδεται η εντύπωση ότι η ετοιμασία της νέας κυβέρνησης
έλαβε χώρα στις ταβέρνες και τα ουζερί και οι πρώτες ενέργειες
και ο αρχικός συντονισμός, ειδικά σε οικονομία, εξωτερικά και
άμυνα, δίνουν χαρακτήρα παιδικής χαράς και κλίμα μεζεδοπωλείου
παρά μίας σοβαρής ομάδας που είχε υποχρέωση να ετοιμαστεί επί
λεπτομερειών με σύνεση και ακρίβεια ώστε να αποφευχθεί αυτό
το ανευ προηγουμένου μπάχαλο. Ας ελπίσουμε τουλάχιστον, όταν
γίνει η τελική σούμα, να μην ξαναπληρώσουμε στο τέλος πάλι και
κούτες pumpers γιατί σίγουρα, όπως σε κάθε ομάδα ατόμων σε
μία κοινωνία, και ειδικά σε κάθε ομάδα πολιτικών σε μία Ελληνική
κοινωνία, και σ' αυτό το group κάποιοι άρπαγες θα καιροφυλακτούν...
When you have hardly anything to eat and you know that your
poverty is not due to the person across the table, even if you do
believe that his help, in response to your State's own persistent
requests and pleadings for solidarity, has been largely ineffective
and, perhaps, inadequate, how do you gather the audacity to
behave so impolitely and so undiplomatically? And moreover,
and, perhaps, even more worrisomely, how are so many give-
always, even small amounts, that the various new ministers are
announcing left and right, while claiming that they are not
going to encumber the budget, are going to be accounted for
when the final totals are calculated? I have the impression from
what I hear that half of the train is off the tracks already, but
I sincerely hope and desperately wish that we will not witness
a total derailment and wreck, which I fear is coming very fast.
Η Ελλάδα ελπίζω να αντιλαμβάνεται σε επίπεδο Εξωτερικών
Σχέσεων ότι οι εποχές των οφελών από την ικανότητα εκμετάλλευσης
των διαφωνιών μεγάλων δυνάμεων, όπως συνέβαινε στο παρελθόν
από τις μη-συντεταγμένες χώρες, έχει παρέλθει. Στη σημερινή διαφωνία
μεταξύ των χωρών της ``Δύσης" και της Ρωσσίας, πρώτιστή μας
έγνοια και κριτήριο πρέπει να είναι η ενίσχυση του Διεθνούς Δικαίου
και της Διεθνούς Έννομης Τάξης, και ειδικά η Αρχή της Σταθερότητας
των Διακρατικών Συνόρων. Είναι μία Αρχή εξαιρετικά κρίσιμη για τα
συμφέροντα όλων των μικρών και ασθενών χωρών και, ίσως, η μόνη
αρχή που εγγυάται ότι δε θα ξανάχουμε στο εγγύς ή στο απώτερο
μέλλον έναν ακόμα μεγάλο πόλεμο.
Πολύ χαλαρό ΝΑΙ εώς μάλλον ΟΧΙ στην υποψηφιότητα Αβραμόπουλου
για την Προεδρία της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας. Ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ θα μπορούσε
ίσως να επιλέξει πολύ καλύτερα, αλλά με τον Κυβερνητικό του Εταίρο,
δεν είμαι σίγουρος αν πρέπει να είμαστε και ευχαριστημένοι μ' αυτήν
την επιλογή και ευγνώμονες που δε μας βάλαν κανένα εκτρωματικό
μόρφωμα ως πρόσωπο συναίνεσης...
Μπράβο στον απερχόμενο Πρόεδρο της Βουλής των Ελλήνων,
γιατί στην κοιτίδα της Δημοκρατίας, δεν φτάνει να καταδικάζουμε
τις άνομες πολιτικά πράξεις, όπως του Στρατηγού-Δικτάτορα Sisi
στην Αίγυπτο, αλλά χρειάζεται με το ίδιον παράδειγμα να
υποστηρίζουμε κα να ενισχύουμε Δημοκρατικούς Θεσμούς και
Δημοκρατικές Μεταβάσεις. Και Μπράβο επιπλέον, γιατί η νέα
προτεινόμενη Πρόεδρος του Ελληνικού Κοινοβουλίου δεν είχε
δώσει η ίδια τα καλύτερα παραδείγματα Δημοκρατικού Ήθους
και Ευγένειας κατά τη θητεία στην Προεδρία του πρώην
Προέδρου, οπότε και η ευγενική αυτή χειρονομία του αποκτά
ξεχωριστή σημασία...
Hearing parts of the History of Humanity still makes my insides
turn and my hair stand. Wondering how people could possibly
treat fellow passengers through life with whom sooner or later,
but very soon in the universal scale, they are going to share exactly
the same pains and sorrows and ultimate faith, so unjustly and so
condescendingly and so abjectly, as if they had something that
made them superior. I am awe-stricken and my mind feels numb
and uncomprehending.
Ελπίζω αυτά που διαδίδονται περί Καραμανλή για την Προεδρία
να είναι φαιδρά και αστεία και να ελλείπονται εγκύρου ενημερώσεως.
Άλλως, με το καλημέρα ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ μας έχει απογοητεύσει με τρόπο
οικτρό και βάναυσο, και αποδεικνύει ότι προάγει παράγοντες
γελειότητας, αστάθειας, αφερεγγυότητας και ανικανότητας στο
Ύψιστο Αξίωμα της Ελληνικής Πολιτείας...
Mr. Hollande and Ms. Merkel, your warm words and your
good will towards the new Greek Government are very much
appreciated and they will, hopefully, be accompanied by a
genuinely open and constructive dialog and a continued
help and support from the French and German Governments,
not in the form of further economic help, but rather in all
sectors of needed technological and managerial support that
will solidify and extend the structural changes that the
viability itself and the radical repositioning of the Greek
Economy and the Greek Polity really demand.
Thank you, also, to non-European Union Leaders that expressed
heartfelt congratulations and a sincere will to work closely with the
new Greek Government for a better and more prosperous future
for all, especially, our Barack, President Putin and the Turkish
Prime Minister that extended a warm invitation to Alexis to visit
Ankara, a visit that hopefully will happen soon. As I have already
mentioned many many times, a close impeccable cooperation
between Greece, Israel and Turkey and, in the, hopefully near,
future, a democratic and prosperous and tolerant Egypt, would
be enormously beneficial not only to the States and Citizens of
these four States, but also, and perhaps even more so, for the
entire World and its Citizens.
I am deeply sorry that the ex-Prime Minister had neither
the dignity nor the politeness or the good will to personally
welcome the new Prime Minister in the Maximou Palace
and to wish him Good Luck in his new duties; especially
so since the succession is taking place under dire conditions
and in a climate that he so vocally proclaimed himself , for
as long as he held the Chair, needed a spirit of national
unity, focus, common purpose and common effort. I am
ashamed for Samaras for his improper and decadent
behavior through omission rather than admission...
In all sincerity, Ms. Merkel's comments about Greece are
appreciated, but the story of Europe is not Germany's story
or France's story or Italy's story, but it is the story and the
destiny of all States in the Continent, and whether one or
the other State wants or does not want a third State to be
part of that story is irrelevant. The Forces of History and
of Destiny are above and beyond the intention, the appetite
and the will of a single leader, who is temporary anyway,
or of a single State, which forms only part of the same
puzzle and of the same picture in its own right anyway.
I have not heard a single word from Marco Rubio and his allies
in condemning the Obama administration for his sympathies
and support for Saudi Arabia. Perhaps Rubio, for some reasons
of his own, condemns only some undemocratic regimes, like Cuba,
and cherishes some others, like Saudi Arabia. Also perhaps,
and also for reasons that he alone knows and dodges to admit,
Rubio cherishes fraternity and cooperation with the Saudis, but
gloats on a rhetoric of enmity and disgust for the Island that
is a few miles off the coast of the State and the Country he serves
and that has not recently produced Citizens that bombed our
towers, but has instead supplied inavaluable help in defending the
World's interests by helping other States in dealing with medical
emergencies and potential humanitarian disasters more than any
other Nation on our Earth...
By the way, I was sorry to hear about Abdullah bin Abdulaziz's
passing, but, nevertheless, I do believe that he had been playing
a suspicious double role and not been very honest and sincere as
far as Suadi Arabia's Foreign Policy and Relations are concerned...
Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reported today on NPR on the advances
accomplished by the Governments of Sierra Leone and of Guinea
in the fight against ebola, closely following the effective campaign
that had already been undertaken in Liberia. Bravo to both of
those Governments and the Medical Personnel and People on the
ground for taking the epidemic seriously and for doing what
was proper and necessary to bring the spread of the disease
under control. It now remains the final step to eradicate ebola
and, also, to fortify both the Health Care Systems of the States
worst affected and, in general, to put better procedures and
measures in place at the World level to be better prepared to
detect, investigate, cope, deal and respond in any other way
necessary to any similar epidemic, if and when it occurs again.
Google Chrome, like everything else concerning Google, started
out light and unencumbered by the IExplorer bulls**t and, in
no time, has become heavy and unattractive with automatic
features that no user would have ever wanted, since, otherwise,
they would have stuck with Explorer. I guess, even when one
creates a good product, instead of just updating the technology,
they always feel compelled to also keep adding unwanted s**t
and encumbering the user as well... Google, I do not want to
opt out of your s**t; I just want to opt in when I really need
something and, mind you, that something will not be what you
defecate after your newfound comfortable eating...
What a joke! A ``reformist" that wants a ``clean FIFA" is
starting his bid by being bankrolled by a betting firm... If
this is Ginola's idea of having clean hands, of reforming
FIFA and of ``being all for football" and this also reflects
the idea of his supporters for cleanliness, there must be a
lot of naivete, idiocy and stupidity on this planet...
Aquino should keep in mind that the issue is not whether he is
doing better or worse than his predecessor, who does not seem
to have such an enviable record anyway. The issue is that, since
his country has been ranked with India, Sri Lanka and Thailand
in terms of corruption, the government is not doing that well
with regards to battling corruption and there is no excuse and
Pope Francis is absolutely right to raise the issue and ask for
a better performance, as, of course, would be anyone else.
Και σωβρακολογεί και κυλοτάρει. Ελπίζω να μην έχει και το
Τσιπραίϊκο τα ίδια μυαλά και τα ίδια χάλια...
Grazie per tutto, Giorgio!
Grazie per tutto, Signor Presidente!
What a pity that, instead of the news constantly reminding us that we are
all brothers and sisters, mortals living under one and the same heavens,
and that it is mindless and ill guided to either become judges of life and
use violence for whichever reason or objective or to call for defense against
and expulsion of immigrants and limitations on migration, we should all
come together as one in advancing, for the first time substantially and
decisively, not just in words but, also, in actions, our common humanity,
the media is showcasing a political narrow-mindedness and pettiness in
wondering whether the Prime Minister of Israel defied France or whether
our U.S. Administration did right or wrong not to send a top delegate for
the march in Paris or whether Erdogan feels happy or bitter about his
existence and the existence of his neighbors... In the face of unjutifiable
tragedy, our response should be universal unity and a renewed effort to
minimize differences and reconcile humanity to the idea that all the
differences we are emphasizing and exploiting opportunistically are
superficial and insignificant vis-a-vis the big picture of one humanity
united in the same sorrows, with the same strives, the same small and
big dreams and the same ultimate destiny.
Hidden brain indeed. Too bad that we need another Renaissance
to get rid of dubious, questionable, occasionally ridiculous, and
definitively inconsistent pseudo-science and of neo-astrologers...
I am wondering who the new ``little kid" in Congress is who
``was told about the American Dream" and, not only was ``a
foolish little kid" to believe it, but, in addition, he misunderstood
it to be fulfilled once one got into Congress and started a career
of secure and excited idleness and partake in the collusion with
shady financial and other special interests...
Ένα κενό που βασάνιζε αλύπητα την πολιτική μου ευαισθησία
πληρώθηκε πάραυτα με την ίδρυση του ``Εκτρώματος
Προσωπολαγνών Καρεκλοθηρών" του George Papandrew.
François, keep the 30's closer in mind. No easing of sanctions
against Russia until a full return to the Status Quo Ante occurs.
If Crimea is nor returned and sanctions are lifted, Russia will,
justifiably or unjustifiably, get a message that business is going
on as usual and that the road is open for the next big grab or
the next big request or demand and, then, France will have to
hide and say that, despite its History, she could not foresee these
developments occurring. Do not put France in a position of shame,
embarrassment and retreat. Keep these on the Kremlin's side,
where they rightly belong, until the Kremlin rights the wrongs
it has perpetrated and acknowledges the havoc it has contributed
in creating.
I welcome Alejandro Castro's visit to Greece for the opening
of the Cuban Film Festival in Athens and the presentation of
the translation of his book. However, I would like to make him
aware of two very important things:
1. Neither he nor his father have any right to alter or modify
or bastardize the idealism of his uncle and of Ernesto. Che
left under unclear circumstances and Fidel was forced by
a harsh reality to deviate and to create a political morph
that was not in his original intentions.
2. He should put himself in the position of a politician or an
author wanting to open a Film Festival or attend a signing
of his book in Cuba, a festival of films or a signing of a book
that his dad or his uncle might perhaps judge as subversive.
I am 100% sure that on that occasion, he would have been
happier than happiness that these events are taking place in
a country like Greece and not in Cuba...
Alejandro, work not for amplifying the disagreements and for
further opening the gap between Cuba and the U.S., but rather,
for bringing the two States closer, for developing an understanding
of one another's advantages and one another's weaknesses and for
founding a basis for cooperation and establishing a solid spirit of
fraternity and prosperity, that all Nations and all Governments
should set as priority goals in their foreign policies, subject only
to the sine qua non requirements of respect for International Law
and International Norms and respect for and friendly relations
with one's own Neighbors and with all other Nations.
Ειλικρινά απορώ. Οι κύριοι της Νέας Δημοκρατίας δεν έχουν
αρκετή φαιά ουσία και αρκετή αναλυτική ιστορική ικανότητα
ώστε να αντιλαμβάνονται ότι με την ανάληψη της εξουσίας
ο ΣΥΡΙΖΑ θα μεταβληθεί αυτοστιγμής στον πιο στενό φίλο
και άσπονδο υποστηρικτή της αστυνομίας και, εν γένει, όλων
των μέσων κοινονικού ελέγχου και καταστολής? Είναι τόσο
αχάμπαροι και τόσο ανερμάτιστοι που πιστεύουν ότι μπορεί
να υπάρξει κυβέρνηση οποιασδήποτε χρειάς που μπορεί να
επιβιώσει χωρίς αυτές της υπέργειες και υπόγειες διασυνδέσεις
ανεξαρτήτως προεκλογικών διακηρύξεων και ρητορικής;
I am not writing this as a recommendation of who to vote or
who not to vote for in the Greek Elections, but as a prediction
of upcoming events, based on previous experience: BEWARE
of all promises by Tsipras. Unless he shows specific detailed
plans on how he is going to break even fiscally, do not believe
his vague promises. It is very very likely that he will be forced
by circumstances and external pressure to apply exactly the
same policies that Samaras' Government has followed and
the only difference will be the person in the chair. Another
of those long-standing series of false unrealizable promises
with the only goal to get to the top and satisfy personal
ambition and kathedrolagnia.
Some good political developments in Gambia it seems. Another
terrible dictatorship of ridiculous eccentricity, one among the
innumerable ones that have plagued the Mother Continent,
seems to be crumbling under public pressure and discontent.
News from the Java Sea were devastating and news from the Adriatic
were not very good either. Numerous, too many, families are going to
spend holidays in mourning rather than joy and celebration. And to
add more sorrow to the devastation, we now have, it seems, another
SOS that has been received at a location close by where the Norman
Atlantic caught fire.
Εκτός των υπολοίπων χαρακτηριστικών που κληρονόμισε ο
George Papandreou από τον πατέρα του, φαίνεται, δυστυχώς,
ότι μάλλον δεν απέφυγε και το πιο τραγικό απ' όλα για την
Ελληνική Πολιτική Σκηνή και για τον Ελληνικό Λαό και
Τόπο, την παροιμιώδη καθεδρολαγνεία της συντριπτικής
πλειοψηφίας των πρώην και νύν πολιτικών μας ανδρών...
May Surabaya and Singapore and Patras and Ancona all receive
positive news these holidays. Too many transportation tragedies
in the year 2014 and too many human lives lost in the air and at
sea, some because of natural disasters and some because of human
negligence and human caused calamities. How could we and our
Governments help to make 2015 a completely different year?
2014 has mostly been a year of tragedy in the Eastern Mediterranean.
What with the financial issues still gripping Greece and Cyprus, with
Italy's financial condition not exactly very clear, with Russia's new
games on the back of neighboring states and with new insurrections
and wars without resolution and end in sight and with millions upon
millions of refugees endangered and having to live like no human
either deserves or should ever have to live. The only comical relief
drop there was, was the Turkish President taking over from where
our ex-Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin had left, thus, filming
the sequel Palin Café Episode 2, in which he proclaimed that, sitting
comfortably in his oda at the Erdoǧan Sarayi, he peeked at the distance
across the open sea, on the American Continent's Island of Cabeza Loca
and saw the first minaret that was built by the first Conquistadores
Musulmanes that had arrived at the continent in the year €£¥ß, before
the birth of the Prophet, but after the severe mental affliction of the
president.
Taking into account that human life is sacrosanct, we demand
that police not draw their weapons and that police not use
disproportionate force when making arrests and, even, going
further, that police not make an arrest immediately, if the
situation is likely to escalate out of control and cause serious
injury or fatalities. Having said this, taking into account the
fact that, as human beings, the lives of officers are as sacrosanct
as those of any and all other Citizens, we demand that people
opposing police not draw their weapons and not use undue
and disproportionate force against policemen and policewomen
that are simply trying to do their job and carry out as best
they can their contractual obligations and, even, at least
some of them, genuinely trying to help and serve their
communities. I think it is only fair to insist on both demands.
The company that Alan Gross was working for and Alan Gross
himself were aware that transporting, installing and operating
telecommunications equipment in Cuba was a risky business.
Regardless, when those well-known risks materialized, the U.S.
Government dished out $3.2M in taxpayer money to reward
them, on top of regular contract obligations that, I am sure,
well reflected the risks of the business (It would be excellent, in
the service of transparency, to tell us how much the contract
was worth and how much Mr. Gross was getting to carry out
his obligations under this contract). However, this same U.S.
Government does not do the same thing when our soldiers
get either injured or killed in the battlefield. Despite them
undertaking even much riskier business by enlisting, one would
think that, under similar justifications as in Mr Gross's case,
if those risks materialized and they were either injured or killed,
both themselves and their families would have similar grounds
for claiming at least $5M each in rewards from the the U.S.
Defense Department for sending them in harm's way, despite
them knowing the risks and being paid for their service. Why
does the Government accept and support such double standards?
Is it because the majority of the soldiers cannot fight tooth and
nail for their ``rights", as apparently, Mr. Gross was ready,
willing and, perhaps, one would even say, enthusiastic about
doing?
I heard about the report of the Committee to Protect Journalists,
and read about their data showing that the Middle East, Syria,
Turkey and even Ukraine (going slightly North) are among the
deadliest places for journalists to be on duty, the sacred duty
to inform the rest of us about the state of affairs in our World.
And it made be deeply sad, because our Middle East and its
inhabitants have sustained for the longest time one of the most
open hearted, welcoming and hospitable cultures for visitors,
traders and passers-through of all ethnic backgrounds and all
walks of life and it is devastating that People that still want to be
open and welcoming to friends, strangers and visitors alike have
been placed in a position where it is dangerous and very difficult
to do just that and to maintain this historically important and
noblest among all traditions...
Joe Cocker, one of the most beautiful and most moving voices
of rock, is with us no more.
The Pope accused the curia bureaucracy of ``spiritual
Alzheimer's" but it seems that the disease has instead
affected the Tunisian voters, who voted for a dinosaur
that has served faithfully both Bourguiba and Ben Ali...
(I cannot but comment on the lavish splendor of the
Vatican Hall; even the picture leaves one speechless...)
Perhaps now is the time to ask the Vatican to mediate
and organize a quadrilateral conference between our
United States, China and North and South Korea to
convince the North Koreans that the United States
wants to be open and friendly with all States that are
ready to be friendly with us and also willing to live
peacefully and cooperatively with their neighbors
and to respect International Law and its Customs.
Barack has two years left in office and has shown
a willingness to extend a hand of friendship to all
that are ready to accept it under minimal conditions
and we should not let this opportunity be wasted,
since we do not know who will be in charge next,
even though, most likely, given past experience, it
will be someone less flexible and less open-minded.
The first step that has to be taken to restore our dignity
is to remove Cuba from the list of ``State Sponsors of
Terrorism". Having there an Island, frankly, for the
type of its political system alone, an Island that has
taken recently the boldest of Humanitarian Initiatives
by sending the largest contingent of medical personnel
to the Ebola epicenter, when so many other States in
this World, some of which, unfortunately, our United
States has held as dear allies in the past, deserve this
title way before Cuba, is a stark injustice and a black
spot in the dignity of our own Nation and a burden in
convincing other Nations about the idealism of our
goals, the purity of our intentions, the friendliness
and caring attitude of our People and the sincerity of
our Foreign Policy and Relations. Barack, be bold and
take this step next and let us not calibrate our foreign
policy and compromise on doing the right thing in the
international stage by political lobbies and pressure
groups in Washington, Miami or anywhere else.
I categorically condemn violence no matter which party it
originates from. The life of an officer is as valuable as the
life of any and every other Citizen. Taking a human life,
be it by the Law or by someone opposing the Law, is
unacceptable and it is regrettable that the Law has not
fulfilled its responsibility of defending it and protecting
it. Killing and creating new pain on top of existing pain
is unjustifiable, abominable and creates new tragedy
and a new injustice.
North Korea proposing a joint hack investigation is exactly
equivalent to Russia attending a summit to diffuse the crisis
in Ukraine. It is wonder-ful how the leaders of such nations
still think that, in an era when people are so well informed,
there will be anyone buying these unacceptable gimmicks...
Just cut the crap and simply do the right things.
Governor Snyder, I think it is high time to accept that the
contract with Aramark is not only not working properly, but,
in fact, has had detrimental effects both from the side of Law
Enforcement and inmate decent treatment and mental comfort.
It should be annulled based on breach of obligations and on
performance lacking good faith and competence. Moreover,
the Attorney General and the State should ask that the State
be reimbursed by this company, which is not fulfilling properly
its obligations under contract and is causing injury, unnecessary
suffering and damage to the State inmate population.
Papa Francesco, Jorge Bergoglio, THANK YOU for your Good
Offices and encouragement in bringing our United States and
our Cuba closer together. Spiritual Guidance is important, but,
fortunately or unfortunately, it is not enough to create a better
World for all. Your Political Contributions, in particular your
Mediation Services and Willingness to Bridge Differences,
and your Standing Firm on the Side of Fraternity, Equality and
Individual Liberties and Human Rights for all, without double
standards and without prejudices for the rich being more equal
than the poor and for the powerful being more equal than the
weak, will be remembered fondly by the people that care.
If you can do something more about Palestine, Cyprus, Ukraine,
West Africa, Mexico and the disputes in our South Western
Pacific Region, work tirelessly to bring our Nations and our
Peoples closer together in this World, where we so much depend
on one another and no one can do well without all others being
on a comparable footing also.
National Federations, IMPLODE FIFA NOW!!
The ex-Vice President demonstrated once more his old idiocy
and his newly acquired senility. First, with respect to public
policy, if one accepts that the ends justify the means, then
one should accept the invasion of Crimea by Russia, one should
accept the techniques of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan
and one should, perhaps, even accept the techniques of IS in
Syria and Iraq, since all these actions may be aiming at noble
goals. But all these are clearly misguided and unacceptable,
exactly as was torture when applied by the U.S. Government.
Second, on a personal level, the arch-idiot miserable forgets
that, had his own child been tortured, being one of the innocent
few whose treatment, in his opinion, does not matter that much
when considering safety and security, he would himself have
employed the entire power of the US Government and powerful
and expensive private lawyers to complain about the issue and
would have condemned the perpetrator for Human Rights
violations... But, of course, his children are different and are
entitled to a more decent treatment than other people's children,
for whom the ex-Vice Idiot of our Government happens to,
frankly, not give a f**k...
BRAVO BARACK!!! BRAVO RAUL!!! GREAT NEWS.
Why? Why? Kids at school? Are you completely out of your mind?
You have disputes and enmity with the armed forces and you go
and massacre innocent and undefended children going to school?
Which principles, which deities, which bullshit do you abide by?
I condemn Rome's and any Kenyan City's candidacy for hosting
the Olympic Games. States and Cities should come together to
organize a boycott on submitting bids to the Swiss syndicate and
force the corrupt and oligarchic ``immortals" to compete among
themselves by running long distances and jumping over hurdles
like circus animals in the next ``olympics". NO SUPPORT TO
the LAUSANNE OLIGARCHS.
I am very happy about the collapse of the rouble. Not because I
have anything against Russia or Russians, but because I think
it unacceptable for a large behemoth to bully and to abuse an
impotent and much weaker neighbor, with a goal to unilaterally
grab part of is territory and bring its political and its military
structures to their knees. I fully support all collective International
measures to defend small and weaker states, that cannot do much
alone, against such aggressive and bullying behavior by powerful
and unwise neighbors.
What happened happened. No one is indebted to anyone else.
What is needed now is Fraternity and Cooperation, with Greece
helping Germany and all other Nations to always remember
what happened and to avoid similar missteps in the future, and
with Germany taking a leading role in the European Community
to solidify and expand Individual Liberties and Human Rights.
The responsibility to our children is to avoid needless bickering,
based on past experiences, without forgetting History, and to
all move forward in unison for a better Future and a better
Continent with more efficient and fairer Political Structures
and Institutions for all.
Bravo to Eric Fair. No equivocation, no weird, fabricated and
puzzling laundering terminological gimmicks. What is wrong
is wrong and changing the way you call some appalling and
regrettable acts and events cannot make them right under any
circumstances.
Let us close further the gap in Cyprus. Sit down and come up
with a comprehensive agreement for a solution. Greeks and
Turks and Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have much
much more that unite us in Humanity and Culture and great
Potential for Decisive Cooperation in various Political, Economic
and Social endeavors than what could potentially be critical
disagreements and unbridgeable differences.
Is this reported relation a ``diaploki" that should be treated
with suspicion and mistrust? Absolutely. Does it happen in
all political systems between businessmen and politicians,
be it capitalist, socialist or Chinist? Absolutely. Does that
constitute an excuse to accept them, tolerate them, excuse
them or somehow not wholeheartedly expose them and
condemn them as corrupt and detrimental to the public
interest? Absolutely not, especially so in Mexico that kills
its children and its students under public auspices, to a
large extent due to these interwoven interests and related
consequent shady bargaining and transactions...
We all condemn unequivocally the attack against the Israeli
Embassy in Athens. The role of Diplomats is to bring People,
States and Cultures together, to close gaps and to prevent
tensions and misunderstandings. As such the Embassies are
inviolable and the life and safety of the Diplomats sacrosanct
and any attempt at undermining fraternity, friendship and
solidarity between all Nations deplorable.
People are asking: Will the bozo MIT economist, questioned in
Congress in relation to his ridiculous actions during analysis of
the ACA of Barack going to be indicted and stripped of his
hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money in earnings
that he amassed through faulty science and pseudo-political
machinations? Are the CIA officials that lied repeatedly to
Congress regarding torture going to be indicted? I will answer
with 100% accuracy. No one, not a single person, is going to be
held accountable for these rich, mostly white and mostly
bureaucratic crimes. This is the state of impunity in political
and legal affairs for the lying and incompetent privileged in
our United States. Zero level of accountability and almost
negligent level of recouping ill gained financial assets for
work botched or work promised and never performed. That
is why this country will not change course until the ones that
bark for show and political gains start biting. But who would
be willing to take the initiative with everyone being so scared
that their own privileges will be disturbed for similar missteps
in the future? This is the main reason why everyone that can
goes after and punishes only the weak and powerless, that are
unable to respond and for whom no one stands up; they are
the only ones that get bitten by the establishment and the State
apparatus and, sometimes, even killed with impunity.
Όχι ηχηρό, αλλά ``ΝΑΙ" στην επιλογή Σταύρου Δήμα για την
Προεδρία της Ελληνικής Δημοκρατίας. Ας κάνουν οι πολιτικές
δυνάμεις το καθήκον τους να επιλέξουν μία καταξιωμένη,
αναγνωρισμένη και ηθική προσωπικότητα στο Ύπατο Αξίωμα
να αποφύγουμε διάφορους αγύρτες και οπορτουνιστές που
έχουν κατά διαστήματα προταθεί από συναγύρτες τους...
Silver is totally unjustified not to come out more forcefully
on the side of the NBA players that wore the ``I can't breathe"
T-shirts. NBA is the paradigmatic place where fraternity and
collegiality between all races and all ethnic backgrounds
is a long tradition, well-established and exemplary and, after
the Nation witnessed those unacceptable Grand Jury laundries
of shame and guilt, the least the players could do was to come
out and demonstrate their support for Equal Rights and Equal
Protection under the Law.
Unfortunately, Winter in France had come long ago...
ΗΧΗΡΟ ΟΧΙ στην πρόταση για Κωνσταντόπουλο. Υπάρχουν
επιλογές μεγαλύτερου κύρους, που χαίρουν διεθνούς σεβασμού
και σ'αυτές πρέπει να συγκεντρωθεί η προσπάθεια του
Ελληνικού Κοινοβουλίου.
Despite some disagreements, the cooperation between Greece
and Turkey is a guarantee for Peace, Security and Fraternity
in the Southeastern Mediterranean Region. I only wish these
two partners could play a more decisive role in resolving the
crisis in Syria, reestablishing Democracy in Egypt and, also,
exercising some positive influence towards a just, viable and
lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
Frankly, some people's way of thinking does not square up.
Watson says that he is selling his Nobel Medal, that was
obviously awarded to him before being ostracized, because
the scientific community now has ostracized him and says
that part of the proceeds are going to support scientific
research, i.e., the work of some people in the community
that has ostracized him and has made him feel like an
``unperson"...??? Senility, lack of analytical skills, lies or,
simply, fumbled words?
Bravo to Liberia, because the State and its Authorities have
overcome many hurdles, have taken the Ebola outbreak very
seriously and have tackled the spread with well-thought out
measures and determination and did not hesitate or shun
asking and using outside help to strengthen the response.
I know many people contributed decisively, especially those
on the ground in first response teams, and I would want to
thank and embrace them all individually, but I will thank
their President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as the leader and
executive coordinator of the effort, representing all
contributors. And I will accompany my praise with the wish
that her statements that resources will be used to other much
needed areas of care and medical infrastructure, when the
epidemic subsides, will not fall through cracks, but will be
really carried out with resources allocated properly and
wisely and plans implemented as swiftly and efficiently as
possible and waste avoided.
WHY? WHY? No respect, No shame, No intellect...
If you are caught in public intoxicated with arrogance, and
with your pants down pissing some condescension in your
friends and neighbors' flower beds, be at least man enough
to put your tail between your legs and return with shame and
embarrassment to your apartment, rather than claiming that
you were watering the plants. Idiot!
How about having a two-tier policing in our cities. A first level
without lethal weapons, intervening in the majority of the cases
where, were it not for the escalation that appearance of armed
policemen incites, would most likely go without life threatening
incidents. If the first level faces a life-threatening situation, then,
with proper authorization from a Senior Officer, a second level
armed team may be called and may use lethal force. On rare
exceptions ONLY, e.g., shootings or facing armed fugitives, where
danger is clear and imminent, would a Senior Officer authorize a
second level response immediately, without a first level response
initiating the second level mobilization. Just a thought, but I am
sure many other policies may be devised that might contribute
to NO MORE BLOOD, NO MORE UNNECESSARY INJURIES,
NO MORE DISCRIMINATION, NO MORE HURT and ANGER.
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
``Black Lives matter as much as White Lives"
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
But if you take a black one, we'll arrange a Grand Jury;
If you take a White One, we'll send you to the gallows
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
The ``Benevolent Association" called the officer an Eagle Scourge;
He hovers overhead and dives directly for the lungs and the heart,
preferably a better tasting black heart
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
De blah blah blah De blah blah blah
We have waited for too long for empty words to become sincere.
We have witnessed too much violence and inequality and heartache
to offer any more credibility and trust on credit and issue new
rainchecks. If the NYC mayor and its ``benevolent" are honest and
sincere, then they must surely believe that the actions of the officer
have harmed the interests of the City. If so, stop the rhetoric and
the empty argumentation and do something right: Instead of
letting Mr. Garner's family, the ACLU and the NAACP take the
initiative again, file yourselves a suit in Civil Law against the
officer, whose actions, as you purport to suggest, but are timid
to SHOUT, have harmed the interests of the City and hurt the
dignity and the feelings of a large part of its inhabitants and
too many others in the Nation. Time to see ACTION, ACTION;
NOT WORDS, ACTION, ACTION; NOT WORDS.
Let us not lose sight of the essence and the big picture. The
details and the legalese of whether what happened to Eric
Garner was or was not ``chokehold" according to New York
Law and/or according to Federal Law diminish the fact that
in this, our United States, Police officers are taking, under
various circumstances, human lives, even, as is crystal clear
in Mr. Garner's case, without responding with proportionate
force to a crime being committed or to any threat of violence
of comparable magnitute, and they are not held accountable;
in fact worse, they are not even tried for this, the crowning
offense in any well-functioning legal system. I am deeply
ashamed and I am devastated and embarrassed that while
my State and its Diplomats go around the World preaching
to ``less respectful" and ``less well governed" States how to
Respect Fundamental Human Rights and Liberties, its Civil
and other Servants fall so abominably short from upholding
domestically in Law all these same rights uniformly and
equally for all its Citizens as demanded by Public Conscience.
