Entries Tagged 'politics' ↓

I just want to report that Chema’s latest googlebomb suggestion has succeeded. A google for “Liberales Desquiciados” gives as a first result to their recent article about Microsoft’s press announcement with Firefox screenshot. If you are wondering what is this all about, you can visit yoursfelf Liberales Desquiciados and see what he meant.

In his “EU diary”, the BBC’s Angus Roxburgh writes about an exhibition, sponsored by the Dutch government, about the history of the EU and a projection into the future. A snippet:

A few years from now, the euro becomes the world’s favoured reserve currency, rather than the dollar.

In 2007 the EU is joined not just by Bulgaria and Romania but by Iceland, Norway, Croatia and Switzerland. Others, from Armenia to Albania, apply to join.

In 2015, “the southern half of the Roman Empire returns” - with Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Jordan, Israel and Palestine joining. The EU becomes known simply as “The Union”.

And how serious are the authors of this vision?

Well, in 2012, they say, to simplify things Chinese is chosen as the EU’s “single language”. Ah, I see!

Comments, anyone?

The International Herald Tribune runs a nice article titled Will Turkey join the EU club? where they review the main positions on the possibility of Turkey joining the EU.

Some, like Ana Palacio, say that letting Turkey into the EU would be a significant strategic gesture towards the muslim world. Governments that support Turkish EU aspirations include Spain, Britain, Italy and the Netherlands.

Others say that Turkey’s religious and cultural heritage, as well as its bad democratic and human rights record, is incompatible with the EU. It would also cost 11.3?���� billion per year in agricultural subsidies.

IHT, North Korea beats up on Bush:

In Monday’s tirade, Pyongyang’s diplomatic spokesman called Bush “an idiot, an ignorant, a tyrant and a man-killer.”

“Bush’s assumption of office turned a peaceful world into a pandemonium unprecedented in history, as it is plagued with a vicious circle of terrorism and war,” continued the statement. “The president’s aides and allies are a typical gang of political gangsters.”

The spokesman concluded darkly that the U.S. president was “a bad guy.”

IHT reports about a “Feminist uproar in Spain over Vogue photos”. The September issue of Spanish Vogue runs an article about the 8 female ministers in the Spanish government. The report is called “8 women for history” and talks about the political views of each of them and their reflections about the role of women in modern society. The article is accompanied by a photo session were the ministers pose in designer suits.

Some feminist groups are now outraged because of the ministers posing as models. I can understand, to some extent, that posing in expensive designer suits of prizes of up to 5.000 EUR does not help to bring the ministers “close to the voters”, but what I strongly disagree with is this ‘feminist’ message that ‘looking good’ is anti-feminist and old-fashioned. Apparently, caring for their image and posing for some elegant fashion pictures means that the Spanish ministers are un-professional and generally incompetent. So what then, to look professional a woman in Spain has to look as plain as possible?

A group picture from the Vogue article can be seen in this ‘El Mundo’ article.