Highway to heaven

The idea of helping the automobile sector as it was previously done to the financial companies starts to gain followers. The menace of a possible bankruptcy in GM seems to enhance authorities’ fear of increasing even more the already great deal of unemployed, and, nowadays, that would involve serious problems to governments, as people start to point out to them as principal characters of the current crisis scenario.
The wreckage of the financial system would probably have meant a tragedy in our globalized society, as it has turned to be the foundations of global economy. However, the automobile industry, despite the high number of connected jobs, does not threaten all markets. The eventual collapse of a giant like GM would cause thousands of new unemployed, it would be a serious damage in social terms, but it would certainly not affect the stability of the world’s economy.
Helping this companies would encourage each and every company in economic difficulties from no matter what sector to ask for help, and the denial of this help would be unfair this time. It is hard to say to thousands of people that they are going to lose the job they have been carrying out for the past decades, it is hard to face a 57 year old man that has been working in a factory since he was 16 and tell him that his company is going to disappear. To avoid that, it would have been necessary to look in the eyes of dozens of business men and suggest that continuous two digits growth was not sustainable in the long term, that providing the market with such a quantity of all-terrain vehicles was illogical, that… that they worked for a company and had to do their best not just to improve their own wealth.
It is time for new opportunities, it is time for new ideas to come and take the place of those dangerous principles that have driven the situation into this hole. Will we be brave enough to clean this mess up?

Absolut Vodka: a drink of State

The usual problem of public companies (referring to government-owned corporations) is the lack of competitiveness, which, in addition to several aspects of the public economy, has been the reason why this kind of companies have been privatized within the last two decades.

Governments tend to blame this inefficiency on the product they offer, traditionally related to energy, infrastructures or communications. The privatization of some public corporations proved, however, that even this kind of products could be profitable (take, for instance, the last results of Telefonica).

But energy, natural resources or infrastructures are just the most common "public products"; some countries, far from being affraid of the power of capitalism have extraordinarily introduced their products in global markets, reaching important market shares. Can you imagine which is the Swedish government star product? Right: Absolut Vodka.

Absolute, as the second vodka brand by sales volumes, shows that public companies can actually have benefits. It is difficult to imagine the Dutch government owning Heineken, or the American owning Jack Daniels, I would like to think that it is difficult due to a matter of Ethics of those governments, though I think it is due to a lack of imagination, in fact. Do you think it is ethically correct for a government to produce vodka? It may be a paradoxe, but Sweden had the hardest anti-alcohol policies of the E.U., and the amount of alcohol per person per year is five times less than the one in Spain (20 l. to 5 l.). Does it mean the Swedish know how to deal with alcohol?

Anyway, Absolut Vodka will probably not be a Swedish public company from next autumn, as several private companies such as Bacardi are interested in buying it. A politically-correct decision that will decrease the public income, time to focus just on forests or education.

Fiji, still a paradise?

The image I have always had of Fiji is the one of paradise. Despite not being a sea lover, the idea of spending a holiday in a hut on the sea, surrounded by nothing but peace and amazing beaches has been on my mind for ages.

To my surprise, I have come across an article concerning Fiji's economy which could change the image of this paradise island. Fiji's economy seems to be absolutely doomed and, what is worse, its government is probably not the best one to drive an important reform in order to end up with the current situation. Will we witness the island's collapse in coming months? Or will it just be a collapse for the local population, with no repercussion at all for tourists?

Globalization makes us all live in a similar way, meaning with a similar lifestyle, unfortunately, I am affraid there are places in the world that need to keep their own way of living to survive. They are probably just a few distant nooks on Earth, but as long as there are people living in them, we have to respect their lives, otherwise, we will do them more harm than good.

Time to be affraid?

The "unexpected" results of this week, with drops in all markets, have made investors become aware of the danger that the U.S. economic weakness can provoke.
I have always thought that if investors are real analysts with experience they can respond in an appropiate way to these incidents. However, it can easily turn into a serious problem as more an more people (not professional analysts) are becoming little investors. The reaction of these new "customers" is unpredictable; depending on their decisions they can make it worse.

It would be difficult to reach the current levels without all these little investors, and it would probably be impossible to experiment even more increases in the short term if their number does not increase. But it is necessary to control them somehow, which goes against liberal principles.

Is it just a way of controlling individuals? Why did Shangai's market suffered from the sharpest drop while it was the American economy the one meant to be weak? Is it time to be affraid?

Not just topics

Some weeks ago I was told that the most recurring topics in the British society are, nowadays, global warming and junk food. The media seem to have started a real crusade against them. In fact, it is the Government, who has reinforced its concerning policies (apparently, at least).
Having a quick look to any newspaper it is easy to find some go green stuff, some articles about sustainable growth and some tips of the advances in the fight against junk food in schools. Mr. Blair’s government has emphasized these serious problems, developing different programs on these matters.
Watching “An inconvenient truth” made me learn some interesting things, it s obvious that something must be done if we want to keep our world healthy. However, I had not realized why so much importance is given to the British diet until this morning. That eight year old boy almost taken from his mother made me see that “Supersize me” was not a mere joke. It is absolutely incredible, and seriously frightening. As Anglo-Saxon culture importers, the Spanish have got to realize the danger to which we may be exposed, otherwise, we will soon be talking about an eight-year-old boy called Juanito Pérez who…

A gift

Do you like Truffaut? Look at this, twelve of his best films, including two of my favourite films: "Les 400 coups" and "Jules et Jim".

It came to me, my own, my love... my... preciousssss!

Letters from Iwo Jima

“Letters from Iwo Jima”, as the Japanese eye of the battle narrated in “Flags of our fathers”, offers a different vision of the same event.
However, from the first shot to the last, this one improves the American vision. Eastwood goes into the soldiers’ psychology in an amazing way; we are able to observe the evolution of different ways of thinking in the same side of battle. The ancient traditions and values, the Japanese discipline, the fidelity to the land and the Emperor, as the columns of the Japanese traditional mind, contrast with the new way of thinking of the general in command, with the love of the family, with the survival instinct.
In the battle, some show respect for each other, some even respect the enemy, and others just do respect themselves, their own ideas. Some seem brave men, and others are just victims of the cruelest fear. But as the battle goes on, the feelings may change, the roles may be the opposite indeed.
In war, every man, whatever the side he is fighting for, may be a good man. In war, every man has his values, which may not be the same for all men in the same side, and, nevertheless, may be the same for some men considered “the enemy”. In war, every man is a victim.
Once outside the cinema I heard “Oh, it’s too long, there are moments when you disconnect”. In fact, the battle is long, there are moments when even the soldiers forget about it and dream of their families, of their past lives.
I did not like “Flags of our fathers” very much. Do not think you are going to watch the same film, “Letters of Iwo Jima” is definitely an excellent film, will the Academy have the same opinion?

Globalization reaches the Church

An article in The Times shows the interest of both Anglican and Roman Catholic Church in reuniting. My first reaction is smiling, I had never imagined that globalization would reach religion.

While reading it, I think of a Spanish popular (maybe vulgar) expression: "De la globalización no se salva ni Dios", whose sense would be something like "Even God is not safe from globalization".

However, after my first reaction, it is time to worry; if the union between two companies has the objective of making a bigger one, improving previous results, will that mean that reunition of Anglicans and Roman Catholics can make them stronger?

Little Miss Sunshine

Just a week before the Oscars, I have decided to watch the most unusual candidate to the best picture award: Little Miss Sunshine. What a right choice.
In a few minutes we are presented the characters that are going to lead us to the Little Miss Sunshine contest, where little Olive is going to be one of the contestants; extraordinary presentation that shows us a cast of scruffy characters that happen to be a family.
Their adventures in the long ride to California, driving a ruined van, are worth watching, with some magnificent dialogues and an accurate direction. Even if the evolution of the characters, from my point of view, reduces the quality of the film, as it turns out to be a conventional evolution (they finally loose the initial extravagance that makes them so attractive), the resulting comedy is fun, ideal for spending a Sunday afternoon.
Can you imagine what could have it been if the driver would have been Bill Murray and the family driven to the contest the Tenembaums?

Dealing with urban development

All these pictures show the result of the same urbanistic plan. As I claimed yesterday, isn't it the ideal place to live in?

At the beach

Have you ever dreamt of the perfect neighbourhood? This picture was taken there, a place where you can live in a house designed by Enric Miralles while your neighbour's is a work of MVRDV.

Recently critisized due to the lack of green areas, parking areas or the size and unflexibility of the houses, I still find it an extraordinary nook to live in. I am sure that in Barcelona the "pseudo-beach" in the picture would be considered a green area.

And what is the most important thing: the bright lights are just minutes away!

Legality and Justice (I)

As I was requested some time ago, I am going to dedicate a post to the situation of Inaki de Juana. Having murdered 25 people, Inaki was judged and convicted to 3.000 years. Some may think that such a conviction could be considered as life enprisonment, however, the Spanish penal code, permitted De Juana to leave prison after a 18 years inprisonment.

Before him, some other terrorists had taken advantage of this legal situation, but maybe due to the different political environment it had not become such a noticeable fact. In this occasion, the fact that De Juana could be able to leave prison was seen as an insult by most part of the Spanish population, and so, there were several demonstrations to keep him in prison.

The solution to calm the social alarm that had been generated was simple: De Juana would be judged for having written an article in a newspaper, for what was called terrorism apology. The requested penalty, 12 years.

It is to be enfasized that this man is a murderer that does not regret having killed 25 people. In any case, it sounds ridiculous that writing an article can be almost as serious as his previous crime (according to the penalty), it sounds ridiculous that a man convicted to 3.000 years can leave prison in 18, and it is ridiculous that those ho have always defended our penal code now are trying to make a botched job in order to solve a little "legal system deficiency".

What is to worry is that the trial has not taken place yet, so the EX-convict has been in preventive prison from 2 years up till now, and his medical state is serious due to the hunger strike he has been seconding for the past two months. I wonder what can happen in case of death if he is finally considered innocent in this new trial. It is said that Legislative Power is perfectly separated from Executive Power, but if he was found inncocent after his death, it would only be a mistake for the judges, and an extremely serious situation for the Government.

What is legal may not seem just, but what could be just is certainly not legal, everything that is legal is fair? Everything that is fair is legal?

Meeting Escher

It may seem unbelievable, but I must admit that the name M.C. Escher meant nothing to me till my trip to The Netherlands. While prowling about The Hague, trying to discover some interesting architecture, I was given a curious brochure. There was a temporary exhibition of someone called Escher. As buildings were not as interesting as I had thought, I decided to go and see what kind of work was exhibited there.
Right decision, I would have regretted loosing the opportunity to admire the work of this unusual artist. I am not sure if artist is the ideal word to define Escher, my first impression was that his work was the one of a scientific artist. Geometric shapes turning into birds (or earth turning into air), fishes evoluting to birds, but also extraordinary classic litographies, and a self-portrait reflected in a crystal sphere absolutely captivated me.
Maybe “Relativity” was the summit of this exhibition, a logically and physically impossible composition where each staircase ends up in a different ground. A piece that, according to gravity law is completely impossible. As I never understand what an author wants to express with his work, my impression when admiring “Relativity” was the fact that men go through different paths to their personal worlds, worlds that are impossible to reach for other men, worlds from where you see each other reality as odd. However, it is just casualty, it is just the fact of choosing one staircase or another that makes you end up in one of these worlds, it is just casualty that makes you think that your chosen path is the right one, that your world is the only possible one. Paradoxically, no matter the path you choose, no matter the ground you are, you think it is the one, the correct one, and so, your path, your world, will always be wrong choices according to other men’s point of view.

In & out

It is obvious that Spanish economy has boomed during the last few years. The incredible growth, nearly twice the average growth of the eurozone, has made feel proud the different Spanish governments of the period. We are suffering now in Spain a nonsense fight between the two main parties due to which short term results are the only important matter and, so, the only thing to worry about.

The conservative party, now the Opposition, has fallen into a deep decadence, and the lack of ideas of its leaders has made them focus just on terrorism and on what they call "the balkanization of Spain" (maybe not to be forgotten, but certainly not the most serious problems of the country). Surprisingly, they have managed to drive political debate into that direction, providing the medias with a great deal of headlines which offend, annoy and divide the population, headlines that can only do harm, no good at all.

With such a depressing panorama, each government show off because of the economic improves. According to the statistics, it is obvious that our economy has become one of the most powerful in the EU. Several indicators put Spain on top and that has been the origin of political propaganda that makes some people think that terrorism and "the balkanization" are the main problems of the country.

However, sometimes it is necessary to find out some information from "the outside" that can help us understand "the inside" or, at least, to give us additional information from a different point of view. I have just come across an article in "The Economist" showing a different interpretation of Spanish indicators. I recommend you to scheme the article and read the opinon of Olivier Blanchard, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (in the photograph).

You can find the article here.