Bye Bankia! (#LiquidarBankia)

Here we go! A campaign is been launched today in Spain by #15mpaRato asking for the judicial intervention of the bank Bankia. Sorry it is in Spanish, but if you can please read the following link:

http://15mparato.wordpress.com/a-toda-troika-le-llega-su-15m/

Please retweet, re-send, spread the word! Let's #liquidarBankia!

Dedicated to the ones who said 15M is dead

Spain: betraying citizens, betraying democracy

"The time to rise has been engaged/ You're better best to arrange"

R.E.M.   "Finest Worksong"

Enough HAS to be enough.

Methods to get out from the crisis:
I. Becoming rich
II. Becoming even richer
III. Run away
Vignette by El Roto

Yesterday, our Spanish government certified another brutal series of measures, the biggest ones we haver ever suffered during democracy, against us, the citizens. Our president, Mariano Rajoy, also proved that Spain is no longer a sovereign country, but a piece of land ruled by the European Union. Did we vote for that last year? Did anyone who vote in that election, no matter which option you voted, or even if you voted blank or null, knew our president was going to be in the hands of someone else (that we didn't choose)? I don't remember it. Which is weird because I do remember casting my ballot then (as I have always done since I'm legally allowed to). 

Rajoy justified the measures explaining us, citizens, that we have to make another effort, and pay more while we earn less, because is the only solution. Which is a FLAGRANT, unacceptable, outrageous LIE. Because:

We, citizens, ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for the BANK abuses. We don't have to pay for their rescue.  

We, citizens, ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE for the vile and corrupted behaviour of our political leaders
We, citizens, ARE BEING IGNORED by the ones that are supposed to represent us. We should never forget that they are representing us, they serve us, not the contrary. If they are not capable of solving the situation without harming us, they should resign. IMMEDIATELY.

The sort of cuts the conservative government are imposing are not the only way out. It is only a political decision that responds to a very contested way of understanding economics. Many voices, in a very open way, around Europe and the rest of the world is asking for another kind of economic policies. Take the announcement of increasing VAT to 21%, for example. It's a measure that will ballast consumption, therefore aggravating the crisis. Misery is just around the corner with that sort of policies. It simply doesn't make sense. The argument argued by our politicians, saying that we had a very low VAT before is a complete, perverse MANIPULATION. Look at this numbers:

Germany VAT: 19% Minimum Wage: 1.993€
United Kingdom VAT: 20% Minimum Wage: 1.201€
France VAT: 19,6% Minimum Wage: 1428€
Netherlands VAT: 19% Minimum Wage: 1446€
Spain: 21% Minimum Wage: 641€

Besides, and never forget, that among the political decisions taken in this terrible 6 months there has been one that is particularly revealing: the "TAX AMNESTY". Until November 30 2012, individual and corporate taxpayers (the millionaires of this country that are evading their capital in fiscal paradises) will be permitted to voluntarily disclose unreported income or assets by paying a special 10% levy on the amount or acquisition value, with no criminal or administrative penalties, surcharges or interest. They are demanding drastic efforts to the vast majority of the population while they are alleviating the much needed pressure to the biggest fortunes, who by the way, are committing an obvious economic fraud. That is an ABERRATION, that invalidates any of their political justifications when announcing an unpopular measure. There are several alternatives instead, but it is clear who they are trying to protect... even at the cost of ending with our welfare state.

I could keep on and on (justice, education, health, freedom of expression, repression, don't even let me enter into football) but its all pretty obvious. Our political leaders are either puppets in the hands of biggest powers, or rats trying to take benefit of their position while they are in charge. THEY DON'T REPRESENT US. Our government is against us, the citizens. And by doing so they have sentenced the concept of democracy to death. They are destroying our rights. That is unacceptable. 

Then, it's time for us, citizens, to restore it. We are the only ones that can revert the situation. It's our duty as citizens. We have to kick them out of the power. Today, more than ever, we need a Real Democracy Now!

"Inside Job", the Wall Street World Government

Inside Job

"The politicians do not rule the world, Goldman-Sachs in Government". These are the words of Alessio Rastani, an anonymous stock market trader until this week, when he got interviewed, in all his shameless and shameful honesty, at BBC News, shocking the world with his message. It's not the only one-liner he said that deserves to be remembered. "If you know how, you can make money off a crash!", and "in less than a year the savings will be gone for millions of people without that neither markets nor governments can do anything" are painstakingly examples of what and who leads of the world these days. His position, attitude, words and message are the best summary of "Inside Job", a film that dissects how and who put the world into the economic crisis we are facing. Welcome to the Wall Street World Government.

Director Charles Ferguson, who won the best documentary award at the Oscars, divides the film in a five episodes structure to analyse all sides to take the closest look at what brought about the financial meltdown. The idea and aim is excellent, as we have a comprehensive and very detailed analysis, but the episodes are seriously unbalanced.

After a very good start with the background of the recession in which we go to Iceland before setting the movie at the United States, we move into episodes 2 and 3, where the crisis is carefully explained...with too many facts, numbers and graphics. Don't get me wrong, a serious documentary must inform and give facts, but in my opinion, there's too much and too fast in the film. I have serious concerns about if "Inside Job" can connect with the general audience and not just the people already interested. Worse, I'm among "the already interested" and I admit some of the information provided wasn't fully assimilated, and that I missed some analysis on the role of international institutions (if any) or a wider scope (not just the States). In the other hand, watching the film should be mandatory at schools. Its a documentary that requires to be studied, not just watched.

On the contrary, chapter 4, "Accountability", has to be highlighted on its own. Brilliant from start to finish, offers a side of the crisis completely overlooked. The role of education and economic schools in which politicians, corporations and the markets find their ideological support that seems to have the power to justify that deregulation, bank rescues or lately, cuts on social services, are necessary for the good of economy. "Inside Job" reveals, thanks to sharp and smart interviews, that is a lie. Education has been as corrupted, hypocrite and selfish as banks and politicians, and therefore they are responsible of that crisis as well.

The final chapter "Where are we now" is the other standout moment of "Inside Job". Without any political bias, Ferguson points out how the Obama administration is almost entirely composed by the same people that was behind the crisis, whether in previous political or corporative positions. So you can easily guess what's the conclusion. On the not so good side, there's a slight outburst at the very end of the film, losing part of its remarkable objectivity until that point.

"Why should a financial engineer be paid four times to 100 times more than a real engineer? A real engineer build bridges. A financial engineer build dreams. And, you know, when those dreams turn out to be nightmares, other people pay for it". The words of Andrew Sheng are the best summary of the crisis, so I will save you some time skipping the rants and insults I'm tempted to utter. In what regards to "Inside Job", I believe is a must-see. My suggestion would be to combine it with Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story", as together they provide a complete and powerful picture. Moore is more focused on the people affected by the crisis, the human side, and as it less dense in the explanation of the crisis, while Ferguson's is more objective and informative. Hey! At least there's one thing we have to thank the crisis for. Some filmmakers have been moved to direct great and insightful movies about it.

SCORE: 6,75/10

The death of Spanish democracy: referendum now!

And if Iceland should be the model to follow, Spain is the shameful example of what we mean by giving up to the pressure of the market, banks, and the countries that rule the European Union. Here's another article, by professor Vicenç Navarro (sorry is written in Spanish, but I guess an online translator would do fine) about why WE MUST celebrate a referendum in order to, we citizens, have our say regarding all this economic nonsense. Otherwise, we will be certifying the death of Spanish democracy.

Un referéndum necesario

[...]La democracia queda limitada en España a votar cada cuatro años sin que se le ofrezca a la ciudadanía la oportunidad de participar en referéndums vinculantes y otras formas de democracia directa que permitieran una mayor capacidad de incidencia de los ciudadanos en el quehacer común. [...]La única expresión de desaprobación que los representados tienen a su alcance es dejar de votar o votar por opciones distintas cada cuatro años. Ello es un indicador de lo enormemente limitada que es la democracia española.
Hemos estado viendo recientemente cómo partidos gobernantes (tanto a nivel central como autonómico) están aprobando medidas altamente impopulares, que no estaban incluidas en sus propuestas electorales, y que se están llevando a cabo supuestamente por mandato de los mercados financieros, a quienes nadie ha elegido. El 82% de la ciudadanía estaba en contra, por ejemplo, del retraso de la edad de jubilación; el 86% en contra de la congelación de las pensiones; el 68% en contra de los recortes del gasto sanitario, y así un largo etcétera, lo cual no fue un obstáculo para que la mayoría de las Cortes españolas aprobaran tales medidas. Una consecuencia de ello es la enorme distancia que se está creando entre representados y representantes, con la pérdida de legitimidad de los últimos. No es de extrañar que la clase política dominante esté considerada por la población como el tercer gran problema que tiene el país.
Y estamos a punto de ver otro caso en el que una decisión de enorme trascendencia (la reforma de la Constitución, para garantizar un límite al gasto público) se está proponiendo por la dirección de los dos partidos mayoritarios, medida que no estaba en el programa electoral de ninguno de ellos (y que afectará negativamente a la calidad de vida de la mayoría de la población). 

Full article here: http://blogs.publico.es/dominiopublico/3895/un-referendum-necesario/

We must mobilize in order to let "them" now we won't remain silent while our rights are buried.

I love Iceland. Lessons to face the crisis

I suggest you to read this great article by Deena Stryker, that I was lucky to find at the interesting website Daily Kos. It explains briefly how a country, Iceland, can collapse, economically speaking, and go back stronger while opposing to follow the unique's receipt the rest of the European countries (Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal on top) seems to be forced to take in the "sacred name" of the market. Is a bit long, but worth every second of your time, so please read it. This are the opening paragraphs:

Iceland's On-going Revolution

As one European country after another fails or risks failing, imperiling the Euro, with repercussions for the entire world, the last thing the powers that be want is for Iceland to become an example. Here's why:

Five years of a pure neo-liberal regime had made Iceland, (population 320 thousand, no army), one of the richest countries in the world. In 2003 all the country’s banks were privatized, and in an effort to attract foreign investors, they offered on-line banking whose minimal costs allowed them to offer relatively high rates of return. The accounts, called IceSave, attracted many English and Dutch small investors. But as investments grew, so did the banks’ foreign debt. In 2003 Iceland’s debt was equal to 200 times its GNP, but in 2007, it was 900 percent. The 2008 world financial crisis was the coup de grace. The three main Icelandic banks, Landbanki, Kapthing and Glitnir, went belly up and were nationalized, while the Kroner lost 85% of its value with respect to the Euro. At the end of the year Iceland declared bankruptcy.

Contrary to what could be expected, the crisis resulted in Icelanders recovering their sovereign rights, through a process of direct participatory democracy that eventually led to a new Constitution. But only after much pain.

Full article here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/01/1001662/-Icelands-On-going-Revolution

What an enormous lesson. To overcome the crisis, why don't become more democratic, inclusive and active, instead of letting the ones that created the problem start again? It's a bit embarrassing to read the article when PP and PSOE, the two biggest parties in Spain, have decided to reform the constitution together, in order to satisfy the markets, and without having a referendum. Let's learn something from Iceland, please!