International (2/2)

OBAMA’S ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN The Republicans, those elected and those working in the civil service and businesses, backed up by the CIA, are going to do everything they possibly can to sink Barack Obama’s plans. A black man with an Arabic Muslim first name, and Democrat to boot, simply cannot succeed where a Republican white man, Reaganite neo-conservative, neo-liberal, new-born Christian, WASP, Yale graduate and member of Yale’s secret society Skulls and Bones, pro-Zionist, has not only failed in applying his theories, but, above all, has wreaked havoc in his country and throughout the world! We’ve had the same thing in France, where the 35-hour workweek would have succeeded if the system had been supported and well negotiated among management and labour, but the MEDEF [the largest union of employers in France] and its leader, Ernest Antoine Sellières, Freemason and/or Opus Dei member, did everything they could to sink a progressive, leftist policy which was going to succeed, counter to their own interests and theories! Media propaganda did the rest … SUSPENSION OF THE MAASTRICHT CRITERIA It would be wise for the Commission to convene all partners in order to seek agreement on the suspension of the Maastricht convergence criteria regarding the budget deficit and public sector debt to prepare for the possibility of zero growth. CYCLIC CRISES OF CAPITALISM Stop the doom-mongering: over the last 200 years, capitalism has witnessed long (Kondratieff, about 30 years), medium (Juglar, about 7 years), and short (Kitchin, 3 years) juxtaposed cycles. See the thorough Crise mondiale, théories et réalités, Synthèse +, by Michel Castellani, published by Sirey. The capitalist system has a remarkable recovery capacity because it acts upon the interest of each individual (as opposed to the interest of all). The system is also singularly myopic, particularly when it is not regulated, and it thus finds itself stuck in the next crisis with no real planning will. Moreover, no-one can doubt the seriousness of future crises: the Iranian crisis, the end of cheap petrol, the damage caused by global warming, the Chinese and Indian hegemony, the commodities crisis, the food crisis, the water crisis, etc. EUROPEAN PLANNING COMMISSION The European Union would greatly benefit from creating an advisory and stimulating Planning Commission similar to the French one, so as to guide states and companies, in particular transnational ones. It is best to produce relevant analyses which guide action rather than yet another layer of regulations which would be poorly received by states, enterprises and populations… ATTACKS AGAINST THE GERMAN ECONOMIC POLICY Nicolas Sarkozy attacks Angela Merkel, who is implementing austerity measures. France is claiming that Germany, a country in a relatively better financial situation, ought to spend more to promote a European Keynesian upswing. Now, any prudent head of household knows that the less s/he owes the banks, the better s/he will fare (less stress to repay loans, less cash spent to help banks work). In reality, what is at stake is the capacity of the French people and their political elites to undertake the forever postponed stabilization of public finance. What is on the line is social cohesion facing a necessary collective effort. And we have to admit that our cohesion is less strong than that of the Germans, the Dutch, the Swedes, the Canadians, the South Koreans, etc. Who is to blame? Politicians and union leaders who are not promoting the real issues and challenges of today’s world, different from those of yesteryear (1945-1973, 1974-2007).