20 years ago

In 1989 Eastern Europe said goodbye to communism. The most important force in the uprising was the Solidarity movement in Poland. One of the Polish leaders was Adam Michnik and in a Wall Street Journal interview we're reminded of what he once said: "Solidarity has never had a vision of an ideal society." Michnik, knowing well how visions like the classless communist society lead to totalitarian dictatorship, prefers a society that "wants to live and let live". There's a lesson here for all idealistic people to take it easy and always stay democratic.

Protectionist decisions by Obama ahead of G20 summit

At the last G20 meeting in London on 2 April world leaders promised to reject protectionism but since then many nations have taken steps to protect their own businesses against foreign competition. In the runup to the next G20 summit in Pittsburgh on 24-25 September President Obama last week decided on new measures to curb imports from China. Punitive tariffs will be put on Chinese tires and steel pipes in an effort to help US manufacturers. The Wall Street Journal thinks this will open for demands from other industries to get protection, too.

China objects naturally, and they are right that the US are breaking promises made not to combat the economic crises with protectionism. One can only hope that other countries don't follow the lead of the US in this case. The world economy needs more trade, not a trade war.

Everybody against Honduras

In June Honduras president Manuel Zelaya was deposed from the presidency on the order of the country's Supreme Court. Zelaya had violated the constitution by seeking a referendum to change the one-term limit on the presidency. The outside world, led by Venezuela, has called what happened a "coup" and demanded that Zelaya be reinstated as president. But they are all wrong since it wasn't a coup. The laws of Honduras were followed and now there will be new presidential elections in November.

What happened in Honduras is described in this July BBC report. Like everybody else the US abandoned Honduras in what seems a move to please the left-leaning Latin American continent. Wall Street Journal's reporter on Latin American affairs likens the US treatment of Honduras to old time US imperialism in Latin America, although this time to support a left-wing movement. Read Mary Anastasia O'Grady's latest column here.

Yesterday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Manuel Zelaya. The US is now increasing its pressure on the Honduran government by holding back financial support. See BBC article here and Department of State press release here.

The US, the EU and everybody else should stop interfering in Honduras democracy. Not even Zelaya's own party wants him back so why should other countries want it?

Looking back in time

A new record distant object in space has been discovered. What's being seen is a giant star explosion, occuring more than 13 billion years ago, when the universe itself was only 0.6 billion years old, and when there still was 8.5 billion years to go before planet Earth was formed. Now these Earth beings are getting close to seeing how it all started...

Prosecute torture

Torture is a crime against humanity and people torturing prisoners should be prosecuted and punished. Following orders to use torture is no excuse. Nazi torturers didn't get away by blaming higher authorities. Everyone should know that torturing other people is a crime they will have to answer for.

Now President Obama says that CIA interrogators having used torturing methods won't be prosecuted. That's wrong, they should be. It's not enough to say that they did so following official guidelines, or that these methods won't be used any more. According to released documents waterboarding, which simulates drowning, has been performed on one prisoner 183 times! I agree with Norman Geras who questions Obama's decision and argues that all people, everywhere, have a both legal and moral duty not to torture.

There's a good movie, A Few Good Men, where in the end both those ordering torture and those carrying out those orders are punished. You would hope the US government stood up for these principles, too.

Free trade with Cuba

The United States has had a trade embargo against Cuba since 1962, but now it looks like it's slowly but surely being softened. From now on Cuban-Americans will be free to travel and send money to their homeland. In Cuba both people and Fidel Castro are anxious for further steps to be taken.

There was a time when communism posed a threat to the world, but that ended when Boris Yeltsin killed Soviet communism in 1991. Today it makes no sense to continue with a trade embargo against Cuba, and President Obama should use his momentum to a change of course. The blockade of Cuba should be lifted and replaced with a free exchange on all levels.

The communist dictatorship on Cuba will face growing difficulties in an environment of commercial and human interaction. People like the Women in White aren't easily intimidated any more. Dreams of a free Cuba, as expressed by Gloria Estefan in her song Cuba Libre, may be fulfilled sooner rather than later if the US rely on market forces instead of outdated embargo policies.

A hopeful meeting

The G20 meeting in London resulted in a document promising concerted efforts to fight the economic crisis. It's encouraging that widely differing countries like the US, China, and Russia can come together to save us from a global depression. Not that it still can't happen, but if everybody sticks to what they've agreed to this may be a turning point.

For once the protesters' focus was not anti-American which was refreshing. Rather they took their anger out on the bankers, not without good reasons one have to say. Unfortunately, we have to save the banks, because if the banking system goes down a depression will follow. To help prevent future mismanagement of financial companies the G20 will set up a Financial Stability Board that will suggest stricter lending rules and even introduce "tough new principles on pay and compensation". Hopefully that means an end to ridiculously high bonuses that have blinded people in the financial sector, often driving them into far too risky lending practices and investments. To review how the crisis started in the US housing market, see Washington Post's revealing three-piece story The Bubble.

President Obama had a cold but that didn't deter him from shaking everybody's hands. Let's hope everybody stays healthy now when they return to implement their agreement at home.

Excesses of greed

The present economic crisis is partly caused by greedy actions of people in financial businesses. Lately outrageous bonuses and pay raises have been exposed. Wanja Lundby-Wedin, head of Swedish trade union LO, is trying to save face after approving a golden pension deal for former AMF boss Elmehagen. In the US bonuses to AIG bosses takes center stage.

What to do about greed in the markets? To begin with I think a society works better with small differences in wealth. Everybody should be able to stand on their own feet, taking their lives into their own hands. That's why I like President Obama's tax plan of cutting taxes for 95 percent of the people while raising taxes for the rich. A lesser tax burdon for working families would have lessened the loan needs that fuelled the subprime bubble that started the crisis.

My favorite blogger, Norman Geras, argues that criticizing greed on moral grounds is not enough. The government should protect us against these robbers and criminals. Personally I would like to see a 90 percent tax on bonuses and unreasonably high wages, by which I consider levels higher than 10 times the average worker's. The US House of Representatives recently took drastic action against bonuses in AIG and other companies receiving federal aid, approving a 90 percent bonus tax. That's the way to do it!

American idle

Times are hard, unemployment is rising everywhere. Here's some comic relief: http://cartoonbox.slate.com/hottopic/?image=0&topicid=294

Love songs

The Beatles wrote many love songs, starting with Love Me Do. What about the Rolling Stones? Checking the Jagger/Richards compositions of the 1960's I find only one song with the word 'love' in the title: We Love You from 1967. After that there's only a handful of 'love' songs, the most recent being Streets Of Love from 2005. Sweet love songs never was the Stones' cup of tea, so no wonder they're not on this list of great love songs: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/table/2009/mar/14/love-1000-songs-everyone-must-hear

Anyway, I think they've written many good happy as well as unhappy love songs. One of my favorites is Tell Me, a big hit in Sweden in 1964.