the unbalanced evolution of homo sapiens

Πολλά διεθνή μέσα έκαναν λόγο για νίκη της Γερμανίας και ήττα της Ελλάδας μετά τη συμφωνία στο Eurogroup της Παρασκευής. Την άποψη αυτή αντικρούει ο έγκριτος οικονομολόγος και σύμβουλος του Γιάνη Βαρουφάκη, καθηγητής Τζέιμς Γκάλμπρεϊθ, σε άρθρο του υπό τον τίτλο «Διαβάζοντας σωστά την ελληνική συμφωνία», που δημοσιεύεται στην ιστοσελίδα Social Europe. Περιγράφοντας τον τρόπο με τον οποίο τα διεθνή μέσα κάλυψαν την επίτευξη συμφωνίας μεταξύ Ελλάδας και εταίρων στο τέλος της προηγούμενης εβδομάδας, ο Γκάλμπρεϊθ κάνει λόγο για δημοσιεύματα χωρίς λεπτομέρειες, ανυπόγραφα και χωρίς διασταύρωση που περιγράφουν τη συμφωνία ως υπαναχώρηση του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ και νίκη της Γερμανίας και της υπόλοιπης Ευρώπης. Όπως εξηγεί όπως ο ίδιος «δεν υπήρχε συμφωνία για μια δανειακή συμφωνία που θα μπορούσε να απελευθερώσει πλήρως τα χέρια της Ελλάδας». «Οι δανειακές συμφωνίες έρχονται με όρους» γράφει και σημειώνει ότι οι επιλογές για την ελληνική κυβέρνηση ήταν συμφωνία με όρους, ή καμία...

του Κωνσταντίνου Νάκκα Και ενώ οι διαπραγματεύσεις της νέας ελληνικής Κυβέρνησης φτάνουν στο πιο κρίσιμο σημείο τους, κάποιοι θα προτιμούσαν η κυβέρνηση Τσίπρα στην παρούσα φάση να τα παίξει «όλα για όλα», να κρατήσει σκληρή-άτεγκτη γραμμή, να διαπραγματευτεί χωρίς καμία υποχώρηση, κανέναν συμβιβασμό, να επιβάλει στους εταίρους μας την ελληνική λύση και να γίνει έτσι η Κυβέρνηση με τον μικρότερο χρόνο ζωής στη νεότερη ελληνική Ιστορία, να γίνει η επονομαζόμενη «αριστερή παρένθεση» που όλοι οι υποστηρικτές του παλαιού συστήματος επιθυμούν. Αντί γι’ αυτό, η Κυβέρνηση Τσίπρα επέλεξε και πέτυχε να θέσει σε διαφορετική από πριν βάση τη διαπραγμάτευση με τους θεσμικούς εταίρους της Χώρας μας, συζητώντας για την κύρια δανειακή σύμβαση και όχι το μνημόνιο των εφαρμοστικών νόμων, επιδιώκοντας και, κατά πάσα πιθανότητα, κερδίζοντας παράταση της δανειακής σύμβασης για 4 μόνο μήνες με αντάλλαγμα την υιοθέτηση μέτρων που η ίδια θα αποφασίσει και οι θεσμικοί εταίροι μας θα ...

του system failure Οι λεπτομέρειες της νέας συμφωνίας μεταξύ της Ελλάδας και των δανειστών είναι μάλλον ήσσονος σημασίας. Απ'ότι φαίνεται η 4μηνη περίοδος θα λειτουργήσει περισσότερο ως περίοδος εκεχειρίας (ο Κατρούγκαλος μίλησε καθαρά για εκεχειρία σε πρόσφατη τηλεοπτική εκπομπή), παρά σαν μια περίοδος σημαντικής προόδου προκειμένου να γεφυρωθεί το χάσμα μεταξύ των δύο πλευρών. Οι γενικότητες της νέας συμφωνίας είναι πολύ βολικές κυρίως για την Ελληνική πλευρά επειδή δίνουν μια ευελιξία στην Ελληνική κυβέρνηση να πάρει κάποια μέτρα κατά της λιτότητας κατά της διάρκεια αυτής της περιόδου, προκειμένου να αντιμετωπίσει την ανθρωπιστική κρίση όπως υποσχέθηκε. Ωστόσο, τα χρηματιστηριακά λόμπι που εκπροσωπούνται από την Τρόικα, επιμένουν στους σαδιστικούς δημοσιονομικούς στόχους, ακριβώς επειδή γνωρίζουν πολύ καλά ότι είναι αδύνατον να επιτευχθούν από μια κατεστραμμένη οικονομία. Θα χρησιμοποιήσουν αυτή την τετράμηνη περίοδο απλά ως μια δικαιολογία για να πουν αργότε...

by system failure The details of the new agreement between Greece and the lenders are rather of little importance. It seems that the four-month period will function mostly as a truce period rather than a period of substantial progress for the two sides to build a bridge between them. The generalities in the new agreement are very convenient mostly for the Greek side because they will give the flexibility to the Greek government to take some measures during this period against austerity, in order to fight the humanitarian disaster in Greece, as promised. However, the financial lobbyists, represented by the Troika, insist in the final sadistic fiscal targets, exactly because they know that a devastated economy is impossible to meet them. They will use this four-month period only as an excuse to say later that they treated Greece with enough clemency against the other eurozone members and they will play this card to turn all the eurozone countries agains...

“ The new Pentagon chief says the Obama administration is seriously considering slowing the pace of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.” “ Ashton Carter arrived in Afghanistan Saturday on an unannounced visit to meet with the country’s officials. He used his first visit to Afghanistan as the defense secretary to offer the clearest sign yet that the United States is looking to delay the closure of some military bases and withdrawal of all American forces from the country by January 2017.” “ Before landing in Kabul, Ashton said he was told by President Obama to carry out his own assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, adding he would suggest 'adjustments' if necessary.” “ Despite the official end to the combat mission, the US has escalated a 'secret war' in Afghanistan, according to a recent report. Washington has significantly stepped up night raids in Afghanistan since October, when American and Afghan commandos found a laptop computer ...

“ An armed group abducted at least 89 boys some as young as 13 near Malakal in the north of South Sudan, a UNICEF education team reported on Saturday. The UN added the number of abducted children could be higher.” “ The education team said the incident occurred in the community of Wau Shilluk in Upper Nile State. 'The recruitment and use of children by armed forces destroys families and communities. Children are exposed to incomprehensible levels of violence, they lose their families and their chance to go to school,' said UNICEF Representative in South Sudan, Jonathan Veitch, urging the children’s release.” “ The conflict, ongoing since South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011, has displaced thousands of people internally, according to the UN.” http://rt.com/news/line/2015-02-21/#81979

“ US search engine giant Google has warned against increasing the government's powers for infiltrating computer systems around the world, saying it would open a number of 'monumental' constitutional issues. Google released a tough-sounding statement against the Department Justice (DoJ) proposal to make it easier for the courts to issue search warrants to seize electronic data ‘remotely’ from anywhere in the world.” “ Under Rule 41, the judge that authorizes the computer tap must be situated in the same district as the computer under investigation. The new proposal would allow the FBI to operate beyond the immediate judicial area of the presiding judge.” “ Google warned in its statement that if the DoJ gets its way, the FBI will be authorized to hack into servers regardless of their geopolitical location, thus giving the US government unrestrained access to endless amounts of personal data around the globe.” “ The issue is raising seri...

“ The deadly conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur has resulted in the displacement of more than 41,000 people over the past two months, the United Nations says.” “ OCHA [UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] noted that a total of 470,000 people were displaced in Darfur in 2014 , while almost a third of them later returned to their homes. Meanwhile, Ivo Freijsen, the head of OCHA's Sudan office warned that the real number of the displaced could be higher than the figures provided as there are some regions to which the UN body has no access.” “ Darfur has been the scene of violence since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government in Khartoum. There has been also tribal fighting in the region. The United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur was launched in 2007 in a bid to protect civilians and restore stability to the restive region. The UN estimates that the violence in Darfur has so far killed some 300,000 people ...

“ ISIS’ plans to conquer Europe via Libya have been revealed in letters seen by an anti-terrorism group. Owing to its perfect location on the continental doorstep, the terrorists plan to ferry fighters from North Africa across the Mediterranean.” “ The plans, analyzed by anti-terrorism British think tank Quilliam, outline a strategy to illegally ferry fighters across the sea from Libya into southern Europe, into ports such as Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa, less than 300 miles (483km) away.” “ Libya 'has a long coast and looks upon the southern Crusader states, which can be reached with ease by even a rudimentary boat,' an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) propagandist says in the letters seen by Quilliam, according to the Telegraph. That information originates from an IS supporter using the moniker Abu Ibrahim al-Libim. The propagandist is believed to be a strong force in IS recruitment online, with a focus on Libya.” “ The plan...

“ The Greek government says the European Union (EU) should either 'accept or reject' Athens’ official request for a six-month extension of its loan program as the two sides prepare for a new round of bailout talks.” “ 'Tomorrow’s Eurogroup has just two choices. To accept or reject the Greek request. We will now discover who wants to find a solution, and who does not,' said a Greek government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Thursday.” “ Earlier in the day, Athens officially asked the EU to provide the debt-ridden country with a six-month loan assistance package, rather than the renewal of the current bailout deal which includes tough austerity conditions. The request stressed Athens’ commitment to fiscal balance, but rejected further austerity measures.” http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2015/02/19/398301/Accept-or-reject-bailout-offer-Greece