Bryn Christopher - The Quest

Acropolis Earth Hour 2010

The Acropolis Earth Hour 2010 from Alexandros Maragos on Vimeo.

Max Keiser on the Greek Crisis (with Greek subtitles)

Robbie Williams - Human (The Killers) - Live Lounge

Robbie Williams Morning Sun - Live at Roundhouse - HD Video

Government rejects EU call to cut deficit faster

Government rejects EU call to cut deficit faster

Liam Byrne says European commission proposals were 'too aggressive' and could cause 'irreparable damage' to public services

Hélène Mulholland, Larry Elliott, Patrick Wintour and Julian Glover
guardian.co.uk,
Tuesday 16 March 2010 09.28 GMT

The government today rejected a warning from the European commission that Britain will fail to cut its deficit in accordance with EU rules.

According to leaks of a report last night, the commission will warn that the UK will not meet the 2014-15 deadline for reducing its budget deficit to below 3% of national output.

But Liam Byrne, the chief secretary to the Treasury, insisted today that the EU assessment was "wrong".

The suggestion that Britain had to find another £20bn of cuts by 2014-15 was "too aggressive" and could cause "irreparable damage" to public services, Byrne added.

The draft EU report, due to be approved by the commission but leaked to the news agency Reuters, warned: "A credible timeframe for restoring public finances to a sustainable position requires additional fiscal tightening measures beyond those currently planned."

The headline findings are likely to stoke what has become the pivotal political row between the two main parties ahead of next week's budget, and the subsequent general election campaign.

The report added: "The overall conclusion is that the fiscal strategy in the convergence programme is not sufficiently ambitious and needs to be significantly reinforced."

Byrne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning that the scale of cuts proposed by Europe to reduce the budget deficit to below 3% of national output were equivalent to halving the education budget, or raising £20bn more in taxes on top of the 50p tax rate for high earners due to be introduced next month and the 0.5% rise in national insurance that is coming in next year.

He said: "We think that the EU has got the judgment wrong. We think the plan they have set out would require us to take out £20bn more out of the economy by 2014-15 and we believe that would do irreparable damage to public services or to taxpayers."

Under chancellor Alistair Darling's current proposals, the gap between spending and taxes would be reduced to 4.7% of gross domestic product, but the commission said that even this target might be missed as a result of weaker growth than the Treasury is expecting.

Byrne said: "We think that halving the deficit over four years is the right approach. It's not reckless. It's not painless either. What we have done is set out the clearest plans of G7 [countries] to deliver on that goal."

The Tories seized on the report to put pressure on Labour to "get on" with the job of speeding up the reduction of the structural deficit.

The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, claimed the report was a heavy blow for the prime minister. "The Conservatives have been arguing that we need to reduce our record budget deficit more quickly to support the recovery. Our argument is backed by credit rating agencies, business leaders, international investors and now the European commission. That is why we need a change of government to restore confidence in our economy at home and abroad."

Kenneth Clarke, the shadow business secretary, said cuts under the Tories "would be tough".

He told Today: "It's no good getting into this air of unreality: 'Oh, we can't do that' ... It is necessary to get rid of the structural deficit because if you don't do that interest rates will go up, we won't have economic recovery, you will have rising unemployment."

The EU commission assessment did provide some support for Darling in the run-up to next week's budget, by saying the plans for the coming fiscal year were adequate, although the findings will increase speculation in the markets that the election will be quickly followed by fresh measures to cut spending and raise taxes, whatever the result.

In general, though, the report will add to pressure on the prime minister at a time when Labour's new-year resurgence appears to have stalled. A new ICM poll for the Guardian shows the gap between the parties has increased to a nine-point Conservative lead over Labour. It also suggests that Brown's personal unpopularity with the electorate remains a drag on the party's standing, even though the Tories have been beset by their own problems in recent weeks.

While today's poll will be dispiriting for Labour, it is also clear that voters are not convinced by the Conservatives. The survey shows only 18% think Britain would be best served by a strong Labour win. And though almost a third think a clear Conservative victory would be best, 44% want a hung parliament in which the government works with smaller parties such as the Liberal Democrats.

David Cameron is 11 points ahead of Gordon Brown as the man voters want to win, and 20 points ahead as the leader best campaigning for "the votes of people like you". He has a 14-point lead as the most competent prime minister, and an 11-point lead as the man most likely to lead Britain in the right direction.

The figures call into question recent excitement about a Labour fightback. The Tories, at 40%, are up three on the February Guardian poll, and up two on another more recent ICM poll last weekend. The Liberal Democrats are on 20%, unchanged since the last Guardian/ICM poll, while support for other parties is on 9%. Conservative support has been within three points of 40% in all ICM polls since October.

Περί έκφρασης και αναγνώρισης

Καιρό είχα να γράψω κάτι δικό μου και προσωπικό και είπα να το κάνω τώρα στις 3:30 το πρωί. Είναι για κάτι που συζητούσα πριν καιρό με δύο φίλους.Ο ένας από αυτούς γράφει επίσης σε ένα blog και αρθογραφεί κατά καιρούς σε διάφορα online περιοδικά.Η άλλη γράφει στίχους και διάφορα δοκίμια-κείμενα τα οποία δεν έχουν εκδοθεί ποτέ μέχρι τώρα και δεν ξέρει αν θέλει κιόλας να εκδοθούν ποτέ. 

Κοινός παρανομαστής και των τριών μας είναι ότι δεν ξέρουμε αν όσα γράφουμε είτε συστηματικά είτε σποραδικά τα διαβάζει κανείς ποτέ. Στη συζήτηση αργότερα προστέθηκε και ένας φίλος ο οποίος δεν μπορούσε να καταλάβει γιατί γράφουμε πράγματα τα οποία μπορεί να μην ενδιαφέρουν κανένα και επίσης μπορεί να μην αρέσουν σε κανέναν. 

Άδικο είχε ο άνθρωπος;;Τι γράφουμε αν κανείς δεν τα διαβάζει και αν αυτά που γράφουμε δεν προκαλούν κάποιο συναίσθημα σε κάποιον;Σκοπός δεν είναι αυτός όμως.Σκοπός είναι η έκφραση σκέψεων,προβληματισμών,καημών,χαρών και του οτιδήποτε επιθυμεί ο καθείς εξ ημών να βγάλει από μέσα του ώστε να νοιώσει καλύτερα.Αυτός είναι ο σκοπός, η αυτοκάθαρση πιθανώς θα λέγανε κάποιοι,η εξιλέωση που έρχεται όταν τα ενδόμυχα βγαίνουν στο φως. Μου είχα πει η μάνα μου ή η γιαγιά μου, δεν θυμάμαι καλά για να είμαι ειλικρινής,ότι δεν πρέπει ποτέ να λες ένα όνειρο,καλό ή κακό, τη νύχτα αλλά πάντα την ημέρα ώστε να το βλέπει ο ήλιος και να το ξεπλένει.Αργότερα κάπου κάτι παρόμοιο είχα διαβάσει και στον Όμηρο θαρρώ όπου τα όνειρα έπρεπε να τα ξομολογούντε στο φως για να τα ορμηνέψει ο μάντης. Έτσι και όσα θέλουμε να εκφράσουμε πρέπει να τα βγάζουμε από μέσα μας χωρίς να συλλογιζόμαστε αν θα είναι αρεστά από άλλους.

Το να αγγίξουν και άλλους,το να αρέσουν και να προκαλέσουν συναισθήματα και σε άλλους,πλην του δημιουργού,είναι η ολοκλήρωση της έκφρασης αλλά όχι ο σκοπός.Σαφώς και όσοι δημιουργούν και εκφράζουν το οτιδήποτε θέλουν να αρέσει το έργο τους,να νοιώσουν ότι και άλλοι μοιράζονται το ίδιο που ένοιωθαν και αυτοί είτε κατά την διάρκεια απόκτησης του βιώματος είτε ως αποκύημα της δημιουργίας τους. Αλλά παρόλα ταύτα, η "αναγνώριση" είναι η ολοκλήρωση και όχι ο σκοπός.Και δεν πρέπει να γίνει ούτε σκοπός ούτε αυτοσκοπός γιατί τότε το δημιούργημα χάνει το βασικό του συστατικό που είναι η έκφραση του δημιουργού και γίνεται μέσο για την ικανοποίηση του αναγνώστη-ακροατή-του κοινού.

Για αυτό και εμείς θα συνεχίσουμε να γράφουμε και αν καμώνουμε ότι μας εκφράζει χωρίς να ξέρουμε και να μας νοιάζει αν αρέσει στους άλλους.Άμα τους αρέσει καλώς...αλλιώς συγγνώμη δεν μπορούμε να βοηθήσουμε!

υγ. το τραγούδι απλά με εκφράζει τόσο μα τόσο αυτή την περίοδο που θέλω να το ακούω 24/7

"London, London" video by Cibelle feat. Devendra Banhart

The reasons why I love that song:
1.It's originally by Caetano Veloso,who I adore!
2.It's a great videoclip!
3.I love London!
4.It was sent by a great friend!
It's enought,isn't it?

Natacha Atlas - I Put A Spell On You

Greece Is Not an Island

Here is an article in the New York Times by the Greek PM Georges Papandreou in the occasion of his official visit at Washington DC,USA.

By GEORGE A. PAPANDREOU

Published: March 9, 2010 

 

My country’s economic plight has dominated headlines for months. While many commentators have focused on the underlying problems within Greece, less attention has been paid to my government’s determined efforts to address them and to the wider global problems that are now hindering our capacity for economic recovery.

When I became prime minister in October, I was fully aware that Greece faced a serious budget deficit. Only after I took office, however, did I discover that our predecessors had concealed the deficit’s true size — 12.7 percent of gross domestic product, twice what they had claimed.

In response, we have had to impose an unprecedented austerity package, including deep cuts in public-sector wages. No one is exempt — the pay cuts apply to all public officials, including me. We have also raised value-added and excise taxes. These moves will slash our deficit by 4 percent of G.D.P. this year; by 2012, we will meet the European Union limit of 3 percent.

Too little attention has been paid to other measures we have taken. My government is streamlining public administration. We are building our capacity to prosecute tax evaders and eradicate corruption. We are streamlining business legislation to encourage investment and focusing on our goal of making Greece a world leader in green development.

Greece must, and will, transform itself into a competitive and credible partner in the international community. I will not shrink from this challenge — and I do not believe the Greek people will either, because they understand that these reforms also bring vast opportunities.

Yet our crisis has exposed deep flaws in the international economic system, flaws that savage cuts to salaries will not cure. Despite the radical reforms my government has launched, opportunistic traders have forced interest rates on Greek bonds to record highs. Some of these speculators are making a fortune by betting on our nation’s misfortune. Many countries face similar deficits and similar perils.

The Greek case is not an outlier. It is yet one more flare-up in a broken system of financial regulation and predatory behavior that has swept from Wall Street across the world. The collapse of the banking system, for which taxpayers had to foot the bill, and the painful recession that ensued, have caused us all to reconsider many assumptions.

If global economic growth is to be sustainable, we need better coordination and greater solidarity between nations. If we let market forces alone dictate the terms, our fragile economic recovery will almost certainly falter.

That is why several of my fellow European leaders and I are embarking on a determined effort to transform the system of international economic governance. The European Monetary Union’s rules did not anticipate the consequences of financial deregulation and the attendant risks of contagion.

We must now establish and enforce clear rules to contain the inordinate power of markets over our national economies and our common currency — not for Greece’s sake, but for Europe’s.

Many Europeans are hesitant, even fearful, about the future at the very moment when global challenges demand boldness. If we are confident, we will keep moving forward — not just on critical financial reforms, but on full European integration. If fear prevails, we will see a re-nationalization of European politics. That would be a tragic betrayal of past sacrifices and hopes.

These are the real tests of Europe on which Greece’s crisis has helped shed light. But just as Greece is not island, neither does Europe live in isolation. We are all part of a poorly regulated financial system that urgently needs to be fixed.

The crisis in Greece should be a wake-up call for bold reforms well beyond my own country. I am in Washington to meet with President Obama with a message from Europe: The challenge we face is not just Greek or European; it is American as well, and together we must find a solution.

Bland promises and sterile debates over global reforms will do nothing to fend off the financial predators who have enriched themselves while ordinary citizens have lost their jobs, homes and pensions. The current regulatory system allows this to happen.

Democratic governments worldwide must establish a new global financial architecture, as bold in its own way as Bretton Woods, as bold as the creation of the European Community and European Monetary Union. And we need it fast. Only this will build a new confidence and fairness that our citizens can trust, and that can prevent each new crisis from becoming an epidemic.

George A. Papandreou is the prime minister and foreign minister of Greece.

 

I HOLD NO RIGHTS OF THAT ARTICLE.IT IS ONED BY THE AUTHOR AND THE NEW YORK TIMES