Category "Politik Pop" [Gaganymede]

Category "Politik Pop"

13 October 2009 at 12:54
Politik Pop, Heroes

You must have heard of the National Equality March that happened last weekend in the US, where loads of LGBT people converged to Washington in order to ask Obama that he realises his promises towards lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals. On Saturday evening, there was another event, the Equality to End HIV/AIDS Rally and Vigil, in front of the White House for the struggle against AIDS, but it hasn't been as successful. Blogger Andrew Sullivan was there and didn't refrain from speaking his mind about the Democratic Party, as well as the HRC (the main organization for gay rights in the US).

The credits of that video must be on the website hosting it.

I loved the Lady Gaga bit.

Mary Robinson for Europresident?

09 October 2009 at 13:09
Politik Pop, Heroes

Le Figaro claims Tony Blair is still the front-runner for the job of President of the European Council, but they also list other possible candidates, some unlikely, some expected. There's Gordon Brown, François Fillon, as well as Juncker and Gonzalez. Every candidate has their advantages and their drawbacks, but when one of them got my specific attention.

Image credits: Unknown

When I read the name of former irish President Mary Robinson, I thought I shouldn't get carried away because she's the only woman in the list. But when I read she was honorary President of Oxfam International, a powerful, famous NGO, I was stunned: you don't imagine politicians neither commiting themselves to charities, nor being supported by organisations they haven't created themselves! Then I saw that she had been High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, and that she had been awarded by Amnesty International for her work there. Wow!

This profile looks almost too good to be true. I'm sure that if we look a bit further, we can find something wrong. A journalist at the Washington Post wrote she didn't deserve the presidential medal of freedom, awarded by Obama, roughly because something was missing in her resume: a real achievement. He accuses her of talking the talk, but not delivering. (It's almost ironic now that we know that Obama has just got the Peace Nobel Prize, hardly nine months after his inauguration...) Likewise, she was President of Ireland, and not head of the government. It makes a difference because in Ireland, the President has very limited powers. She could then be reproached her lack of executive experience. It could indeed be a problem if we want a strong President, to really give pulse to Europe.

Anyway, I guess the 27 european leaders, who will decide who will be the first President of the European Council, do not want to choose someone who would urge them to respect their promises regarding Congo, among other things.

Nevertheless, I would be proud to have someone whose commitment for the Human Rights and fight against misery will have been so strong, as Preisdent of the European Council.

The Rwanda genocide, AIDS and us

07 October 2009 at 12:43
Politik Pop

Providing only one space of accomodation in therapy apartment, when we receive every month fifteen or twenty requests, it's not a challenge, it's a scandal.
And the winner is? [Les Innommables]

And it's only the very beginning of the article.

OMG! Gays are taking over!

06 October 2009 at 19:07
Politik Pop

What the hell is happening?

In Germany, the FDP, a right-wing, pro-free market party led by Guido Westerwelle, won enough seats in the Bundestag to govern with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Everybody expects openly gay Westerwelle to become Foreign Minister. Gays.com highlighted in an article the year will have been good for gay politicians, especially since the victory of Johanna in the parliamentary elections, who became the first openly gay elected head of government in History.

Thinking about it, there's more and more prominent gays in the world... In the United States, the most active person in Congress among Democrats, after speaker Nancy Pelosi, is Barney Frank. He's on the front line regarding the health care reform. In the United Kingdom, Lord Peter Mandelson is one of the most powerful government members, gathering no less than three titles, including First Secretary of State, so much that the opposition called him "the real Prime Minister".

Nevertheless, can we talk of a real change for the gays? In the US, we saw that, during Barack Obama's election, last November 4, States also voted against every law project that would grant LGBT people new rights. Likewise, in Iceland, in the UK and in Germany, homosexuality is already broadly accepted. These issues of persons in charge doesn't seem to have any real impact, it's rather the other way around: it's the tolerance of a society towards LGBT people that seems to enable citizens from the sexual minority to be elected.

NO TO BLAIR!

05 October 2009 at 13:47
Tombé pour la France, Politik Pop

The Irish will have voted yes, in the end. The Lisbon Treaty is on its way to enter into force by the end of the year.

Now the question is: who is going to get the job of permanent President of the European Council created by the Treaty? Everything tends to say that this choice has already been made. The first Europresident would then be... suspens... Tony Blair.

Image credits: Peter Schrank for The Economist

Tony Blair. The man who followed George W. Bush into Iraq, who committed to give a pro-european feeling to his country but quickly gave up, whose country has not even accpeted the euro, and so on. To my eyes, it's really the worst choice that could be made, only because it would give the image of a Europe submitted to the United States, although one of its vocations is its independence.

When Tony Blair quit Number 10 to give his seat to Gordon Brown, he was named Middle East Peace Envoy for the Quartet (United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia). This choice was already a big mistake: Who could think that a man who took part to an unjustifiable war could help peace? By the way, you can see the results: Israel attacked Gaza last December and January, and a government opposed to a Palestinian state got elected in Israel. The situation has deteriorated.

But this is not the most ironic thing. Tony would like the EU's top job but something makes him hesitate. What could that be? A conflict with some leaders? The will to change the definition of his job, in order to make Europe stronger? A matter of conscience regarding Iraq??? Well, no, again, Mister Blair surprises us:

Meanwhile, Blair is said by some to have had some reservations about the presidency post, chief among them that he would earn less money than he does now giving speeches and other private work, and that the job would involve a lot of bureaucratic grind. But he would still earn about £250,000 a year with generous EU tax allowances, have a staff of at least 20 and a splendid Brussels residence.

Of course! Blair hesitates because he's offered ONLY £250,000! Well, let him say no to the job! Europe is an ideal. It needs to be carried by people who have a vision for it, not by some guys looking for attention and money!

How can we stop him? I know there's a website and an online petition taht I have already signed, at stopblair.eu. I'm wondering if I can do more, like... sending a letter to the head of State or government? To my MEP? Subscribing to the "No to Blair" Facebook group? Any ideas?

Economy for dummies

29 September 2009 at 11:20
Music, cinema, TV, books..., Politik Pop

Earlier this year, I read Economy for dummies. A very interesting book, very instructive, sometimes even funny. But I already forgot everything. I will have to read it again.

Second quote of the day

21 September 2009 at 17:19
Tombé pour la France, Politik Pop, Quote of the day

French politicans are talking a lot these days. Anyway, these words, from Green MP and former presidential candidate Noël Mamère, go straight to the point and regard another former presidential candidate, Ségolène Royal, who is from the Socialist Party, a traditional ally for the Greens: