Uma nova Bélgica?

Numa altura de grande contenção económica por toda a UE, eis que num país com pouco mais de 11 milhões de habitantes e uma área de 92090km2 começam reboliços populares (e não só) que visam a procura do conflito entre as regiões do Norte e as do Sul de Portugal.

À margem da Constituição Portuguesa um grupo de pessoas está a tentar formar um partido político para defender unica e exclusivamente os interesses de uma determinada região de um país: "O movimento Pró-Partido do Norte está a ser formado com o objectivo de formar um partido político do Norte através do qual a região tenha uma voz e uma representação a nível nacional" (in JN).

A Constituição é bem explícita quanto à formação deste tipo de partidos. Segundo o 4º parágrafo do Artigo 51 "Não podem constituir-se partidos que, pela sua designação ou pelos seus objectivos programáticos, tenham índole ou âmbito regional".

Passadas as questões legais que impedem tamanho disparate, não esqueçamos que vivemos num País em que toda e qualquer lei pode ser posta em causa sendo que os elementos que constituem este movimento ainda não partidário já apelaram à revisão e revogação deste Artigo de um dos únicos documentos oficiais que ainda dignificam Portugal.

Os nortenhos sentem-se discriminados em relação aos mouros! Nós todos que somos Portugueses, que deveríamos defender as mesmas causas, os meus objectivos, sempre com o fim de nos tornarmos um país mais competitivo, com maior voz de expressão.

Vejamos porquê:

O que salta já à vista são as SCUT que deixaram de as ser. É verdade que a maior parte destas auto-estradas localiza-se no norte do país. É também verdade que a Via do Infante no Algarve não tem alternativas viáveis e a implementação de portagens aqui significaria o regresso ao enorme tráfego numa estrada que já foi a mais mortífera do país (EN 125). O mesmo se aplica com a A23 que liga Torres Novas à Guarda e à A24 que liga Viseu a Chaves (curiosamente esta está situada no território norte do país e não se perspectiva a introdução de portagens).

É impensável a taxação destas últimas duas auto-estradas (A23 e A24) por fazerem a ligação ao interior do país. A introdução de portagens nestas vias significaria uma exclusão ainda maior destas áreas pobres do país que estão a recuperar alguma riqueza com o investimento e estabelecimento de muitas empresas que viram as potenciais vantagens oferecidas (menos impostos, auto-estradas sem custos adicionais).

Claro que ninguém deseja ver uma infra-estrutura nova, do Estado, tornar-se paga! Ainda para mais quando pertence ao Estado e a sua construção saiu do bolso de cada contribuinte. Estamos todos de acordo neste ponto mas temos formas diferentes de defender a não introdução das portagens. Os nortenhos decidiram que seria a altura ideal de se rebaixarem perante Lisboa e falar em palavras fortes como "discriminação".

Um país tão pequeno deveria estar de braços dados e não a separar-se ainda mais. Infelizmente em Portugal toda a gente fala no que lhe convém e interessa e não no bem comum para uma sociedade.

A reflexão sobre as portagens já vai longa.
Há dias, enquanto fazia zapping no leque de canais cada vez mais alargado oferecido pelas inúmeras empresas de televisão por cabo, parei uns minutos no Porto Canal, que nem sabia da sua existência. Estavam a transmitir a meteorologia para o próximo dia mas apenas na região norte do país, na Madeira, nos Açores e também nas principais cidades europeias. Sendo um canal privado, o conteúdo e escolha da transmissão é da inteira responsabilidade do próprio mas, porquê lançar mais combustível na fogueira?! Mais uma vez lembremo-nos que estamos na ponta mais ocidental da UE, um dos mais pequenos do mundo (109º maior país do mundo em termos de área geográfica), com uma população pequena e que deveria estar a juntar ideias e políticas de modo a tornar-se 'maior' e mais competitivo.

Num país com uma área tão pequena e uma economia tão mediana, fará sentido falar-se em regionalização? Em vez desta medida extrema o que deveria estar a ser mudado são o número e limites geográficos de freguesias e concelhos. Precisamos de uma reestruturação ao nível das autarquias. Temos sedes de concelho com menos habitantes do que vilas do mesmo concelho, temos populações separadas por limites de freguesias, freguesias sem ninguém e com uma área demasiado pequena, freguesias com muitos habitantes e áreas enormes...

Estará Portugal a tornar-se uma nova Bélgica, ainda que por motivos diferentes?
Encontrarão algum consenso os Portugueses do norte e os do sul?

The society of numbers

"Conventions and traditions, I suppose, work blindly but surely for the preservation of the normal type, for the extinction of proud, resolute and unusual individuals... Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness. Yes, society must go on, it must breed, like rabbits. That is what we are here for... But, at any rate, there is always Leonora to cheer you up, I don't want to sadden you. Her husband is quite an economical person of so normal figure that he can get quite a large proportion of his clothes ready-made. That is the great desideratum of life..."

Ford Maddox Ford 1915 The Good Soldier

Swine flu vaccination II

News from Sweden:

"There are reports from Sweden of possible deaths linked to the H1N1 vaccine";
"An unconfirmed source says Swedish news sources are reporting at least 350 adverse reactions to the vaccine";
"Hungary has reported one death associated with the H1N1 vaccine";
"Glaxo-Smith-Kline (...) expects to make one billion pounds from the H1N1 vaccine alone"

And news from Ireland:

"The teenager fell seriously ill after receiving the injection, along with thousands of other pupils across Northern Ireland last Friday".


Whether or not these are just some sporadic cases of adverse reactions of this new vaccine, as expected (because it did not followed the normal clinical trials), one fact is pure true: pharmaceutical companies are going to become, not just richer, they are going to be even more powerful entities achieving a dangerous position on the health system that will end up to limit the action of the other professional health staff.

Hopefully we will eradicate this new strain of virus but is it worthful? Do the expenses compensate the results? What about the other more epidemic diseases that do not affect the small minority of developed nations?

What about on the future? Are people going to have to take the vaccine even against their willing?! After all this is a rapid contagious disease despite the mild symptoms associated with it on the normal healthy population. And, who says H1N1 vaccine says also any other vaccination... How are the legal rights of a mother to deny the vaccination of her son because of the fear of adverse reactions?!

We are focusing on the wrong problems and because of that a group of few companies will become so rich but so rich that negligent judicial processes will be covered really easy and the company will proceed as richer as never on the detriment of the health conditions and the patient's rights.

The swine flu hoax

Conspiracy theory for the swine flu!
Let the discussion begin!

Produced by Dr. Ron Paul, an American physician and a Republican Congressman for the state of Texas.

You can watch one more interesting video by clicking here
Dr. Rauni_Lenna Luukanen-Kilde is the former chief of medical officer of the Lappland province in Finland and she is known by trying to take a deeper look in some questions by exposing her conspiracy theories.

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More on the peace Nobel and the role of USA in the world

The Lisbon Treaty

This is tough subject to try to talk about, even more to say it correctly!

The treaty was first signed in Lisbon on the 13^th of December, 2007. We are now in the long period of ratification by the different countries that always try to obtain the best for themselves.

The main goals of the treaty are:

- Not to serve as an autonomous document but rather an amend to the previous European treaties (times change, laws change and need to be adapted);

- Implement a “Charter of Fundamental Rights” to save the people’s political, social and economic rights;

- To officially name the European Central bank as an EU institution;

- To change the name of the “court of justice of the European communities” to “court of justice of the EU” and create a new emergency procedure for individuals in custody abroad;

- To fully introduce the “qualified majority voting” as standard method for voting in the European Council, meaning that “a qualified majority is reached when a at least 55% of all member countries who represent at least 65% of all EU citizens vote in favour of a proposal”

- Among other articles making minor changes in the hierarchic organization of the representatives of the EU.

The EU will have exclusive competences (does not need member’s approval and members have to accept it) in:

- The customs union;

- The establishing of the competition rules necessary for the functioning of the internal market;

- Monetary policy for the member states whose currency is the euro;

- The conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy;

- Common commercial policy.

Strict economic rules can ruin the small countries on their attempt to satisfy and meet these rules!

The Europe will become stronger and more unified with the treaty, making global important decisions to be held by many different cultures, together in an attempt to promote well-being and justice and at the same time it will face other big world potencies (USA, China, and Japan). Those are really important goals that EU should focus on because a single country does not have the same influence as a union of countries.

However, each and single country should not let this politics, to change their beliefs, culture and traditions. Small countries should not accept the proposals of the EU with indifference. The consequences should be carefully monitored because it might be the last chance of saying a world of yes or no.

Before its approval (which is done) and ratification, each country can try to have “opt-outs”, meaning they do not have to participate in certain policy areas. As much as the union tries to make equality to every country, there are always agreements and disagreements to certain policies, especially when they limit the activity of the particular country.

For example, Portugal has the largest sea territory but it is not the country of the EU that fishes the most because on the right time we did not impose our right.

Of course I am not writing this post just because I wanted to know more about this new European document. Vaclav Klaus, president of Czech Republic did not sign the treaty yet. This man is the second president of the Czech Republic and he is now on his second mandate after re-election in 2008 through the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the right-wing main party. He is known to be a strong eurosceptic and he is trying to make sure that the ratification of the treaty will not change the economics of Czech Republic, especially now that the country is in a fast-growing period.

So, what is his main reason to ask for an “opt-out”?

After de second world war many Germans were expel from Czech Republic. The West Bohemia, where Plzen is was really influenced by many German families that set their lives here during the war. As the Charter of Fundamental Rights” is now, post-war German deportees could claim their old properties in Czech soil leading to hundreds of justice processes in court that would be judge by members of the EU that are not inside the History and do not know exactly what happen at those times. He is trying to get a special amend to Czech Republic to avoid this new conflict with Germany. At least this is what the big media say.

Muslim's on the world

Should we be concerned?!

Hannah Clark

She is a 16 year old girl whose story travelled around the world. During early childhood she had a cardiomyopathy and to overcome this situation a heart transplant was necessary. At the time, doctors decided to perform it using the “piggy-back” technique. This means, like in a kidney transplant, that the original organ(s) stays inside the body. For the kidneys it is really convenient because a retroperitoneal operation, which is extremely difficult, is avoided. However, in the case of the heart, the original diseased organ is normally removed and replaced by the donor’s one. Well, after transplantation she needed immunosuppressant therapy for life to avoid the rejection of the new organ. The drugs depressed her immune system and eventually she got lymphoma. Doctors had now a new challenge. To treat the tumor, chemotherapy was needed but for that, the immunosuppressant drugs had to be stopped leading to the rejection of the donor’s heart by Hannah´s immune system. Luckily she still had her original heart, which recovered from the cardiomyopahty through all these 14 years after transplantation. The chemotherapy solved the lymphoma, the donor’s heart was removed and Hannah has now a completely normal life without needing of almost any medication. Doctors were not expecting such a recovering from her heart. This opens new thoughts for the future heart transplants in children!