08/15/2009
Goodies: Venezuelan letters (II)
Persian Letters (Lettres persanes) is a satirical work, by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France. In Paris, the Persians express themselves on a wide variety of subjects, from governmental institutions to salon caricatures.
As this is summer time, I would like to offer some goodies on this blog with a couple of Venezuelan letters. These will be an exchange of e-mail between two Venezuelans, the first one, Manuel, residing in Venezuela and the second one, Jose, travelling in Europe.
From: Manuel
To: Jose
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 4:12 PM
Subject: Democracy
Dear Jose,
Thanks for your e-mail.
I did not think that a state under the rule of law worked like that and I am happy to live in a state under the rule of law.
I have investigated on the internet about Luxembourg to know more about how a democracy works with the example of Luxembourg.
Jean Claude Juncker and Hugo Chavez were born in 1954 and use the same flamboyant public speaking style, which is notable for its abundance of colloquialisms.
Prime Minister Juncker has been leading the government since 1995 whereas Hugo Chavez has been leading the government since 1999.
But Junker’s party has been leading the government for longer time.
Cheers.
Jose
From: Jose
To: Manuel
Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 11:02 PM
Subject: RE: Democracy
Dear Manuel
Before I came in this great country I did not realize that the lack of political alternation is not of concern in a democracy.
In this very democracy, there are only a few electors compared to the number of residents from other states (44% of foreign residents according to Statec).
In this very democracy the main power is the Financial Power. The executive, the legislature, and the judiciary are under the influence of the Financial Power: the Executive proposes draft laws for which the Financial Power influences the wording (sometimes the Financial Power requests legislation), the Legislature votes the laws and the Judiciary applies the laws because the jurisdiction is a state under the rule of law.
The press does not have to act as a watchdog. People don’t talk about issues, so issues do not exist, which is the reason why there are so little criminal issues before the courts and everyone is happy except when there are ill-informed accusations, such as those relating to the country being a tax haven that favours tax evasion; accusations that are still all too frequently levelled against Luxembourg
Fortunately as I said in my previous e-mail, the Financial Power is strong enough to hush up the issues and make dissidends kneel down to preserve quietude.
Moreover they have adaped to their needs a famous procedure that was en vogue in the democracy of democracies: the Athenian democracy. A citizen could be expelled from the city-state. While some instances clearly expressed popular anger at the victim, ostracism was often used pre-emptively. It was used as a way of defusing major confrontations between rival politicians (by removing one of them from the scene), neutralizing someone thought to be a threat to the state. In the jurisdiction all those that are critics are blacklisted and have to leave the job market.
It is really a modern democracy, as Roger Cayzelle Chairman of the Economic and Social Council of Lorraine in France) wrote in a recent book.
I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Cheers
Jose
08:33 Posted in Luxembourg | Permalink | Comments (0)
Goodies: Venezuelan letters (I)
Persian Letters (Lettres persanes) is a satirical work, by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France. In Paris, the Persians express themselves on a wide variety of subjects, from governmental institutions to salon caricatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Letters
As this is summer time, I would like to offer some goodies on this blog with a couple of Venezuelan letters. These will be an exchange of e-mail between two Venezuelans, the first one, Manuel, residing in Venezuela and the second one, Jose, travelling in Europe.
From: Manuel
To: Jose
Sent: Monday, August 3, 2009 6:02 PM
Subject: Draft law threatens to jail those who 'harm' state interests
Dear Jose,
President Chavez is taking steps to tighten restrictions on the media despite mounting opposition by private media to a series of proposed reforms that would expose them to criminal prosecution.
The reforms seek to ensure that the media better reflect public opinion.
As the draft law states, they will constitute Media crimes, the actions or omissions that injure the right to the opportune, truthful and impartial information, which they attempt against social peace, the security and independence of the nation, the public order, stability of the institutions of the State, the public health mental or moral, that generate insecurity or impunity sensation and that is committed through social mass media.
Will be prosecuted the false news that cause a serious alteration to the public tranquillity, panic in the population, will have maintained it in sinking, that it has altered the public order, that will have produced damage to the interests of the State and false perception of the facts or creating a matrix of opinion in the society, whenever in this way social peace, the national security, the public order or public the mental or moral health are injured.
You are lucky to live in Europe, in jurisdictions that are states under the rule of law.
Cheers.
Manuel
From: Jose
To: Manuel
Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 9:02 PM
Subject: RE: Draft law threatens to jail those who 'harm' state interests
Dear Jose,
I am currently in Luxembourg, a small state under the rule of law.
Here there is a big scandal. The Cercle de Cooperation published a report a couple of days ago to state that the jurisdiction is a tax haven that was withdrawn today from the Cercle’s website.
Do you realise to what extent such publication produce damage to the interests of the State? This is exactly what means the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association press release that deeply regretted that, after the various attacks from outside, it is now also en vogue in Luxembourg to attack the flagship of their economy. (ABBL Press Release)
Luxembourg is not a tax haven. Those who dare to say that attempt against social peace, the security and independence of the nation, the public order, stability of the institutions of the State, the public health mental or moral. They disseminate false news that cause a serious alteration to the public tranquillity, panic in the population or have false perception of the facts.
This is exactly what means the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association press release that fustigated an unhealthy combination of gratuitous assertions, hearsay, half-truths and concocted lies. (ABBL Press Release). This is as well what means Fernand Grulms, CEO LuxembourgForFinance, that fustigated in Tageblatt shortcomings, false statements and false and self-proclaimed experts and bloggers, who smear the Luxembourg financial center (again).
And I am not quoting Prime Minister Juncker before the parliament.
Fortunately as I said, the report was withdrawn thanks to Fernand Grulms that explained the fact that they thereby use such un-serious “studies”, is more than embarrassing. And the fact that they spent taxpayers’ money on this – because these NGOs are also funded with tax payers’ money – is outright scandalous.
But I dont’ understand the reason why Fernand Grulms’ article was withdrawn as well.
As you see, even states under the rule of law have to ensure that the media better reflect public opinion.
Cheers.
Jose
08:06 Posted in Luxembourg | Permalink | Comments (0)