Sarkozy is my hero!

Late last week, France announced that she would go back into the military structure of NATO. France left the organisation´s military branch because De Gaulle mistrusted the allies and developed his own nuclear arsenal. Up until then, the siege had been in France.

President Sarkozy said, replying to a question aboout his sudden departure from De Gaulle´s dogma, that France had to be represented where the real decisions were taken, rather than just having to go along with them.

Once again I have to express my admiration for a leader who does the job he is payed to do: lead his country! Not everyone in Europe is as lucky as a Frenchman in these times of crisis. Once again, France is blessed with a leader who has clear ideas about where their real interests are: the Transatlatic relationship.

The end of the newspaper

Last week the Rocky Mountain News folded. It shut down just 55 days short of its 150th birthday. There was nothing special about this paper, just its service to the Denver, Colorado area for so many years.

The New York Times has said that it will not be able to go on for long, in a situation where the cost of getting the paper to its million subscribers is over 600 million dollars. 

Is this the end of the printed press? If so, will it be missed?

I have heard it said that the newspaper simply has to go along with the times and go 100% digital on the web. Maybe, but is the web going to be able to raise enough money via paid ads to maintain the traditional newsroom? I don´t think so, and then, my last question for today: 

Who will pay for the investigative reporters who uncover scandals and corruption among our politicians?

I believe that a free and powerful press is essential to democratic government. If the current trend prevails, I think we shall have to do without it and then, who will control officials in our system?

Catch 22

Today is a big day in Spain. When I was young, it was called a Catch 22 situation.

Regional elections are being held in two areas of Spain, The Basque Country and Galicia. And whoever wins, Spain will lose.

If the Opposition wins in Galicia, their Leader, Rajoy, will come out of the process stronger and therefore will continue with his personal quest to prevent the Conservatives from coming back to power.

If the Socialists retain power, they will fell vindicated in their thrust to spend the way out of the economic crisis. We all lose. 

In the Basque country, there is, however a slight hope. If the Socialists come in front, they might do the sensible thing and oust the Nationalists from power for the first time in over 30 years, asking the conservatives to join them in the regional government. This would be a real change and we can hope that it will happen.

The problem is that, if Zapatero allows this to happen, he will lose the support of the Nationalists in  Parliament and his government may fall. So once again, Zapatero will have the dilemma between doing the right thing or taking the wrong turn. He has proven he is capable of making more mistakes than any other politician in Europe in the shortest possible time. He will do it again!

That is a Catch 22 situation if I have ever seen one!