Sidney Blumenthal, former advisor to Bill Clinton, sees the US presidential elections as the end of the Republican era. Key Republican policies have failed, Blumenthal writes in The Guardian: "Certain factors that have dominated US politics for 40 years seem destined to recede to the far corners. In economics, supply-side panaceas and deregulation created the worst crisis since the Great Depression. ... In foreign policy, neoconservatism led to the morass in Iraq and Afghanistan while undermining the western alliance. In social policy, the evangelical right battered science, the separation of church and state, and the right to privacy. Finally, the conservative principle of limited government has become a watchword for incompetence, cronyism, corruption, hypocrisy, and contempt for the rule of law." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Polityka finansowa, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Sidney Blumenthal

The Greek daily To Ethnos writes about the political legacy of George W. Bush: "The entire planet will breathe a sigh of relief to see the nightmare come to an end. ... Bush and the neo-conservatives have made Guantanamo a symbol of America, the Dachau [a Nazi concentration camp for political prisoners in Germany] of the 21st century. ... They have erected a surveillance regime ... the likes of which any dictatorship could only dream of. The wars ... in Iraq and Afghanistan were planned a long time ago as a means of ... bringing the Middle East and its crude oil under American control. ... The US is responsible for civilisation taking a step backwards. Mankind would be amazed if the Americans were ever condemned for the genocide they carried out against the unarmed people of Iraq, where they have killed thousands of people." (03/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Giorgos Delastik

The daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort comments on Europe's hopes that new approaches will be found to tackle global problems. "When America votes, the world looks over its shoulder. This has always been the case, not only because the US is a superpower but also because like no other nation on this Earth it embodies the dream of hope, change and new beginnings. And seldom has the desire for change been as tangible as in the election year 2008. The legacy of the Bush era is a heavy burden, on this side of the Atlantic as well as on the other. ... After years of bitter alienation the desire for a renewal of the traditional trans-Atlantic partnership is overwhelming. The financial crisis, the climate and terrorism - these are all issues on which Europeans expect the new American president to adopt a tough stance." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Europa, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Bentz Hortense

For Mário Soares, former President of Portugal, a victory for Barack Obama would have "positive consequences for the US and the European Union, and would bring with it a radical change in geopolitics." A victory for John McCain and Sarah Palin, by contrast, would mean "the continuation of George W. Bush's disastrous administration", Soares writes in a commentary for the Diário de Noticias. "An Afro-American in the White House would mean a huge cultural turnabout in any event", Soares continues. "And in view of the high voter turnout, these elections have already effected a huge change in American mentalities. Nevertheless, you cannot expect everything to be rosy as soon as Obama wins. He has no magic wand for solving the global crisis." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Mário Soares

The conservative Magyar Nemzet writes that the US is on the brink of profound change: "The role of the US on the international stage stage is in for radical change. The reasons for this are not all to be found in the United States. ... On the one hand other powers [such as China] have risen quickly in recent years, while others [such as Russia] have been quick to bounce back from their short-lived powerlessness. ... Both Barack Obama and John McCain are for a moderate political line. Neither is close to the elite that is responsible for the destructive US policies of recent years. ... Both for reasons of his age and his dynamism Barack Obama seems to be more suited to the office of president. Obama has not - even to benefit his electoral campaign - hidden his readiness to engage in dialogue with those states that George W. Bush stigmatised as the 'axis of evil'. If Obama really wants to lead the US in a new direction, his major battles will have to fought at home." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka wewnętrzna, » USA
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Gábor László Zord

The daily newspaper Cotidianul accuses the Romanian Police of indifference for so far failing to classify the desecration of Bucharest's Jewish cemetery as an anti-Semitic incident. "All the stuttering of the police is just the tip of an iceberg of indifference that is paired with a fear of our own past (we still have great problems recognising the role Romania played in the Holocaust) and a fear above all of anything that has to do with Romanian anti-Semitism (the fanaticism of certain Romanian intellectuals of the inter-war period was promptly dismissed as 'errors of youth' and that was the end of it). The destruction of over 100 graves can't simply be dismissed - this was an act of aggression of such import that it cannot be put down to the antics of a few drunken youths. Why does something like this happen? No one seems interested in the motives. In a gesture that was more symbolic than anything else, the prime minister and the justice minister ordered a cursory investigation. Since then ten days have passed and there are still no answers." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Religia, » Mniejszości, » Historia, » Rumunia
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Costi Rogozanu

In the face of the economic and financial crisis the daily La Vanguardia warns of the dangers of nationalist populism, which in times of crisis flourishes and calls democracy into question. "We have problems, this is true; grave problems, this is also true. But we also have the most stable foundations we have ever had to help us find the solution to these problems. However, to achieve this we must repudiate those who like wailing sirens are once again invoking the spirit of nationalist populism. It is the same group of people as usual: those who only grudgingly accepted democracy; those who never fought for freedom because they already had theirs. Those who have no love for pluralism and who reject institutions that do not serve their own interests. In this crisis we should be more united than ever in defending the values that have made Spain's new democratic reality possible." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka wewnętrzna, » Ruchy społeczne, » Hiszpania
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Miquel Roca Junyent

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and his Armenian counterpart Serj Sarkisian have signed a joint statement in Moscow declaring their will to find a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The newspaper expresses the hope that the 10-year conflict over this enclave in the Caucasus will thus soon be resolved. "The moderately successful efforts to mediate in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh are a sign ... firstly that Russian President [Dmitry] Medvedev is indeed keen to get a 'good press' and secondly that Moscow has an interest in securing stability in the South Caucasus - needless to say under its own patronage. ... On the other hand Turkish-Armenian relations also appear to be improving. Things are on the move in the region - and not always in the wrong direction." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Rosja, » Europa Wschodnia

On a visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs David Miliband and his french colleague Bernard Kouchner have called for a strengthening of the UN peacekeeping troops in the crisis region. The Irish Times also feels the UN mission must be bolstered: "The British and French foreign ministers, who visited the region at the weekend, are putting pressure on the African Union to mediate the conflict and want to strengthen the existing 17,000 UN force in Congo. So far they are not willing to recommend supplementing it with a European Union force with a temporary mandate to restore security which would allow people return to their homes. That may well become necessary if conditions deteriorate further, possibly leading to another regional conflict and a recurrence of mass inter-communal violence. Measured by the numbers of casualties and the blatant self-interest of contending parties and interests the Democratic Republic of Congo has been the worst example of a failed state in recent history." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka bezpieczeństwa / Kryzys / Wojna, » Francja, » Wielka Brytania, » Afryka, » Europa

Sociologist Andrej Fištravec relects in the daily Večer on the need for common sense in times of global capitalism: "My common sense tells me that I can resolve recurring problems by removing their cause. ... But when it comes to the global economic crisis things get complicated - as if common sense no longer functioned. ... When I look at the history of Western capitalism I see that it constantly produces a new and ever greater social imbalance. One could say that the rise of Western capitalism over the past two centuries has created a state of permanent social crisis. ... By examining its history up to the present I have learned two lessons: the first is that the intensity of social conflict increases with time. ... The second is that Western-style capitalism has never really managed to unite the world. ... On the contrary, it has split it up (again). ... Common sense can have an impact on the fate of our world. It is only through the power of reason and through an ability to see the world for what it is that a new world can emerge, only to be replaced in the next instant by another world." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Ruchy społeczne, » Światopogląd, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Andrej Dr.Fištravec

After the faux pas of Bavarian economist Hans-Werner Sinn who compared current criticism of bank managers with attacks on Jews after the global economic crisis of 1929, Jens Jessen in the weekly Die Zeit calls on the Germans to put an end to such comparisons. "Because it was exactly the paranoid equation of Jews with capitalism and its crises that gave the initial thrust to Nazi propaganda. Anti-Semitism, as August Bebel [a founding father of social democracy] said in the 19th century, is the anti-capitalism of the dumb. But the association becomes neither more intelligent nor more innocent when you turn it around ideologically and conclude that anti-capitalism, whenever it arises, always contains an element of anti-Semitism. ... Dear Germans! Honoured economists! Do with capitalism what you please, praise it, criticise it, choke it or nourish it, but leave the Jews out of it! ... It must be possible to debate the merits of an economic system without - even apologetically - pointing a finger at the Jews." (30/10/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka finansowa, » Historia, » Niemcy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Jens Jessen

In the Finnish daily Etelä-Saimaa, Jorma Hernesmaa predicts that the contest to attract highly qualified workers in the EU will intensify. "Graduates tend to go where the conditions are best, incomes are higher and taxes lower. ... When they return, well educated people are multilingual and have more international experience ... The competition among EU member states to attract workers will grow stronger. Finland is one of the countries whose population is aging rapidly. ... We cannot afford to be racist or pessimistic. The proportion of foreigners living in Finland is small. ... The darkness, mud and November rain hold little appeal. ... Workers can circulate freely within the European Union. ... Almost 40 percent of the young people who go abroad have a university education. When highly educated Finns take up permanent residency abroad this represents a transfer of income from one country to another. University education is expensive. Finland, too, cannot afford to cover the costs of educating people for other countries." (04/11/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, fiński)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Polityka UE, » Migracja, » Finlandia, » Europa

Pantelis Kasapis, member of the Commission for Traffic and Infrastructure of the Democratic Party (DIKO) in Cyprus, argues in Philelefteros newspaper for the creation of a global currency. The advantages of such a currency would outweigh its costs, Kasapis writes, because it would engender "greater economic efficiency and transparency, facilitate the comparison of prices ... , reduce exchange rate fluctuations, and boost global trade. ... The adoption of a global currency would create a strong basis for a true global economy. This would guarantee stability for traders and protect savings. ... The major obstacles to such a project are political. The disadvantage of a global currency is that with it nations would lose their hold over monetary and exchange rate policy. ... A realistic ... solution would be maintaining the three strong currencies (yen, dollar, euro) and developing a uniform monetary policy." (03/11/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, grecki)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Polityka finansowa, » Polityka gospodarcza, » Cały świat
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Pandelis Kasapis

Eleven prominent writers, including four Nobel laureates, have made a show of solidarity with Milan Kundera, who is suspected of having denounced an anti-communist agent to the authorities in the Stalinist Prague of 1950. The conservative daily Lidové noviny publishes their declaration of solidarity, which talks of "the honour of one of the greatest novelists alive being besmirched on at the very least dubious grounds". In their appeal the writers declare: "We feel the need to express our indignation at this smear campaign and our solidarity with Milan Kundera." Among those who signed the declaration were John M. Coetzee, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Orhan Pamuk, Philip Roth and Salman Rushdie. (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Literatura, » Historia, » Francja, » Czechy, » Cały świat

Heinz-Joachim Fischer, long-time Rome correspondent for the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, has sparked a diplomatic incident with an article published on the weekend. In it he accused Italian President Giorgio Napolitano of continuing the Second World War with political means. The Italian daily Corriere della Sera writes that while the contention has been resolved on the diplomatic level, Fischer's article reveals basic prejudices: "Fischer hints that certain commonplaces - in which the Germans come to the aid of the Italians - bind the German Reich and the small Italian. Ultimately, his words are even directed against the myth of the 'Resistenza', the Italian resistance movement. Fischer's theses have been refuted. What remains is the [Italian] compensation claim [of 800,000 euros, for families of victims killed during the war]. Does this diplomatic incident run the risk of making this claim a political issue? The answer will come at the bilateral German-Italian consultations on November 18 in Triest." (04/11/2008)

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Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Stosunki międzynarodowe, » Media drukowane, » Niemcy, » Włochy
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Marzio Breda

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has successfully fended off a claim by a Russian oil company for over 2.5 million pounds. A British court has decided that as Abramovich is not officially a resident of the UK, a Russian court must decide over the case. Le Monde criticises the judgement: "The English judges with their wigs have a sixth sense: that of nonsense. ... Certainly this seems to hold true of Mr Justice Christopher Clarke, who found that Russian oligarchs located in London in fact live in Moscow. ... According to the judgement ..., despite his capital interests in the UK, Roman Abramovich resides in Russia. ... English law is 'created by judges'. Every court sees itself as duty bound to follow cases of precedent." (03/11/2008)

» Artykuł (Link zewnętrzny, francuski)
Więcej z przeglądu prasy na temat » Wielka Brytania, » Rosja
Wszystkie dostępne teksty » Marc Roche