So for now, some commentary on the news..
UN HIV estimates reduced to 33m: Okay, but not time to rejoice quite yet. Infections are increasing in Africa, and speeding up (1.7 million new infections this year). Vietnam saw a doubling of the number of cases.
AND, I think that more and more countries are approaching the "Tipping Point" of the epidemic -- think Thailand a decade ago -- : a slow, steady increase, until a point where the increases reach an epidemic level.
Including in the Arab World. Let's face it - before it's too late.
Inshallah more on the HIV/AIDS issue in the run to December first -- World Aids Day.
French strikes: Hmmm, fairly typical, no? 500,000 people costing the state about 5 billion Euros a year (says the prime minister) who are effectively holding the rest of the country hostage of their laziness. And costing the country, only with the strikes in transportations, about 300 to 400 million Euros - a day.
And a final bit of news -- no less tragic than the previous two, but in a totally different level. The AIDS news is tragic because, beyond being helpless in front of the disease, we are dumb enough to let it increase. The France news is tragic because of the undemocratic coercion being applied on the State - sorry, Seg - to perpetuate old benefits that are damaging to the competitiveness of the country's economy as a whole.
This one, however, deserves its own post.
2 comments:
Don't worry, I'm ok with this ; I know the majority of french citizens voted for Sarkozy and this precisely was one of the main points of his program - and not a controversial one as it is. What I'm not Ok with is the way the governement deals with the strike. It really seems to me, they put all their efforts in pushing to this confrontation. Also, I don't understand why they waited so long to say 'ok, we have to talk' and why they added 'oh, but not today, let's wait a few more days'. I guess it's a way to grab favorable public opinion so that first of all Sarkozy will be able to make this sound like a political victory as the rest of his program is going down the drain. Second of all, when next year he announces that contribution in the private sector will be of 42 years instead of 40 years today, it will just go smoothly. On a personnal level, I don't give a damn, I really don't think I'll be staying in France the next 35 years so there goes my retirement anyway.
And you know, I really wonder how much we would gain if for instance the illegal workers were legalised, my guess is a lot of money.
I think I agree about the idea of including immigrants in the legal tax-paying 'main d'oeuvre'. In effect, that's the main about opening the door for immigrants in countries with rapidly aging populations - have more people contributing to the social system...
Not in France? Hmmm, then where, Seg?
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