Fernando Fuster-Fabra's Blog
THE HAITI TRAGEDY & POVERTY: WORLD POWERS MUST ACT NOW
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New tremors in Haiti today whilst dead still litter the streets, wounded are treated in open-air installations and humanitarian relief is slowly distributed in a trickle, proves that last week’s earthquake tragedy is but the tip of the true disaster in such forsaken paradise in the Caribbean.
Haiti, the poorest nation in the American continents and one of the poorest in the world, has been plagued since its independence from France in 1804 by political instability that provoked the United States to occupy the territory from 1915 to 1934. Further U.S. military and financial support in 1954 to François Duvalier (Papa Doc) imposed upon the island a pretended dynasty with his son, Jean-Claude (Nené Doc), succeeding him in 1971. A national uprising overthrew him in 1981 but still Haiti continued to live in misery in one coup after another that brought corrupt leaders into power.
In a country where poverty is circumvented only with the funds from foreign aid and numerous NGOs operating humanitarian missions, it is understandable that the eradication of poverty has not been a priority for its successive governments. Lax government controls on the use of aid funds for development, health & educational projects have permitted the deviation of huge sums into private bank accounts of Haitian government officials.
The participation of the United Nations has not been limited to humanitarian support through its agencies but likewise had involved Blue Helmets stationed in the territory. However, it must be said that the U.N. role in Haiti has always gone along stream that of the United States and the U.N. Blue Helmet detachment was in lieu of American soldiers that were no more.
With last week’s earthquake, President Obama again compromised U.S. military forces for Haiti. The European Union headed by the Spanish Government which occupied this semester’s rotating presidency likewise acted resolutely with not too much ado and contributed towards a quick solution.
However, a new dilemma has arisen. Not taking seriously anti-American comments by Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chavez, the postures of French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva on U.S. troops on Haitian soil seemed out of place at a point and time when humanitarian action was the only true concern.
Which brings me to question the handling of this situation:- Have we reached a point where the United Nations has lost authority and effectiveness to handle world crisis or major disasters?
Is protagonist role all world leaders think of or want when such situations arise or should these think first of the human tragedy?
The silent but effective actions undertaken from Spain and Spanish coordination of the EU aids must be applauded. The quick reaction from the White House must be praised too.
It is not time for lead roles or being on front page headlines. It is time to seriously think why the developed countries have not resolved yet the poverty and misery that only ends in more misery in tragedies such as the Haitian earthquakes these days.
It is time to meditate whether the organization whose creation and charter were mean to face up to the challenges of a world in peace has failed in its objectives during this past six decades.
World leaders must decide whether the time has come to think more of justice and minimum quality of life for any human being with a new social & political order that the United Nations has been unable to provide.
Has the time arrived for a change in world governance?
Fernando Fuster-Fabra, Madrid
Tags: Barack Obama, Blue Helmets, Brazil, Caribbean, Earhquakes, European Union, F. Duvalier, France, Haiti, Hugo Chavez, J.C. Duvalier, Lula da Silva, Nené Doc, NGOs, Nicholas Sarkozy, Papa Doc, Spain, United Nations, USA, Venezuela
EUROPEAN UNION: FIRST SIX MONTHS OF LISBON TREATY & SPANISH PRESIDENCY
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Today, Spain’s Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, presented the objectives of the EU’s first semester within the scope of the recently ratified Lisbon Treaty. His extemporaneous speech before the European Parliament was centred on the economic crisis but his explanations went on to indicate his inclination towards social policymaking.
Just a few weeks back, Rodríguez Zapatero went under fire in U.K. newspapers (The Financial Times & The Economist), seconded by Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal. Whilst the WSJ editorials are tinted by the ultra-conservative influence of no less than Murdoch’s Spanish Sancho Panza, in the person of Spain’s former Prime Minister José Mª Aznar, those written by British economic experts went beyond the limits of journalistic competence in questioning Zapatero’s capabilities in a sarcastic comparison to popular British TV character, Mr. Bean.
In its fourth rotating mandate, Spain has so far lived up to expectations, with important European milestones set in each one of its presidential semesters. With a clear all-out support of the EEC, later the EU, Spain has earned its entry into the European club and has there onward led some initiatives which other members, like the United Kingdom for one, have yet to set into their agendas.
This semester is too important for the 27-Member Union to waste words in sarcasm and destructive criticism, more so when the United Kingdom has undermined EU unifying efforts in too many occasions.
As an expert in EU relations, the underlying motive of such mocking comments is certain resentment towards Spain far beyond the political scene and more focused on Spanish corporations taking over numerous British enterprises in the last few years, to name a few – Banco Santander and Iberdrola.
In spite of Spain’s high unemployment rate at the present time, never has the U.K. generated as much jobs as Spain has in the years before the outbreak of the worldwide financial crisis nor has it contained its public deficit to have Spain’s five-year surplus. In fact, Tony Blair’s apparent economic miracle was partly a well-designed accounting reengineering by no less than Gordon Brown, as narrated in detail in the book – Fantasy Island.
Furthermore, Brown’s government has again manipulated figures in order to hide from EU scrutiny state subsidies to British banks in violation of European Commission regulations. Whereas Spain has not nationalised a single bank, the U.K. has both subsidized illegally and nationalised bankrupt entities. Whilst Spain has an exemplary supervision of financial entities the U.K.’s banking system is a free-for-all that allows quite a few irregularities.
The British economy has a full decade ahead before it can say it is out of the rut even if stats show that recession may have come to an end in 2009’s last quarter. What these financial newspapers seem to forget is that whilst Spain now lingers in unemployment, its growth potential in new technologies (solar & wind energy) and innovative activities (electric cars) with renewed immigrant labour forces will launch Spain into a new cycle of competitive businesses. What has been known as the financial crisis is greatly accountable to the uncontrolled business in Wall Street and The City. All risky financial gimmicks launched by the American & British banks have brought us to where we are.
Likewise, the British press seems to resent Obama’s chummy attitude towards Spain’s Prime Minister in detriment of Gordon’s declining role. Should the Tories take over next May, 10 Downing Street may still drift further away from The White House.
Spain has a challenge to reemploy its workers but the United Kingdom has a greater challenge – to start admitting they are no longer an empire.
It’s best these newspapers think twice their words before going to press. I’ll be watching in 2020 where the United Kingdom is to be compared to an environmental conscious businesslike Spain in this coming decade.
Fernando Fuster-Fabra, Madrid
Tags: Aznar, Banco Santander, Electric car, European Commission, European Parliament, European Union, Frantasy Island, Gordon Brown, Iberdrola, Lisbon Treaty, Mr. Bean, Murdoch, Rodríguez Zapatero, Solar energy, Spain, The City, The Economist, The Finanacial Times, Tony Blair, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Wall Street Journal, Wind energy
LESSONS TO LEARN FROM OLYMPICS 2016
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The Olympic Committee meet in Copenhagen has been a frenzy of activity these past days. Each of the four candidate cities has tried to lobby at its best throwing around the weights of their respective political leaders and personalities. Several important lessons are to be learned.
No less than an ever smiling U.S. First Lady in the person of Michelle Obama swam through the rows of Committee delegates in search of their favourable votes. President Obama made a lightning visit to preside the Chicago Delegation at its final candidacy presentation. Both of the couple’s speeches filled the hall in the early morning hours with a heart touching appeal on the city where they lived their love and lives. Chicago was at that moment one of the favourites to host the Olympic Games 2016.
The Brazilian delegation could offer no less with President Lula da Silva up front. His appeal was based on a reasonable sentiment – South America has as yet never hosted the Olympic Games. Brazil demanded justice and the election of Río de Janeiro as Olympic host for 2016. Lula, too, spoke from the heart seeking recognition of his excellent track record in bringing Brazil out of poverty into the top 10 developed economies of the world.
The new Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, was present to seek another historic accomplishment to add to his own election. Japan’s Olympic proposal was probably the most solid futurist environmental project but cold reasoning had to have a good dose of emotions to make it work.
Finally, Spain had an overload of emotion and no less than the King & the Queen, Juan Carlos I and Sofía, leading the delegation of political leaders from the state government down to the city mayor, passing through the regional president. Even the opposition leader was there to give support. Never before had such unity been so visible amongst embattled political leaders in any issue. The Olympic candidacy of Madrid had brought them all together.
After the four excellent presentations that began at 8 a.m. with Chicago and closed at half past three with Madrid, all eyes the world over were set on the voting procedure the Olympic Committee follows for such selection process.
All bets seemed to place Chicago and Río de Janeiro as the favourites. Scarce public enthusiasm of the Tokyo population seemed to run against them. On the contrary, Spain’s all-out support went beyond the city limits of Madrid. Nevertheless, Spain realistically admitted that the weight of Obama’s presence could force them out at the first or second vote.
At the first casting, a great surprise! Chicago fell from the list. What did happen to make the committee members discard the American candidacy? Michelle Obama’s dream to see “her city” hosting the 2016 Olympic Games went into pieces. The American public watching the proceedings on TV went aghast. What happened to the Obama charm? It didn’t work this time.
With apparent logic, Tokyo went down next. All had thought that either Tokyo or Spain should have gone down first. No large crowds saw their city’s defeat on TV. Tokyo was living its hectic life as usual without the minimum shock of having been eliminated.
Not so in Brazil and Spain, where thousands massed around specially prepared scenarios to rally their respective candidacies. Perhaps, this is the essence of the Olympic spirit far beyond the perfection of projects and the profitability of investments.
The final call for vote had both delegations in suspense till 6:45 p.m. when finally Mr. Jacques Rogge, Olympic Committee President, unveiled the winner – Río de Janeiro.
The frenzy and boisterous joy of the Brazilian delegation contrasted with the dampened spirits of the Spaniards. However, as I see it both had won. Brazil and Spain were indeed sharing a turn in the tides of Olympic History.
For Brazil, the appointment of Río de Janeiro as seat of the 2016 Olympics is the gold medal that Lula da Silva deserves before he steps down from office in 2010. Properly handled, it is the opportunity not only Brazil deserves but also all South America. Furthermore, the U.S. supremacy, as President Obama stated at the U.N. General Assembly must be shared with others. The shift of the weight has begun.
For Spain, the sweet-sour defeat has a rather important teaching. For once, politicians from both major political parties – socialists & conservatives – were together in an effort and a dream. Biased opinions were set aside. Work was carried out by a team with a single objective, to make Madrid a better humane sports-loving city. If they went so far as to be the unpredicted finalist against one of the favourites, then working together must have been the bonding element that led them up the steps to victory. Why not learn the lesson and work together for the Spanish citizens who are always willing to support worthy endeavours?
Fernando Fuster-Fabra
Madrid
Tags: Brazil, Chicago, Copenhagen, Japan, King Juan Carlos I, Lula da Silva, Madrid, Michelle Obama, Obama, Olympic Committee, Olympic Games, Río de Janeiro, Spain, Tokyo, USA
SWINE FLU OUTBREAK FAULTY EXCUSE FOR PROTECTIONISM PRACTICES
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The crisis seeming insufficient, the outbreak of swine flu cases in Mexico and its rapid spread to the U.S.A., Canada & Europe have presented an opportunity for some countries to use this generally non-deadly pandemic as an excuse to apply trade & tourism restrictions in their own political interests. Mexico has been the hardest hit with tourist flow curtailed both due to local requisites as well as foreign influx to its popular coastal resorts. In company with the U.S.A. and Canada, this southernmost North American country accounts for the outbreak and more than half of the infected patients as well as the few deaths. All three countries have expressed their concern as to possible isolation measures and travel restrictions imposed by other nations across the globe.
In Europe, Spain ranks first in number of ill citizens who firstly came into contact with the virus in holiday trips to the Mexican peninsula. Nevertheless, no death has been registered and the first patients have received their quarantine release. In spite of said favourable situation, Russia has just announced it shall impose an immediate ban on all imports of Spanish fresh pork and processed pork products. Spain is Russia’s first supplier of pork products. What seems annoying is that nations seem to ignore WHO indications on the swine flu risks and recommended international posture.
I have often asked myself why we have such organisations set up in the scope of the United Nations if we rarely respect the rulings and recommendations of same. Russia’s posture on Spanish pork may be the first protectionist action taken using the flu outbreak as a mere excuse for politically-oriented trade restrictions. Added to tourist restrictions suffered by Mexico, these actions may end in an extended use of protectionism with unconceivable justifications in order to shape up a close-door defensive policy to hopefully overcome a country’s economic crisis. Are we heading in that direction?
Madrid, May 4, 2009
Tags: Business, Communications, Health, Quality of Living, Social Issues, Tourism, United Nations, WHO, World Politics
