Closing Ranks Against The Barbarii
0 Comments Posted by Alex Guerrero on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 at 11:08 PM.
Essex, UK
Your topic, if I understood it correctly, though, sounds interesting, yet tricky. Given the special and close relationship between government and financial elite, how can there be not an enormous amount of control on the latter's part? And how can any government effectively act upon this?
Washington, DC
I remember a brilliant book by Lieberman (2003), comparing Brazil and South Africa. The question was, more or less, why do we observe such different patterns in taxation in two so similar countries (development, racial issues)? The author is especially intrigued by the presence of a strong income tax in South Africa. Supposedly, the white high class in South Africa would have been fighting that kind of pro-redistributive tax from the very beginning, as the wealthy did forever in the unequal Brazil. The guy went back to the past to analyze the circumstances in which the income tax emerged in South Africa (basically it was a "tax to the white citizens" to finance the apartheid system!!!). The wealthy-white conceded to pay it in a voluntary and systematic manner because, basically, they needed a strong state protecting the Apartheid system. So, when Mandela & cia brought democracy to South Africa, early in the 1990s, a strong and capable tax administration was at work, and the fiscal laws were in effect, and the taxpayers were registered and paying their due taxes.
Wars and deep economic crises generated special circumstances in which people is willing to accept and to pay income taxes to avoid the disaster. This was the case in the USA and many European countries. But still, these punctual explanations shall be fitted in a general framework in which people react to different circumstances and calculus (transfers-taxes, etc).
Essex, UK
Isn't it amazing to what extent people are willing to make sacrifices if only the constructed common cause appears to be strong enough? In the case of my beloved yet troubled birthplace (South Africa) it does not come as a big surprise that the white 'racial' community was willing to chip in to keep the other groups in their place which was a tremendously expensive endeavor.
Over the past years I have been watching the 'Western Civilization' close ranks against the contemporary Barbarians or terrorists in a futile attempt to buy a heightened sense of security at the price of civil liberties - a rather dear price, if you ask me. People never cease to puzzle me.
Your topic, if I understood it correctly, though, sounds interesting, yet tricky. Given the special and close relationship between government and financial elite, how can there be not an enormous amount of control on the latter's part? And how can any government effectively act upon this?
Washington, DC
I remember a brilliant book by Lieberman (2003), comparing Brazil and South Africa. The question was, more or less, why do we observe such different patterns in taxation in two so similar countries (development, racial issues)? The author is especially intrigued by the presence of a strong income tax in South Africa. Supposedly, the white high class in South Africa would have been fighting that kind of pro-redistributive tax from the very beginning, as the wealthy did forever in the unequal Brazil. The guy went back to the past to analyze the circumstances in which the income tax emerged in South Africa (basically it was a "tax to the white citizens" to finance the apartheid system!!!). The wealthy-white conceded to pay it in a voluntary and systematic manner because, basically, they needed a strong state protecting the Apartheid system. So, when Mandela & cia brought democracy to South Africa, early in the 1990s, a strong and capable tax administration was at work, and the fiscal laws were in effect, and the taxpayers were registered and paying their due taxes.
Wars and deep economic crises generated special circumstances in which people is willing to accept and to pay income taxes to avoid the disaster. This was the case in the USA and many European countries. But still, these punctual explanations shall be fitted in a general framework in which people react to different circumstances and calculus (transfers-taxes, etc).
Essex, UK
Isn't it amazing to what extent people are willing to make sacrifices if only the constructed common cause appears to be strong enough? In the case of my beloved yet troubled birthplace (South Africa) it does not come as a big surprise that the white 'racial' community was willing to chip in to keep the other groups in their place which was a tremendously expensive endeavor.
Over the past years I have been watching the 'Western Civilization' close ranks against the contemporary Barbarians or terrorists in a futile attempt to buy a heightened sense of security at the price of civil liberties - a rather dear price, if you ask me. People never cease to puzzle me.
Labels: ciencia política, EEUU, England
Chin had a very good time here... He loves British politeness, British food (eeks) and the way people here wear ridiculous clothes, combined. He is an irreverent monkey, indeed. He loves bothering Alvaro when the guy is working hard, for example...
See here some pics of the Life of Chin at Essex...
See here some pics of the Life of Chin at Essex...
Labels: England
TO THE WILD WILD SIDE
English Breakfast. Beans. No time, but no rush. Don't stop if you feel the beat, the feeling of being a Londoner. You should walk, no questions. Walk to the next station: Korean food, The Guardian, Indians, Pakis, SouthAfricans, whatever more,... And all they shout: learn English, kiddo!
Primrose Hill Park. All London at your feet. Just they playing with the ball, like children... like one of us. And we look at them, and talk about sex. BBQ in the garden of the pub: just 5 pounds for a beef burger. Mireia is wondering: why do those fuck**g Britons need to get drunk to fuck? 'Brazilians do it better', just my answer to that. She agreed. And I felt the real London in my veins. Or maybe two paints of ale. And I ran to that feeling, as if my body was producing dopamine on its own. It's happiness, dude, don't worry, you're one of us now. Join the party. And the music never stopped, six hours, more and more. Passions and wake-ups. New people, new faces, and maybe a new city to add to my soul.
Drive boy dog boy dirty numb angel boy
In the doorway boy she was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy and tears boy
And all in your innerspace boy you had
Hands girl boy and steel boy you had
Chemicals boy Ive grown so close to you
Boy and you just groan boy she said
Comeover comeover she smiled at you boy. (tatataaa...)
English Breakfast. Beans. No time, but no rush. Don't stop if you feel the beat, the feeling of being a Londoner. You should walk, no questions. Walk to the next station: Korean food, The Guardian, Indians, Pakis, SouthAfricans, whatever more,... And all they shout: learn English, kiddo!Primrose Hill Park. All London at your feet. Just they playing with the ball, like children... like one of us. And we look at them, and talk about sex. BBQ in the garden of the pub: just 5 pounds for a beef burger. Mireia is wondering: why do those fuck**g Britons need to get drunk to fuck? 'Brazilians do it better', just my answer to that. She agreed. And I felt the real London in my veins. Or maybe two paints of ale. And I ran to that feeling, as if my body was producing dopamine on its own. It's happiness, dude, don't worry, you're one of us now. Join the party. And the music never stopped, six hours, more and more. Passions and wake-ups. New people, new faces, and maybe a new city to add to my soul.
Drive boy dog boy dirty numb angel boy
In the doorway boy she was a lipstick boy
She was a beautiful boy and tears boy
And all in your innerspace boy you had
Hands girl boy and steel boy you had
Chemicals boy Ive grown so close to you
Boy and you just groan boy she said
Comeover comeover she smiled at you boy. (tatataaa...)
Labels: England
This city is one of the most special places in this world. The last time I was here was a really complete trip, day and night. This time I'm more relaxed: meeting friends, wandering without maps, eating cholesterolic English breakfasts, and all the typical stuff a Londoner does.
Yesterday I spent most of the time at the Soho. It's quite similar to the Fuencarral area in Madrid, but the social fauna is light years more diverse. People stand out the bars drinking, or lay at the ground in the Soho square... everything very appropiate for the season. Today I'll be a bit more cultural (want to visit the Imperial War Museum and going back to the British), and this evening Mireia, Jonathan and me will be drinking and doing crazy things at the Soho pride (don't ask me what's that exactly...).
Ken, we love you.
Yesterday I spent most of the time at the Soho. It's quite similar to the Fuencarral area in Madrid, but the social fauna is light years more diverse. People stand out the bars drinking, or lay at the ground in the Soho square... everything very appropiate for the season. Today I'll be a bit more cultural (want to visit the Imperial War Museum and going back to the British), and this evening Mireia, Jonathan and me will be drinking and doing crazy things at the Soho pride (don't ask me what's that exactly...).
Ken, we love you.
Labels: England
FREAKIN' IN THE CAMPUS
These days are really nice here. A perfect climate, just some degrees over the average, and blue skies over Britain. People is warm and polite, really nice, but maybe somewhat distant. Anyway, Alvaro is here, and the Spanish people wandering in the campus is also very talkative.
Internally, I feel best prepared for the big jump: I feel confident speaking in English, and I have forgot these anxieties previous to the trip. As I never spent one sole week in an English-speaking country (because it was really expensive for us), the experience sums the surprise of seeing myself talking in a progressing but fluent English, and the simplicity of the language for the daily tasks. I think things will become easier in a couple of weeks.
I miss many things from Spain: my friends, the physical contact with others, the sense of humor, the lack of formalities in many environments, the food... Yeah, my stomach is deviating all the English food to the junk mail folder, and I think I will explode in a handful days. Hehehe...
In the photo, Chin after eating some of the delicious Chinese varieties from the supermarket (from 0,30 to 0,60pounds a meal).
.jpg)
These days are really nice here. A perfect climate, just some degrees over the average, and blue skies over Britain. People is warm and polite, really nice, but maybe somewhat distant. Anyway, Alvaro is here, and the Spanish people wandering in the campus is also very talkative.Internally, I feel best prepared for the big jump: I feel confident speaking in English, and I have forgot these anxieties previous to the trip. As I never spent one sole week in an English-speaking country (because it was really expensive for us), the experience sums the surprise of seeing myself talking in a progressing but fluent English, and the simplicity of the language for the daily tasks. I think things will become easier in a couple of weeks.
I miss many things from Spain: my friends, the physical contact with others, the sense of humor, the lack of formalities in many environments, the food... Yeah, my stomach is deviating all the English food to the junk mail folder, and I think I will explode in a handful days. Hehehe...
In the photo, Chin after eating some of the delicious Chinese varieties from the supermarket (from 0,30 to 0,60pounds a meal).
Labels: England
LIVING IN BRITAIN
This is my four night here in the English countryside. I landed this saturday and Alvaro quickly integrated me in his daylife here. I'm here for taking a summer course on something really boring about statistical methodologies, but very useful for my future research.
The fact is that I have meet a lot of new people here, very quickly, and my integration inside the English-speaking world is surprisingly easy. This makes me feel confident for my years in the US.
Chin also is very happy. Essex is an university with around 8,000 students, and 1,000 of them are from China. Not from Chinese origin, but directly from China. They are the bigger non-British community here, followed by Greeks and Italians. And Chin has made a lot of new friends. The whawhawha rumor of Chinese talking in their language makes me feel sleepy, but anyways, they and the African or Indian subdits give a lot of color to this Campus.
Essex University is one hour to the north of London. 25 pounds far, actually. Here there are forests, lakes and grass surrounding all the ugly campus, a monster made by a psychotic architect. But well, this is really a change from my usual life: a change of just 2 weeks, luckily.
This weekend I'll be moving to my London...
This is my four night here in the English countryside. I landed this saturday and Alvaro quickly integrated me in his daylife here. I'm here for taking a summer course on something really boring about statistical methodologies, but very useful for my future research.The fact is that I have meet a lot of new people here, very quickly, and my integration inside the English-speaking world is surprisingly easy. This makes me feel confident for my years in the US.
.jpg)
Chin also is very happy. Essex is an university with around 8,000 students, and 1,000 of them are from China. Not from Chinese origin, but directly from China. They are the bigger non-British community here, followed by Greeks and Italians. And Chin has made a lot of new friends. The whawhawha rumor of Chinese talking in their language makes me feel sleepy, but anyways, they and the African or Indian subdits give a lot of color to this Campus..jpg)
Essex University is one hour to the north of London. 25 pounds far, actually. Here there are forests, lakes and grass surrounding all the ugly campus, a monster made by a psychotic architect. But well, this is really a change from my usual life: a change of just 2 weeks, luckily.This weekend I'll be moving to my London...
Labels: England
