Green Athens

This is an article about green Athens. People from the Greek capital might react here:
- What do you mean „green Athens“? Athens is not green.

„Green“ Athens

Well, it’s not. It is gray and white – from all the concrete of the dense buildings. You could easily see that from Google Earth: Athens looks like a huge bluish-white stain with very few green spots. What’s even worse, the fires a few years ago (which were most probably started on purpose) have left the hills around the city without any trees.

Democracy Bulgarian Style

http://www.twodoctors.org/
By James on April 29, 2009

Just over two years ago Bulgaria joined the EU, and a year later ЗЕЛЕНИТЕ (Zelenite) was founded, part of the global spread of Greens which brings such cheer to my heart. They’re well organised, and now have an impressive 7000 members.

The other parties have finally taken notice, and just a few months before the election a law was pushed through to try and restrict access to the ballot.

A deposit of €7,500 (already one of the highest in Europe) to participate was bumped up in March to €25,000, more than twice the level anywhere else in the EU. Bear in mind Bulgaria is Europe’s poorest country, with an income little more than a third of the Union average, and the differential is even higher.

-> Read the full article

Let’s Go Legal

Let me first take a quick look at Italy. The boot-shaped peninsula where nobody has admitted to me they voted for Berlusconi and still he managed to become PM 3 times. Dear Italians, I’m telling you this: you live in a beautiful country, women are cute, men are far too obsessed with football, music is great and the legal system is a mess. There’s the mafia, the corrupted politicians and the Polizia Finanziaria (financial police). Doesn’t it make you wonder what kind a rule of law is that if you need armed policemen to collect the taxes? Or how about the garbage mafia and the criminals in Naples? I saw the Army in the streets. Guns, boots, bullet-proof vehicles. Did you also consider the Navy and the Air Force? The sea is near – a few big military ships might scare the bad guys.

Ashamed

Part of the criticism that I have been receiving is that I don’t like my country. The reason: my continuous disagreement with the current chief policy-makers and my especially strong negative attitude towards the president, the prime minister and other leading politicians. It’s not that I hate my country. I feel ashamed, I feel terribly embarrassed by these people. Besides, I’m quite annoyed. I’m annoyed because not enough normal Bulgarians are annoyed.

Bulgarian Protest Appeal (14.01.)

To: all diplomatic representatives of the EU-members in Bulgaria; EU; all major European media.
Copies to: all major Bulgarian media

Dear Sirs,

As you may already know, there is a big national protest which is going to take place in Bulgaria starting from January, 14th. The organizers of this protest are thousands of young people who communicate through the Internet. It is a protest which is not supported by political parties and it shall remain this way.

Bulgarian Journalist Hit By Hammers

Bulgarian journalist Ognian Stefanov (Head Editor of the news site Frog News) has been beaten nearly to death by 3 or 4 people using hammers and steel bars. He is in hospital in a very bad condition. According to hospital personnel he has lost more than 2 litres of blood, his arms and legs have been broken. His spinal cord is also hurt and his life is in danger.

This is the most terrible accident of the kind since writer of criminal novels Georgi Stoev was shot in the head in a central location in Sofia on April 7 this year.

Both authors published materials about organized crime and corruption of high level Bulgarian officials. Earlier today the yearly report of Transparency International for Bulgaria was released. The report clearly indicates the rise of corruption which sends Bulgaria in worst position in EU and causes observers to conclude that Bulgarian membership in EU has turned to be a failure.

Additional information from Mr. Stefanov’s news site, Frog News:
Mafia country.

100 Years Since Proclamation Of Bulgarian Independence

Today we celebrate 100 years since Bulgaria was announced independent. At 12 o’clock on September 22, 1908 King Ferdinand slowly and calmly read the Independence declaration signed by him and the Government ministers.
Bulgarian independence followed the Russian-Ottoman war in 1878 and the Unification (September 6, 1885) of two of the parts Bulgarian territory was split into. Until 1908 Bulgaria had only partial autonomy from the Ottoman Empire and was obliged to pay taxes to the sultan.

A Big Challenge

Dear visitors,
I would like to introduce to you a challenge that has proven extremely difficult to resolve. I will pit it straight forward.

How could you turn a poor, small country into a well-organized, legal, prosperous place?
You have the following limitations:
1) The whole law-enforcing system is totally corrupted and works in favour of criminals;
2) The people of the country accept what government officials do even if it’s brutally against the national interests;
3) There are officials in the Government that are completely out of respect for the people of the country. These officials know (by experience) they would not be punished in any way if they lie or steal;
4) Most of the capital is in possession of criminals – they are the richest businessmen, biggest investors and sponsors of politicians;
5) Since the country is small and doesn’t have enough energy resources it can hardly protect its interests. Most of the time it serves the interests of more powerful countries which hurts its economy and people.

These limitations are interconnected – they feed each other. For example, rich criminals „invest“ in corrupting policemen and judges. In return, judges don’t send them to prison but allow them to take top positions in business and the government. That makes the illegal businessmen even richer. People see this and lose their faith in institutions (as the institutions no longer serve the common people’s interests – they work for the criminals) and the whole democratic system is undermined. How could that be changed?