No IQ

Liberalism and Democracy in Romania

2007-10-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you grasped the idea of Romanian liberalism (incompetence, payola, dull policies, taxes over taxes, abnormal laws, etc.) it'll be better not to try Romanian democracy.

The Romanian Cousin

2007-08-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

www.noiq.ro - You don't need IQ for beauties

What to do...

2007-07-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Any criminal regime, like the Eastern Europe's ones from the XX-st century, has as a first task on its agenda the political, the intellectual, the moral, and the economical beheading of the people. Well, not necessarily in this order. Suppose one regime like that will come into power in Romania. Who shall be on the beheading list? There are some powerful owners, so that economically we would have victims. But morally, or intellectually? Be serious. Not to speak about politics...

Qualm

2007-07-05T22:17:00.000-07:00

Nausea, anger, disgust, faintness... One can have all these not good at all experiences living in Romania. Year: 2007. Millennium: 3rd. Europe... believe it or not! A former prime minister cannot be called in court because... he did not approve his indictment. A bunch of present members of the govern seems fit to enter the fifth grade. And no, they are not precocious.

The Miracle

2007-06-21T00:19:00.000-07:00

A group of public intellectuals established a sort of committee for writing a new Constitution. Finally, a very, very, very good idea. But let's jump first...

Clashes

2007-06-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

On the national radio broadcast service a gay sings "how beautiful you are tonight" (about a girl).
The forreign affairs ministers says "if one will demonstrate that I turned the shame against my country, I'll quit." (He made a phony figure when he met Condoleeza Rice.)
The president met the top public intellectuals of the country in his villa at the sea shore. The guys who defended him loudly in the referendum campaigning. They are the only guys who know.

Bush "lost" his watch

2007-06-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

in a "crowd bath" in Albania. I'd suggest him not to meet any crowd of Romanian MPs. He'll go home in his panties.

What's the...

2007-06-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

difference between a social-democrat and a liberal? The first is willing to become history only by hard-pushing; the latter has initiative.

What Do You Need To Run a Country

2007-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

A bunch of rich friends (who will let you down as soon as you have nothing to offer anymore), a pair of advisers (by whom you'll pay your debts abroad), serenity in lying, and a good, healthy lack of interest for the people. If you are stupid, also, the least you can get is the minister of health's office.

What's ours?

2007-05-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

"Life was a continuous repetition of work, sleep and funerals" - Fred Copeman.

On Liberty [made in Romania]

2007-05-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

As Hobbes said, "there is not ordinarily a greater sign of the equal distribution of anything than that every man is contented with his share." But seeing the political actors today, methinks the problem has changed. At least in the case of liberty, we have to say that there is no greater sign of equal contentment than that every man finds its share unequally distributed, especially when he should be in prison, but has instead the greater liberty to chase the pedestrians with a limo.

Absurdania

2007-05-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

That should be the name of this country. Today, millions of Romanian citizens are living in the more civilized countries of Europe. The foreign affairs minister pompously said that their votes will not be hindered. Well, if we count the 18,212,980 on the lists, minus 639,870 (the number of ballots sent abroad!), we have 17,573,110 voters expected to come to the poll centers in the country. Well, I don't think there are today in Romania so many human individuals! That means, if all individuals having the right to vote are going to vote, we'll have a percent of participation around 65. As we cannot count on that, probably that percent will be (on aggregate, home and abroad) somewhere around 50, if we are optimistic. Add here the way of putting the question, which will let many as bewildered as if they would be in front of a Martian, and you'll have a result at heaven's will. Now, what did all those surveys counted? What all these "politicians," "sociologists," "political analysts," etc. are discussing? The vote of the people? What people?

How To...

2007-05-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

pull the strings for distorting a referendum, and... lose the game.
1. First of all, you have to change the electoral law, after you have fixed up all the details for the referendum.
2. Second, you can set up the ballots, so that most of the voters won't know if they have to say "Yes" or "No" - no matter what they really intend.
3. Third, you can make an alliance with all political foes, calling their supporters to vote like yours.
n. Last, but not least, you have to distribute just about 500,000 ballots abroad, when the official statistics say that there are 2,000,000 Romanians living abroad. (Notwithstanding that there are probably more than 5,000,000!) That way, you just shut their mouths up, which is, alas!, not enough...

Corollary: You must be really stupid to believe that most of the people are so stupid as your advisers say.
Second corollary: Stupidity is equally distributed among political parties' supporters.

N.B. Any resemblance with the plans of Romanian government is pure reality.

Why Politicians CANNOT Win

2007-05-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

For they all (well, the democrats excepted, but that's an accident) curse the president, and, contrary to what they believe - namely that if they are together they're right also -, the people's instincts work impeccable, signaling that it is something wrong when all "liberals," "social-democrats," "grand Romanians," and "conservators" are united for "saving Romania."
That's why, although there will be fraud and chicanes on poll, the dismissed president shall regain his seat.

Justice Doesn't Go Right

2007-05-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

The public prosecutor who is in charge with the harsh cases of the leaders of Conservative Party and Hungarian Democratic Union is proposed for dismissal by the brand new minister of justice. Hard blows are gonna come.

The Ominous Country

2007-05-08T04:34:00.000-07:00

When you wake up in the morning, this country may seem beautiful. In fact, it is beautiful until you have to get in touch with the authorities (of whatever kind). Any person can be happy until it comes the day in which he tries to get the mail from the post office, to respect the law - and get an ID card, for example -, or to pay a tax. Then you are in front of the Law, which is stupid, humiliating for the common citizen and enforced by a usually stupid clerk, happy to humiliate everyone around... In the main time, the first priority of the politicians is to change the (newly changed) Constitution, for it is weak!!! And (for the major part of them) to dismiss the president, who has violated it, they claim.

Freaking News (What their Mums Taught them Better)

2007-05-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Romanian l-i-b-e-r-a-l* government has planted a new tax, alongside the hundreds and thousands already in place, some invented by social-democrats, some by themselves. It's a tax for protecting historical monuments, 2% from each amount betted. From the state lottery to the last owner of a slot machine, every "fortune game operator" shall pay the tax. It is not the only one in the industry. There are already in place: license - 5%; the tax for the minister of culture - 1%; the tax for the national sports agency - 5%; profit tax - 5%; social tax - 10%. There is still room for many, so... smile, and make the bets! The winner of the lottery pays taxes only if the amount won is bigger than... I don't know how much. Which is double imposing, anyway (in fact, these are already imposed amounts).

And now, the deliciousness of the fact. Of course, each operator will need another form, which will be filled and registered separately, as it is the case for the dozens of taxes paid by each economic agent. And then, the sum has to be spent. That's the point. Somebody will have some more cash, painting a statue or digging a hole for strengthening it. No wonder if some schmucks will declare their own houses (taken from the former owners lawfully) historical monuments.

For those who don't know what "governing" is: imagine a bunch of guys, most of them irritated, taken from their business, gathered in a room. One of them says, inspired by a mate that has a firm, "Hey, we have a problem out there! The historical monuments!" Nobody cares, and the ones that knows both terms are few. But a voice raise, "let's put a new tax." "On what?" "Well, the lottery hasn't got any tax in the last years." "OK, done." And so on...

*in the old good European meaning!

Ueber Sinn und Bedeutung (On Sense and Signification)

2007-05-03T23:11:00.000-07:00

The headquarter of the Bucharest Electoral Office for the May 19th referendum has been established in the State Circus' building.

Why Democracy Doesn't Work...

2007-05-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

when it is planted backward? [i.e., it is not "discovered" step by step, in a quest for power equilibrium, but made in laboratory, with the only aim of classical principles' contentment.]

Simply because you can have a bunch of guys settled to follow their own rational interests. They choose rationally, they respect all the principles of democracy, but the result is a pure "taking over." They took over the Romanian democracy, with a limping Constitution, sets of well pondered laws, and several herds of "supporters" (bunches wanting to plant their interests among the top rationale...)

And the result? A marvelous picture. A free elected man can reach the no. 1 on the list of public enemies, for obscure reasons. The others seek not only his substitution, but his total destruction, as the "social-democrat" leader yell in front of a crowd gathered to taste free beer and "mititei." Another "social-democrat," ex foreign affairs minister (Adrian Severin), blames the Western Conservatory Press (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Standard, Wall Street Journal) for taking side in the "democratic fight" and being intoxicated. As if these positions weren't astonishing enough, the "liberals" fill up all the media and the public place with their love declarations for the social-democrats. You cannot help yourself to ask: What the heck did Basescu? Tried to disband the business junta?

Mocking democracy [The politics of blowing up... everyone]

2007-04-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

I guess democracy shows its value when it falls to the hands of a couple of hundreds Romanian MPs. The last one coming from Romanian "democratic" politicians gathered in the House of Thieves is this: they have dictated that for the May 19th [Orthodox Saint Patrick, which happens to be the family name of one of the most controversial Moguls pulling strings in Romanian politics] referendum the president cannot have TV and radio time for campaign, unless a party gives him its time. Marvelous, isn't it?
I bet no Western democracy could devise a hot trick like that: you have to vote for the president's fall or comeback, but the campaign shall be sustained by parties! "Incidentally," most of them [in fact, all but one, relatively poor represented in the House - o Thieves, yes] having the president as the public enemy no. 1. No president allowed! Ceausescu seems a little child. He would have had a decree for that. Of course, if it weren't his case. From now on, Romania is governed by a democratically elected junta.

I apologize for naming the Romanian Parliament "the House of Thieves." Hope that no honorable thief, looting small potatoes and some milk for the little one, will chase me for that. I would have called it "the House of Grand Larcenists," but - alas! - they need translation for such complicated terms.

Schwerer Kampf

2007-04-24T05:07:00.000-07:00

Hard fight, indeed, but not only between the president and his personal enemies. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung published an article signed by Karl-Peter Schwarz, "Die Kleptokraten putschen" ["The Putsch of the Cleptocrats"] [Awkwardly enough, the word "Putsch" comes from German, but is so well suited to Romanian political scene - and history, too - that one would think the Germans have stolen it from us!] Anyway, the author made a couple of very insightful observations on Romanian politics, and on the recent events. The language may be a little strong, but remains softly compared with the harshness of Romanian editorialists. The only problems seems to be that of the target [or at least the target most people think of - the opposing group of 322].

A couple of Romanian newspapers have taken excerpts from the article, and published the translation in their electronic editions. Of course, the most important one, the one comprising the sour conclusion of the author, was omitted. Readers' comments were, as usual, split; one may remember the issue of making propaganda in the newspapers' forums, thrown in the media as being liberals' operation. Well, the social-democrats and others aren't absolved neither, even if the media stood still after a couple of articles. Actually, it is hard to believe that more than a dozen of percents of the posts on Romanian newspapers' forums come from the honest readers. Mostly there are curses and filthy accusation thrown at "the enemy."

But the beauty comes only now. They've made it! They subscribed to FAZ, and now the fight goes ahead. In German, this time. Playing as German readers, or emigrated Romanians, some of them started their dirty job there. With the same old accusation from home. Isn't funny?

19...

2007-04-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

of May. It is the date of the referendum over President's dismissal. The next step will be that of modifying the law, so that even a small number of votes should suffice for sending the president home for good. In all this turmoil there's a good thing: people shall be occupied with the "political crisis", doing nothing else. Which is very good, given that when they do something, it is more often than not a bad thing.
[A friend called me several days ago, asking me to join an instant gathering for sustaining the freshly demitted president. I told her, "No, thanks, I'm at the library, and I'm doing fine." "Well, do you prefer this crisis situation to last?" "What crisis? I was in the library all day, and - I swear - there's no crisis here!"]

Who killed at Virginia Tech?

2007-04-20T01:36:00.000-07:00

In an insteresting article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Gary Lavergne says, "More than four dozen innocent people were gunned down by a murderer who is completely responsible for what happened. No one died for lack of text messages or an alarm system. They died of gunshot wounds." And, "(...) as long as we value living in a free society, we will be vulnerable to those who do harm -- because they want to and know how to do it."

Well, it's true that gun shots killed people there, but here we have a little trick. Even if they would have been protected by alarm systems, the death cause wouldn't by different. It is far from appropriate to put in the same balance two different things on scale of events. But the two phrases above rise the question: Wouldn't be better to have a more equitable distributed system of protection? I mean, yes, some guy may be angry on some class mates, a little deranged, doped, or with who knows how much alcohol on board. But why he doesn't go in the Parliament, or in the local police office, or even on the street? I think the most accurate answer is that in other cases the risks to be stopped (sometimes even before to begin your "revenge") are bigger. Opposing these risks we find those of getting in a university campus or in a high school. And with that it should start any discourse on this subject.

The Beauties of Democracy

2007-04-19T23:49:00.000-07:00

We have a new president: the president of the Senate. The dullest man on Romanian politics. One who couldn't win a seat, not even in a local council, if he wouldn't have been put on list by his party. The elected president was demitted by 322 guys like him, all MPs. Isn't democracy beautiful?!

The Ramshackle Country

2007-04-15T23:54:00.000-07:00

One month before the elections for the European Parliament, and all the media discourse targets the conflict between the toughest men of the country (one weaker than another) and the parliamentary games for keeping the Govern alive. The newest sidewalks look worse than the oldest ones in many countries of Europe. The Govern pays about 1,000 euro for each ramshackle automobile switched with a new one (being it Audi or Mercedes). The citizens make barbecues parties, even in graveyards, leaving behind seas of waste. The cigarettes, the energy, the railways tickets, and just about any little thing you buy often have new prices, higher than the old ones. The inflation is going down. The US dollar does the same (which means that in US dollars prices are much higher, every day). We cannot go in Sweden without a passport. The red on the traffic-lights is green for everyone (driver or pedestrian) who wants that. For a little holiday everyone recommends you the Bulgarian seashore. Cheers!