Comments for The rational European http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com The blog for the critical European citizen of the world Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:24:54 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on authors by Paul Voerman http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/authors/#comment-112 Paul Voerman Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:24:54 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/authors/#comment-112 Waldo, Het European Parliament for Students (SFEA) Den Haag is alweer een tijdje geleden! Goed te zien dat je je met nuttige zaken bezig houdt! Ik ga je blog volgen, interessant! Groet, Paul (Utrecht) Waldo,

Het European Parliament for Students (SFEA) Den Haag is alweer een tijdje geleden! Goed te zien dat je je met nuttige zaken bezig houdt! Ik ga je blog volgen, interessant!

Groet,

Paul (Utrecht)

]]> Comment on Starving in Brussels by Susan Russam http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/starving-in-brussels/#comment-79 Susan Russam Fri, 01 May 2009 21:34:09 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=85#comment-79 You are absolutely right - we now have a new category The ineligible destitute Migrant workers who find themselves unemployed and unable to claim public benefits. My organisations is dealing with people who have not eaten for days and this is both a disgrace and a humanitarian crisis. I am so ashamed that our fellow European citizens and fellow human beings are being treated in such an unconscionable way. My organisation supports unemployed people regardless of nationality or ethnicity helping them to access jobs and improve their employability. I think we may need to try and get the resources to open a soup kitchen. It is so awful and we have no funds to assist people financially and all we can do is try and access food parcels and other assistance and our staff also give towards help for the most needy. It is absolutely imperative that the EU do something to address the unequal treatment of migrant workers in this economic crisis and denmand that all member states ensure no human being is left homeless and starving due to not meeing welfare benefit eligibility criteria. My anger and frustration is only balanced by my determination to make someone listen and someone act. You are absolutely right – we now have a new category The ineligible destitute Migrant workers who find themselves unemployed and unable to claim public benefits. My organisations is dealing with people who have not eaten for days and this is both a disgrace and a humanitarian crisis. I am so ashamed that our fellow European citizens and fellow human beings are being treated in such an unconscionable way. My organisation supports unemployed people regardless of nationality or ethnicity helping them to access jobs and improve their employability. I think we may need to try and get the resources to open a soup kitchen. It is so awful and we have no funds to assist people financially and all we can do is try and access food parcels and other assistance and our staff also give towards help for the most needy. It is absolutely imperative that the EU do something to address the unequal treatment of migrant workers in this economic crisis and denmand that all member states ensure no human being is left homeless and starving due to not meeing welfare benefit eligibility criteria. My anger and frustration is only balanced by my determination to make someone listen and someone act.

]]> Comment on Starving in Brussels by Dieter Berckvens http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/starving-in-brussels/#comment-78 Dieter Berckvens Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:44:16 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=85#comment-78 For both social and economic reasons, I think you are right on the mark in stressing the enforcement and streamlining of labour law as absolutely essential. This is both necessary for honest competition for positions among the european "working class, therefore the societal perception of european migrants by "Old-European" citizens and the effectivity and credibility of collective bargaining in the labour market. However, on the short term it is hard for me to see how this would be reconcilable with the Belgian worker-ethos that treats working off the books as the standard in many professions and the social contract that seems to exist between the state and the citizenry on this matter (lack of any enforcement; keeping the books somewhat credible). For both social and economic reasons, I think you are right on the mark in stressing the enforcement and streamlining of labour law as absolutely essential. This is both necessary for honest competition for positions among the european “working class, therefore the societal perception of european migrants by “Old-European” citizens and the effectivity and credibility of collective bargaining in the labour market. However, on the short term it is hard for me to see how this would be reconcilable with the Belgian worker-ethos that treats working off the books as the standard in many professions and the social contract that seems to exist between the state and the citizenry on this matter (lack of any enforcement; keeping the books somewhat credible).

]]> Comment on How to read EU blogs? by bloggingportal.eu Blog & Support » Blog Archive » First two weeks: good feedback and 4.000 visitors http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/how-to-read-eu-blogs/#comment-43 bloggingportal.eu Blog & Support » Blog Archive » First two weeks: good feedback and 4.000 visitors Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:46:43 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=61#comment-43 [...] The rational European [...] [...] The rational European [...]

]]> Comment on How to read EU blogs? by madeira http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/how-to-read-eu-blogs/#comment-42 madeira Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:46:05 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=61#comment-42 but do we really need a euro blogosphere? don't we just have a blogosphere? but do we really need a euro blogosphere? don’t we just have a blogosphere?

]]> Comment on Starved by the rich : the cult of organic food imposed on Africa by Quick Brown Fox http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/starved-by-the-rich-the-cult-of-organic-imposed-on-africa/#comment-33 Quick Brown Fox Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:37:15 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=30#comment-33 I think you misunderstand the concept of what organic farming. It is not defined by the lack of industrial processes and it does not necessarily mean "old-fashioned". Many farms in Africa now may meet certain organic standards due to the fact they do not use pesticides etc. but that does not mean they have taken on a fully organic approach. What that would entail is careful management of soil, intelligent crop rotation etc. Basically, practices which lead to a sustained increase in soil health and productivity. Organic farming is very information intense and what's more, European organic farming practices don't translate identically into Africa due to different climate and conditions. Instead, African farmers need to take the organic practices that work for them and develop their own. This has already been happening for many years. Because of this and the specialised organic research facilities organic farming should be considered a continually improving science. The benefits also include using a lot less energy and water than industrial (including GM) farming, which is more important to many African countries than yield, which measures the mass harvested per unit area of land. Another strong incentive for Africans to go organic is the independence it gives them. The start-up costs for industrial farming require credit beyond the means of most and organic farming offers a way to start increasing productivity straight away and ensuring that the vast majority of the population enjoy the benefits. Something, I'm sure you'll agree is vital in these countries. I think most African countries have now become very wary of "help" offered by industrialised nations that has led to increased debt and dependence, and rightly so. The pressure from foreign NGO's to keep GM out is much smaller than the pressure from the biotech businesses to get GM in, and this makes sense considering the difference in budget sizes. The truth is that the discussions such as this one taking place in rich nations with paternal attitudes won't decide what African countries do and that is a good thing. Being able to feed themselves is one thing but it needn't cause them to increase their debt and dependence on other countries. They must be the masters of their own destiny and they are already showing us what they have decided to do. I have not even started on the criticism of GM but I'll keep it short and say that it as an industry that is all about hype and it has delivered very few of the benefits it has promised and so far the benefits have been felt solely by the biotech and big agriculture firms. The vast majority of GM commercial plants are ones that have engineered resistance to a certain type of herbicide (Monsanto's Roundup) or that have made to secrete one specific pesticide. We are already inevitably seeing that weeds are developing resistance to the herbicide and insects are developing resistance to the pesticide and decreasing yields as a result. This farce is pointless with well managed organic fields, which keep just enough pests alive to keep those pests' predators alive to keep the pests in check. Indefinitely, and for free! As the pests evolve so do the predators. The other promises made by GM 25 years ago have not been delivered and are not close. I have only scratched the surface of this topic but I respectfully ask that you look into these issues in more detail before blogging in favour of GM again. Contact me if you wish for references for the above claims. I'll just finish by saying that in a comprehensive study of the use of language on both sides of the GM debate it was found that the term "Frankenstein food" was used many times more frequently in criticism of the anti-GM view than by the anti-GM people themselves, in an attempt to paint them as irrational and emotional. Did you friend really use those words? I think you misunderstand the concept of what organic farming. It is not defined by the lack of industrial processes and it does not necessarily mean “old-fashioned”. Many farms in Africa now may meet certain organic standards due to the fact they do not use pesticides etc. but that does not mean they have taken on a fully organic approach. What that would entail is careful management of soil, intelligent crop rotation etc. Basically, practices which lead to a sustained increase in soil health and productivity. Organic farming is very information intense and what’s more, European organic farming practices don’t translate identically into Africa due to different climate and conditions. Instead, African farmers need to take the organic practices that work for them and develop their own. This has already been happening for many years. Because of this and the specialised organic research facilities organic farming should be considered a continually improving science.

The benefits also include using a lot less energy and water than industrial (including GM) farming, which is more important to many African countries than yield, which measures the mass harvested per unit area of land. Another strong incentive for Africans to go organic is the independence it gives them. The start-up costs for industrial farming require credit beyond the means of most and organic farming offers a way to start increasing productivity straight away and ensuring that the vast majority of the population enjoy the benefits. Something, I’m sure you’ll agree is vital in these countries. I think most African countries have now become very wary of “help” offered by industrialised nations that has led to increased debt and dependence, and rightly so. The pressure from foreign NGO’s to keep GM out is much smaller than the pressure from the biotech businesses to get GM in, and this makes sense considering the difference in budget sizes. The truth is that the discussions such as this one taking place in rich nations with paternal attitudes won’t decide what African countries do and that is a good thing. Being able to feed themselves is one thing but it needn’t cause them to increase their debt and dependence on other countries. They must be the masters of their own destiny and they are already showing us what they have decided to do.

I have not even started on the criticism of GM but I’ll keep it short and say that it as an industry that is all about hype and it has delivered very few of the benefits it has promised and so far the benefits have been felt solely by the biotech and big agriculture firms. The vast majority of GM commercial plants are ones that have engineered resistance to a certain type of herbicide (Monsanto’s Roundup) or that have made to secrete one specific pesticide. We are already inevitably seeing that weeds are developing resistance to the herbicide and insects are developing resistance to the pesticide and decreasing yields as a result. This farce is pointless with well managed organic fields, which keep just enough pests alive to keep those pests’ predators alive to keep the pests in check. Indefinitely, and for free! As the pests evolve so do the predators. The other promises made by GM 25 years ago have not been delivered and are not close. I have only scratched the surface of this topic but I respectfully ask that you look into these issues in more detail before blogging in favour of GM again. Contact me if you wish for references for the above claims. I’ll just finish by saying that in a comprehensive study of the use of language on both sides of the GM debate it was found that the term “Frankenstein food” was used many times more frequently in criticism of the anti-GM view than by the anti-GM people themselves, in an attempt to paint them as irrational and emotional. Did you friend really use those words?

]]> Comment on authors by Jonathan http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/authors/#comment-23 Jonathan Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:48:08 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/authors/#comment-23 Interessante blog. Was jij ook lid van de Conférence Olivaint? Zo ja, welk jaar resp. onder wiens voorzitterschap? Doe de groeten aan Maarten Gehem. Interessante blog. Was jij ook lid van de Conférence Olivaint? Zo ja, welk jaar resp. onder wiens voorzitterschap? Doe de groeten aan Maarten Gehem.

]]> Comment on Corporate tax race to the bottom: is harmonization on EU level the answer? by Full Out http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/corporate-tax-race-to-the-bottom-is-harmonization-the-answer/#comment-15 Full Out Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:44:29 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/corporate-tax-race-to-the-bottom-is-harmonization-the-answer/#comment-15 Oh! Great job! Very interesting and helpful post. Thx, your blog in my Google reader now We'll expect many new interesting posts from you ;) Oh! Great job!
Very interesting and helpful post.
Thx, your blog in my Google reader now
We’ll expect many new interesting posts from you ;)

]]> Comment on Starved by the rich : the cult of organic food imposed on Africa by sunkissed http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/starved-by-the-rich-the-cult-of-organic-imposed-on-africa/#comment-10 sunkissed Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:03:31 +0000 http://rationaleuropean.wordpress.com/?p=30#comment-10 hey, this was an interesting read. barriers to development don't rest solely on african people's shoulders. it's unfortunate. what benefits to do the "post-modern dreamers of the north" derive from organically produced foods from africa? it's not like they are importing the foods into their own countries at least to support. hey, this was an interesting read. barriers to development don’t rest solely on african people’s shoulders. it’s unfortunate. what benefits to do the “post-modern dreamers of the north” derive from organically produced foods from africa? it’s not like they are importing the foods into their own countries at least to support.

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