PPCC: Pisitófilos Creditófagos. Invierno 2020/2021

[Mad Men]

Tesla Buys $1.5 Billion Worth of Bitcoin, May Accept the Cryptocurrency as Payment in the Future
Posted by msmash on Monday February 08, 2021 @08:07AM from the breaking-news dept.

Today in an SEC filing, Tesla disclosed that it has acquired $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin, the popular cryptocurrency. Moreover, the company noted that it may also accept bitcoin in the future as a form of payment for its cars, though it did allow that there is some regulatory uncertainty around that effort. From a report:

As the news broke, the price of bitcoin instantly rose by around 7% to more than $40,000 per coin. Tesla had previously telegraphed that it had an interest in the cryptocurrency, however to purchase such a large block of the coin is notable. In its filing, Tesla writes that earlier this year it "updated [its] investment policy to provide [it] with more flexibility to further diversify and maximize returns on [its] cash that is not required to maintain adequate operating liquidity," adding that it has the option of putting cash into "certain alternative reserve assets" that include "digital assets, gold bullion, gold exchange-traded funds and other assets as specified in the future." Under that banner, the firm has "invested an aggregate $1.50 billion in bitcoin," going on to say that the well-known electric car company "may acquire and hold digital assets from time to time or long-term."

Saludos.

Ninguna empresa con dos dedos de frente aceptaría el cobro con Bitcoins, demasiado volátil.

Esta es una simple jugada especulativa.

Tiempo al tiempo pues algún día saldrá tito Elon  a hablar de las bondades del bitcoin y todos los fans se lanzarán a comprar como poseídos. Él, muy hábilmente, venderá todo lo que tenga con un pingüe beneficio.

Saludos.

[Derby]

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-northern-ireland-uk-eu-drax-b1799315.html

Brexiteers failed to take UK out of EU as single country, Tory MP admits

Northern Ireland protocol signed by Boris Johnson 'is not working', says Michael Gove

Disruption to trade in Northern Ireland shows that Brexiteers failed in their effort to take the United Kingdom out of the EU as a single country, a leading Conservative supporter of the Leave campaign has admitted.

Speaking in a House of Commons committee, MP Richard Drax questioned whether the UK will hold together and whether the Northern Ireland protocol negotiated by Boris Johnson would survive for the next five or 10 years.

Cabinet minister Michael Gove admitted that the protocol “is not working”, but rejected the idea that it could lead to the break up of the UK.

But he made clear that Mr Johnson reserves the right to invoke Article 16 of the protocol to override some of its provisions if the EU refuses to accept “refinements” to the agreement reached as part of the Brexit divorce deal in 2019.(...)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-britain-calls-for-reset-in-relations-with-eu-and-refinement-of-brexit/

Britain calls for reset in relations with EU and ‘refinement’ of Brexit deal

Britain called on Monday for a reset in relations with the European Union and a refinement of a Brexit deal covering trade with Northern Ireland, saying trust was eroded when Brussels attempted to restrict COVID-19 vaccine supplies.

Relations between Brussels and London strained by years of bruising Brexit talks took a turn for the worse last month when the EU threatened to use emergency measures to stop coronavirus vaccines going from the bloc into Northern Ireland.

To avoid creating a hard border on the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland remained within the EU’s single market for goods under the Brexit deal, effectively creating a frontier within the United Kingdom.

The EU swiftly changed its position on the vaccines but London hopes to capitalize on the gaffe to win changes to the Brexit deal because the new rules have caused disruption in Britain’s trade with Northern Ireland.

“It was a moment when trust was eroded, when damage was done and where movement is required in order to ensure that we have an appropriate reset,” Michael Gove, who is in charge of implementing the divorce deal, told a parliamentary committee.

Striking at the heart of the EU’s project, Gove scolded the bloc for putting its members above the people of Northern Ireland by raising the prospect of checks on vaccines at the border – something Brussels has long said it wanted to avoid.

“If people put a particular type of integrationist theology ahead of the interests of the people of Northern Ireland they are not serving the cause of peace and progress in Northern Ireland, and that is my principal and overriding concern,” he said.

“Pandora’s Box has been opened and that is concerning … who knows what Trojan horses will come out,” Gove said, quoting former Labour Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin’s words about the idea of joining a forerunner of the EU.

The EU’s swift U-turn has emboldened British ministers, and last week Gove sent a letter to European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic demanding some changes to the so-called Northern Ireland protocol of the Brexit deal.

He demanded grace periods for the transport of food from Britain to Northern Ireland be extended from a few months to at last two years.(...)

[Derby]

https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/uk-denies-68-drop-in-eu-exports-after-brexit-deal/

UK denies 68% drop in EU exports after Brexit deal

The UK government on Sunday (7 February) denied reports by road hauliers that exports to the EU fell by two thirds in the first month of the new UK-EU trade deal, saying: “We do not recognise this figure”.

Research by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), an industry group, found that the volume of exports travelling from British ports to the EU fell 68% in January compared to the same month last year when the UK was still a member of the bloc.

In response to widespread media coverage over the weekend, the UK government issued a brief statement.

“We do not recognise this figure,” the statement said, adding that “disruption at the border has so far been minimal and freight movements are now close to normal levels, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, who is responsible for the implementation of the new trade arrangements, the RHA said that it had “warned repeatedly that there was a lack of clarity over how the new arrangements would work”.

Last month, the RHA said that a 12-month grace period and financial aid were needed to support hauliers encountering delays and extra costs at the Irish Sea trade border where goods going to the island of Ireland are now subject to customs checks.

Prior to the trade agreement being struck by the EU and UK on Christmas Eve, the industry group had warned that that key government systems and infrastructure would not be ready in time, a claim that was also refuted by the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office also stated that outbound and inbound flows across all UK ports were close to normal, at 95% outbound and 96% inbound respectively.

“The Port of Dover’s own data confirms that volumes are close to normal,” it added.

Ministers have sought to take advantage of the row prompted by the European Commission’s short-lived attempt to impose controls on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines at the Irish Sea border to re-open the Northern Ireland Protocol which imposed the new border control regime.

In a nod to that on Sunday, the government repeated that there were “outstanding problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol that need to be resolved to ensure trade continues to flow smoothly”,

Boris Johnson’s government says that it has spent £705 million (€800m) on new infrastructure at its ports and border points to help smooth the flow of traffic, including 500 additional Border Force staff to ensure compliance with the new customs procedures.

However, the haulage industry and others have reported teething problems as firms adjust to the new trade agreement between the UK and the EU.

The fishing industry has also reported losses of £1 million per day because of difficulties and delays processing paperwork to allow them to export to the EU, prompting the Johnson government to announce an additional £23 million financial support package for fishermen.

[sudden and sharp]

https://www.euractiv.com/section/uk-europe/news/uk-denies-68-drop-in-eu-exports-after-brexit-deal/

UK denies 68% drop in EU exports after Brexit deal

The UK government on Sunday (7 February) denied reports by road hauliers that exports to the EU fell by two thirds in the first month of the new UK-EU trade deal, saying: “We do not recognise this figure”.

[...]

Tiene su gracia...
-- ¿Cómo no voy a saber lo que sale?
-- Oh, lo sabes... igual que yo lo que entra.

(Imposible saber quién miente.)

[... pero se admiten apuestas.  . ]

[Derby]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/luxembourg-defends-itself-against-tax-113307350.html

Luxembourg defends itself against new tax haven allegations

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Luxembourg on Monday denied claims made in international media publications that the nation is a massive tax haven for the world's rich and famous despite European Union legislation to clamp down on it.

A group of media outlets including France's Le Monde allege that the Grand Duchy has scores of ghost companies without staff or offices with only the aim in mind to hide or protect funds and wealth from tax collectors or harbor suspect funds. The outlets cite financial data they collated based on publicly available registers of companies.

The Luxembourg government said in a statement Monday it “rejects the claims made in these articles as well as the entirely unjustified portrayal of the country and its economy."

It said that as an international financial center, “Luxembourg continuously assesses and updates its supervisory architecture and arsenal of measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing."

The Transparency International group said the so-called OpenLux investigation by Le Monde and others showed “major weaknesses in anti-money laundering frameworks in Luxembourg," where investment funds “largely operate in secrecy."

The government countered that “Luxembourg is fully in line and compliant with all EU and international regulations and transparency standards, and applies, without exception, the full arsenal of EU and international measures to exchange information in tax matters and combat tax abuse and tax avoidance."

European lawmaker Sven Giegold of the Greens/EFA group said the efforts of Luxembourg had not gone far enough.

“Luxembourg acts as a go-between for European countries and tax havens around the world. Societies will continue to lose out on billions of euros in tax revenue so long as other countries act as tax havens without hindrance and tax transparency rules are not implemented across the EU," Giegold said.

[Negrule]

Colas de estudiantes para recoger alimentos en Paris, y agradecidos, por lo menos los españoles. Alguna queja de que la vida sea tan cara , evidentemente por el inmobiliario, hablamos otro día

https://twitter.com/auparrera/status/1358849911664635905?s=21

[Manu Oquendo]

Este es un video actual sobre el entorno geoeconómico y político que va a condicionar y dirigir nuestro futuro a corto y medio plazo.
Los habituales del foro comprobarán que hace ya muchos años que esta realidad --hoy visible al gran público gracias a estos y otros actores-- se viene exponiendo aquí por no pocos partícipes. Hace años. Entre cinco y diez.

Desde la importancia crítica de los procesos fabriles --que nuestros gobiernos han despreciado demostrando nuestra profunda ignorancia de las leyes económicas que tan claramente marcan las rayas rojas entre el orden y el caos-- a la antropología degradada que nuestro Poder Social impone y apoya.
Desde la importancia de la Planificación y la Exigencia Educativa a las masas degradadas que nosotros --que éramos líderes en investigación mundial hace muy poco-- hemos perdido para ver, como vemos, cómo otros nos adelantan de modo irreversible hasta el punto en el que Corea, con 51 millones de habitantes, va muy por delante de la UE en la producción de solicitudes de registro de Propiedad Intelectual.

Este último punto, cuando se hizo notar en TE hace ya meses o quizás más de un año, suscitó una cierta incredulidad. Ahora lo sostiene uno de los Ponentes, el especialista en la materia, Coronel Baños.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-a6YaLYdoQ



La nota positiva es que, como vemos en el video, hay gente joven perfectamente capaz de ver más allá de sus narices y de la propaganda para masas educativamente degradadas.

Esta es una batalla cultural larga y profunda que debe llevarnos a reconocer nuestras graves debilidades traídas por la carcoma de nuestra civilización  dedicada a producir enfrentamientos y destrozar internamente todo aquello que nos une. Desde nuestras creencias morales a nuestros intereses materiales.

Nuestra única y muy principal ventaja estratégica en este mundo será qué tipo de defensa hacemos de nuestras LIBERTADES personales desde la Ciudadanía. Nuestros gobiernos --plagados de incompetentes ególatras dirigidos por expertos manipuladores de masas-- son adictos al despotismo y la vigilancia y no lo harán.

Saludos y muy buenos días

[Derby]

https://cercledeconomia.com/es/evento/perspectivas-economicas-2021/

Perspectivas económicas 2021
Con Nadia Calviño y Albert Sáez

La pandemia provocada por la covid-19 ha asestado un duro golpe sobre la evolución de la economía a nivel global y estatal. Europa afronta un horizonte de riesgos en un contexto de alta incertidumbre. Solo planteamientos ambiciosos e imaginativos pueden situar de nuevo a nuestro país como un polo de atracción de talento e inversiones. Consiguientemente, se necesita una propuesta de futuro que se enmarque en las coordenadas geopolíticas que se van dibujando para el contexto pospandemia.

Con la participación de Nadia Calviño, vicepresidenta tercera y ministra de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Albert Sáez, director de El Periódico y Javier Faus, presidente del Cercle d’Economia.

La Vicepresidenta Calviño, a partir del minuto 15:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzhuLqrB7eE&feature=youtu.be

[Derby]

https://www.ft.com/content/ed2d9c00-c8df-4efc-a1ad-63bc8e97bd25

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/why-the-anglosphere-sees-eye-to-eye-on-china-20210209-p570rd

Why the Anglosphere sees eye to eye on China

The idea of an Anglosphere is taking on an unexpected contemporary relevance. The increasingly assertive behaviour of China is bringing together a group of English-speaking countries, all of whom have adopted more confrontational policies towards Beijing.

As a general rule, it is a good idea to be wary of people who bang on about the “Anglosphere”. In Britain, it is an idea that has a strong whiff of imperial and World War II nostalgia about it. The notion harks back to Winston Churchill, who wrote a four-volume history of the English-speaking peoples.

Now, however, the idea of an Anglosphere is taking on an unexpected contemporary relevance. The trigger is the increasingly assertive behaviour of China, which is bringing together a group of English-speaking countries, all of whom have adopted more confrontational policies towards Beijing.

The Trump administration started a trade war with China and ramped up naval operations in the Pacific. A willingness to confront Beijing is clearly going to persist, in modified form, during Joe Biden’s administration. The new US President has promised “extreme competition” with China. The first phone call between Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State and Yang Jiechi, his Chinese counterpart, was spiky.

However, some of America’s European allies are very wary of what they fear will be a new cold war with China. The EU shocked Biden’s team by signing a new investment deal with Beijing – ignoring pleas for consultation with the US. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, went out of her way in a recent speech to warn against anti-China sentiment dividing the world into blocs. Emmanuel Macron, France’s President, has made similar statements.

By contrast, the US is getting more support from the UK, Australia and Canada. These nations have all seen their relations with Beijing deteriorate sharply over the past couple of years. As a result, they are more inclined to take the American view that a rising China is a threat that must be countered.

Australian hawkishness is partly a product of the close links between the security establishments of Washington and Canberra. But it is also a result of China’s imposition of trade sanctions in response to 14 Australian “sins”, identified by China, which included Canberra calling for an international inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.

Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, in response to a US extradition request, sparked fury in Beijing. Shortly afterwards, two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were arrested in China and accused of spying. They have essentially been held hostage ever since. Relations between Canada and China are in their worst state since diplomatic ties were restored 50 years ago.

Britain’s view of China has also been transformed over the past year. China’s crackdown in Hong Kong caused an outcry in political circles. The UK has offered a path to citizenship to potentially millions of Hong Kong residents – a move denounced in Beijing.

Each week seems to bring a fresh downturn in UK-China relations. The British media regulator has just banned CGTN, the Chinese broadcaster, on the grounds that it is ultimately controlled by the Communist party. China has denounced the BBC for broadcasting allegations of systematic rape in Uighur detention camps.

Relations may chill further this year when the British dispatch an aircraft carrier to the Pacific, where it will take part in exercises with the US Navy.

Five Eyes

The Chinese government has noticed this emerging Anglosphere. When the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK issued a joint statement about Hong Kong, China’s official response was ferocious. These countries form the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing group, which prompted Zhao Lijian, China’s foreign ministry spokesman, to comment: “No matter if they have five eyes or 10 eyes, if they dare to harm China’s sovereignty . . . they should beware of their eyes being poked and blinded.”

British officials point out that the Five Eyes is not an alliance – its remit does not go beyond intelligence. But there is now discussion of giving the group a more overtly political edge by adding a sixth pair of eyes. Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, has suggested Japan might be invited to join. Many China-watchers in Washington are keen on this suggestion, although the US intelligence community is sceptical.

Japan is not the only Asian nation being courted by the Anglosphere. India is also central to strategic thinking in Washington, London and Canberra – as indicated by the increasing vogue for the term “Indo-Pacific” in all three capitals. The US renamed its Pacific military command the “Indo-Pacific” command in 2018. The Indo-Pacific is also likely to be heavily emphasised in Britain’s new national security strategy, which will be published soon.

New Delhi has always guarded its foreign policy autonomy. As an emerging superpower it has no intention of being used by Washington, let alone London.

On the other hand, in what is likely to be seen as a historic blunder, China killed Indian troops in a clash in the Himalayas last June. India’s attitude to China has since hardened considerably – with Delhi pushing through controls on Chinese investments and technology.

Technological co-operation is one area where India and the Anglosphere are likely to work together. India is already part of “the Quad”, which brings together the US, Australia, Japan and India for naval exercises.

As the US seeks allies willing to push back against China, the Anglosphere plus the big Asian democracies looks like the most promising combination.

[Derby]

https://www-ft-com.btpl.idm.oclc.org/content/087fce16-3924-4348-8390-235b435c53b2

Why I was wrong to be optimistic about robots

Humans are being crunched into a robot system working at a robot pace

(...)According to the OECD, 14 per cent of jobs in rich countries are highly automatable, while a further 32 per cent are likely to change because many, but not all, the job’s tasks can be automated. Much academic and media attention has been paid to the jobs that might disappear. What’s happening inside warehouses is a reminder to worry about how the remaining jobs will be transformed.

Dehumanisation and intensification of work is not inevitable. But a different outcome will require different choices and a different distribution of power in the workplace. If we are to have robot colleagues, we need to design processes around the strengths and frailties of the humans, with ways for them to voice problems, propose solutions, and claim a share of the productivity gains.

In other words, we must make sure the robots work for us, and not the other way around.

[Derby]

https://www.reuters.com/article/germany-economy-tradefigures/update-1-german-exports-edge-up-in-december-on-robust-china-trade-idUSL8N2KF1NO

German exports edge up in December on robust China trade

BERLIN (Reuters) - German exports rose in December as solid trade with China and the United States helped Europe’s largest economy as it struggles to grow under the restrictions of a lockdown aimed at suppressing the COVID-19 case load.

Seasonally adjusted exports edged up 0.1% on the month after an increase of 2.3% in November, the Federal Statistics Office said on Tuesday. Imports fell 0.1% after an increase of 5.4% in the prior month.

The trade surplus expanded to 16.1 billion euros.(...)

[CHOSEN]

La Vicepresidenta Calviño, a partir del minuto 15:

Menudo papelón.
Que tragaderas, tener que salir a vender la recuperación.
Pobre señora.

Colas de estudiantes para recoger alimentos en Paris, y agradecidos, por lo menos los españoles. Alguna queja de que la vida sea tan cara , evidentemente por el inmobiliario, hablamos otro día
https://twitter.com/auparrera/status/1358849911664635905?s=21

DEL cha-cha-cha

Es una paradoja.
La vida en occidente es muy barata, de hecho hasta la alimentación es gratuita, cuando en otras partes del planeta se trabaja el día entero para conseguirla.
Ya sabemos lo único que es caro aquí.
Pero la ecuación de intereses impide identificar el engranaje estropeado, y mucho me temo ya que esto no se va a resolver ni con plan ecológico, ni con fondos verdes, ni con todo el dinero de la UE.
Simplemente es una posición estratégica de poder encima de la pirámide.
No hay más.
Lo de las naves industriales vacías y locales comerciales abandonados es dantesco.

Hay que arreglar el engranaje y nadie está dispuesto a hacerlo.

[Vipamo]

La Vicepresidenta Calviño, a partir del minuto 15:

Menudo papelón.
Que tragaderas, tener que salir a vender la recuperación.
Pobre señora.

Colas de estudiantes para recoger alimentos en Paris, y agradecidos, por lo menos los españoles. Alguna queja de que la vida sea tan cara , evidentemente por el inmobiliario, hablamos otro día
https://twitter.com/auparrera/status/1358849911664635905?s=21

DEL cha-cha-cha

Es una paradoja.
La vida en occidente es muy barata, de hecho hasta la alimentación es gratuita, cuando en otras partes del planeta se trabaja el día entero para conseguirla.
Ya sabemos lo único que es caro aquí.
Pero la ecuación de intereses impide identificar el engranaje estropeado, y mucho me temo ya que esto no se va a resolver ni con plan ecológico, ni con fondos verdes, ni con todo el dinero de la UE.
Simplemente es una posición estratégica de poder encima de la pirámide.
No hay más.
Lo de las naves industriales vacías y locales comerciales abandonados es dantesco.

Hay que arreglar el engranaje y nadie está dispuesto a hacerlo.

Estoy de acuerdo con tu análisis. La sobrevaloración inmobiliaria es una posición estratégica. Es la que permite creernos ricos. Más acentuada en países como España, con poco Output industrial propio, y ligeramente menos acentuada en países con mayor peso industrial como Alemania. Aunque en este último caso os puedo asegurar que la tendencia de los últimos 13 años va hacia el modelo español. Han salido como setas los nuevos ricos que han acumulado riqueza a base de ladrillen. El sector industrial a cambio está en una tendencia bajista.

[Negrule]

Michael Sandel,
catedrático de Filosofía de Harvard; publica “La tiranía del mérito”

¿Años? Nunca fue tan necesaria la filosofía. Vivo en Boston y enseño en Harvard y en ‘Justice’, su curso a distancia más seguido. La universidad debe formar para el bien común y no para la carrera individual de engreídos que desprecian a la mayoría a la que creen perdedores. Y ese desprecio alimenta los populismos. He disertado en el Palau Macaya de la Fundació "la Caixa"

Hoy sabemos que un camionero es más necesario que muchos economistas”

Hablemos con el enemigo
Nuestras élites creen haber llegado a serlo por sus propios méritos y desprecian a los perdedores. Sandel demuestra que ni son mejores, porque se aprovechan de la falta de oportunidades para todos, ni gestionan mejor, porque en Occidente aumenta la desigualdad y las clases medias se empobrecen. El desprecio de la meritocracia por los perdedores (los sin carrera) alimenta el resentimiento que alimenta los populismos. Y los refuerza la digitalización de la política en la redes al aislarnos en bandos enfrentados que solo admiten la reiteración de sus propias ideas. Sandel propone que la universidad deje de servir títulos para carreras individuales y forme a todos para el bien común; y crear foros de encuentro donde podamos coincidir, sobre todo, con el adversario.

Las élites alaban la cultura del mérito y usted la critica¿Por qué?

Porque la meritocracia nos impide valorar a quién es de verdad importante y aporta más a nuestras vidas. Y lo hemos descubierto en esta pandemia.

¿Quién cree usted que es imprescindible ?

¿Quién se ha demostrado más necesario: la cajera del supermercado, el repartidor, el limpiador... o el enjambre de economistas que se lucran especulando con las acciones de sus empresas o los políticos que después reciben donaciones de ellas?

Lo que sé es quién cobra más.

¿Quién se paga más a sí mismo que a los camioneros y quienes sí nos dan de comer? Un camionero es más necesario que muchos economistas...¿Necesitamos tantos economistas? ¡Pues mandan en todo y están sobrevalorados!

¿No somos todos reemplazables?

Claro, pero sufrimos una élite meritocrática que se cree mejor por haber llegado al poder en una carrera de esfuerzo y talento que intentan convencernos de que ha sido justa. No lo ha sido. No lo es. Y esa élite con su desprecio por la mayoría provoca un resentimiento que alimenta a los populismos.

¿Quienes mandan no llegan por mérito?

Claro que no: se han beneficiado de un sistema injusto; no hay igualdad de oportunidades.

Si el tecnócrata es un cretino engreído, pero nos gestiona bien... igual hasta le voto.

Es que, además de tratar con desprecio a la mayoría, esas élites nos han gestionado mal y por eso las mayorías no se fían de los expertos, sabios, técnicos...¿Recuerda cómo la gente se reía de ellos en la campaña del Brexit?

¿La globalización no ha sacado de la pobreza a millones de personas en China e India?

Veamos: en Occidente entre los años 40 y 80 nuestras élites sí generaron prosperidad y una gran clase media; pero, desde entonces, la han degradado creando desigualdad: mire la evolución de los salarios...En América y en Europa se han desplomado. Por eso avanzan Le Pen, Vox, Salvini, los nacionalistas...

¿No demuestran esos populismos también su propia incapacidad al llegar al poder?

Pero siguen creciendo, porque no son una elección racional, sino una reacción ante el des­precio de esas élites. Millones de personas votan populista, porque les indigna esa hibris, la soberbia meritocrática de esos expertos que creen ser mejores y gestionan peor.

¿Y si la carrera al poder fuera más justa?

Supongamos que lográramos esa igualdad de oportunidades que hoy no existe y que el ascensor social funcionara. Sería una sociedad mejor, sí, pero aún crearía ganadores y perdedores y unos humillarían a los otros.

¿Usted no está mejor sin Trump?

Claro que celebro su derrota, pero no con el alivio autocomplaciente de los demócratas americanos ni del centroizquierda europeo.

¿Por qué?

Porque Trump obtuvo casi la mitad de los votos, 72 millones, de electores contra el desprecio de las élites hacia la gente normal y ahora con Biden, un producto del establishment, no ha cambiado nada...

¿Esa rabia hace que voten a frikis que llenan las listas electorales?

Esa rabia la provocan las élites que creen que su éxito es mérito suyo tras una buena universidad, relaciones, política...Creen que mandan por ser los mejores y que los demás no se han esforzado como ellos y son más tontos y vagos.

Si no es en la universidad, ¿dónde formaría a nuestros líderes o al menos gestores?

La universidad es una vía de formación y aprendizaje; pero no debería ser la única; y no debe ser, sobre todo, la expedidora del pasaporte hacia ese sentirse superior por un título.

¿Qué le falta a la universidad ahora?

Formar para el bien común no solo en pretendida pericia técnica, sino en valores y no solo para la carrera individual, sino para el servicio a la comunidad; porque cuando no lo hace –y ahora no lo hace– forma engreídos que retuercen el sistema en su único favor.

¿La digitalización ha empeorado o ha frenado la tiranía de la meritocracia?

Cuando nació internet, quienes iban a hacerse billonarios privatizándolo y quedándoselo lo promocionaban como la puerta a la democratización del conocimiento y, por tanto, a una sociedad más justa, próspera y feliz.

¿No lo es hoy?

Hoy las plataformas digitales y las redes asociales se apropian de nuestra atención –una capacidad limitada– para convertirla en sus bene­ficios. Yo he prohibido el uso del móvil en mis clases y en la medida de lo posible en todo mi ámbito académico.

¿No propician las redes el debate público?

Es lo que nos prometieron al crearlas, pero el efecto real ha sido el contrario: en las redes sociales solo nos relacionamos con quien piensa como nosotros. En realidad, nos han separado en grandes capillas digitales sin opiniones transversales. Y así nos hemos radicalizado.

¿Qué propone?

Dejar los frentes digitales y encontrarnos con los adversarios ideológicos cara a cara en un debate abierto y sincero. Nada haría más por la calidad del debate público que ese encuentro entre quienes piensan diferente.

https://www.lavanguardia.com/lacontra/20210208/6230389/hoy-camionero-mas-necesario-economistas.html

[R.G.C.I.M.]

Me perdonarán, porque sin conocer de nada al este señor ni su obra, de leer este panfleto buenista en mi "admirada" "retaguardia", lo primero que me viene a la mente es que es un cantamañanas del 15.
Ya si eso, propóngame una alianza de civilizaciones mediante el flower power.
Las élites son tan hijas de puta como la MN.

Un camionero tipo  nacido en 1965 gana muchísima más pasta sin saber hacer la o con un canuto, que un economista de 1965 licenciado tras 1985.

Va bien Harvard.


Sds.