DONA RUTH - PARTE II - DIRETO DE LONDRES

Brazil ex-first lady Cardoso dies By Gary DuffyBBC News, Sao Paulo Many tributes have been paid to Ruth Cardoso, wife of Brazil's former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, who has died aged 77. She had earlier been released from hospital after treatment for chest pains and died at home in Sao Paulo. Mrs Cardoso was a professor in anthropology and an author. Her husband was president from 1995 until 2003. Current President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva described the death of Mrs Cardoso as a great loss. Fellow academics paid particular tribute to her work as an anthropologist and said she was among the first to begin studies of the country's favelas or shanty towns. In a statement he added: "It is difficult to believe that the determined intellectual whom I met many years ago, with firm convictions, noble gestures and at the same time sensitivity for the drama of social inequality has left us." Mrs Cardoso was among the founders of Communidade Solidaria which brings together public and private partnerships to tackle poverty in Brazil, a country with high levels of inequality. She taught in a number of universities in Latin America and the United States, and was the author of several books. Her husband's Brazilian Social Democracy Party cancelled events on Wednesday which had been planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its foundation. She is survived by her husband and three children.

DONA RUTH - SAUDADE

Neste mundo de tantas noticiais, estou triste com a morte de dona Ruth. Por duas vezes, em Brasília, estive com sua filha e, na época, secretária do pai: uma vez no Planalto e outra na residência da filha. Apesar de não ter sido aluno de dona Ruth, sempre mantive por ela grande admiração. Uma mulher inteligente, culta, discreta, honesta, ponderada, educada, firme, autêntica e, além de preocupada em melhorar o mundo, ela fazia a sua parte. E muito bem. Casada com um intelectual brilhante, não permanecia à sua sombra. Se por trás de um grande homem existe uma grande mulher, neste caso eu não tenho nenhuma dúvida. Ela, além do exemplo, deixa-nos grande SAUDADE.

AQUECIMENTO GLOBAL? - VEJA FIM DOS TEMPOS

Como este blog também está preocupado com o meio ambiente, hoje fui conhecer o mais novo cinema de Belém e vi FIM DOS TEMPOS, do indo-americano M. Night Shyamalan. Dele eu já conhecia A VILA e o comentado O SEXTO SENTIDO.

Neste novo filme Shyamalan consegue prender nossa atenção através de um pequena brisa de vento, algo como Alfred Hitchcock realizou com OS PÁSSAROS, em meados de 1963. É o tipo de filme que amedronta o expectador, algum sangue em cena e um suspense que termina num anti-clímax.

Altamente recomendável ser visto nestes tempos de aquecimento global.

FLORESTA AMAZÔNICA - ATÉ QUANDO?

Moro no interior da floresta amazônica desde meados de 2005 e, com freqüência, trafego pela PA-150. É muito triste visualizar em grande parte da estrada imensas extensões de florestas devastadas para utilização como campo para o gado bovino. Alguém deveria perceber que a devastação ambiental da floresta para “cultivo de gado” não traz nenhum retorno sustentável. Trata-se de uma situação na qual uma pessoa ou um grupo econômico compra uma extensa área em hectares de terra e deixa o gado devastando até acabar o que um dia foi floresta. A rentabilidade e o resultado financeiro ficam apenas com o “dono”, não produz riqueza para os ribeirinhos e não amplia em um metro a área devastada. Até quando?

Deixo claro que sou absolutamente contrário a manutenção de milhões de hectares em poder de alguns poucos índios, amparados por ONGs de meio mundo com objetivos políticos, mas temos que ser realistas. É possível empreendimentos agrícolas que gerem riqueza para os acionistas, funcionários e comunidade, além de, principalmente, preservarem as áreas florestais ainda existentes.

PELA REDUÇÃO DO TAMANHO DO ESTADO

É claro que não posso deixar de divulgar, mesmo aqui no interior da famosa floresta amazônica, o encontro abaixo, organizado pelo meu ex-coordenador na Católica, o Professor Adolfo Sachsida.

O que sei é que algo precisa ser feito de fato para MUDAR isto que está aqui, ai e acolá.

Segunda-feira, 16 de Junho de 2008 - http://bdadolfo.blogspot.com/ 3º Encontro de Liberais: Pela Redução do Tamanho do Estado O Terceiro Encontro de Liberais tem uma novidade: menos palavras e mais ação. O objetivo de nosso encontro é criar uma mobilização, a nível nacional, pela redução do tamanho do Estado.Como iremos implementar essa idéia? Simples: cada cidade brasileira deve marcar um local para realizar sua manifestação no dia 28 de junho (sábado), as 16:00 horas. Em Brasília iremos nos encontrar no Píer 21 (em frente aos cinemas). Cada pessoa deve portar um cartaz com dizeres tipo: “CONTRA o aumento dos impostos”; ou “CONTRA a CSS/CPMF”; ou “A FAVOR da redução do tamanho do Estado”, etc. Eu irei também preparar um texto para distribuirmos para as pessoas que estiverem nos arredores. Nós não faremos caminhadas e nem invadiremos prédios públicos, nossa manifestação limita-se a divulgar nossa opinião de maneira pacífica e civilizada. Espero poder contar com a ajuda da internet e dos blogueiros para divulgarmos, e organizarmos, esse evento. Vamos mostrar que a esquerda NÃO TEM o monopólio da verdade e nem o monopólio das manifestações.Shikida estou contando com seu apoio. Que tal o Degustibus comandar a manifestação de Belo Horizonte? Talvez o Tambosi pudesse ajudar em Florianópolis. Também quero contar com o Resistência, com o CATO, com o Ordem Livre, com os Institutos Liberais, com o C.A. de Economia da UFG, e com todos que queiram ajudar.Se você quer organizar a manifestação do dia 28 de junho em sua cidade, peço-lhe um favor: mande um e-mail para esse blog dizendo: a) seu nome; b) como entrar em contato contigo; e c) LOCAL da manifestação. Peço que não sejam marcados Encontros para dentro de Universidades, temos que levar as idéias ao grande público. Amigos, eu sei que dá trabalho. Mas se não começarmos a nos mover dificilmente conseguiremos a vitória de nossas idéias: a idéia de um país livre, que respeite as liberdades individuais, que respeite o nosso sagrado direito ao livre arbítrio, que respeite nosso direito a queremos melhorar de vida, que respeite as nossas conquistas, e que respeite nossa propriedade.O 3º Encontro Liberal propõe uma medida simples: divulgar ao grande público as idéias liberais. Mas se formos incapazes de realizarmos as tarefas mais simples, dificilmente seremos capazes de executar as mais complexas.

3º Encontro de LiberaisData: 28 de junho de 2008.

Horário: 16:00 horasLocais:Em Brasília: Píer 21 (em frente aos cinemas).

NOW, I'M OBAMA! YES, WE CAN!

Hillary Clinton Endorses Barack Obama Following is a transcript of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s speech Saturday on suspending her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, as transcribed by CQ Transcriptions: Thank you very, very much. Well, this isn't exactly the party I'd planned, but I sure like the company. And I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you, to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked, sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors who e-mailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be." To the young people like 13-year-old Anne Riddell (ph) from Mayfield, Ohio, who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her mom and volunteer there, as well. To the veterans, to the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country, telling anyone who would listen why you supported me. And to all of those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could vote, who cast their votes for our campaign. I've told you before about Florence Stein (ph) of South Dakota who was 88 years old and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot. She passed away soon after and, under state law, her ballot didn't count, but her daughter later told a reporter, "My dad's an ornery, old cowboy, and he didn't like it when he heard Mom's vote wouldn't be counted. I don't think he had voted in 20 years, but he voted in place of my mom." So to all those who voted for me and to whom I pledged my utmost, my commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that make up the fabric of our lives. And you have humbled me with your commitment to our country. Eighteen million of you, from all walks of life omen and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African- American and Caucasian. rich, poor, and middle-class, gay and straight, you have stood with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you every time, every place, in every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for. Remember, we fought for the single mom with the young daughter, juggling work and school, who told me, "I'm doing it all to better myself for her." We fought for the woman who grabbed my hand and asked me, "What are you going to do to make sure I have health care?" and began to cry, because even though she works three jobs, she can't afford insurance. We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said, "Take care of my buddies over there, and then will you please take care of me?" We fought for all those who've lost jobs and health care, who can't afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their president these last seven years. I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I've had every opportunity and blessing in my own life, and I want the same for all Americans. And until that day comes, you'll always find me on the front lines of democracy, fighting for the future. The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama, the next president of the United States. Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me. I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I've had a front-row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit. In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American dream, as a community organizer, in the State Senate, as a United States senator. He has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future. Now, when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity and progress. And that's exactly what we're going to do, by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009. Now, I understand -- I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight, but the Democratic Party is a family. And now it's time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love. We may have started on separate journeys, but today our paths have merged. And we're all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around, because so much is at stake. We all want an economy that sustains the American dream, the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those groceries, and still have a little left over at the end of the month, an economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our prosperity is broadly distributed and shared. We all want a health care system that is universal, high-quality and affordable so that parents don't have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead-end jobs simply to keep their insurance. This isn't just an issue for me. It is a passion and a cause, and it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured, no exceptions and no excuses. We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality, from civil rights to labor rights, from women's rights to gay rights from ending discrimination to promoting unionization, to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. And we all want to restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, and once again lead by the power of our values and to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming. You know, I've been involved in politics and public life in one way or another for four decades. And during those... During those 40 years, our country has voted 10 times for president. Democrats won only three of those times, and the man who won two of those elections is with us today. We made tremendous progress during the '90s under a Democratic president, with a flourishing economy and our leadership for peace and security respected around the world. Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we'd had a Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these past seven years on the environment and the economy, on health care and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court. Imagine how far..... we could have come, how much we could have achieved if we had just had a Democrat in the White House. We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much. Now, the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can't do it, that it's too hard, we're just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject can't-do claims and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit. It is this belief, this optimism that Senator Obama and I share and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard. So today I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes, we can! And that together we will work -- we'll have to work hard to achieve universal health care. But on the day we live in an America where no child, no man, and no woman is without health insurance, we will live in a stronger America. That's why we need to help elect Barack Obama our president. We'll have to work hard to get back to fiscal responsibility and a strong middle class. But on the day we live in an America whose middle class is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no matter where they live or where their ancestors came from, can earn a decent living, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our president. We'll have to work hard to foster the innovation that will make us energy independent and lift the threat of global warming from our children's future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by renewable energy, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we have to help elect Barack Obama our president. We'll have to work hard to bring our troops home from Iraq and get them the support they've earned by their service. But on the day we live in an America that's as loyal to our troops as they have been to us, we will live in a stronger America. And that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our president. This election is a turning-point election. And it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together, or will we stall and slip backwards? Now, think how much progress we've already made. When we first started, people everywhere asked the same questions. Could a woman really serve as commander-in-chief? Well, I think we answered that one. Could an African-American really be our president? And Senator Obama has answered that one. Together, Senator Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union. Now, on a personal note, when I was asked what it means to be a woman running for president, I always gave the same answer, that I was proud to be running as a woman, but I was running because I thought I'd be the best president. But... But I am a woman and, like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious, and I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us. I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter's future and a mother who wants to leave all children brighter tomorrows. To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and their mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us...Let us resolve and work toward achieving very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits, and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country. You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States. And that is truly remarkable, my friends. To those who are disappointed that we couldn't go all of the way, especially the young people who put so much into this campaign, it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours. Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. And, when you stumble, keep faith. And, when you're knocked down, get right back up and never listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on. As we gather here today in this historic, magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House. Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America. Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes. Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot soldiers who marched, protested, and risked their lives to bring about the end of segregation and Jim Crow. Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote and, because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together. Because of them, Barack Obama and I could wage a hard-fought campaign for the Democratic nomination. Because of them and because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African-American or a woman can, yes, become the president of the United States. And so when that day arrives, and a woman takes the oath of office as our president, we will all stand taller, proud of the values of our nation, proud that every little girl can dream big and that her dreams can come true in America. And all of you will know that, because of your passion and hard work, you helped pave the way for that day. So I want to say to my supporters: When you hear people saying or think to yourself, "If only, or, "What if," I say, please, don't go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next president. And I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort. To my supporters and colleagues in Congress, to the governors and mayors, elected officials who stood with me in good times and bad, thank you for your strength and leadership. To my friends in our labor unions who stood strong every step of the way, I thank you and pledge my support to you. To my friends from every stage of my life, your love and ongoing commitment sustained me every single day. To my family, especially Bill and Chelsea and my mother, you mean the world to me, and I thank you for all you have done. And to my extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters thank you for working those long, hard hours. Thank you for dropping everything, leaving work or school, traveling to places that you've never been, sometimes for months on end. And thanks to your families, as well, because your sacrifice was theirs, too. All of you were there for me every step of the way. Now, being human, we are imperfect. That's why we need each other, to catch each other when we falter, to encourage each other when we lose heart. Some may lead, some may follow, but none of us can go it alone. The changes we're working for are changes that we can only accomplish together. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to us as individuals. But our lives, our freedom, our happiness are best enjoyed, best protected, and best advanced when we do work together. That is what we will do now, as we join forces with Senator Obama and his campaign. We will make history together, as we write the next chapter in America's story. We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love. There is nothing more American than that. And looking out at you today, I have never felt so blessed. The challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to those that millions of Americans face every day in their own lives. So today I'm going to count my blessings and keep on going. I'm going to keep doing what I was doing long before the cameras ever showed up and what I'll be doing long after they're gone: working to give every American the same opportunities I had and working to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up and achieve his or her God- given potential. I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and dividing love for our country, and with nothing but optimism and confidence for the days ahead. This is now our time to do all that we can to make sure that, in this election, we add another Democratic president to that very small list of the last 40 years and that we take back our country and once again move with progress and commitment to the future. Thank you all. And God bless you, and God bless America.

NÃO APRENDEMOS COM A HISTÓRIA

Neste final de semana santa de feriadão chegou ao meu acesso dois recentes textos diversos, mas que falam do passado e do presente. Robert Fisk, do The Independent, critica os cinco anos de guerra no Iraque e fazendo um histórico de fatos militares, conclui que "É nossa presença, nosso poder, nossa arrogância, nossa recusa em aprender com a história e nosso terror sim, terror contra o Islã, que nos estão conduzindo ao abismo". Paul Krugman, do The New York Times, demonstra que a crise americana atual é muito parecida com a de 1929 e que o FED/Bernanke deveria rever as liçoes da Grande Depressão e manter o sistema financeiro sob controle. Os artigos são ótimos, merecem sua leitura na íntegra e, realmente, como acontece na Economia, na História os ciclos também se repetem e os homens nada mudam.

VARIACOES DE CAPITALISMO

Conheco este texto desde que comecei a pensar em Economia, mas continua atual: CAPITALISMO IDEAL Você tem duas vacas Vende uma e compra um boi Eles multiplicam-se, e a economia cresce. Você vende a manada e aposenta-se. Fica rico! CAPITALISMO AMERICANO Você tem duas vacas. Vende uma e força a outra a produzir o leite de quatro vacas. Fica surpreso quando ela morre CAPITALISMO JAPONÊS Você tem duas vacas Redesenha-as para que tenham um décimo do tamanho de uma vaca normal e produzam 20 vezes mais leite. Depois cria desenhinhos de vacas chamados Vaquimon e vende-os para o mundo inteiro. CAPITALISMO BRITÂNICO Você tem duas vacas As duas são loucas. CAPITALISMO HOLANDÊS Você tem duas vacas Elas vivem juntas, em união de facto, não gostam de bois e tudo bem. CAPITALISMO ALEMÃO Você tem duas vacas Elas produzem leite regularmente, segundo padrões de quantidade e horário previamente estabelecido, de forma precisa e lucrativa. Mas o que você queria mesmo era criar porcos CAPITALISMO RUSSO Você tem duas vacas Conta-as e vê que tem cinco Conta de novo e vê que tem 42. Conta de novo e vê que tem 12 vacas Você pára de contar e abre outra garrafa de vodka CAPITALISMO SUÍÇO Você tem 500 vacas, mas nenhuma é sua Você cobra para guardar a vaca dos outros CAPITALISMO ESPANHOL Você tem muito orgulho de ter duas vacas CAPITALISMO BRASILEIRO Você tem duas vacas Uma delas é roubada O governo cria O IVVA -Imposto de Valor Vacuum Acrescentado. Um fiscal vem e multa-o porque, embora você tenha pago corretamente o IVVA, o valor era pelo número de vacas presumidas e não pelo de vacas reais. O Ministério da Fazenda, por meio de dados também presumidos do seu consumo de leite, queijo, sapatos de couro, botões, presume que você tenha 200 vacas e para se livrar do sarilho, você dá a vaca que resta ao fiscal para que ele feche os olhos e dê um jeitinho...

2008 - Economia no Carnaval II

Hoje, segundona de carnaval, estou aproveitando e arrumando papéis. Também estou criando uma lista onde adicionarei os livros que já tenho aqui na fazenda. Aos poucos, já que pesam $ bastante, pretendo recolher os que deixei no apartamento em Fortaleza. Recomendo a todos terem a sua própria biblioteca. Afinal, José Mindlin comecou um pouco mais cedo do que eu e hoje tem lá pelos seus quase 50.000 exemplares. Um dia chego perto... Também publicarei textos interessantes que me chegam e, ao divulgá-los, tenho certeza que o leitor será bem recompensado.

2008 - Economia no Carnaval I

Lendo tantos comentários de colegas em outros blogs, não posso deixar de contribuir com o mundo em que vivo, numa mistura bem vida $econômica$, literalmente.

Vamos lá para o meu comentário número UM: Misturar economia e carnaval é o meu forte. Fui a um jantar no apartamento de uma amiga, rimos bastante de piadas picantes, jantamos bem e nada falamos de carnaval. Agora, vou ler algo antes de dormir. Afinal, depois de muita consulta consegui comprar hoje o peso pesado DIPLOMACIA do Kissinger. Nada como uma boa história para entender a vida.