Book review: "Il ritorno del principe" de Saverio Lodato,Roberto Scarpinato

Din intamplare azi de ziua nationala voi face review-ul unei carti despre mafia si clasa politica italiana: "Il ritorno del principe. La criminalita dei potenti in Italia"

Si vorba imnului: "Că-n aste mâni mai curge un sânge de roman," clasa noastra politica se apropie de cea italiana foarte mult. 

Cartea descrie o istorie a evolutiei mafiei in context istoric si international.

Principele in cartea aceasta este sistemul despotic si amoral descris de Machiavelli in secolul 16 care in opinia autorului conduce Italia de-a pururi si doar recent a luat o fata constitutionala.

Contrar parerii generale mafia nu a fost o organizatie antisistem formata din infractori care s-au organizat impotriva puterii statului, ci a facut parte integranta din sistemul feudal de conducere din Sicilia. 

Mafiotii au fost bratul inarmat al latifundiarilor sicilieni, si aveau rolul de a reprima miscarile taranesti si a tine sub control infractorii locali.

Odata cu decaderea latifundiarilor, mafiotii au preluat averile acestora dar au mentinut aceiasi politica de control prin teroare.

Clasa feudala a intrat in declin si s-a ridicat burghezia care a preluat structurile mafiote.

Apoi agricultura a intrat in declin si mafia s-a orientat spre oras de unde veneau noii bani, de acolo recoltau banii din taxe de protectie, afaceri imobiliare si din deturnarea lucrarilor publice.

In carte se spune si cat cat pretindeau mafiatii din lucrari: 2% lua mafia,2% luau politicienii si 0.5% luau functionarii (Mult mai putin decat iau acuma politicienii nostri)

Interesant este ca mafia nu este formata numai din brute, este formata si din gulere albe, avocati,doctori,ingineri care controleaza mafia asa zis militara care e trimisa sa intimideze si sa ucida. (Scarpinato povesteste cum un onorat doctor dupa eliberarea din inchisoare pentru  asociere mafiota se intalnea seara cu elita locala, de avocati doctori,politicieni si apoi seara se intalnea cu drojdia societatii, cu criminalii de joasa speta care le faceau treaba murdara)

Mafia militara este recrutata din cartierele sarace din sud, si pe langa rolul de intimidare are rolul si de a controla clasele sarace sa nu intre peste elita bogata.

Scarpinato spune ca in interiorul grupurilor mafiote este o altfel de etica: daca cineva coopereaza cu justitia este marginalizat, daca face puscarie si se intoarce este primit din nou in grup. Asta se intampla si in cadrul gulerelor albe: in intreprinzator care a refuzat sa plateasca  taxa de protectie si a cerut ajutorul autoritatilor a fost parasit de toti "prietenii".

Acelasi lucru se vede si in PSD unde disciplina de partid este mai puternica decat respectarea legilor. Toti politicienii care au fost sustinuti de partid: Bivolaru,Nastase si Dragnea, au fost condamnati. Intr-un stat normal intr-un partid normal, ori si-ar fi dat demisia or ar fi fost demisi, deoarece afectau imaginea partidului.

Interesanta este similitudinea de evenimente din Italia si cea din Romania:

Mafiotii erau bratul inarmat al unei puteri absolutiste feudale care controla economia locala. Dupa decaderea acestora au preluat controlul.

In 89 Ceausescu controla toata tara, dupa caderea sa oameni din partid si securitate au preluat controlul asupra economiei.

Italia a avut parte de masacrul de la Portella impotriva muncitorilor, noi avut parte de masacrul de dupa 22 decembrie 89 impotriva demonstrantilor si de mineriadele impotriva opozitiei.

La inceputul secolului XX niste deputati italieni implicati intr-un scandal financiar s-au prevalat de imunitatea parlamentara pentru a scapa de justitie.

Curtea constitutionala i-a sustinut.

La inceputul secolului XXI niste parlamentari romani, gen Bivolaru,Dragnea s-au folosit de acelasi mijloc pentru a scapa de justitie.

Curtea constitutionala nu a zis nimic.

In Italia s-au ciuntit legile anti mafie si s-a incercat distrugerea cooperari intre magistratii antimafie in anii 80, la noi se incearca acelasi lucru cu legile anticoruptie si cooperarea intre servicii si procuratura.

In 2006 in Italia s-au eliberat cateva mii de detinuti pentru datorita aglomerarii, iar printre cele cateva mii au fost destui mafioti, in 2017 s-au eliberat cel putin 1500 de puscariasi pentru conditii improprii, care puteau fi rezolvate de mult.

In anii '80 si '90 s-a declansat o campanie impotriva magistratilor anti-mafie, in anii 2000 s-a declansat la o campanie impotriva "republicii procurorilor", impotriva DNA impotriva lui Kovesi.
Nordul Italiei se dezvolta mai repede decat sudul si tinde sa se separe (anul asta au fost 2 referendumuri de autonomie in Lombardia si Veneto, cel din Veneto fiind valid).
Transilvania si Banatul se dezvolta mai repede decat restul tarii si sunt voci (gen Sabin Gherman) care zic ca le-ar merge mai bine fara regateni.

Ca si fapt divers in 2003 Mischie seful CJ Dolj s-a infratit cu Sicilia, se pare ca au avut ce invata de la colegii sicilieni, actualii politicieni din PSD.

La multi ani Sicilia de ziua ta! Oops, vroiam sa zic Romania

Bottle neck business: Standard Oil,Microsoft and Google

In oil business boom J.D Rockefeller concentrated his efforts to buy refineries, while others focused on finding oil.
Refining petroleum is necessary for its sale, so it is technological bottle neck in oil business.
Owning a refinery it is more safe than finding oil because you have a pool of oil prospectors and from this pool it is always someone who finds oil and needs to refine it.
Due to geographical and transport  limitations, the oil producers had to sell in certain places.
In computer business Bill Gates bridged the gap between users and computer hardware. Due to convenience the market has to be limited to one or two operating systems. Regardless of the type of computer Gates sold its kits.
In internet  business Sergei Brin and Larry Page connected the data to users with a easy to use algorithm. Due to its ease to use and its popularity Google has a virtual monopoly on internet searches and firms have to consider search engine optimisation on google.

In conclusion all three business models have these characteristics:
1. They own a technology that decreases the gap between resources and consumers.(refining oil, operating system software, search algorithm)
2.The technology is a bottle neck and it cannot be bypassed easily
3.There are constraints that force the users to use only one provider: cost of transport for oil industry, software compatibility for software industry, cost of data retrieval and transmitting for internet business.
4. There are all in an expanding country (By the way France had the first idea for internet: Minitel, Romanians refined for the first time the oil)

Despre regi,vatafi,burghezi si tarani

Ascult la TV cum ca regele Mihai ii este rau in Elvetia, ma gandesc la necunoscutii care sufera pe paturile de spital din Romania, fara bani si vai de capul lor, macar pe averea lor nu se bate nimeni.

Alaltaieri, ministrul de finante apara viitoarele scaderi de salarii spunand ca "si acum patronul poate reduce salariul angajatilor".
Domnia sa nu a auzit de inventia moderna a contractului?
In Republica Constanta unde a lucrat inainte, probabil nu se practica semnarea contractelor, poate totul era la negru.
In guvernul comunisto feudal de acum se pare ca "Iluminismul" nu a intrat.
Se pare ca este o mentalitate de ev mediu, in care vin arnautii si iti iau din batatura, vaca pentru ca Domnu trebuie sa dea haraci la Stambul, fara sa iti dea nimic inapoi.
Clasa mijlocie este buzunarul oricarei tari, bogatii sunt prea conectati cu lumea politica pentru a plati taxe, saracii nu au bani.
La alegeri saracii au votat cu PSD-ul pentru ca Statul le dadea bani, clasa de mijloc nu s-a prezentat pentru ca Statul nu poate sa le dea bani deoarece au sursele lor de venit. Dar ei au uitat ca Statul le poate lua bani, si ei nu se pot refugia in paradisuri fiscale.
Clasa mijlocie trebuie vina la vot pentru a nu pierde bani,pentru a nu permite unui stat abuziv sa le bage mana in buzunar, ei trebbui sa vina la vot pentru a sprijini domnia legii.
Pentru clasa mijlocie vot este o corvoada ce trebuie facuta pentru a evita un rau.
Partea proasta este ca oamenii nu gandesc pe termen lung. E mai usor de convins un pensionar ca i se va mari pensia in anul urmator decat un IT ca este posibil sa i se taie scutirea.
Se pare ca "Vine iarna" si frigul trezeste din somn clasa mijlocie.

Old stones are round

When a child is born it is like a volcanic rock, aggressive, with sharp edges.
The life erodes these edges, and the end it is round pebble, that be be carried in hand.

Spanish war forgotten lessons

The Spanish prime minister Mariano Rahoy decisions to use force to suppress the Catalonian independence referendum has given what the independence movement need it: an enemy to fight against. All the nations were formed against an enemy.

When you see police storming poll stations, you think at fascism, Franco and last resistance of Catalonia against Franco's dictatorship. These are powerfull images that can be used to rally people to Catalonia independence cause.

The intolerance brought the scourge of the civil war on Spain, and it seems that this lesson was not learned by Spaniards. They try to settle old scores even now.

Franco could be more lenient towards his political opponents and not build concentration camps to kill them.

Mariano Rahoy could be more lenient and not order police to use force against some people who voted.

He could let people vote and even encourage them to vote in order to win a majority. 

Even if the referendum would be 100% for secession he could claim that is unconstitutional and refuse to acknowledge it. 

What the Catalans would do? Take arms and face Spanish army?

If the Catalans would lead an armed revolt they would be the bad guy at TV, not the Spanish police.

Mariano Rahoy transformed a local problem: the Catalonian independence in a global problem: the right of people to assembly and express an opinion in Spain.

Maybe there are Catalans who didn't support independence, but seeing that their friends are beaten by police for voting, they change their opinion.

They were independence referendums in Scotland and in Canada and they didn't won the majority. Why was the Spanish government was afraid? That Catalonia will secede?

Czechoslovakia separated peacefully after '89, so even the Catalan's divorced they could have good relations with Spain, maintaining they economic ties. Not even now they don't have a border between these countries.

Yet while Czech republic and Slovakia shared a common destiny and never fought one another, the actual Spain was created by Franco with help of the army, similarly with what Tito did in Yugoslavia. 

The advantage for Spain is that has common history for all its provinces since 1492 and a strong identity, but it had a civil war and unresolved disputes and it has strong local patriotism. 

To spark a second civil war it needs an economic crisis or some other form of chronic discontent, intolerance and external support with weapons.

The government is intolerant, Catalonia has a busy harbour and can receive weapons from all over the world (Lybia is near) only the economy is recovering but youth unemployment is high.

Those who sow wind, reap storm.

Extreme left logic: If not everybody has milk, then kill the cow

I saw a news regarding an attack on a turist bus in Barcelona.
The youth wing of a leftist catalan party was frustrated that the working people don't have money to pay rent in a city overwhelmed city (26 milions visitors in one year).
They forget that these tourists pay other working men such as cabbies, waiters, cooks etc, who could not find somewhere else to work, due to lack of industry of lack of skills.

The tourist overcrowding is serious. The city of Barcelona have an indigestion caused by too many tourist.
Using the cow parable, the problem is not that the cow is not giving milk to every one, but that the cow is grazing other pastures.
The pasture is the rented apartments , the transport infrastructure and the prices in restaurants.
But if you want to keep your pasture, you have to put a fence, not kill the cow:
Put a tax on apartments rented via AirBnb, force the landlord to lend apartments for a long period. Make stricter rules for offering accommodation to tourists. And build more hotels.
The locals don't use hotels, tourist do. So if you want to avoid overcrowding of in apartments, build more hotels and tax the apartments who offer accommodation to tourists..
Regarding transportation: use pricing to separate tourist and locals.
 For example a local will use the bus for a whole year from 8 to 10 when he goes to work, and from 16 to 18 when he returns.
Make 1 day ticket or 7 days ticket used by tourist more expensive in this period and cheaper between 10 and 16 when almost no local are travelling.

It is a problem of economy not a political problem, but it seems that Spanish left didn't learned anything from the Spanish civil war.

Paranoic diet

I saw a film on youtube about ketogenic diet as a cure for cancer. And I was wondering why we didn't solve the cancer issue long before 'big pharma' involvement. And why in communist states where you didn't have interest of 'big pharma' lobby nobody used this diet and people still had cancer.
I made a little bit of research and I found this article on National Health Institute.
It is explaining that the ketogenic diet makes the cancer more vulnerable to chemotherapy and it doesn't replace the treatment.
In brief: the metabolism of cancer cell is broken and produces more H2O2 which would be toxic unless you have glucose to neutralise it.
When we switch to ketogenic diet we have less  glucose and more H2O2 in cancer cells which made them vulnerable.
But the purpose of this post is are snake oil salesmen.
The biology is complicated, I had to read the article above twice , googling terms to understand it.
The snake oil sales men simplify biologic processes by combining truths with lies:
"The cancer cells need glucose to survive and divide"-true
"The cancer cells consume glucose at a higher rate than normal cells" -true.
"If we are fasting or making a ketogenic diet our glucose level will drop"-true
"Then if we will have low blood sugar the cancer cell will die" not true, because the speaker used 2 antagonic categories: bad cancer cells versus good human cells.
The cancer cells are more like the lost son who went on drugs and  on crime and become a social danger. It is a danger to society but his origins are from within society.
The cancer cells are human cells and they have the same propriety adaptation to the provided nutrients, so they can use ketones.
Of course the mind of audience a question pops out:
"Why we are not using this diet already?"
"Because big pharma wants to make money and they are threatened by cheap treatments" comes the answer. A true statement as you can see in the case of Martin Shkreli who took advantage of the monopoly on a HIV drug to increase the price with 400%.
Because people understand better the behaviour of other people, and few people have personal access to doctors, or pharmacists, this explanation is believed. And since is easier to rationalise good versus bad, if the greedy big pharma is bad and lying  then anyone who s against them is good, and says the truth.
Then these people form a paranoid cult who doesn't believe in traditional treatments as vaccines,antibiotic and chemotherapy, and follow all kind of diets vegan,ketonic,paleo.

Their guru's are always claiming that the truth was hidden from them in facts it is the opposite: they never seek the truth.
I didn't make a research but it seems that USA is most afflicted of this disease.

Maybe they are used to think in black and white?
After all, in the westerns the good guys wore white hats and bad guys wore black hats.