Tag: politics

Colonisation (Tome 6) – Denis-Pierre Filippi, Vincenzo Cucca

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Les équipes de l’Agence ont été attaquées. Une branche indépendante d’Écumeurs dirigée par un certain Raylan est parvenue à s’infiltrer dans le vaisseau du Commodore Illiatov. Leur assaut, s’il était destiné à la récolte de données concernant les nefs perdues, ne sera parvenu qu’à une chose : mettre fin à la vie de nombreux agents et notamment à celle du Commodore lui-même. Raylan et ses sbires sont en fuite et mènent la danse, agissant toujours avec un coup d’avance. La menace s’intensifie, les morts se multiplient et l’escouade de Milla réalise peut-être trop tard que l’ennemi qui lui fait face est le plus rusé et le plus redoutable qu’elle ait jamais eu à affronter.

Colonisation est le 6ème tome de la série des bandes dessinées par scénariste Denis-Pierre Filippi et dessinateur Vincenzo Cucca. Les dessins et le scénario sont captivants et clairement profondément pensés. La série est imaginative et pleine d’action. Les inconvénients sont le manque de science dure à certains moments, comme aller sur une planète extraterrestre dangereuse (haut de gamme) par l’équipe de recherche sans casque.

Le context de l’histoire est l’humanité dans le futur, envoyant des colonies dans le grand espace. Cependant, des extraterrestres bien intentionnés offrent à l’humanité le cadeau de voyager vite dans l’espace. Les colonies sont un prix élevé du marché noir et l’Agence est formée, pour trouver et protéger des braconniers maléfiques ces colonies perdues. La série suit les aventures de l’agence dans sa mission de défendre les colonies humaines perdues.

Dans ce volume 6, l’Agence tente de capturer un braconnier habile appelé Raylene, qui s’avère plus ingénieux et impitoyable que prévu.

Défendre les colonies humaines perdues contre les braconniers maléfiques dans le futur lointain de l’humanité.

Le volume était captivant et les dessins capturaient magnifiquement l’immensité de l’espace et de l’humanité dans le futur. Si l’histoire est forte, les dialogues sont moins forts que les illustrations, qui sont vraiment mémorables. Les scènes d’action et l’histoire elle-même sont bien mises en page et facilitent la lecture et le suivi de l’action pour le lecteur.

Dans l’ensemble, même si elle manque parfois de science dure, la série est captivante et avec des illustrations mémorables.

EU Electricity Policymakers’ (in) Sensitivity to External Factors (Article)

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Below is the abstract of an article I wrote for the International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy in autumn 2021. Link to full paper at the end of the post.

The article explores a possible reason for the consistent dominance in the EU energy space of one energy policy priority, environment, when a more balanced policy would be expected, according to the classical energy trilemma.

Stemming from a policy dynamics theoretical background, the sensitivity of EU policymakers to external factors is quantitatively tested by comparing legislative output against key relevant indicators, such as the public opinion and air pollutants emissions. The study encapsulates the last three decades, across all the three energy pillars of the energy trilemma, plus a fourth, internal energy market. The investigation converts into ordinal values data from selected indicators so as to create comparable scales.

Results show that, unlike other energy pillars, which display strong connections between external factors and legislative output, environment legislation is rather indifferent to external factors pressure. Possible explanations are incorrect policy calibration or internal factors, originating in the rational choice realm.

This research is one of the first to introduce comparative assessments in the Environmental Policy Integration discussion and employs in novel ways research methods for energy policy analysis emerged in the field of energy security policies.

DOI for full article: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11630

EU Electricity Policy (Im)balance: A Quantitative Analysis of Policy Priorities Since 1986 (ARTICLE)

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Below is the abstract of an article I wrote for the International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy in 2021. Link to full paper at the end of the post.

The European Union has produced hundreds of laws in the field of electricity policy in the last three decades, on issues ranging from nuclear disposal to renewable energy generation support. Is the EU electricity policy of the last 30 years balanced, according to the classical energy trilemma framework?

An all-inclusive, quantitative, multi-decade examination of the EU energy policy is still lacking. Besides the traditional policy perspectives, policy density and intensity, this paper proposes a novel method to measure policy outcomes: policy importance. The results show that EU energy legislation is indeed imbalanced.

Environmental concerns rank first among EU electricity policy priorities; however, since 2003, the creation of an internal market has started to challenge environment as the top priority. Furthermore, internal market policies tend to have a higher trend of adoption than environment. Security of supply is at the bottom of EU policymakers’ attention.

The EU energy policy is becoming more intricate, but not more revolutionary. Meaningful policy changes occur at a stagnating yearly rate, despite the increasing power of the EU institutions.

DOI for full article: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11461

Assessing European electricity policy goals and achievement levels (ARTICLE)

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Below is the abstract of an article I wrote for the 13th International Conference on Energy Economics and Technology in 2019. Link to full paper at the end of the post.

Our aim in this research paper is to assess the evolution of European Union’s electricity policy ambition. To find its electricity policy ambition we identify the targets and objectives of EU legislation and analyse their evolution in time, for the four main pillars of the EU electricity policy and for our selected categories.

The assessment is based on a policy density and policy intensity analysis. The empirical research resulted in about 300 pieces of binding EU legislation in the electricity sector, reuniting around 700 targets and objectives, during 30 years of collected data.

The policy density analysis covered several dimensions: stages, overall numbers, EUR-Lex placement, pillars and categories. The research found that legally-binding legislation has an upward trend from 1986 to 2018. Almost half of the EU electricity legislation classifies as environment legislation, if analysed from the pillars of energy policy viewpoint. If a more nuanced filter is used, categories, then environment and nuclear legislation make about two thirds of all EU electricity-relevant binding legislation.

The policy intensity analysis revealed that, using a categories filter, environment and internal market are dominating, with the nuclear categories far behind. It reveals that there are many pieces of legislation in the nuclear sector, but they are generally less complex, with fewer targets and objectives than other fields.

Constructing a major targets/objectives and categories matrix, we found that the largest amount of financing is towards nuclear research. Most expansion of duties for the European Commission happened for the internal electricity market category, followed by, surprisingly, security of supply. Major developments took place mainly for environmental; energy efficiency and savings; and internal energy market categories.

Quantitative demonstration that RES development is moderately driven by climate legislation.

Link: https://tu-dresden.de/bu/wirtschaft/bwl/ee2/ressourcen/dateien/enerday-2019/Paper-Bostan.pdf?lang=en

The Virus in the Age of Madness – Bernard-Henri Lévy

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

They knew that Pascal’s room, Thoreau’s hut, and especially their own den was a dark chamber, an unhealthy space full of resentment; they knew that one is nothing when alone, that one thinks most often of nothing at all, and that hell is not other people, but the self.

This short book is a collection of thoughts regarding the Covid-19 pandemic from the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy. Originally in French, the essay discusses the politics of the pandemic, wondering if the measures taken by governments are good or bad, the reaction of the media, and what we, humanity, should do collectively and individually in these circumstances.

The references to French literature and influential philosophers betray the cultural range and depth of Lévy , without being didactic. The media referenced is rather balanced, neither progressive or conservative, and covers both sides of the Atlantic.

The message of the book is a caution against human atomisation, using all the benefits of isolation, made possible by current technology. Food, clothes, items, can be ordered with a simple click. Communication can be done virtually. But the essential human touch cannot be ordered online. Staying at home cannot be praised, it is essentially anti-humane.

Furthermore, individual liberties are disappearing, in face of distancing and confinement measures. Once taken away, it is hard to restate them. The democratic model itself is at stake, with other socioeconomic models vying for top spot. Media is focusing too much on the virus, while other grave problems remain in the dark: global warming, refugee crises, dictatorships, feeble democracies sliding into authoritarianism. But also good news are fewer in the pages of journals and screens of TVs, we know less about the good in the world.

Lévy also warns about future pandemics. Humanity has lived with major pandemics all its history. What do we do if we another pandemic hits in five years time? Do we close again the economy? Measures against the spreading are needed, such as social distancing, but need to be debated, rationalized and lessons of the pandemic need to be learn. Because another pandemic is around the corner.

The book invites to reflection, to think about what makes us human. It is a book about courage, in face of illness. And finally, it is a warning for the human isolation that technology now allows. Isolation cannot be praised, as if we do, we lose our humanity, the French philosopher argues.

La grande histoire de la Belgique – Patrick Weber

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Bourguignonne, espagnole, autrichienne, française, hollandaise… la Belgique possède la plus singulière des histoires, aussi passionnante qu’un roman d’aventures. Des siècles de guerres, de mariages diplomatiques et de luttes religieuses qui ont semé la graine d’un royaume né d’une révolution romantique en 1830.

Le livre présents l’histoire du territoire qui fait maintenant la Belgique, en commencent avec la Belgique celtique jusqu’à contemporanéité. L’histoire a un point de vue classique, focussé sur la succession des chefs politiques, mais fait parfois des mentions aux développements sociales et économiques.

Patrick Weber fait une très compréhensive et entrainante présentation de l’histoire de ce pays. Tous les périodes sont présentes : la Belgique preféodale, féodale, bourguignonne, espagnole, autrichienne, la Belgique dans le sillage de la révolution française, la Belgique néerlandaise, la révolution belge, Leopold le Ier, Leopold le IIème, Albert le Ier, Leopold le IIIème, Baudoin, jusqu’à Albert le IIème.

Des petits sous-chapitres sont inclus avec des détails des différent provinces ou villes belge, dans la période que le chapitre présent.

On peut comprendre mieux maintenant la signification des nommes des stations de métro à Bruxelles : Toison d’Or, Joséphine-Charlotte, Mérode, Simonis et autres.

C’était un très bon livre, facile à lire, en sélectant les détails importants de l’histoire belge, en essayent d’être neutre politique (même que l’auteur parait être wallon), je recommande à tous.

Full Spectrum Dominance – William Engdahl

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

For the faction that controls the Pentagon, the military industry and the oil industry, the Cold War never ended. It went on ‘below the radar’ creating a global network of bases and conflicts to advance their long-term goal of Full Spectrum Dominance, the total control of the planet: land, sea, air, space, outer space and cyberspace …

The book discusses the military strategy of the United States in modern times, which the author describes it as “Full Spectrum Dominance”. This strategy means a total dominance of the United States over all fields: military, culturally, in space, energy, etc.

The book presents many captivating and forceful arguments, showing deep thinking over some events that shook the world. The research is extensive, but some conclusions seem at times far fetched.

Not everything he says is wrong though. If Engdahl’s book is read in parallel with The New Digital Age by Jared A. Cohen and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, many of the possibilities and opportunities created by digitalisation may well be used for military purposes.

Engdahl is a profound thinker, using a realpolitik analysis apparatus to make a critique of the neo-conservative military doctrine. Pentagon is seen as a cunning force, having no scruples in imposing its will.

The author, William Engdahl, is an American writer with a degree in engineering and jurisprudence from Princeton University and a graduate study in comparative economics at the University of Stockholm. He is an original thinker, writing and commenting on the major events in the world.

Prostii Europei. Cum se sinucid civilizatiile – Traian Ungureanu

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

Si, în fond, ce mare lucru ar fi de spus? Nimic mai mult sau mai putin decat ca lumea noastra e pe punctul de a desfiinta lumea noastra. Ca valorile, indrazneala si increderea care au facut civilizatia Europei sunt in retragere. Si ca pe urmele lor alearga, foarte grabita, o idee unica si palida: abandonul mascat în cuprindere toleranta.

Europa si lumea occidentala au învatat sa sustina idei care le slabesc. Negarea traditiei, defaimarea identitatii nationale, religioase si culturale sunt, în gura si în practica elitelor conducatoare, probe de virtute. Înainte de a se risipi, lumea la care renuntam e data uitarii sau cedata de cei ce ar fi trebuit sa o aiba în paza.

Cartea pe care o aveti in fata e ceruta si scrisa de acest curent, de angajamentul pro- declin pe care elitele conducatoare il pretuiesc exact in masura in care isi vor pretuita superioritatea morala. Asadar, cititi o carte pe care o datorati epocii. Singurele lucruri care vin de la coautor sunt impotrivirea la cliseu si refuzul opiniei tainuite.

“Prostii Europei” este o critica dura impotriva corectitudinii politice, mai ales la nivelul elitelor Uniunii Europeane. Cartea are trei parti, Uniunea Europeana; zona anglofona cu State Unite si alegerea lui Trump, Marea Britanie si Brexit; si Romania.

Chiar in rezumatul lui Traian Ungureanu, cartea se concentreaza in jurul catorva idei:

– conform autorului, acceptarea imigrantilor fara un filtru va aduce la islamizare si diminuarea a ceea ce numim civilizatie. Aceasta se intampla deoarece noii imigranti nu vor sa se integreze sau sa munceasca, vin doar pentru beneficiile sociale.

– cei mai mari dusmani ai democratiei sunt chiar cei care vorbesc de progres, fiind inconstienti de consecintele profunde, anti-democratice, a ceea ce propun;

– pentru elite, mai ales pentru cele europene, democratia si in principal alegerile democratice devin gradual tot mai incomode si indezirabile. In acest sens, da exemplul referendumurilor repetate pana la alegerea dorita sau referendumuri pur si simplu ignorate. De asemenea, oriunde partide de dreapta au fost alese, elitele europene au fost foarte critice la adresa lor.

– stanga se prezinta cu un inchipuit avantaj moral, iar dreapta este banuita de fascism. Se ignora ororile comunismului.

– plecarea a o cincime din romani in strainatate este o mare drama pentru tara, ce probabil va bloca dezvoltarea Romaniei. Autorul este foarte pesimist cu privire la viitorul Romaniei, cresterea economica de acum este iluzorie, fiind putine investii care sa dainuie, precum in infrastructura.

– decalajul economic, cultural si de gandire dintre Transilvania si restul regiunilor creste.

O critica a corectitudinii politice din lumea occidentala.

Traian Ungureanu face chiar el parte din elitele europene, fiind europarlamentar, asa incat comentariul lui este facut in cunostinta de cauza. El argumenteza ca fara dezbatere si fara valori solide, inhibate acum de corectitudinea politica, degradarea civilizatiei si lumii europene sunt ireversibile.

Autorul noteaza indepartarea elitelor de omul de rand si da exemplul imensei surprize a Brexit si alegerea lui Trump, considerate imposibile de presa mare si de sondaje.

Cel mai grav in viziunea lui Traian Ungureanu, dincolo de corectitudinea politica, este indepartarea de valorile democratice. Apar zorii unei noi nomenclaturi, technocratice, cu un nou limbaj de lemn.

Cartea nu are un fir narativ, ci se prezinta sub forma unor articole, multe preluate articolele lui Traian Ungureanu din ziarul “Adevarul” din ultimii ani, altele fiind noi.

“Prostii Europei” a fost foarte bine primita de intelectualii de dreapta romani. Bunaoara, HR Patapievici considera corectitudinea politica pusa in lumina de volumul lui Traian Ungureanu o “teroare morala, un cosmar asemenea stalinismului”.

From Third World to First: the Singapore Story – Lee Kuan Yew

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

I was also troubled by the apparent over-confidence of a generation that has only known stability, growth and prosperity. I thought our people should understand how vulnerable Singapore was and is, the dangers that beset us, and how we nearly did not make it. Most of all, I hope that they will know that honest and effective government, public order and personal security, economic and social progress did not come about as the natural course of events.

Lee Kuan Yew is the person responsible for the rise of Singapore, from $400 GDP/capita in 1959 when he became Prime Minister to $12,200 GDP/capita in 1990 when he retired. In this book, he tells his memoirs.

When Lee Kuan Yew took charge, Singapore was part of the British Empire, 4.5 times richer per capita than the city-state. By 1990, a Singaporean was richer than a British. Singapore did not have any natural riches to sell, like oil or diamonds, or rich neighbors, not even security guarantees; it had nothing, but its people.

In a towering 750 pages book, Lee Kuan Yew presents chronologically how he achieved this amazing performance. The book is divided in three parts: internal, foreign affairs and legacy.

In first part, the Singaporean leader explains his policies to develop economically and socially the country. He also describes the struggle against the internal enemies: the Malayans and the communists. He took in 1959 an adamant libertarian, free market, pro-capitalism view, in a time where socialism and communism were seem to be on the right part of history. Even in the prosperous years, efficiency and individualism were not abandoned to socialist policies. Meritocracy and a world class civil service were his out-most concerns.

At some point, his views seem controversial, such as recommending marrying your equal in terms of studies. He himself was not though child of such parents and he proved successful.

Nonetheless, he understood that no policy is infallible and he was quick to adapt and abandon inefficient policies, including capitalist or libertarian ones. If it works was what mattered.

Lee Kuan Yew never lost the elections from his sight. He was not a despot, but an elected leader of a democratic country and he always had internal politics in mind. However, the public opinion was not driving his decisions; he pulled and convinced an entire country to follow him. And it followed, because it always came with solid arguments and it delivered.

His critics, however, remind him of his restrictions to several human rights in Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew tries to explain himself throughout the book, arguing that no former colonial territory erupted in a democracy; they all needed a steady hand.

In the second part, he recalls his experiences with different countries, leaders and parts of the world. The Great Britain, Europe, the USSR, the United States, ASEAN, Japan, Australia, India, the Commonwealth meetings are featuring in his chapters. But amongst them all, Lee Kuan Yew admires the most China and Deng Xiaoping.

The Singaporean leader is, of course, influenced personally by China, as son of Chinese immigrants. He visited often China and his leaders. He was most impressed by Deng Xiaoping, which he considered a giant among men. In Lee Kuan Yew’s words, Deng was the only leader that could gather the loyalty and respect of his fellow Chinese communist leaders in order to change the economic policies of China towards capitalism. Deng did the change in the smart way, gradually, unlike Gorbachev of USSR. Hence, the country did not collapse. Nevertheless, corruption remains a long-term problem in China, Lee Kuan Yew reckoned.

Th third part is the shortest and looks at the new generation of Singaporean leaders. Learning from Deng’s failure to have his appointees leaders of China, Lee Kuan Yew tasked his government to choose a leader.

Talking about his family in this chapter, he expresses his gratitude towards his wife, a keen reader of people and constant support, sharing the same views as him.

The memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew are truly incredible. He is not politically correct and he forcefully puts forward his arguments for what he thinks it is right. The book is a legacy of a man with keen intelligence, using the best examples life gave him: from the American capitalist policies to communist political tactics, from Chinese caution to the experiences of for colonies.

[Feature photo – Singapore by Nicolas Lannuzel]

Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy 1453 to the present – Brendan Simms

Published on by mikebostanLeave a comment

The hatchet with France was slowly being buried, but there were still serious differences to be ironed out over North Africa. Russia remained a huge threat, and it was against her that Britain’s first major diplomatic initiative of the new century, the Anglo-Japanese alliance of 1902, was directed. The main worry, however, was Germany, which had shown unconcealed sympathy for the Boers and whose naval ambitions were seen as a direct challenge to British maritime supremacy.

At 550 pages, Europe is a very dense book of European history, mainly focusing on German lands, due to their position in the center of Europe. It follows the struggles between kingdoms and nations from an international relations perspective. The depth of detail is impressive, but the way the narration progresses and the events are presented keeps the reader engaged.

The book has everything, from the wars within the Holy Roman Empire to modern Germany, from conquest of Cyprus by Ottomans to Crimean war, from Ivan the Terrible to Putin. While Europe is the main focus, there are historical events from Afghanistan, China or the United Stated which get much attention as well.

Brendan Simms offers a thorough explanation of some crucial questions, such why Germany is so important and why Europe conquered the world. It explains brilliantly the motivations of why some countries acted in a specific way.

International relations in action

Brendan Peter Simms is Professor of the History of International Relations in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. He shows an impressive quality of understanding historical events, while not pinning down the reader in an infinite enumeration of details.

Just until the present day analysis, the book is a scholarly masterpiece. The present day  events are a lot less clear as the author wants them to be. Also, international relations and foreign policy are sometimes given too much weight, while other actors, such as technology, leaders at a specific time or culture, were important factors as well.

To sum up, this is a brilliant scholarly book on European history from a primacy of international relations viewpoint.