Libya send us oil and illegal

A large delegation of Italian politicians of many parties captains by a former Premier and senator for life went to Libya to honour the leader of that country.
In the same day landed in Sicily more than a thousand refugees on boats from Libya.
May be it is a coincidence but one gets the impression that the Libyan leader takes stake in Italy.

The visit about a month ago in Libya by Italian Premier had said that the two main advantages for Italy were to ensure continuity of supplies of oil and commitment of that country to prevent the influx Italy of migrants from all over black Africa.

To achieve this, the Italian government has pledged to support significant costs (although diluted over time) for the construction of two thousand km. of highway between Tripoli and Benghazi. To curb illegal emigration, in addition, Italy has undertaken to provide facilities to install satellite surveillance to southern borders of the country. There will be also a joint patrol on the edge of Libyan territorial waters. Later it was stated that this monitoring would be carried out exclusively by Libyans on three patrol boats donated by Italy.

These resources are probably not yet been provided, but the Libyan leader continues to demonstrate that it would not move a finger to start to limit this phenomenon. Indeed one might suspect that the same use this weapon to keep pressure on our authorities and to understand who is commander in relations between the two countries.

If the situation does not improve soon, our Premier should explain on what guarantees were many burdensome commitments and what historical and diplomatic reason pushed Italian Government, unique in the world, to officially ask Libya to apologize for damage caused during the colonial period.

The Libyan leader, in contrast, did not even consider the request for compensation for property seized thousands of Italians expelled a few years ago. He knows he can handle from positions of strength because it has powerful weapons in his hands. In light of what is even more incomprehensible the tribute that many Italian politicians old and new have wanted tribute yesterday.

Pirates came back

Morgan, the most famous pirate had its basis in some Caribbean islands and occasionally allied with the Queen of England to attack the Spanish galleons loaded with gold. The pirates in Malaysia instead acted on his own and not looking at anyone's face. In that attack, looting and killed anyone who happened to the draft. These are stories of the past that seemed relegated to literature and cinema.

In recent times have returned in flesh and bones. They are acting mainly off the Somali coast. But there are also cases in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The Somalis operate in big. Seize large yachts and transport ships of all sizes, asking repayment billionaires. On September 25 last year have arrested a Ukrainian cargo for requesting a ransom of 20 million dollars. On board there are 20 men crew, 33 tanks and substantial quantity of guns and ammunition. Now they have in their hands fifty boats and 200 crew members.

The situation became so serious that many countries like United States, France, Germany and Russia sent warships and planes and ships to free the hostages. Certainly they will liberate many of them, but it will be very difficult to eradicate the phenomenon. Modern pirates are very well equipped and are suspected to have powerful local connivance.

Somalia has lived many years in a situation of total anarchy imposed by armed bands of each stack. In many other African countries, former European colonies, boss ruthless dictators, who share the proceeds of the considerable natural resources available among a small circle of privileged and leave a serious deprivation of most population.

Certainly colonialism drew large profits from these territories and has done little or nothing for the emancipation of cultural, social and political. Nevertheless makes sense to hear that many of these dictators and their accomplices have studied in the best British, French and American schools and universities. It was always thought that the school is the most powerful means of educating young people. But these young Africans, with curricula often brilliant, when returning to their countries can not escape a kind of reminder of the forest, made up of tribalism, thirst for power, greed and total insensitivity to the needs of their populations.

The biological testament

The art. 32 paragraph II of the Italian Constitution provides:

NONE MAY BE REQUIRED TO A SPECIFIC TREATMENT IF NOT FOR PROVISION OF LAW. THE LAW CAN NOT INFRINGE THE LIMITS IMPOSED BY COMPARISON OF HUMAN PERSON.

This made solemn by the Constitution in 1948 recognizes the right of every person to decide, even against the advice of doctors, whether or not to be subjected to a given treatment, including hospitalization for prudential investigation.

It follows that everyone is master of the health of his body, his life and can decide what choice do during the most critical moments. There are many cases that made news for people who have refused hospitalization, treatments and interventions fully aware that this very likely would have led to a deterioration of their health and a possible fatal outcome.

On this catholic fundamentalists disagree. For them life is given us from God and only God can take away our life. They forget that their opinion is a matter of faith. And faith is who has and who does not. The fundamentalists can’t deny the constitutional principle; however, they have now gone on the offensive of those situations where the person is unable to express his will because incapable or unconscious.

For these cases, to avoid bleak disputes between doctors, judges and representatives of the Church, many opinion leaders are in favour of approving a law that allows each one to produce a biological testament to demonstrate, without a shadow of doubt, what is his desire in a situation of incapacity or unconsciousness. Faced with this expression of advance will everyone is obliged to respect it. Relatives, doctors, judges and Catholic fundamentalists. It is fully in line with constitutional provisions. Therefore a law to allow this is not necessary. The Italian constitution is clear.

But there is something new. Now the Church is asking for a law on biological testament. Someone said: welcome, finally is an opening. But they have not reflected enough. The director of the “Avvenire”, the newspaper of the Italian Episcopal Conference, explained soon. By law we want to introduce limitations on full of this constitutional right. The Church knows that now in parliament there is a large conservative majority ready to adopt measures acceptable to the Vatican.

The Church has forgotten, however, that there is also a public opinion opposed to violations of the letter and spirit of the Constitution. The latter has drawn in the same paragraph of art. 32 of the Constitution: NO LAW CAN VIOLATE THE HUMAN DIGNITY.
Any block to decide how to deal with the most dramatic phases of our lives would be the greatest violation of human dignity.

Democracy needs an electorate aware

Churchill said that democracy has many flaws, but no one had yet invented a better system. The English statesman lived in a country that invented the modern democracy and practice it for many centuries. This is why English people have a very high civic and national sense. When they go to vote, make an informed choice. Assess the various candidates who are closest to their values and interests and if there isn’t full coincidence, vote for the least worst.

Compare this situation to what happens in Italy. You can say that the vast majority of Italians go to vote for ideology or ideals? It seems not. Count only the interest but not for everyone. The rich and wealthy classes know how to defend them even during the vote. But the poor are aware of their condition? Are they able to choose who should be most suitable to represent them?

The mass of Italians doesn’t know and doesn’t want to know of politics. It has passion for their football team. It believes in the new values of TV programs. Easy success, wealth at hand, eternal beauty. It is understandable then because when voting is easy prey of slogans and promises. And what about of ineradicable cronyism and influence of organized crime. There is hope that something can change quickly?

Italy back to nuclar plants

The government has announced that within five years will put the first stone of a new nuclear plant (third-generation, such as those that many countries have from many years). In principle, one can agree.

But there are many doubts. Italy is a country where you can’t build incinerators to dispose of garbage and gasificators to import gas from other countries other than Algeria and Russia. All people want them as long as they are not located in their territory. So where they think to build nuclear plants?

And how long will it take? They say fifteen or twenty years. Meanwhile we continue to import oil. There is also a problem of nuclear waste that nobody knows what to do. We still have those produced more than twenty years ago pending destination. Meanwhile many countries are studying central of fourth generation, which does not produce nuclear waste.

Sooner or later they will achieve them and then what will we do. Dismantling those of the third generation and constructing the fourth. In biblical times and very high costs. Also it was thought that Italy has no uranium? We must import it, presumably at rising prices, and there is little uranium on earth and is intended to exhaust.
Many people forget that the only sources of clean energy, free and inexhaustible are the sun and the wind as frequently remind us the Italian Nobel Prize Rubbia.

Olimpic Games needs new rules

The Olympic Games every four years let us admire some sports which TV regularly ignores. Fencing, rowing, shooting at flying, swimming, martial arts and others. In these disciplines often Italy gets good results with champions unknown to the general public. It would be desirable that at least the public TV knows them also after the games.

The Italian TV, who also has a satellite sports channel, could give space with a certain regularity to these sports. Would at the same time pleased to athletes who train hard all year with great passion and little economic compensation. Allow fans of these specialties to be able to follow events not otherwise available. It would also boost the knowledge and development of many different sports.

Of course the Olympics are not those of a time when were admitted only pure amateur. The world has changed and you can not go back. But there is a limit to everything. It can’t be put alongside athletes who live to win an Olympic medal as the highest aspiration with others who are on TV very often, earning millions of dollars or euros. Consider football and tennis. Ronaldino and Messi, Nadal, Federer, Wiliams sisters, Sharapova why go to the Olympic Games. Are they really interested in winning a medal? Who governs the games must have the courage to make some changes. Otherwise sooner or later we will see at the Olympics the Formula 1 and GP motorbike.

Another thing that is becoming scandalous is the purchase of athletes from some countries, such as various Arab Emirates and others. The African athletes are now on the market as in football. There is talk of naturalization that is that. An athlete in a few days from a country becomes citizen of another country. There was a case in the last Olympics. A meeting of women's beach volley between Russia and Georgia. The meeting was held regularly and ended with the victory of Georgia and great joy for all Georgians except for the Abkhazians and South Ossetians. Hugs and kisses at the end of the meeting, as practice, between the four players. The next day, however, the Russian Federation issued a press release to announce that their team had lost not against Georgia but against Brazil. In fact the two girls who wore the Georgian shirt were two Brazilian naturalized just before the Olympics.

Then there are those acquired by marriage. Africans always excel in this. Often they fall in love with blond Nordic and married them. In these cases are not the wives who become African, but the Africans become Nordic wearing their sweaters in stadiums. Italy does its part in this. We had a player like Fiona Mei, born in England of Jamaican parents and married to former Italian athlete Mei, known when she raced under the symbols of the Union Jack. Is in activities the Cuban Magdeline Martinez Italian by wedding. In the national women's team of volleyball plays the Cuban Aguero married in Italy. The Aguero, great champion, has already won two Olympic gold medals with the team of his country, Cuba. The same applies to the German Josefa Idem, married with his Italian coach, who has participated in seven Olympics, racing the first two times under the flag of Germany and in the subsequent five were the Italian jersey. For these cases I have a question. If they get divorced, an event not uncommon, for which country will they compete? Will we continue to beat them even if they choose to return to compete for their original country?

The land is hungry and thirsty

Millions of people on earth suffer from malnutrition and die of hunger, while others fall ill million for excess food. The answer would be to redistribute resources more efficiently. But it is neither simple nor easy.

Absurd for agricultural products available worldwide in theory would be sufficient to feed everyone, rich and poor. In fact most of these products are used to feed cattle for slaughter. To feed the herds using 50% of cereal products. An area of developing countries, amounting to seven times the area of Europe, is grown to feed livestock herds of Europe. Add that in recent years increasingly extensive territories have been converted to the cultivation of cereals for the production of biodiesel, defeating the increase in productivity of crops produced with the use of seeds of plants genetically modified.

Prof. Veronesi, convinced vegetarian, argues that it's all the fault of the steak. Drastically reducing the consumption of meat, not only prevent many serious diseases, but it would leave a large quantity of men cereal. The argument is convincing but does not erase the suspicion that although shared and implemented by many, is able to solve a problem of enormous dimensions.

We must rely on science and research. The aim of course is always to increase agricultural products. But there is another serious obstacle. The scarcity of water on earth is for personal use and for irrigation. Each year fall on earth 110 thousand km. cubes of water, but much is lost to evaporation. It remains available to only a tenth. Unfortunately not uniformly. There is too much in some places and little or nothing in others.
Furthermore, it appears excessive consumption for the breeding of livestock. Also Prof. Veronesi stresses the need for about 2 thousand litres of water to produce one kg. of bread and some 15 thousand litres to produce the same amount of beef.

On the other hand, environmentalists focus on the fact that 40% of water available is lost in the pipeline and that the first problem is the recovery of this water. Scientific research follows other routes. As the seawater desalination is too expensive because it consumes too much energy, are developing research to the selection of plants capable of living with a degree of salinity high enough, as well as plants that can survive with a quantity of water much lower than normal. Some results have been achieved in the laboratory.

Others have found materials that can first filter the sea water and then evaporate, thus reducing energy consumption and to involve both the use of energy from renewable sources like wind and sun.

As we see efforts to resolve two issues vital to humanity are many and various directions. Over time the science will certainly seek other solutions coming just hours imaginable. For our part we must be aware of the situation and perhaps make a small contribution by eating some steak less (not forgetting our health) and making most efficient use of water available to us.