One after another the European governments are tumbling under anti-incumbency, anti-austerity and anti-Euro sentiments.
Nikolas Sarkozy lost not because he was less popular than Francois Hollande but because many were tired of the distressed economy, while also realizing that Hollande doesn’t have any magic wand to fix the crisis. The results in both Greece and France show that people have no appetite for any more austerity measures. The good old days of fewer working hours, early retirements, and outsourcing are over — either accept lower living standards or generate that much sufficient wealth to spend — you can’t consume what you do not create!
There have to be more stringent oversights and regulations for both financial and banking institutions, for they have been primarily responsible for creating credit bubbles, which spread so much malaise, and created culture of easy money without support of tangible assets. Levying super-tax on the wealthy is not the panacea for fiscal and monetary ills built over the years. We all agree that in most countries the rich have failed to contribute an appropriate share of the tax burden, so all tax evasive schemes have to be plugged. There is an impression that government jobs are cushy, secured — whether one performs or not, and with several holidays. This culture is part of the global economic problems i.e. inefficient use and waste of public monies and country’s natural resources. (Seif A. Somalya, Jeddah)
Recycling campaigns
I am, what you would call a “recyclaholic” as I try to recycle pretty much everything and pester my friends to do the same. Panda supermarkets have done a wonderful job by placing recycle bins on their premises but the sad part is that I find people using the bins as trash bins as they dump non-recyclable garbage as well. Even the cleaners are unaware that those are recycle bins. I suggest that first and foremost we educate people on the importance of recycling. It is sad that the carbon dioxide emission in Saudi Arabia is the highest in the world. I request the authorities to launch recycling campaigns, where schools are particularly targeted. (Lubna Asfand, Jeddah)
Pakistan SC verdict
The detailed verdict of the contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan is enough to open the eyes of the ruling class in the country. The SC clearly stated in its verdict that the possible implications of contempt of court is a five years disqualification from the national assembly, and any attempt by the ruling class to disobey the order or interpret it on its own can paralyze judiciary. Gilani’s recent speech delivered in the Parliament after the verdict proves the widening gulf between the ruling class and the judiciary, which is very unfortunate. He claims that he cannot be removed from power except by the parliament. The reality is that in a democratic country, no one is above the law. However, due to a lack of interest and coordination between the judiciary and the government, corruption has become a part and parcel of daily life in Pakistan. (Khawaja Umer Farooq, Jeddah)
Winner and loser
We were heartened by the news item ‘Hollande, Sarkozy in real show of unity at VE Day’ (May 9) and the picture of the winner and loser, standing shoulder to shoulder. The margin of victory between them was somewhat close but yet the winner obtained over 50 percent of the total votes cast. The most comforting thing is that unlike in third world countries, the loser did not waste time in conceding defeat. It is fresh in our minds how such results have not only been not accepted by the losers but also have triggered violence resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. The bloodiest we saw recently was in Ivory Coast. What a disaster it was! (S.H. Moulana, Riyadh)
Letters to the Editor: Anti-incumbency wave in Europe
