My Life on this planet.

President Trump delivered an exceptionally aggressive inauguration speech , touching on several controversial topics: Immigration and Border Control : He thanked Latino voters, only to follow with a pledge to deploy the military to halt further immigration by enforcing strict border control, and to expel millions from the U.S.. He announced that not only those who cross the border illegally but also those who resist arrest will be detained—or even treated as terrorists, suggesting the U.S. police may have the right to use (lethal) force when feeling threatened. He further emphasized plans to intensify efforts against gangs and terrorists, revealing that arrests would now be permitted in hospitals and schools. It was also possible in the past to arrest criminals in hospitals, but it is different when innocent people and children can be arrested.  Environmental Policy & Climate Change : Trump placed blame for ongoing wildfires in California on the previous administration, as if s...

In Belgium, attempts to form a government stalled (partly) due to disagreements over tax reforms as these should be more balanced. While these reforms are essential, they should not disproportionately benefit the wealthy, as this would place a greater burden on middle and lower-income citizens. When the majority can no longer afford to spend, businesses will suffer as consumer demand will decline, leading to a decrease in profits. Initially, probably local companies are more affected, but eventually, even larger corporations will feel the impact as well. In the UK in 2022, Prime Minister Liz Truss ’s government also found it essential to reform the tax system, but her government collapsed shortly after introducing a plan as it was considered too extreme and bad for the economy. PM Truss argued that British taxes were among the highest globally, a claim that seemed exaggerated — especially compared to Belgium’s system which imposes much higher taxes at lower income thresholds. While...

Situation Extreme left, left, green and extreme right all voted for more money for nurses as they are essential workers who save lives. Centre and centre right parties claim this is irresponsible because of Belgium's major debt problem that partly exist because it's historic from the time Belgium had only one government and needed to divide expenses in a certain ratio between Flanders and Wallonia even when only one region needed money to invest and because Belgium, like other countries, had to save its financial sector 10 years ago. Also the socialists are condemned and accused of throwing away money but this was to be expected as a social party can't accept that underinvestments in the social sector last for ever. Now parties are saying that the separatist right-wing Flemish party NV-A has to take responsibility by forming a coalition with the Walloon socialist party PS that is strongly pro Belgium so a real budget can be agreed and as the EU demands. Still, this ...

Compulsory voting versus Voting rights Sunday, 26 May 2019, election day. I had to vote for 4 parliaments: the European Parliament, the Belgium Parliament, the Brussels Parliament and Brussels' Flemish Representatives in the Flemish Parliament. In Belgium it is "I MUST" because here we have compulsory voting . The reason? Probably because Belgians are too stupid to decide for themselves whether or not they want to vote and this in contrast to most other developed countries. And thus, as Belgium opted for compulsory voting, I think this obligation should be enforced until it becomes ridiculous. Indeed, illness should be the only exception that people don't "must" vote. As elections are announced sufficient time in advance, people can organise themselves in such a way they can vote and thus they shouldn't be able to use excuses such as they are on holiday. Indeed, if a system decides voting is mandatory than people who don't vote should be penal...

Wednesday, 01/05/2019, labour day. The day of the left, socialists and communists. As a response the Catholic invented their own labour day, Rerum Novarum. Indeed, divide and rule. Regularly, people discuss the reasons for the decline of socialist parties in many countries. And in the countries where they don't decline, mainly in developing countries, opponents do whatever is possible to remove the left from power, even when this means to impoverish the country, so often the rulers become dictators to remain in power and then of course there are justified reasons they can be removed. Still, I can think of a few reasons why socialism in the West declines (I repeat, my opinion). I don't mention communism because that is/was an extreme form that in normal situation is unlikely to become a main party although a comparison with extreme right shows politicians don't understand why they're opposed to extremism. Socialists often have links with unions and ...

I agree with the article , old politicians who had their time in office (thus not in the sense of age) should retreat from active politics or at least listen to what people, the current and upcoming generations want. Even former President Obama, a politician I liked, seems to have lost his way. Too slow during his first two years as president when he had a majority in Congress as he tried to reach agreements with industrials and Republicans who opposed to be humiliated by a black man by agreeing on any reforms he suggested, even when he tried to involve them. And thus, he achieved little that is now reversed by the Republicans. He could have taken the opportunities the electorate gave him after his first election victory. Of course, he should have tried to reach agreement but he should quicker have accepted the opposite party didn't want any agreement with him. After 2 years he lost his majority. He even found it difficult to condemn obvious violence against black people as he h...

I completely agree that people who live outside the country where they were born should not be able to interfere with decisions made in the country where they no longer live although during a short period such as a one election period (in general every 4 or 5 years) after they left they may still be able to vote as they still understand to some extend what's going on in the country where they no longer live. Because, as they don't live in the country they are unlikely to feel the consequences of the outcome of an election or referendum while the citizens may feel the result of the vote from people living elsewhere. Local and foreign voters can be like water and fire on certain issues Me for instance voted during Belgian elections while I was living in London (I understood I must vote as in Belgium papa government doesn't believe its citizens are intelligent enough to decide whether they should vote or not and thus people are forced to vote),even when I didn't...

As elsewhere, Antwerp's socialists (Red) and environmentalists (Green) don't seem to be natural partners to work together. I think liberals (Blue) and Green are much closer ideologically as both are in favour of entrepreneurship and freedom to express yourself but they don't recognise this because I think the Blue are too much attached to the past to recognise in full the potential of the new economies such as clean energy although they too recognise the digital possibilities. In Antwerp a collaboration between the socialists (Red) and environmentalists (Green) collapsed . The main reason is that a socialist candidate seems to have used accounting tricks and this became public as should be in good democracies so people know what they may expect from politicians they have to elect although the Red seem to disagree as they defended their candidate; also in the past they had members who were creative. And thus the Green no longer want the Red as partner during coming el...