martes, 24 de agosto de 2010

ONE YEAR OF THE BLOG

By: Felipe Argote



After twelve months of continuous writing, training and installation diagram of the blog, I am very pleased with the support received. Add Sense Currently, according to the meter hits the blog, we have averaged more than 2,100 hits a month from readers.

We thank you for your interest and hope that in this second year can exceed your expectations. It is of much value their commentary although most send it to my personal email always serve as a stimulus. I appreciate any criticism or contribution to the topics as you can see include not only the economy but a wide range of issues.

Here I present a list of all published articles segmented by topic. You can access the article with ctrl + click just in case you did not read before and find it interesting.

CHRONICS


PARIS : AN OUTDOOR MUSEUM
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/by-felipe-argote-with-collaboration-of.html
ORLANDO AND THE SEMINOLS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/by-felipe-argote-when-first-spanish.html
LA MARSEILLAISE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/marseillese.html
CAROLINA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/carolina.html
MAYAIMI
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/mayaimi.html
VIVA LAS VEGAS
http://elblogdefelipeargote.blogspot.com/2010/07/viva-las-vegas.html
BORINQUEN
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/borinquen.html

ECONOMICS AND FINANCE

THE BASIC BASKET KEEP RISING
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/basic-food-basket-still-raising.html
 A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANALYSIS OF THE 2009 FISCAL REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-bill-for-tax-reform.html
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE OF ECONOMISTS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/economists-association-of-panama-re-tax.html
PANAMA: 2010 STATE BUDGET
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/panama-presupuesto-general-del-estado_9274.html
GLOBALIZATION: WHAT IT MEANS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/by-felipe-argote-often-used-as-crutch.html
GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/neoliberal-model-was-walking-smugly.html
DOLLARIZATION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/written-by-felipe-argote-photos-felipe.html
GROSS DOMESTIC INCOME
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/by-felipe-argote-photos-felipe-argote-i.html
THE AMAZING STORY OF DOW JONES AND
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/by-felipe-argote-charles-dow-was-born.html
THE STOCK MARKET
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-spanish-jews-fled-south-of-spain.html
A SEPHARDIC CALLED RICARDO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/por-felipe-argote-we-can-not-finish.html
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-depression.html
THE WEALTH OF NATIONS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/wealth-of-nations.html
INFLATION WATCH
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/beware-of-inflation.html
SIR JOHN MAYNARD KEYNES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/sir-john-maynard-keynes.html
2010 TAX REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-tax-reform.html
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-depression.html
THE DANCE OF THE MILLIONS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/oil-crisis-of-seventies.html
FINANCIAL FRAUD
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/financial-fraud-by-felipe-argote-every.html
NEOLIBERALISM I
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/neoliberalism.html
NEOLIBERALISM II
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/neoliberalism-ii.html
TAX REFORMS . WHO WINS WHO LOSES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/tax-reforms-who-wins-who-loses.html
ADJUSTMENTS TO 119 BILL
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/adjustments-to-bill-119-now-act-8-of-15.html
SUMMARY OF TAX REFORMS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/summary-of-2010-fiscal-reforms.html
MERCANTILISM AND PHYSIOCRACY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/mercantilism-and-physiocracy.html
BRETTON WOODS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/bretton-woods.html
A GREEK TRAGEDY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/by-felipe-argote-financial-crisis-is.html
THE NEOCLASSICS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/economy-and-finance-neoclasics.html
TOXIC ASSETS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/toxic-assets.html
BASKET BASICS : THE LEAP OF SALAD
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/basic-basket-saladinos-leap-by-felipe.html
THE BROKERS : LOSE LOSE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/lose-lose.html

INTERESTING ARTICLES

VOLCANOES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/volcanoes.html
THE END OF THE WORLD ACCORDING TO POPOL VUH
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/2012-end-of-world-popol-vuh.html
THE KILIMANJARO : A MOUNTAIN IN NEVADA THROUGH AFRICA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/snow-mountain-in-middle-of-african.html
HAITI THROUGH FIFTH THIRD WORLD HELL
 http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/haiti-from-third-world-to-fifth-hell.html
FISH AND ALIEN CULTURES : THE FISH WITH LEGS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/10-years-after-reversion-of-canal.html
THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/pyramids-of-egypt.html
THE ISLANDIC VOLCANO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/islandic-volcano.html
THE TWINS WHO STOLE THE MOON
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/ones-who-stole-moon.html
THE TRIBE OF INDIANS OF DARIEN RUBIOS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/tribe-of-blond-indians-of-darien.html
GRIGORY And The Poincare Conjecture
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/grigory-and-poincare-conjectur.html
ARDI AND THE LIGER
http://elblogdefelipeargote.blogspot.com/2010/07/ardi-y-el-liger.html

OPINION

CHILDREN GO HOME
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/by-felipe-argote-photo-daja-editions.html
A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-about-public-transportation.html
CENTRAL AMERICAN PARLIAMENT : AN HISTORIC STUBBORNNESS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/central-america-parliament-historical.html
THOSE DUST BROUGHT THESE SLUDGE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/electoral-code-amendments.html
THE PLANET BIZARRO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/bizarre-planet.html
DAVID RUIZ ANEL IS NOT AT THE NEWS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/anel-david-ruiz-is-not-at-news.html
RIGHTS OF THE CHILDREN
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/11/declaration-of-global-children-rights.html
FABLE OF THE FROG AND THE SCORPIO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/fable-of-frog-and-scorpion.html
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/maldives-will-sink-under-indian-ocean.html
CHAFLANESCO
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/chaflanescus.html
THE SUBWAY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/metrorail.html
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/too-little-to-late.html
PHILOSOPHIZE ABOUT THE IMMORTALITY OF THE CRAB http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/philosophy-on-inmortality-of-crab.html
THE EDUCATION CRISIS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/curriculum-reform-and-educational.html
CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/certainty-of-punishment.html

CULTURE

THE BOY WITH striped pajamas
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/boy-of-striped-pajamas.html
TWELVE PILGRIMS TALES
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/twelve-pilgrim-tales.html
THE ISLAND UNDER THE SEA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/island-under-sea.html
THE MALINCHE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/malinche-of-laura-esquivel.html
THE KITE RUNNERS
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/04/kite-runner-by-khaled-hosseini.html
THE BOOK OF JUANITA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/juanita-castro-book.html
BIG RIVER : THE ADVENTURES OF Huckleberry
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/big-river.html
THE MAYA TESTAMENT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/08/maya-testament-of-steve-alten.html

2010 SOUTH AFRICA

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/diamonds-are-forever.html
ZAMINAMINA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/zaminamina.html
THE FIRST HEART TRANSPLANT
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/south-africa-first-heart-transplant.html
MADIBA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/madiba.html
THE LADY PLEA AND CHILD TAUNG
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/ples-lady-and-taung-child.html
THE GOKOMERE EMPIRE
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/gokomere-empire.html
THE KALAHARI : Suricata and Bushmen
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/to-north-of-south-africa-southern.html

SPORTS

Field hockey
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/field-hockey-in-panama.html
WHY HOLLAND AND SPAIN WHY NOT BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/why-holland-and-spain-why-not-argentina.html

Ephemeris

BORN NOVEMBER 3
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/10/born-on-november-3.html
20 YEARS OF THE INVASION A PANAMA
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2009/12/20-years-of-invasion-of-panama.html
10 YEARS OF THE REVERSAL OF CANAL
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/01/by-felipe-argote-31-december-of-2009.html
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/03/interational-womens-day.html
THE FIGHT IS FIGHTING: VICTORIANO LORENZO 15 MAY 1903 http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/fight-is-fighting.html
 MARTYRS OF CHICAGO. May 1, 1886
http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/05/martyrs-of-chicago.html
LITTLE BOY: 65 YEARS OF THE NUCLEAR BOMB IN HIROSHIMA http://felipeargotes.blogspot.com/2010/06/ples-lady-and-taung-child.html

martes, 10 de agosto de 2010

THE MAYA TESTAMENT OF STEVE ALTEN

By: Felipe Argote

Hun-Hanahpu
I was at first annoyed by the lies and exaggeration that Steve Alten used to justify the supposed prophecy of the Popol Vuh, the so called sacred book of the Mayas where supposedly prophesy the end of the world in December 2012 through cataclysms.

Then I opted for a provision to read just for what it is: a book of science fiction. Maya really is a language, not an adjective. The Spanish aliens decided to put the title of Maya to all those who spoke that language when they arrived to our continent lived in what is now Guatemala, part of southern Mexico and Honduras.

The Popol Vuh, the so called sacred book of the Mayas is also an invention. The book was written by a Catholic priest named Fray Francisco Ximenez in the seventeenth century, as he translated the so-called "book of the community” received from the Quiche Maya who had saved for many years. Thus the book contains some references, as well includes some contributions of the Spanish priest who makes the book in some parts like the Bible

Quetzlcoatl
In any case , viewed from the perspective of a science fiction novel "The Testament Maya" is very entertaining and original, is worthy of a Hollywood movie. It always seems much more imaginative version of Roland Emerich in the movie "2012, We Were Warned . "

All the movie version has to develop the argument is called the Mayan calendar long count. Alten however, develops an interesting argument from a couple of archaeologists, Julius Gabriel and Mary who are step by step discovering a series of clues that lead them to conclude that indeed the world is in danger of extermination and that their child is nothing less than Hun-Hunahpu, who according to Mayan mythology was the god of fertility and the ball game.

The son of Julius and Mary, with an IQ of 160 is held paranoid schizophrenic and confined in a sanatorium like a maximum security prison. A youg girl student psychiatrist falls in love with him and helps him escape so that, contrary to what she believed in, saves the world from apocalypse. On the way Mick, which is the name of the reincarnation of Hun-Hunahpu, makes love with her so Dominique became pregnant, who gave birth to the twin gods Xbalanque and Hunahpú.

Kukuxklan
The interesting copious 586 page book is that the author develops interesting elements such as the origin of life on the planet, taking in fact the theory of Russian Alexander Oparin, the writer of the famous book "The Origin of Life" and also takes elements from the very famous book by Stephen Hawking "From Big Bang to Big Crunch"

Of course that in Maya mythology, which is inherited from the Toltecs, including Kukuxklán, the feathered serpent, which is the same God Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs, does not appear anywhere the cataclysm, the end of the world, nor the trial end that appears in the Bible of the Jewish religion. Therefore, to read "The Mayan Testment" should be seen only as a historical book, a science fiction novel.

Steve Allen
Written in 2000, Steve Alten's novel predicts the first black president of the United States in 2012 would be from the Republican Party, after being vice president occupies the top position after the suicide of the president, in the midst of international crisis nuclear missiles

From this perspective I recommend "The Mayan Testament" by Steve Allen, for being an entertaining read, interesting, and imaginative.

LITTLE BOY

By Felipe Argote


CHURCHILL, ROOSEVELT Y STALIN
While in Potsdam, a town near Berlin in Germany, Joseph Stalin, Harry Truman and Clement Attlee, discussed the distribution of the planet, or rather the remains, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, in the desert of New Mexico United States ended late the last argument for the defeat of Germany and Japan. The conference was developing smoothly. It was the second part of the conference which began in February at Yalta. That is the reason it is generally referred as Yalta and Potsdam. But the actors of this conference had varied by 66 % compared to February in Yalta. Of the three, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, there was only the Russian dictator there. Franklin D. Roosevelt had died at his desk in Warm Springs, Georgia. He died of brain cancer, despite many years to grieve after surviving polio. Winston Churchill began the conference, but was later replaced by Clement Attlee, who had defeated him on the British elections.

In the midst of the conference Harry Truman discussed separately with Attlee and Stalin. He reported to both that U.S. had developed a lethal weapon of mass destruction. A few moments earlier he had received a telegram informing him that in Alamogordo, New Mexico, had been carried out successful test of a nuclear explosion equivalent to 20,000 tons of TNT.

Truman then sent a telegram on July 26 to Japan in which he requested their unconditional surrender, surrender to all territories outside Japan and threatened to prosecute military Nipponese leaders. This became known later as the Potsdam Declaration. He never mentioned the atomic bomb. Japan rejected the ultimatum, though they had lost all their possessions in the Pacific and expected land invasion. According to the agreements of Yalta the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and attacked him in Manchuria, northeastern China controlled by the Nipponese.

On August 6, 1945 began one sunny morning in Japan. In Hiroshima looked like the population was going to spend a normal morning in the plight of the war. This was one of the few large cities that had not been devastated by the B-29 which since 1944 dropped thousands of bombs on population centers of the Japanese islands. Its inhabitants had no idea that during the night had taken off three B-29 bombers. One of them was the Enola Gay piloted by Col. Paul Tibbets. The Colonel had put the airplane name on behalf of his mother. This bomber was wearing a uranium bomb named with the suggestive name of Little Boy. He was accompanied by two similar bombers, one carried scientifics and one with a camera crew.

At 8:15 a.m. the hell arrived from the air. First there was a flash with a white light such as magnesium, which blinded those who directly observed. Those who were nearby were vaporized. Some bodies were changed into a shadow on the pavement. Others were burned, turned to dust when touched. After that, a whirlwind destroyed everything in its path with temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius. Finally, acid black rain, full of radioactivity loaded bathed who remained alive. These would have a slow and painful death. 180,000 people died in Hiroshima, 100,000 at the time of the nuclear explosion and the rest in the following weeks. It was the most devastating attack in the history of mankind. The second took place three days later on Nagasaki. They killed 80,000 people, 50,000 at the time of the explosion of another bomb, this time of plutonium.

At 65 years of this extreme show of barbarism there is no argument to justify such a crime against humanity, killing men, women and especially innocent children in the stupidity of war.

lunes, 2 de agosto de 2010

BORINQUEN

By: Felipe Argote



I was tempted to expect a little more time to know better the island and its people before writing this article, but then I decided to write the first impression it gave to me at the arrival to this country so full of contradictions.
I got a surprise that Puerto Rico was not what I imagined, a Caribbean city like Panama, The Havana and Santa Marta. On the contrary, I found a city like Miami just with Puerto Ricans rather than Cubans. With JC Pennys , K mart , Sears and Macys. All connected by a network of highways. To get a taxi is not enough to stand on the street and raise your hand. _You must call it on the phone. To rent a car it took a row of two hours. In the hotel of 14 channels only 3 are in Spanish even though only 3% of the population is bilingual. This population is mostly white (80%) with a few Afro-Caribbean and no Indians. Although a recent study found that Puerto Ricans have in their high level of Taino DNA, the ancient inhabitants of the island and Guanche from the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

When the Spanish first arrived on the island was inhabited by the Taino Indians . They called Boriken or Borinquen. These were a very peaceful people that gave gold and necklaces of shells to the invaders as they saw them only as decorations. This attitude of the Tainos, contrasting with the Spanish barbarians who did not have the bath as part of their customs and disloyalty, treason, and the ill were part of their tradition, as well as tell their own stories, confused this hospitality with consider repeated stupidity that the natives believed they were gods.

Diego Salcedo was one of the first developed it by contacting the peaceful Taino commanded by the chief Agüeivaná decided to enslave them by forcing them to seek more gold. Such conduct after tamely decided to rebel against their oppressors drowning him in a river. The Spanish story says they did it to see if he was a god. The real story is that however noble the Tainos were not withstand the extreme cruelty of the Spanish who paid with his live for his greed.

Eventually, the huge Spanish technological advantage, their greed, their diseases and brutality eventually submit first and then extinguish the noble race of the Taino, whose genes are, as noted, still running through the veins of the current Puerto Rican.

Perhaps because of this meekness Puerto Rico is a town that has never known freedom, and independence. While since the early nineteenth century a large number of American territories got free from Spanish oppression, was not until 1868, with the “shout of Lares” given the attempted emancipation of the island, which was quickly controlled by the Spanish colonizers. Until 1897 Puerto Rico achieves the called “Charter of Autonomy”, which gives autonomy but not independence to the island by Spain, with the bad luck that exploits a year after the U.S. war against Spain which the nascent empire wrested the past colonial territories to the Spanish crown once invincible. Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Philippines become the property of the United States. As Cuba continues its identity and achieved independence and the Philippines achieved independence but loses some of its identity, as it was forced to change its Spanish language for English, Puerto Rico remains a colony status or something very similar. Cuba gained its independence in 1902 but with a level of U.S. intervention, the Philippines continued its war for independence that started against Spain, then against the United States, where they die more than a million Filipinos, but achieved independence in 1946. Puerto Rico was formed with its commonwealth status that it still possesses.

In the referendums that have been developed on the island to comment on their status or the majority voted to remain what it has termed commonwealth or have voted to become a star in the United States flag. In fact, the independence party has only managed in the last election by 2.5 % of the votes thus lost what they call franchise like a baseball team or a fast food restaurant. A superficial analysis will show the reason for this attitude.



In Borinquén live about 4 million people, although living in the United States four million Puerto Ricans. So it's a population slightly larger than Panama's very similar to that of Costa Rica.

BORINQUEN DESDES EL ESPACIO
While in Panama and Costa Rica Gross domestic product per capita is $ 7,000 a year in Puerto Rico is $ 18,000. While in Panama there are 25.000 teachers there are 42.000 in Puerto Rico much better paid. In Puerto Rico, 9.8% of the budget goes to university education.

Borinquen total GDP is U.S. $ 90.000 million. Nearly four times bigger than in Panama or Costa Rica. 44.5% of its GDP comes from industry, 55% of the service sector and only 0.5% of the primary sector. It has a trade surplus of 3.600 billion. Although it has a 16% unemployment and inflation of 14%.

Recently, with the bailout of the economy of the U.S. president Barack Obama has been directed toward an economic boost Puerto Rico in the order of 5.000 billion dollars. This is almost a quarter of Panama's GDP, and very similar to the 7.000 million it costs us the canal expansion.

LOSE LOSE

 By: Felipe Argote


Do not owe to rich neither promise to poor, my mom said in her infinite repertoire of proverbs. Such is the case of highways. During the election campaign in this cornucopia of promises when it became the presidential candidate and his campaign, promised a meter in three years, to lower the food basket, reducing unemployment and in turn inflation. Among a myriad of promises pledged to the nationalization of the runners and the gratuity of the same.

Reality is always richer than any theoretical scheme. But the five-year recurrence candidates promising the moon and the stars, but once exalted in power are dedicated to give excuses for the reasons that this same promises are not possible and that people over and over again believe them again is what moves to tenderness for the Panamanian electorate, not to use sadness at how shocking the term is.

But let’s talk about the highways.

It now appears that we the people are going to buy the highways more than double what we receive by 49 percent of the shares of the National Institute of Telecommunications, now Cable & Wireless.

To buy it the government is ready to spent part of the 1.200 million dollars from the Development Trust Fund, whose funds come from the privatization of INTEL and IRHE and some other minor sales. They come from state enterprises that cost more than twenty years to rise, we gave to foreign capital and at least the positive side, the government sold them, the Perez Balladares at least not spent these funds as if he did that of Guillermo Endara to the proceeds of the sale of Cemento Bayano. On the other hand was placed in a fund called the Development Trust with the ban by spending bill or current spending or investment spending disguised. However his interests were deposited to be spent in a institution called the FES. This institution quickly became a piñata for the incumbent government as Mireya Moscoso promised in the campaign to close it. On reaching the government she kept her promise: FES was closed but immediately opened the FIS (Social Investment Fund) with the same features as its immediate predecessor. Then the candidate Martinelli promised to close the FIS. On reaching the government decided that it was not so bad and we're still hoping to at least see the Audit promised.

It is now intended to dismember the fund devoted to buying some of the highways and the other party will come out of depositors' funds Social Security. It expects to pay $650 million for the northern highway corridor and 420 million for the southern highway for a grand total of 1.07 billion dollars.

This means that if the project fails we ran out of domestic savings and no retirement fund of thousands of Panamanians, with serious consequences for the country's financial situation. If the highways are profitable with the current pricing structure, so that users with high rates choked the corridors will not see an improvement in their situation and if prices come down the corridors to the satisfaction of users it won’t be profitable, so we lose our investment as a country.

To paraphrase Stephen R. Covey this is a lose lose situation.