The case about Hungary

March 31, 2020April 9, 2020

The case about Hungary

As of today, 31 March 2020, Hungary is no longer a democratic country. This raises at least four major questions in search for answers. Let’s give it a try based on previous research I have produced on this topic (you may follow the links provided).

What did happen in Hungary yesterday?

On Monday, 30 March 2020, the Hungarian parliament voted by a two-thirds supermajority to hand over its legislative powers to prime minister Viktor Orbán allowing him to rule by decree without a set time limit. The pretext was taking emergency measures to address the coronavirus crisis; but the real aim, and final result, was the death of democracy in an EU country. For, at bottom, Hungary’s parliamentary democracy is now officially dead. Continue reading “The case about Hungary”

March 29, 2020April 9, 2020

Κατάρρευση και ελπίδα

Δημοσιεύτηκε στην Καθημερινή της Κυριακής, 29 Μαρτίου 2020,

Τάκης Παππάς και Στέφανος Παππάς

Στο βιβλίο του με τον τίτλο Κατάρρευση, ο Τζάρεντ Ντάϊαμοντ εξετάζει ένα πλήθος κοινωνιών, άλλων αρχαίων και άλλων περισσότερο σύγχρονων, που οδηγήθηκαν σε ιστορική εξαφάνιση, αλλά οι πανδημίες απουσιάζουν από αυτό ως αιτία κοινωνικής κατάρρευσης. Όπως εξηγεί ο συγγραφέας, οι κοινωνίες πεθαίνουν από συνδυασμούς πέντε παραγόντων, τους οποίους απαριθμεί ως εξής: μεγάλης έκτασης οικολογικές καταστροφές, δραματικές κλιματικές αλλαγές, η παρουσία αρπακτικών γειτόνων, η απουσία ισχυρών συμμάχων, και η αδυναμία των ίδιων των κοινωνιών να διατηρήσουν αλώβητους τους θεσμούς τους σε συνθήκες γενικευμένης κρίσης.

Continue reading “Κατάρρευση και ελπίδα”

March 23, 2020April 6, 2020

Seven takeaways from the first phase of covid-19 pandemic. Updated continuously

Thursday, March 19, 2020. TODAY IN THE NEWS:

The death toll in Italy soared to 3,405 surpassing China’s total as Europe and the rest of the world braced for a surge of new cases.

Panic grows as the number of U.S. cases exceeds 10,000.

The State Department is expected to advise Americans to refrain from travel abroad.

The U.S. tested its pandemic response last year and found significant problems.

As China reports zero local infections, a new study finds the death rate in Wuhan was lower than previously thought.

Takeaway #1 [19/3]: Evidently, there can be no coordinated response against pandemics at global level.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is tasked to do so but it cannot force countries to play by international rules. And, indeed, what we saw in the case of Covid-19 is that everywhere countries, large as well as small ones, took the decision to close their borders and try to isolate themselves from the outside world.

Continue reading “Seven takeaways from the first phase of covid-19 pandemic. *Updated continuously*”