the autonomy of the Swedish courts

There have been a very surprising verdict by the Swedish Regeringsrätten regarding the Gaming monopoly in Sweden, they ruled in favour of the Swedish goverments continuation of gambling monopoly in Sweden against Ladbrokes.
The fact that the Swedish courts have no, I repeat no manouver room in this issue seems to be avoided by the courts totally. The whole verdict is an order from the Swedish goverment against free enterprise, they do not want anyone else get a piece of the action.

According to the Gambelli verdict already ruled by the EC-court, a goverment cannot forbid other companies to offer gambling where the goverment has their own company offering the same service in order to make money. Sweden is the most gambling people in Europe, wherever you go you see ads for gambling, Svenska Spel, the goverment gambling company offers games and bets for everything, no niche is to small or too vertical for them not to create a game to cater to that particular taste. They have TV-shows, TV-ads and newspaper ads, still the courts in Sweden claim that all this is not in order for the goverment to make money, but then what is it for?
Other European countries have much stricter rules regarding social responsibility for gamblers than Sweden, the whole purpose of the gambling monopoly is to make the goverment money, and they want to keep that cash cow.
Ladbrokes is taking this to the EU courts and there Sweden will get their fingers slapped, again.
Like so many times before policy is decide by the courts and not by politicians because they are just to slow and don't want to change things in accordance with the future, another brilliant example of this is the stubborn resistance in order to keep the pharmaceutical monopoly in Sweden, even after EU ruled it illegal and against EU law. Go figure, I hope Sweden will change gov't next election to a more progressive one, the one we have seems tired and unwilling to change.

Sincerely
Mr. Silence Dogood

Vacation

Hello faithful readers!

I'm off for a one weeks vacation in Bulgaria tomorrow morning, see you all when I am back.
No blogging for me for one week

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

A rant

Right, this blog will actually be a rant, not really a blog at all so if you happen to be French then you probably will not like it and if you are French and working for Air France you definitely will not like it.

It all started with my new boss getting me the ticket for Hong Kong, for some reason unbeknownst to me he bought a ticket for Air France via Charles De Gaulle to Hong Kong, I felt the first tremours of angst when I got the email, but ah well... What could go wrong.
Since I am travelling to stay at HK for a long time I was bringing more baggage than for a vacation, still not to much though, just two suitcases with clothes weighing in at around 20 kg a piece, I had also been a good boy and called ahead to say that I did have a wee bit more baggage than normal, "pas de probleme" the woman answered me on the phone, I know I shouldn't have believed that...

Arriving at the airport and my first encounter with Air France personnel in some years, and these were actually Swedes so they at least looked sorry when thay said I in no way could bring two bags across, I had to leave one or pay excess baggage charge wich would be 25 Euro pewr kg over, times 22 kg since that was the overwight of the bags...
I mentioned I had called ahead and they said I didn't, I think I would know but hey, I'm just the customer. So I had to ask my friend to return with one of my bags, put some stuff in my carry on, which by the way got some suspicious looks.
Getting to Paris and Charles De Gaulle airport (one of the worst airports in the world barred Bucharests Henri Coanda International Airport, noone is standing there greeting passenegers with connecting flights, of course not that would actually be a service...

I walk around trying to find my terminal, however common in France is to put the signs behind so you need to walk forward looking over your shoulder since they hide the sign, although I did manage to find my way, only went too far once which must be considered good. Arriving at the check in an hour prior to departure I find it empty, after some time I actually find a person to talk to however being in France working at an International airport at the terminal for non European flights and with a customer service bag (that's an oxymoron) she of course only spoke French, took a while to explain and after she understood she simply stated that the gate is closed and I would probably miss the flight, that I just came in on a Air France connecting flight seemed to escape this particular woman. After some time of arguing and me starting to get annoyed she actually agreed to check me in, although begrudgingly, I was late. I knew I should have gone on SAS instead.

Finally inside, since I was parched I needed a drink, so I walk up and down the terminal to look for something to drink, everything is closed, seemed I couldn't get any, people , well the few that actually spoke english at this International airport, told me there were stores, yes I said but they are closed and I am thirsty, oh there is a vending machine. Right, me off to find said vending machine, I went to places noone dared venture before but alas, no machine. Time to get on the flight.

The flight to HK was not too bad, just the usual French people doing really French things. But at least I got there.

Now it was time to go home, In HK you can check in at the Airport Express train station, this worked without problem since the staff there actually work for several airlines and I got a person that actually attended the seminar on customer service, everythign worked smooth until I got to Charles de Gaulle, again I was reminded why no one should ever go Air France, or at least avoid Charles de Gaulle airport.

Yet again no one is speaking english, even when I ask them in english they seem oblivious to that fact and answer me in French, although I undserstand French I am still baffled about this behaviour. Wearing a t-shirt that by some could be viewed as pro US I apparently was singled out for some closer inspection at the security checkpoint, I found this odd since nothing beeped when I passed through and the border guards when I arrived seemed to have little to no interest in actually checking my passport.
So a little going through the backpack plus a patdown before they let me in to take my flight to Stockholm again, I thought I'd sit down and read with a coffe before getting on the flight, but no!!! There are no stores or cafes in there, I have to be on the outside to get that...
so back out to get a coffe, had my first cup started writing this and oh I ordered a refill, still waiting for it twenty minutes later. Customer service, ya, not in France.

Ah well, suffice to say I will cut up my Air France card when I get home and I swear next time I have to get to France I will take the car, or the train.

Sincerely
Me

The strange solution

Hi Folks

I am sorry my posts are a bit far apart, I have just moved halfway across the world from Sweden to Hong Kong and there are just too many things to do and find out above work that I simply don't have the time to post every day.
When I get settled in I'll be better about it, promise.
In the meantime...

They are currently building a Disneworld here in Hong Kong, nothing bad about that, however I did come across a strange note in todays South China Post. Apparently disneyworld, being in China and all will serve sharkfin soup on the premises, since sharks are (should?) be a protected species there is a lobbygroup/environmentaist group that has lobbied Disney to remove the item from the menus.
Now how does Disney respond? As I see it there are two responses to this.
1. Remove sharkfin soup from the menu, it's not like people won't be able to eat it outside Disney.
2. Ignore the group and go on as usual.

So what does Disney do?
They will keep the item on the menu but they will distribute a leaflet to everyone ordering the meal telling that person it is not really good to eat that dish...

Just when you thought people couldn't get any more stupid Disney goes and does somethign like this.
Why spam people with pamflets they are not going to read? And isn't the damage to the environment already done when they have the sharkfin soup in stock? It doesn't really matter to the shark then if one out of ten says, oh by the way, scrap that order...

Well, well... the path of mediocracy I guess.

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

Tabloid logic

The Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet proudly exclaims today that the Norwegians wants the union with Sweden back, the union was disolved in 1905 after a referendum in Norway.
So, you ask yourself, how many wants the union back?
10 percent of the Norwegians are positive to the union, yes you read correctly, 10 percent.

Gosh golly batman! what will happen next?
I guess this means that Swedes want the communist to run the country? I mean they do have almost 8 percent of the vote...

Let's just ignore the small majority (90%) that feels otherwise...
It wouldn't be news I guess, well tabloids don't really have any quality standards to live up to I guess.

A woman for the times

Very interesting piece in todays Times Online regarding Hillary Clintons positioning for the 2008 presidential race, she is now leading the bettingfirms odds to get the Democratic nomination 4-1.
I think it is about time we will see a woman as the most powerful person in the world and I feel Hillary will be good at it. Let's see if the American public is ready, I believe that the Presidential race of 2008 will be the most interesting race in a long time. And what if Condoleeza Rice decided to race for the Republicans?
Two women going for the US presidency, ahh times are a-changing, and all for the better.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1641086,00.html

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

Forced equality maintains inequality in society

I am reading the excellent book In defence of Global Capitalism, in the book Johan refers to several surveys and papers that shows how the inequality in a society decreases in a proportion to how little a goverment is trying to equalise.

So in a socialistic state that uses tax and legislation to actually equalise incomegaps in the society will keep these gaps for a longer time than a liberal state that does not try to equalise incomes. Simple huh?

Gut feelings on this, do you agree or not?

My thoughts are that it does make sense, if you let people make money they will eventually make money, all of them. The more rules and the harder it is to make money, equally less people will make money.
The corepoint in the argument is also how easy it is to actually own things, how strong is the protection of ownership and also how easy it is to start up your own business. Less ownership protection and more beaurocrats, less affluence and more poverty.

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

For all the wrong reasons

So after the French Non and the Dutch Nee it is time to look at what will happen, from Alicios Blog I find the following tidbits of information.

Polls from France are showing that 71% of the poulace wants the EU integration to continue.
Reasons why people voted no are:
1. Increase in unemployment
2. Dissatisfaction with goverment policies
3. Desire to renegotiate the constitution
4. Constitution too complex
5. Constitution too liberal

People didn't vote against the constitution, they voted against the interor policies of France and the sitting goverment. On third place is a real reason, the fourth place is just a show of laziness and yet another reason not to have a referendum. Fifth place is just the commies and hardcore anarchists that say I guess.

Reactions from both sides of the fence are optimistic, the left says this will give EU a chance to now include all the Social commitments that Europe should do and the Liberals see this as a chance to make the Constitution about Freedoms and not how to force equalised incomes.
Personally I feel we have missed a chance to make EU a more democratic institution, the constitution had a seceeding clause, a clause to call for majority votes, a clause to introduce the possibility for people to require change (a million signatures on a declaration would force the parliament to take up the issue). EU is now also closed for any more members after Romania and Bulgaria joins in 2007, Turkey will just have to wait.

There is a chance for the EU to still press on with parts of the constitution even though Holland and France voted no, this is why Brussels is urging all countries to continue the ratification progress. The lesser know Declaration 30 can be invoked if less than one fifth of the member countries votes no (five members). Then the matter will be referred to the European council and we can pick and choose things.

Question is how people would react to this plan.

Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

Bigbrother is coming

I can't tell how this legislation has slipped me by, it is such a violation of personal integrity and still it hasn't created any debate. By pure chance I stumbled upon this piece of proposed legislation of data retention for SMS, phoneconversations, datatraffic and other personable identifiable information.

I find it tragic that we silently accept this intrusion by the goverment, I find it abhorrable that politicians actually propose this kind of legislation that only should be introduced in a bigbrother society where the rulers are afraid of their own citizens. I refuse to have all my actions recorded, they have no right to make this intrusion in what I do.

I call on everyone that reads this to protest and object to this piece of proposed legislation. Write you MEP, call your primeminister/president or simply stand outside goverment and tell them what you think of this.
Five countries in EU stand behind this law, one of them is Sweden.
We need to get rid of these Socialists that wants to have total control over the citizens of the otherwise free Europe.

All the politicians that stood and critized the US PATRIOT Act and now support this, shame on you, I can't see any larger double standard than this, shame on you.

Read more at:




Sincerely
Mr Silence Dogood

Cold in Sweden

At 23.59.56 (EST) last night Barsebäck nuclear power plant was shutdown. The shutdown is part of the plan to end all use of nuclear power in Sweden due to a horrible referendum in the 70's where people had three(?) choices Yes, No and Well...
Of course in tradition with the Swedish way of life, people chose well in the referendum.
The green party has pushed real hard for this to happen even though the public opinion has turned to favour keeping the nuclear power, back in the 70's people believed that alternative sources of energy would come soon but now we can see that the only option we have to keep us warm in the wintertime is to import electricity from Poland and Russia and I can promise you they don't give a rats ass about the environment, it's all energy from coalplants or unsafe nuclear plants like the Ignalina in Lithuania.

So what are we to do now next winter if we don't have our own sources of energy? Will the green party go out and cut down trees so I can be warm? Because I will not freeze and I would rather have the nuclear energy than the Brown coal energy we are stuck with now. I must say thank you to the hippies of the 70's and the muppets of the Green party in Sweden, you have finally made it, our world will be a little more polluted from today.

Sincerely
Mr SIlence Dogood