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Archive for February, 2008

Delocalization

By: psr, 2008-02-10

“Delocalization”: a term used to refer to companies moving factories or other operations from their usual locations to new ones.

People (politicians included) like to complain about companies “delocalizing”, and taking jobs away from their region (be it a town, province, country or a continent). They love to argue that the departing company is only moved by profit and has no sensibility for society and the local community.

However, “delocalization” is actually an illusion built on the illusion that things will not or should not change.

Businesses (whether a local business or a multinational opening a new factory or branch) establish themselves in a particular location, at a particular point in time, when it is in their interest. Likewise, new conditions may drive the …

2008-02-10 | Economy - World | Trackback | 1 Comment »

Permissive, clumsy, damaging policy

By: psr, 2008-02-10

Year 2002: The Spanish Government, with support from the opposition, introduces new legislation to ban political parties which support, in one form or another, terrorism. The new laws were drafted quite clearly with political party Batasuna in mind. This party, linked to criminal band ETA, had representation in the Basque parliament, receiving public funds which ended up supporting ETA’s terrorist activities.

Year 2004: National elections to the Spanish Government: The PSOE (socialist party), until then the opposition party, became the party in power.

Year 2005: Local Basque elections took place. Batasuna, already declared illegal for supporting terrorist activity, could not run in this election. However, a new party, PCTV (EHAK by its Basque name), ran for office, despite it being heir to the …