--- turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Today is a holiday in France and, to tell the truth, most of the
> Northern Hemisphere. The only exception seems to be the United States,
> which abandoned the holiday during the Cold War. They were fearful that
> if they celebrated it they'd be called Commies (due to the holiday's
> association with International Worker's Day), so they created Labor Day
> on another day entirely. Yet another proof that paranoia is its own
> punishment. :-)
>
> The holiday is, of course, much older than Communism, tracing its roots
> back to pre-Christian traditions (another reason the uptight Americans
> eschewed it), and celebrating the Celtic/Pagan goddess Flora, ruler of
> flowers. In France, way back in 1561, King Charles IX received a lily on
> that day, and being the superstitious cuss he was, considered it a good
> omen. So he developed the custom of giving lilies to the women of the
> court, a tradition that persists to this day. All over Paris there will
> be stands selling lilies, which you are supposed to buy and give to the
> women in your life. I plan to do the same thing today, buying a big
> bouquet of lilies and giving them to the women I find attractive.
> Especially the frowny ones...there is always the chance that a flower
> from a stranger can bring a smile to their faces, and that's worth
> taking a chance on.
>
> So here's wishing a happy May Day to all FFLers. Or, for our Nordic
> contingent, a happy Walpurgisnacht to Nabby and a happy Walpurgis Night
> to Card.
I am sure your gesture is well appreciated here. It's a big
day in asia as well.
The point is kind words alone are not enough. What is
really needed is a paradigm shift in the way we view the
political process itself.
Norway seems to have struck a good balance between political
ideology and economic ideology.
The US and Britain insist and persist in using a mercenary
political system in which the lawmakers represent their
sponsors and not the people.
Narrow vested interests try to step into the political space
and hijack the political system. Powerful corporate
intrests want to keep status quo and use this dogmatic,
obsolete political system.
Nothing in the universe is static. All things change, mutate
and evolve. We evolve better systems only for our survival.
********
When a political-party receives funds from corporates and
private vested interests. It's ethics and loyalty to the
republic gets compromised on a subtle level. It happens
unconsciously and it's not apparent on the surface.
In Norway, Government funding accounted for 68 per cent of
'political parties' income in the election year 2011.
http://www.ssb.no/partifin_en/
Here are some excerpts from the website below.
http://www.idea.int/political-finance/country.cfm?cc=NO
19. Are there provisions for direct public funding to
political parties?
In Norway, registered political parties at national level
have been subsidised by the state since the early
1970s.
Parties at local and county level of have received state
subsidies since 1975.; Over recent decades the funding
provided to parties has undergone a significant
increase.
20. If there are provisions for direct public funding to
political parties, what are the eligibility criteria?
P 7, "The funding is based on the amount of votes a
national, county or local party/party unit has
received in the most recent elections at national, regional
or local level. At national level, political
parties may apply to the Ministry of Government
Administration for government grants.;
These government grants are divided into
;called vote support (90 percent of the total annual funding
provided) and basic support (10 percent of the total annual
funding provided).; Vote support is provided in
proportion to the amount of votes the political party
received in the respective elections.; No threshold exists
for receiving vote support.;
Basic support is provided to political parties at national
level which have received at least 2.percent of the votes in
the last national election or had at least 1 representative
elected to the Storting (Section 11 PPA).;"
> To our UK friends, I wish you a happy Beltane, and hope that
> you don't scorch your balls if you're jumping over a bonfire naked later
> tonight in a fit of Pagan revelry. :-) Even some Canadians celebrate May
> Day, so here's a virtual lily extended to Ann and Robin, even though I
> don't expect it to cause either of them to smile.
>
> I don't think we have any Hawaiians on FFL, but if we have a few
> lurking, I wish them a happy Lei Day. May you all enjoy a hula or two,
> and get happily Lei'd at the end of the day.
>
> For the Americans, well, there's not much one can do. For them, it's
> just another work day like any other, and chances are that even being
> handed a flower by a stranger wouldn't lighten it. Someday I hope that
> the country gets over its belief that May Poles are for shoving up one's
> ass and leaving them there permanently, and learns that they are for
> dancing around.
>
