Behind the numbers there are people

Contributed To hellasfrappe by Protesilaos Stavrou
PS Protesilaos Stavrou

In my world view about society, speaking of aggregates, of abstractions, can only be useful in formulating theories and in elaborating on ideas and concepts that help us understand the world in relatively simple terms. Aggregates and abstractions cannot become safe guidelines for policy, since they are misleading, as they conceal the individual forces that make them up.

Thus the title of this article "Behind the numbers there are people", which however is profoundly different from the kind of slogans we often hear from various interest groups, who only care about how to secure their privileges or forward their agendas, always in the name of protecting "the people".

Individuals matter. The decisions, the tastes and preferences, the incentives and motives of every single one of us, matter. The society, the economy, the nation are nothing more than abstractions that do not exist in isolation from their constituent members.

For policy to be sound, to be effective and productive, these individual, decentralized forces must be taken into serious consideration. Yet policy has often proved to be ignorant of these dynamics, always looking at aggregate indices instead.

And indeed this is where I identify much of the trouble that originates from: (1) regulations that create adverse effects and produce perverse incentives, (2) the persistent inability of policy-makers to address real world issues, in a definite and effective way.

It is upon this fundamental principle that I have always established my opposition to policies, proposals, arguments that speak of aggregates, of abstractions, as if these were coherent entities that operate in a universally understandable and predictable way. It is for that reason that I am highly skeptical of macro-economics or any other field of study that deals with things from a macro perspective.

In the European Union, just like in most centers of power in the world, policy-makers often base their decisions on generalities, not particularities, thus missing the picture. Should I remind you of the Stability and Growth Pact, the set of macroeconomic criteria that guarantee accession of a member-state to the eurozone? A pact that has obviously failed in its cause, since it was established on misguided macroeconomic magnitudes. Or the bailouts to individual states, without any prior study of the micro-economic forces that are characteristic in each industry?  Have policy-makers considered the specifics of each case? Or should I speak of the fiscal compact and its absurd provisions, such as the "structural deficit"?

Demand for the sake of demand, or austerity for the sake of austerity represents a dogmatic devotion to numbers that omits the single most important aspect of human society: the forces that shape our choices, our preferences and our actions.

These are the questions that policy-makers need to answer before making any decision. Alas this is not usually the case, hence we get what we deserve...

The world is complex, trying to make it simple in order to intervene in it, in order to shape it, dictate it, change it; is naive, foolish and at times counter-productive or even harmful.

Behind numbers there are people. And people are unpredictable.

CONSPIRACY - Mass Arrests of 10.000 Global Cabal Members (VIDEO)

Talk about conspiracy stories. A new video is making waves on the internet claiming that very soon, we will witness mass arrests of the many criminal cabal members. The arrests, says a transcript in the video, will mean the removal of the final obstacles that will allow for the implementation of the new abundance systems that are ready to immediately free humanity from the current economy and its falsely imposed conditions of debt and poverty. It claims that there have been many men and women dedicated to this cause who have been working diligently in secret for years to bring us to this moment and are so eager to present to humanity the new system that will immediately redistribute abundance to all of humanity and release humanity from the mundane life it has known. Freedom is to be returned to the people. It also adds that the release of technologies and other suppressed elements that are to be introduced will follow to assist this transition and the news of these mass arrests will come sudden and come hard, and many whom are unprepared with an understanding as to why may feel shocked and confused to witness so many taken into custody. The transcript also notes that these men and women, how ever, have served for the perpetuation of your enslavement and all have actively taken part in serious crimes against the people

Shockingly it also says that certain big media groups have agreed to cover these events and assist in the disclosure timeline. These arrests will be televised and fully shared with you for it is owed to the people of the world that they witness the very moments and actions taken that will mean your release from the control of these many people whom have for so long worked to serve the control and exploitation of humanity.  This manipulation will end and humanity will enter into a new life, notes the author in the video and underlines that now we can look upon these arrests without fear and acknowledge what they mean for your world.

If the article is true, then wouldn't that be something...

Greeks Working Abroad Exempted From Presumed Minimum Income

Greek citizens that have permanent jobs (and residence) abroad are going to to be exempted from the presumed minimum income established for all Greek tax payers in a 2010 tax law, the finance ministry announced said in an announcement. The law has been amended with legislation attached to law 3943 passed in 2011. The change was made following letters of protest sent to the ministry by Greek employed in Germany, who were asked to pay additional tax for a 'presumed income' by the taxation office for Greeks abroad, in addition to income tax they had paid in Germany. Under the 2010 law, a single tax payer is assumed to have a minimum annual income of at least 3,000 euro, while that for a couple has been set at 5,000 euro. On this basis, Greeks living in Germany that had property in Greece or received rent from a property were required to pay tax on this minimum presumed income.

Restoration Plan For Ancient Theater Of Dodoni (VIDEO)

One of the largest ancient theatres is that of Dodoni, the restoration of which has been mulled by the Culture Ministry for many decades. It is a fact that the Dodoni Theatre, near Ioannina in northwestern Greece, which was built in the 3rd century B.C., has suffered a large number of alterations as well as natural damages that have altered its initial form, with the main contributors being the extreme weather conditions prevailing in the area and changes made to the monument during the Roman era, in which the theatre was converted into an arena, as well as restorations made in 1960 which gave shape once again to the devastated monument, but not always in the best way. Moreover its opening to public and operation for approximately three decades added extra problems to the already existing ones.

However, since 2002, the monument has been closed to spectators, and after a plethora of studies, autopsies and recommendations for solutions to the major problem faced in restoring the Theatre, mainly the fragile ancient material, the Theatre is now undergoing restoration with the 'blessings' of the Central Archaeological Council, which gave the thumbs up for the project after inspecting the work carried out on one section of the Theater in a pilot stage.  (ΑΜΝΑ)

Greece Guest Country At 21st Cairo Int'l Film Festival For Children

The 21st annual Cairo International Children's Film Festival opens at the Cairo Opera House on March 23, with Greece as the guest country of honour and the participation of 60 countries. The guest personality at this year's Festival, which runs through March 30, is renowned Greek sociologist, children's books author and criminology professor at Reading University, Dr. Eugene Trivizas.

The opening ceremony will take place on March 23 at the Cairo Opera House's main hall. The competition section of the Festival contains 30 feature films for children up to 14 years of age (fiction), 30 short documentary and educational films and 55 cartoon films from around the world produced in the last two years.

Greek film screenings will include "The Child and the Tree" by Panagiotis Reppas and Eugene Trivizas, "The Children are Not Playing" by Angeli Andrikopoulou and Argyris Tsepelikas, and "The Village" by Stelios Polychronakis.

A dedication to Greek children's cinema will be held in the contest of the Festival, with a selection of 11 of the best Greek films for children of the last few years to be screened at several venues in the Egyptian capital, in collaboration with the Greek Center for Cinema, while workshops for children will also be held. While in Cairo for the Festival, Trivizas will meet with pupils of the local Greek Schools at a special event. (AMNA)

German Police To Combat Illegal Immigrants

A cooperation of Greek and German police with illegal immigrants as the background is going to take place… In fact, the leader of the Greek Police, Nikolaos Papagiannopoulos met with the leader of the German Federal Police Matthias Seeger, in the context of bilateral relations between the two police forces in order to strengthen police cooperation on the issue of illegal immigration.

During the meeting, the Greek side presented the National Action Plan to handle migratory flows and the Special Operation plan to counter illegal immigration, through the International airports of Athens and Thessaloniki. In addition, a reference was made in cooperation with Frontex and the German Federal police’s contribution through the European Agency itself.

At the meeting, they jointly decided to strengthen the bilateral cooperation and exchange of Police Liaisons of the International airports of both countries, for purely advisory tasks. On its part, the German Federal Police’s leader supported the Greek position on the readmission of Greek-Turkish agreement.

The visit of the head  of the German Police, will continue with his transition to the region of Evros, where he will be meeting with the chief officers in the area, namely the Police Director General of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and the Police Managers of Police Directorates of Orestiada and Alexandroupoli. (AMNA)

Europa League: Olympiakos - Metalist 1-2 (Highlights)

Ολυμπιακός vs Μέταλιστ 1-2 | Match Highlights από pklora7