What we need and what we got

Italy is in the middle of a huge economic crisis, it’s on the top of a 200+ billion euro national debt, it’s at the very bottom of all international economic charts when it comes to growth. To be all clear, we’re facing a major disaster here. A disaster that will not be limited by our borders since we’re still a pillar in the European Union and a key country in the economic world scene. Got the first picture?

What about China? (part one)

The passage of power in China has been completed with all the usual ceremonies and stuff, a well-oiled transition after six months of subterranean war between all the faction of Politburo. For Mr. Li Keqiang, the new premier, and for Mr. Xi Jinping, the new president, it’s time to set the course for their country and to face all the major issues that clouds China’s horizon.

The Ourobos in the State

For the few who doesn’t already know it, the Ourobos is an ancient image tied to many religions and to the concept of infinity. It’s a snake or a dragon that eats its tail, a full circle where start and end follow each other endlessy. It’s also a good rethoric figure, mostly used to describe cycles that are hard to break. Are there such cycles in a modern State? In my opinion, yes.  Last Thursday I was reading about how much is difficult in Japan to find day care for the children and how it’s still a cultural matter in that country, somewaht hard to believe in 2013 that women have to be eyed in a different way when it comes to work.

Italy got the same problem, in our country we are well under the number of day care position needed. This part of welfare is supplied by other members of the same family, usually grandparents, often with a lot of small and big issues about the safety of our children.  Once again the mother have to decide what to do about kids. Does she have to work to better support them and the whole family? Is it better to use all of her time and resources to directly take care of them? Does she have to share this burden with the grandparents, if any around, or trade a lot of her money to get hired help?

Maybe you can see it as a little problem. Maybe you don’t a family of your own, or you got enough money to get every service you may need. But if the focus of this problem is related to the State you may find another cycle, a depressing one. Investments in welfare are declining in most western countries, that means that less money is equivalent to a lower level of service, including the day care. So you have less women in the job market, less people that works in the day care centers, a growing social problem focused in the families area  and in the job area. With less workers you lose taxes too. That means less money to invest and more cuts…

Needless to say that this vicious cycles have to be breaked. How to find the money that a good welfare system needs? More cuts in other areas of the State spending? That could be good but could lead to another depressing cycle elsewhere. No, the answer is more and more complex. We need to rethink the basic of the State. Set back the clock to a time where the State exists in order to help its citizens, not to serve only global economic issues. We are the State. Not the corporations, not the international business players. We.