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The pursuit of the ideal pension scheme | the social science post. More than one century ago, states started to play a role in the provision of old-age pensions. Pension systems are one of the main welfare policies both historically and in budgetary terms. Initially they were restricted programs targeted to certain groups of workers, which in fact enjoyed better economic conditions than others because of this.

The first complete scheme of pension coverage was approved in Germany in 1889, driven by Otto von Bismarck. Capital principles of this scheme are the public compulsion to participate, its contribution-financed nature, the focus on work (you get covered for this allowance once you have contributed with your wage) and the lack of progressive aims―on the contrary, this model tries to protect the consumption path of clients over their last years, maintaining differences between workers intact. This scheme has been adopted by a majority of European continental countries and by the USA.

Today’s situation is much more challenging though. Figure 1. The truth about lobbying: 10 ways big business controls government | Politics. What does a tax-avoiding, polluting, privatising corporation have to do to get its way with the British government? "We all know how it works," said David Cameron of lobbying. But do we? Lobbyists are the paid persuaders whose job it is to influence the decisions of government. Typically, they operate behind closed doors, through quiet negotiation with politicians.

And the influence they enjoy is constructed very consciously, using a whole array of tactics. Lobbyists operate in the shadows – deliberately. Here are the 10 key steps that lobbying businesses will follow to bend government to their will. 1. Lobbyists succeed by owning the terms of debate, steering conversations away from those they can't win and on to those they can. Everybody's doing it, including lobbyists for fracking and nuclear power, public sector reform and bank regulation. 2. The trick is in knowing when to use the press and when to avoid it. Get the messaging wrong and you get fiascos such as High Speed 2 (HS2). 3. Files/BoboLo_Shevtsova_web.pdf.

Www.stanleyfoundation.org/publications/pab/Jones_PAB_410.pdf. Www.stanleyfoundation.org/publications/pab/Jones_PAB_410.pdf. THE NEW SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA. Today’s multinational seed companies are scrambling to take control of African seed systems. Global agrochemical and fertiliser corporations are also pushing their products on farmers. To find out more about WDM’s agribusiness campaign click here The scramble for Africa saw European colonisers carve up most of the continent’s land and extract valuable natural resources. Seed andchemicalsSeed andagrichemicalsFertiliser andexplosives To invest US$50 million to expand its operations over the continent over the next ten years.

To invest US$500 million to expand to a US$1 billion business in Africa over the next 10 years. Looking to spend up to $2billion to get a foothold in east Africa by building a large chemical factory. GM and hybrid seeds are patented and this forces small-scale farmers to become dependent on purchasing these seeds year after year as they are not allowed to save or exchange them. El estado como empresa de seguros. Una de mis definciones preferidas del papel del estado en las sociedades modernas es de Ezra Klein, hablando del gobierno federal americano: “an insurance conglomerate protected by a large, standing army“.

En traducción pedestre, el estado es una compañía de seguros con tanques, y lo es por un buen motivo. Una compañía de seguros, esencialmente, vende protección contra lo improbable. Un accidente de coche o un incendio es algo que no sucede a menudo, pero que tiene consecuencias catastróficas si lo sufrimos y no estamos preparados. Como es básicamente imposible ahorrar suficiente contra cualquier posible desgracia que puede afectarnos, lo que hacemos es contratar una póliza a una aseguradora, y esta hace dinero a base de difuminar riesgos a base de proteger mucha gente. Cuando hablamos del papel del estado desde la izquierda, es importante recordar que este, y no otro, es la principal trabajo de cualquier gobierno socialdemócrata.

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