Keep the Judicial Power independent

I couldn't agree more with Paula Teixeira da Cruz, in her latest intervention at the Conselho Superior da Magistratura latest conference - we need to keep the Judicial power independent from external influences, including political ones.

Taxes and Freedom

Every time we pay a tax, that money is spent not in something that we directly choose, but in something that is chosen for us. From that point of view, a tax is a restrictor of Freedom. And, without questioning its need, this is one of the reasons why taxation should be as lower as possible and its money as well spent as possible, as well. This is at the root of good Governance. Never forget it. 

This is it. Period.

"Religion doesn't require others to adhere to rules. It only requires its believers to adhere to them." - Ian Bremmer

Portugal @ Olympics

It is rather captivating to watch Portugal's evolution in the Olympics over time. In the beginning, our medal hopes were placed in elite sports (horse-riding, sailing), then it evolved to the long-distance athletics (Marathon, the 5000 and 10000m running - that required guts and suffering from people's athletes) and in the last 20 years and nowadays, they lay at technical sports. Does this hint anything about my country?

Trump's inheritance

Wrote David Frum, at The Atlantic:

American exceptionalism

"This is something Americans often get wrong. We think because we are America, everything will work itself out. This is exactly what the Founding Fathers refused to believe. They thought human nature is such that you have to constrain it by institutions. They preferred Rule of Law and checks and balances. They were the opposite of American exceptionalists." - Timothy Snyder

The future is, sometimes, just across the door

If you are at a technology conference and you don't go and watch some startup pitches, you are losing 70% of what is going to happen - most corporate speakers will talk about past achievements, if you want a glimpse of the possibilitis of the future, that's on the startups decks and word.