Unpaid internships: exploitation or a consequence of modern trends?

One of the biggest consequences of the current crisis was the incredible increase in the unemployment rate across almost all over the world, and both in the developed and developing countries.
All groups of people were highly affected: the youngers with no experience, the olders with years or even decades of experience, the people with higher education or with the basic education.
However, even being dramatic for the people in the 40's or 50's to find a new job or to change their careers, in my oppinion the problem is even bigger within the youngers, especially those with higher education, because after completing their studies and doing their part of the task, our current society is not corresponding with the other part. But, even not being the fault of the youngers, the reality is that they are who is really suffering the most.
The companies don't want to waste time teaching the youngers, especially because they see that, what the students learn on college is too far away from the reality. Also the recession and the increase in the retirement age don't allow the economy to create enough vacancies for the youngers who are starting to join the labour market.
So we are facing a very hard dilemma: the youngers want and need to find a job, and the labour market can't give them one. What is the solution for this dilemma? On one side we have the youngers, desperate to find a job and to show they value, ready to do anything and to obtain some work experience. On the other side we have the companies that, even the recession and the increase in the retirement age, they always need new employees, But, since the main goal of any company is to maximize the profits, by reducing the costs, the best way to achieve it, is by subcontract and explore the workforce. And the better way to do that, is by the unpaid internships.

Some years ago, before the beggining of the current crisis, this could be seen as an abuse. However, the arguments used now turn it in the best way for the youngers to enter the labour market.
I can admit that one paid internship can be a good way to enter the labour market and to know how the labour market really works. I even made one on holidays. But when the internship is not a summer internship? And when it's lenght is more than 3 or even 6 months? And when the youngers  take not only one but many more unpaid internships? What about the many youngers that arrives to the 30's only doing unpaid internshiops without any permament job?
The argument of "a unpaid position to help the yungers to adapt themselves to the labour market" is not valid anymore? And in fact, it was never valid. The companies are trying to turn the fresh graduates in some kind of some illiterate people, like if they don't even know how to use a computer, how to make mental calculus, or to take care of some tasks. It's true that there is a gap between what is learnt on the college and what is the reality, but that doesn't mean that the graduates are so unable like rocks with diplomas. And a 3 month placement can be used as an argument for the experimental period. And what about the longer internships?
Is it really necessary so much time to learn the tasks, especially when the intern is working always in the same department, in the same team and even doing the same tasks?

The other argument used by the companies is the fact that the interns don't create value for the company, and the comapnies are loosing money and time teaching the interns.
To answer this, we need to analyze what the interns do in the company. Do they start to take important and full of responsabilities tasks? The answer is obvious! But even being the less important tasks, that abyone want to do, they are still necessary for the company's activity.
And no one needs so much time to understand and to make the tasks right!

To conclude, more than never, the unpaid internships are a consequence of the current crisis. And until the power of decision is not balanced between the demand and the supply of work, they will still persist.
Probably the youngers don't have other choice than accept them. But of course, there are limits. When the life, the safety and the respect by the intern are not fullfiled. Even not receiving a salary, the unpaid interns should nottake some situations that don't respect his integrity.
There are a line, beyond it's really considered slavery.

Eurovision in Copenhagen 2014: after-show analysis (II)

Let me analyze now the second semifinal.

This was the semifinal with the most difficult predicitions, since only a few countries are used to make a presence in the grand final. I'm talking about Greece and Romania, which really advanced to the grand final, even thought I need to admit with weaker performances than usual. Especially Romania: there was lots of expectation about the duet Paula &Ovi, but I was very disapppointed with the performance. The same for Greece: I'm glad they changed the style, like last year, but I knew that the juries wouldn't rank the greek entry very high.
As for the other qualifiers, I was expecting the qualification of Norway (Carl really gave a great performance and brought lots of emotion for the stage), Poland (especially due to the public which appreciated such "happy" performance! I didn't like the english part, but it was very funny to see the performance) and Finland (due to the unique style in this semifinal and to the power and energy brought by the band).
As for the others, everything was unknow. Like the previous years Malta was unfairly benefited by juries and Belarus by the public. The first song was to simple and without a climax, and the second was to "plastic" and empty of emotions, and a little bit ridiculous.
I had two positive surprises: the qualification of Switzerland and Slovenia. I was happy for the qualification of these two countries, which rarely advance to the grand final. Both had great peformances on stage. And finally the controversial performance of Conchita. If at the beginning (weeks before the show) many expected a non-qualification of Austria, the tru was that his popularity was growing a lot. This allied to a great performance, put Austria in the grand final.

For the countries that didn't advance for the grand final, the biggest surprise was Israel. Everyone was expecting the qualification of Israel, and even with the bad choice of the dancers' choreography, Israel deserved the qualification due to the great vocals of Mei Finegold.
The Georgian song and performance were the worst before the semifinal and the performance on stage didn't help in anything.
I never understood the Lithuanian and Irish entries, especially the favouritism around the sencond one. The songs and the performances were to confused and even being both good singers, they didn't show their potential on stage that day.
And finally Macedonia. Even being also a good singer, the strange performance didn't help Macedonia to advance to the grand final.

Being a semifinal were almost everyone was a possible finalist, there wasn't big surprises, neither anything special to comment, except of course the non-qualification of Israel.

Eurovision in Copenhagen 2014: after-show analysis (I)

Unfortunately for another year was impossible for me to analyze all the songs in competition.
So at least I want to leave my comment after the show, about the songs and the controversies, which were so many this year!

Semifinal I:

This was the most hard semifinal, with many of the countries that usually go to the grand final. We had many countries that went to the grand final as usually: Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Sweden and Russia with all the controversies (more about the country's situation - the anti-gays laws and the situation with Ukraine).
Armenia, Hungary and Sweden were among the favourites since the beginning and their live performances in the tuesday's evening confirmed that. All well performed with strong voices creating interesting performances.
About Ukraine, I was a little desapointed before the great performance and especially the great singer and voice of Zlata. This song was more comercial and empty of content. However Mariya Yaremchuk deserved a place on the grand final.
Also Azerbaijan, even thought the lower popularity of the song, and the performance too simple and minimalist, deserved a place among the finalists. I really like Dilara's voice.
Now the special cases. In this semifinal we had two controversies that reached the final. First Russia. I can't find anything good on the song and on the performance. But for me the most strange thing was the fact that, being a country that created in the past so many anti-gay laws, wants to participate in the most unofficial gay event of the year, also inviting a gay to be on stage. Is Russia trying to show an image about the country different from the reality only to receive votes? Is Russia acting falsely? I think so.
And second Iceland. With an image of non-discrimination, using a performance a little bit confuse. However, even not being among the favourites of this semifinal, Iceland qualified for the saturday's final, despite almost all the predictions. Probably the energy was the key factor.
On the other side, the countries that (almost) never take part in the grand final. First San Marino, which was the big surprise. In the third attempt Valentina Monetta went to grand final. Many people said that after the last year's "great" song was inpossible for San Marino to achieve the grand final due to the political votes that would always put San Marino outside the grand final. But the fact is that, the good performance of Valentina was enough to put San Marino in the grand final for the first time.
The next country for the first time in the grand final was Montenegro. Like San Marino, everyone was saying that if this year Montenegro didn't achieve the grand final, it would neve be possible for this Balkan country. The performance and voice of Sergej were brilliant, which makes me to not understand the so low place in the grand final. Probably with many Balkan countries voting (but not present) in the final, the result would be different.
And finally a country that only last year went to the grand final. the Netherlands. With a song worse, in my oppinion, it was for me a big surprise when I saw the Netherlands as a finalist, and even more when the results were revealed showing that The Netherlands were placed in the first place both in teh juries and the the televoting. The duet have a great voice and the performance was very charismatic: these were the ingredients for the success.
For the countries that didn't advance for the grand final, the big surprises were Estonia and Portugal. Even with all the bad comments saying that Tanija made a bad copy of Euphoria, I always believed in the qualification of Estonia, which didn't occur due to the televoting. For my (amd many others) surprise, it didn't occur. And, even with all the bad comments in the home country, many were the people expecting the qualification of Portugal, which didn't occur due to the juries.
For the other countries, the result was the expected: Moldova sent a very confuse song, Albania made the terrible mistake to change the song to English and the latvian entry was too pathetic to be approved by the audience.