One Man's Opinion

Here's a significant little item. Wal-Mart, the world's biggest retailer, has announced that it will increase the number of stores in which it will have weapons for sale. Although it had cut back in that department in 2006, slow sales have convinced that selling rifles, shotguns and ammunition in half of its stores is the way to increase profits. So, the next time you, as an American citizen, feel like going on a shooting rampage against family, friends or coworkers, just go to the nearest Wal-Mart, where, for a "low, low everyday price", you'll be able to pick up a nice little arsenal, courtesy of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Happy hunting!

It's been two years since duly-elected Honduran President Ernesto Zelaya was ousted from power, and, after an initial ruckus, the whole thing has largely dropped out of sight. The U.S., which is so adamant about the democratic process, has turned its attention to other issues and failed to insist on respect for the orderly restitution of the only acceptable outcome of the Honduran problem. It is clear that Zelaya was not to their liking, so, when the coup took place, the Americans were relieved at getting rid of him. Had they really appreciated him or what he stood for, they would've left no stone unturned to return him to power. Life has gone on, but Honduran democracy and, by extension, everyone else's has been significantly diminished, by having allowed this farce to go on.

The rush to, ultimately, canonize John Paul II is unseemly, at best, in an institution that prides itself on the deliberate way it proceeds. Traditionally, the Catholic Church takes forever to decide most things, giving the appearance of careful consideration and, I suppose, divine guidance. So, it's rather surprising that they are in such a hurry to make the former Pope a saint. As I think I may have said before, this seems like a diversion from the pedophilia scandal that has rocked the Church and appears to never go away. It's something to talk about, other that the latest revelation of the Church's complicity and cover up of its priests all around the world. But, all the hoopla about John Paul II won't make people forget what has happened and continues to happen with the parish pederasts around the globe. There's another point to be made, while we're bombarded with all this sainthood propaganda. The fact is that John Paul II, by virtue of being Pope for

It's a well-established legal principle that the law -- be it statutes, rules or regulations -- must not be interpreted so as to render a result that is absurd, oppressive or outrageous. This comes to mind in the case of a homeless woman in Connecticut  who is being charged with larceny for having improperly enrolled her son in a school outside her district, and now the city contends that she misappropriated the corresponding public funds, some $17,000 or so. The real concern here is that, if found guilty, she faces up to 20 years in prison . In spite of the public outcry over this obvious violation of the principle against cruel and unusual punishments, the city continues to press charges. But, then again, what's so unusual about this case, when you consider that the woman is black?

The latest Wikileaks revelations about what the U.S. has really been up to in the  Guantánamo detention camp only confirm what we already knew or suspected. Caught with its pants down, the American government has only mustered a lame "We're disappointed" at The New York Times and the Spanish newspaper El País , for refusing to keep quiet and having the courage to publish the damning diplomatic cables and other documents. The U.S just keeps repeating over and over that these documents were obtained illegally, but, at this point, no one cares about the legal issue because something much bigger is involved here: the Truth. This is the real story here, while Obama hastens to assure everyone that the camp will be closed. It's too little, too late, and people of good conscience everywhere are really disappointed by his lack of resolve.

Afghanistan and Iraq are not only disaster areas for American foreign policy, but also a cesspool of corruption in every sense of the word. Some of it stems from the U.S. military, but the rest comes from the private sector that profits immensely from its involvement as contractors for all sorts of things. The latest revelation is that an individual who worked as a contractor sexually harassed female Iraqi interpreters, and took retaliatory action against those that would not submit to his wishes. There is evidence that the American military was aware of this, but chose to ignore it for some time. He has since been fired, but no further action has been taken against him. Now, some of the women want him prosecuted, but there doesn't seem to be the inclination to do so. This proves what I've said before: Americans are invariably reluctant to do justice to foreigners, when it involves one of their own as the culprit. They will deny and delay, in every way possible, because they fe

Great news for all "beefaholics" like me: JBS , a Brazilian company, now dominates the world's meat supply! After having been to Argentina and Uruguay, I thought that it would be impossible to find better-quality beef. And then, I spent a week in Rio, a few years ago. A dinner at a rodizio restaurant was a life-changing experience. So, I say: The world will be a better place [to eat], now that the Brazilians have taken over the beef supply, to go along with their beautiful music and their laid-back lifestyle.

As I've said time and again, the U.S. is downright cynical and hypocritical in the way that it chooses which countries to condemn or favor for their stand and practice on democracy, freedom and human rights. Right now, Libya is first on the American hit list, for all of its sins against its own people. Fine. But, what about Syria, which is no slouch in that department? The U.S. has gone all out bombing Libya, but is somewhat reluctant to take action against Syria. Instead of bombing it, all it does is express its "concern" and entreat its ruler to behave in a more humane fashion. This double standard has been applied so often throughout history, that the Americans have no credibility when preaching to the rest of the world about the values of decency and liberty in governing.

Is there an honest man in the house? The Iowa Attorney General was appointed to lead a task force on the foreclosure scandal in the whole U.S. But, now we know that he had accepted, at least, $15,000 in campaign contributions from attorneys that represent big banks that are involved in the scandal. This is what happens when you have public officials such as an attorney general or a judge running for office. The "nature of the beast" being what it is, they have to conduct a political campaign, which costs a lot of money that they must raise somehow. Therefore, they end up soliciting or accepting contributions from individuals or groups whose interests are in direct opposition to the public interest that they must serve. But, this is just another feature of "the American way of life."

One can only wish Michel Martelly, Haiti's new President, all the luck in the world, as he attempts what seems like mission impossible: to govern the country and bring peace and prosperity to the impoverished nation. Although his personal and political credentials are not particularly impressive, should he turn out to be honest and hard-working, that should go a long way in establishing much-needed trust between him and his people, as well as with the rest of the world, whose help Haiti desperately needs.

We may or may not know what really happened to Antonio Calvo, a Spanish lecturer at Princeton, who has died in mysterious circumstances, some say by his own hand. Although there are conflicting reports about his status with the university at the time of his death, it's alleged that his contract was abruptly terminated and that he was immediately ordered to leave the premises escorted by a security guard. If this is the case, then his humiliation is standard operating procedure in the private sector, where, once the decision is made by management that a person is no longer a bona fide employee, no matter his personal status, he is almost physically thrown out. As far as I know, this is done so that the employee is unable to take data or other valuable information that might hurt the company. How this applies to a Spanish professor, it's going to be fascinating to find out.

It had to happen, sooner or later. A first-grade kid in Texas took a loaded gun to school and it went off, injuring three of his classmates. This is the result of a society in which everyone has guns and won't accept any limitations on it. Celebrating guns is a stupid value, one that will inevitably lead to tragedies such as this one. That six-year old is well on his way to becoming a gun-toting deranged man who will risk harming others for some obscure principle that makes no sense in this day and age.

It's an old story that keeps repeating itself. The U.S. meddles in another country's affairs, backing right-wing dictators who kill their own people in the name of fighting communism, socialism or whatever else, and then either takes them in or provides them with a safe haven somewhere else when they have to leave their country. Of course, when this arrangement becomes public knowledge, the U.S. takes action against that individual. This is what has happened with a former general of the Salvadoran army who, after torturing his enemies during the civil war, settled in Florida in 1989 for a nice, quiet retirement, until he was recognized by human rights activists and brought to justice. Having successfully defended himself from some of the charges against him, the American government is now,  22 years later , trying to deport him to his country, so as not to be further embarrassed at having protected him for all these years.

The arts are in financial trouble everywhere. Given the economic crisis all around, governments have cut funding for the arts and  private donations are also hard to come by. When people are unemployed or trying to prevent defaulting on their mortgage payments, entertainment and leisure activities are not a priority; thus, ticket sales for concerts and the theater go down. Cultural events of a certain caliber are not cheap to produce and, therefore, they are expensive to go to. All this comes to mind, as I read that the Philadelphia Orchestra, as prestigious a musical ensemble as they come, has filed for bankruptcy, with $13 million in debt. Although there are estimates that it could round up about $8 million from fund-raising efforts, they would still be out $5 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. So, they have chosen to reorganize under bankruptcy law, in order to continue operating. We all have to learn to live with less of everything, and be modest in our expectations, in or

In a new and shocking chapter of the Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal, the former Bishop of Bruges has admitted on live television that not only did he have a 13-year sexual relationship with a nephew of his, but also that he had a shorter one with another nephew. The 74-year old, who is on a sort of sick leave, is unapologetic about the whole affair, claiming that the relations were consensual and no big deal. The Belgian church, government and people are disgusted and want something done about it. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations has run out on these crimes, so he can't be prosecuted. On the other hand, the Vatican, as usual, is taking its own sweet time in handling this case. Although he had to resign as bishop last year, he is still a priest, a fact that is as incomprehensible as one of those mysteries that Catholic theologians are so fond of.

Detroit, once the poster city for American capitalism, has fallen on hard times, as has the rest of the U.S. With the auto industry in shambles, the erstwhile "Motor City" has run out of gas. Having lost a quarter of its population, its crisis just keeps getting worse. The latest problem it faces is the layoff of close to 6,000 public school teachers, due to the fact that, given a significant drop in enrollment, they are not necessary. At the same time, if education is the major factor in social mobility, Detroit's youth will be seriously hampered in its effort to improve itself. Thus, a vicious circle is put in place, which will be very hard to break out of.

It has only taken a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice to the Spanish courts, to get them to drop cases brought by Spanish citizens for abuses against them as detainees of the so-called war on terrorism, and refer the matter to the American authorities. The letter assures the Spanish officials that the U.S. will take care of it, citing a handful of cases and referring to others who are on-going but can't be discussed publicly. Of course, the letter admits that nothing was done about the two U.S. Department of Justice lawyers who concocted the legal framework that made torture acceptable during the Bush years, nor about the individuals who destroyed videotapes of interrogations deemed abusive. And yet, the U.S. asks to be trusted to do the right thing in this matter. Cojones!

The runoff in the Peruvian presidential election, which features Fujimori's daughter, speaks volumes about how soon people forget the crimes of the past or how little they care about them. In either case, it's a shame. You would've thought that the name Fujimori would be the kiss of death for anyone in Peruvian politics. But, clearly, that is not the case. Of course, if calling Fujimori " Chino", that is, "Chinaman" is any indication of Peruvians' knowledge, then it's perfectly understandable that they would vote for his daughter.

Here's a no-brainer. A study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine shows that teenagers who spend a significant amount of time - 4 to 5 hours daily - listening to music are more prone to depression than those who read more or do other things. I'm not at all surprised. I'd be positively suicidal, after listening to most of what passes for "music" these days. Of course, according to my son, I'm just an old guy who has no taste for anything that has come out in the last 30 years or so...

The world faces both the depletion of fossil fuels and a shortage of food. Ironically, more and more countries are turning to some crops such as cassava and corn to produce cheaper fuel. But, in the process, those crops, who feed millions of people around the world, are beginning to grow scarce as food, especially in the poorer countries, where they are most needed. Unless this growing trend is soon reverted, we may have fuel for all sorts of uses, but we won't have the energy to do anything with it, being too weak from hunger. The obvious choice is to develop solar, water and wind-powered alternatives to these so-called biofuels, so that we don't have to choose between eating and lighting our homes.

A recent survey shows that most Americans don't have a clear idea of the main cause of the Civil War: slavery. Over a hundred years of denial, coupled with "scholarly" works that hold that it was a war of aggression on the part of the North for all sorts of other reasons, have led generations to believe that the South was blameless for what happened. Be it by ignoring the issue or miscasting it entirely, millions of Americans have failed to come to terms with their shameful past. Thus, the bloody struggle for equality during the 20th century, and the still uneasy race relations in the U.S. This is an example of why "forgive and forget" is not an option, when it comes to major social upheavals such as a civil war. The root causes of such a rift in the social fabric must be examined. Lying about or romanticizing the past won't solve anything. Only the truth, as painful as it usually is, will set everybody free.

As expected, Luis Posada Carriles has gotten away with murder, both literally and figuratively. The U.S. has seen to it that he wasn't even convicted of watered-down charges of violating immigration laws. The man knows too much, and the last thing that the U.S. needs right now, after the Wikileaks revelations, is more embarrassing information about American illegal or immoral behavior at home and abroad. Thus, the special treatment accorded  a self- proclaimed terrorist such as this Cuban exile. The prosecuting attorneys must have been very naive, to think that they would succeed in convicting him, a "hero of the Cold War", of anything. For years, Cuban exiles have bombed and killed to their hearts'content, all in the name of democracy, with the blessing of the U.S. We, in Puerto Rico, have experienced it also. Nothing comes of it because these people have done the CIA or the FBI's dirty work. They go about their business as respectable citizens and die peaceful

We already knew that pharmaceutical companies were producing harmful or worthless drugs by the tons. Now, we know that they also have been engaging in bribery of doctors and other health practitioners in the U.S. and the rest of the world, to get them to use and recommend their products. Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $70 million in fines for just such a practice, and it's just one of the big drug companies that are involved in this criminal activity. Something to think about, the next time you see one of those TV commercials with the cute little babies...

It's rather surprising that a country such as France, so liberal and progressive in so many things, has not accepted surrogacy as a way for infertile couples to have children. This inconsistency has been highlighted by a recent ruling by its top court, refusing to accommodate a French couple who had its baby carried to term in the U.S. and now wants to register it in France. I hope that the European Court on Human Rights, which will hear the appeal from the French parents, will reverse that ruling. These are issues that are properly decided by the parties involved, and, absent a compelling interest, the State should respect the parents' wishes.

This is why the U.S. hates Julian Assange so much. According to a diplomatic cable revealed by Wikileaks , the American ambassador to Ecuador has claimed that President Correa knowingly promoted a government official who had a wide history of corruption. When confronted with these statements, the ambassador only said that that information had been stolen from the U.S. government. So, the Ecuadorian government has asked her to leave the country immediately. As I've said before, this badmouthing by the American diplomatic corps and other government officials is par for the course because this is the way that they see foreigners in general and Latinos in particular. By exposing it for all the world to know how they truly feel, in their own words, Wikileaks has done a world of good.  

Sexual violence in American schools and universities has gotten so bad that Vice President Joe Biden has taken to the college circuit to address the issue head on. Even world-class institutions such as Yale face this problem. But, the truly troubling thing is not just the lack of security in the college campus, but the inadequate response by the educational institution. There is evidence that schools and universities all across the United States don't seem to take inappropriate sexual behavior seriously enough to put in place and enforce measures against it. Thus, Biden's college tour to remind these institutions that it's unacceptable to let any episode of sexual misconduct slide, and that they are liable for them and whatever else may develop due to their permissiveness. Take note, all those around the world who send their sons and daughters to study in the U.S., thinking that they'll be in a safe environment. As my son, who went to Yale, would say: Not really.

Public funding of academic research is being called into question in Britain, on account of allegations that the government, more or less, conditions its help on the research being in line with its priorities. Although there is nothing wrong with urging academia to respond to pressing social issues, forcing it to do so is contrary to democratic and libertarian traditions that universities are supposed to live by and uphold. During the Cold War, we in the West were constantly told that there was no freedom behind the Iron Curtain; that intellectuals were not allowed to pursue their interests independently; that the State dictated what was taught at all educational levels. In the last decade, at least, we see democracies acting more and more like those totalitarian regimes that they criticized so much. Freedom and human rights are given a lot of lip service, but, when push comes to shove, the Orwellian inclinations come to the fore.

The French, who know a thing or two about food and eating, have come up with a rational solution to the looming food-shortage problem all around the world. In a report titled Agrimonde , they, essentially, recommend that people in the developed countries eat less - 25% less - so that the rest of the world has more of the food supply. It's a simple idea that costs nothing, and has other advantages, like reducing obesity and all its accompanying health problems. The French, and Europeans in general, eat smaller portions than we do on this side of the Atlantic, so it's doable, without going hungry. This has to be part of a worldwide agenda to cut back on consumption in general, so that there is more of everything to go around.

There's another shameful pedophilia that has been overshadowed by the Catholic Church's one. It's the one practiced by tourists from rich countries that go to Latin America or Asia to have cheap sex - in more ways than one - with boys and girls that are part of prostitution and drug rings. Heterosexuals and homosexuals alike prey on these children. The exploitation mentality that throughout history people from the North and the West have had with regard to cultures that they deem "inferior" manifests itself also in this despicable way. White "America" and Europe have a lot to answer for in this human tragedy. If there were no paying customers, there wouldn't be any child prostitutes.