One Man's Opinion

When push comes to shove, the U.S. Supreme Court will invariably come down on the side of the government, especially in matters pertaining to the so-called "national security. It's always been that way, even when the government has acted in extreme and outrageous fashion, as in the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Now, since 9/11, the Court puts its stamp of approval on what otherwise would be considered illegal or contrary to basic notions of human decency, going so far as to overturn decisions by courts of appeals that recognize official wrongdoing. The latest case in point deals with an American turned Muslim who was detained  under suspicion of having some relationship with terrorists. He was held for two weeks, subjected to an inhumane treatment and never charged with anything. Having sued John Ashcroft, the then Attorney General, for putting in place the system and policies that resulted in his unlawful detention, the Court has held that Ashcroft has immunity fro

Sometimes, good intentions go wrong. It's been reported that the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, those courageous women who have insisted that justice be done posthumously to their loved ones killed or disappeared by the military junta in Argentina all those years ago, find themselves now in hot water, having employed two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents 30 years ago and are now under investigation for mishandling public funds. The Mothers -- at least some of them -- branched out into social work, especially housing for the poor, and thus received public funds. This is what happens to some grassroots movements when they become too ambitious and big for their own good. Instead of staying focused on one issue, do-gooders sometimes lose sight of their original purpose, and then have to organize, hire staff and handle  donations, all of which present problems which they are ill- equipped to solve. In essence, they become victims of their own success, and end up discre

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a date of remembrance of American soldiers who have died in U.S. wars. But, who remembers those innocent people who have been killed by American and other Western soldiers; people who were minding their own business in their countries and were bombed to hell by U.S. airplanes or killed "accidentally"? Case in point: twelve children and two women  have just been killed by a NATO air strike at night in Afghanistan. That country's government has repeatedly requested that these blind operations at night be stopped, in order to prevent the deaths of innocent civilians. But, as I've said before, the invaders don't care how many civilians they kill or maim. Paraphrasing the old American saying, the only good Afghan or Iraqi is a dead one. So, the killing goes on. No one but their families will remember these children. Those who killed them don't even know it, nor do they care. Tomorrow, they'll be having a picnic.

Fanning the flames of public discontent in countries people in the West feel deserve it has come back to haunt them. It's all well and good to applaud street demonstrations and protests in the Arab world, but what happens when the same thing starts to occur in your country? When people take to the streets, become a public nuisance  and refuse to go home? Then, those same governments that cheered the protesters in Cairo, for example, don't think twice before sending the police to clear the street and public squares. Of course, a distinction can and should be made between dictatorships and democracies, where there are mechanisms for citizens to be heard and ask for redress to their grievances. But, still, there is a right to protest publicly and massively, especially, if people become convinced that there is no other effective recourse. Ultimately, there is the right to revolution, peaceful or otherwise. In a way, people in the West have begun to realize that the so-called Arab

Knowing very little about U.S. military life -- thank God! -- I was unaware of the policy that the family of soldiers that commit suicide don't receive a letter of condolences from the President. Wow! This means that the military puts people in extremely stressful situations and, when they snap under all that pressure, there is no acknowledgment of that from the Commander-in-Chief. Boy, talk about being cold-hearted and ungrateful! It's as if the Armed Forces were ashamed of those who take their own lives, for being sick or weak, the antithesis of the macho ideal of a soldier. Some families have been petitioning the President since 2009 to change that decades-old policy, but Obama is still reviewing the matter. Does it take so long to do the right thing?

As I was saying, Obama isn't all that different from his predecessors in some respects, especially as commander in chief of the Empire. In fact, Congress is up in arms over the fact that  he has completely disregarded his obligation under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to obtain its approval of any military action in another country within 60 days of having ordered it. Not only has he failed to do so, he has completely ignored the issue. For a man who has pledged that he would do things differently, he has followed in the footsteps of previous Presidents, when it comes to ordering and sustaining American bombing of Libya. The truth is that Obama, like those who came before him, has gotten caught up with all that talk about being "the leader of the free world", and he conveniently forgets that Congress is his full partner in government and must be consulted in all major decisions at home and abroad. Not that Congress won't go along with him in the case of Libya, b

Every so often, Obama reminds us that, personal merit aside, he is still the head of the American Empire or what's left of it. This comes to mind when you hear or read his speech in the U.K, saying, with the utmost arrogance, that both the U.S. and England are "essential" for democracy and human rights to flourish in the rest of the world. Really? Well, unless the history of both nations I know is totally wrong, that assertion is bullshit. The British Empire was nothing to be proud of. Ditto the present American one. Obama was really all over the place in this speech. If, on the one hand, he recognized that the idea of freedom, liberty and human rights is on everyone's heart and mind, then why does the world need that the Americans and the English teach them anything? Are both countries' records so exemplary, that they should serve as models for the rest of the world? Not really. He also said that they should not dictate outcomes abroad. And what the hell are th

Like Santa Claus, Barack Obama is coming to town. For just the third time in the last 50 years , a sitting President of The United States of America will visit Puerto Rico, on June 14. In 1961, Kennedy came and stayed overnight. Then, in 1976, Ford held a summit of some sort with the 50 state governors at a hotel which he barely left for the duration. And now Obama, looking for money, but, most of all, support for 2012 from the Puerto Rican and, by extension, Latino community in the mainland. Let's see how long he stays and what he says and does while here. I wouldn't hold my breath over this. It would really be "the end of the world", if anything came of this visit. The Americans are not really much into Puerto Rico and its things. To them, this is just a big beach with a casino and a lot of piña coladas...

This has to be a first. Both Venezuela and the U.S. have denied that there is or will be a missile base jointly established by Iran and Venezuela, as a German newspaper has reported. It must really be untrue, when the Americans, who will take advantage of anything to attack Chávez, have refused to go along with this. Had there been the least evidence of this, the U.S. would've seized the opportunity to charge the Venezuelan government with all sorts of nefarious intentions. As it stands, it's just a wild allegation.

I've read that Hillary Clinton is, supposedly, trying to mend fences with her Latin American neighbors, who, according to the Americans, feel neglected by the U.S. Well, I've got news for her and her equally obtuse and insensitive colleagues in the State Department and elsewhere in the U.S. Government: it's going to be very difficult because the damage is extensive and is repeated by every American generation. As long as the U.S. looks at Latin America as its "backyard" -- an insulting term, if there ever was one -- things will never change. Here's some free and unsolicited advice for Mrs. Clinton. Really study the history of the United States in Latin America and own up to the abuses -- stop calling them "mistakes" -- committed, at least, since 1848. Try and see, if only for a moment, things from our perspective. Like everybody else, we want respect and fairness. We don't want to be invaded or bombed, with some lame excuse, every time you don&#

Well, with six hours to go, I think we're safe. The world doesn't seem to be ending, and the Second Coming doesn't seem to be coming today. So, let's talk about how Israel is thumbing its nose at Obama for having the "audacity" to suggest that a Palestine state be established with the 1967 borders as markers. Understandably, Israel, which has had the upper hand all these years in the conflict with the Palestinians, won't give an inch. Why should it? Israel is just the U.S. star pupil in international politics. When was the last time that the U.S. compromised on anything in the international arena? "Might makes right" has always been the U.S.' motto, and Israel applies the same principle in the Middle East. So, Obama can forget about this proposal, because it's not gonna happen. The Israelis won the Six-Day War in 1967, and they are not going to give back the land that they took from the Arabs. Since there's no one else who can force t

Uruguay, which very often in the past has been at the forefront of economic, political and social developments, has taken an enormous step back, by failing to repeal the law which grants an ill-conceived immunity to the main culprits of the dictatorship from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. That statute and others that are similar around the world have no validity, and are an affront to the victims, their families and the country as a whole. As much as healing and reconciliation are worthy objectives that should be pursued actively, accountability cannot be disregarded. Lost lives and other irreparable harm done to countless people must not be allowed to simply fade away, as if it all amounted to nothing. It's a shame that, for now, Uruguay has done such a disservice to its democracy and human rights record. Let's  hope that it will correct this mistake sometime soon.

An Afghan man detained since 2007 in the American Guantánamo prison camp has been found dead, and the official explanation is that, apparently, he committed suicide. Maybe he did; maybe he didn't, but this man had never been tried for any crime; in fact, he had never been formally charged with anything. The only reason he was incarcerated was that they "suspected" that he had some kind of ties to some terrorist group. And that, in this New World Order decreed and imposed on the rest of the world by the U.S. after September 11, 2001, is enough. The Americans don't have to prove anything; not when it comes to Arabs, Muslims or any other people that they choose. All of these people are presumed guilty by the U.S., and if some of them commit suicide, great! So, maybe this man, realizing that he would never be free again, took his own life, in what amounts to a sort of perverse "assisted suicide." I'm sure we'll never know if the man was guilty of anyth

The U.S. is so desperate over its national debt, that some serious-minded people have begun to talk in earnest about selling public assets of all kinds, from the gold bullion at Fort Knox to highways. Things are so bad, that this proposal, which at some other point in time would've been laughable, is now under consideration as the only way out of this mess. Given the fact that the U.S. government owns a lot of valuable real estate, both land and buildings, selling it is seen as a practical solution to an otherwise unsolvable problem. Printing more money and borrowing from the Chinese just won't do it anymore, so the time has come for the U.S. Government to start unloading itself of a good deal of what it possesses, in order to be able to pay its bills.

I don't quite know what to make of Keiko Fujimori's latest political move to hire Rudy Giuliani as adviser. Is she that desperate? The official explanation is that he'll help her draw up public safety plans, should she get elected. Before he was elected Mayor of New York, Giuliani was a tough prosecutor, so he has hands-on experience fighting criminals...such as Keiko's father and his pals. As mayor, he was dogged by his troubles at home, and what could have been a run for the presidency, was derailed by them, among other things. Maybe Keiko wants to benefit from a loser's perspective in her run for Peru's presidency. Whichever the case may be, I don't think this is a smart move. Having an American politician as a close adviser is more of a liability than an asset in this part of the world. Come to think of it, anywhere.

Here I go again. The Vatican has issued some new guidelines for dealing with pedophile priests. Fine. But, the catch is that it only " suggests " that what it finally acknowledges to be crimes be reported to the civil authorities. So, all around the Catholic world, there are still places where they are considering how to proceed in these cases. Jesus Christ! I have a "suggestion" for the Pope and his cronies that is very simple. There is nothing to think about: these are crimes and, therefore, must be reported to the police . If, within the Church, you want to beatify these people, it's up to you, but you have to let Caesar handle this because you have made a mess of it so far.

Although I'm all for free speech and freedom of the press, I'm also in favor of regulations that require that, before publishing serious allegations against someone, that person be given the chance to respond and clarify whatever he or she deems necessary. It's only fair because, even if, ultimately, the allegations prove to be wrong, the damage has been done. No responsible person or media should find it inconvenient to check its story and allow the person to defend himself. Only bad faith compels the publishing of stories regardless of its truthfulness. In a world such as ours, in which it's increasingly easier to malign someone all over the world, it's also easier to contact the subject of a story and obtain his reaction. Thus, there's no excuse for not trying to present both sides of a story from the start, avoiding needlessly hurting or embarrassing someone.

Why would the U.S. Congress refuse to declassify the secret intelligence files on the Argentinian dictatorship from 1976 to 1983? Isn't the United States of America the "leader of the free world", based on its being the freest of societies ever? Isn't secrecy in government contrary to democracy, respect for human rights and so forth? What is it that the Americans are hiding in this regard? Could it be that they were accomplices to the military junta ? There must be something terrible in those files, when more than 30 years later, they are deemed so sensitive. Of course, we all know what's in them. It's the same old story of the U.S. in Latin America and elsewhere around the world. Americans put in place, prop up or support right-wing dictators, all in the name of fighting whatever "ism" they find objectionable, participating in their crimes or, "at best", looking the other way when they happen. Of course, it's always the others who ar

The naiveté of some Muslims continues to amaze me. Why two Moroccans would think that they would be treated fairly by the U.S. military, if they joined up as interpreters, is beyond me. As was to be expected, when the Fort Hood massacre happened, the two Moroccans were taken into custody, isolated completely and given nothing remotely considered due process of law, not even the military kind. Now, after two years of this ordeal, they have been cleared by the Army, but are still investigated by the FBI and remain in a Kafkaesque limbo, with no way out, not being allowed to go back nor given the opportunity to work in the U.S. This is just another case of people who get taken in by the U.S. military propaganda, that promises all sorts of benefits, and ends up being a nightmare.

The more we find out about how the U.S. government really works, the less reason to have any respect for it. Now we know that the Department of Agriculture has consistently discriminated against women,  blacks, Latinos and other minorities, not only in handing out benefits for farmers and ranchers through its programs, but also in its employment policies. There are literally thousands of formal complaints against the USDA, many of which have been settled out of court at a cost of millions of dollars. Although Obama promised change all around, it seems that the people at Agriculture haven't noticed, and keep on doing things their own way. Once again, this is the government that lectures the rest of the world constantly on fairness and a "level playing field." Really?

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the Newark, New Jersey Police Department for multiple civil rights violations and other illegal official behavior. This is just the latest case in which the Federal government has had to step in to put a stop to abuses by local police departments all across the United States. Prompted by investigations carried out by the American Civil Liberties Union, the DOJ has been forced to take up these cases in which police abuse their power, especially against blacks and other minorities, very often bringing trumped up charges against them. Recently, the ACLU held hearings in Puerto Rico, to ascertain the true nature of police misconduct dealing with student protests and other demonstrations. Needless to say, this is an extremely serious situation which calls into question the rule of law. When the police breaks the law on a routine basis, there is the making of a police state, in which no one is safe because those who are supposed to protect yo

While the world celebrates the killing of Bin Laden, it seems that there are other villains whose criminal acts have gone undetected. Take NATO, for example. It appears that both ships and helicopters from the "good guys" were too busy to rescue some 70 illegal African migrants who were dying from hunger and thirst aboard a makeshift boat on the Mediterranean. Those few who survived are telling the tale, but, of course, NATO denies it. You see, it would be embarrassing, to say the least, if those who care so much for human rights and feel compelled to bomb and invade countries with bloody dictators to liberate the oppressed were the ones who turned their heads at the plight at sea of those that they supposedly want to save. I wouldn't like to think that the fact that the boat was full of black Africans had anything to do with this...

Remember when Bush I promised that the U.S. would be a "kinder, gentler nation" under his and the Republican Party's leadership? Well, here's an interesting story. Florida, a state with high unemployment and low unemployment benefits, has decided to cut back on them, so as to be a kinder, gentler state to business interests. But, of course, Florida gave Bush II his victory over Gore in an election that put "banana republics" to shame, so one can't expect anything remotely fair and square from those folks. I suppose that the U.S. needs to save money to keep funding its "war of the week" on whatever it chooses. Spending money on people who are unemployed because the economy is bad is a waste of resources better spent on the war machine abroad, bombing and invading countries with dark-skinned people with strange customs, who happen to have a lot of oil or other valuable natural resources.

Two Muslim men, dressed accordingly, were taken off a plane in Tennessee, when the pilot refused to carry them because he felt that the passengers would feel "uncomfortable" with them on board. The incident is supposedly being investigated, but I'm sure that nothing will come of it. Americans won't punish one of their own in any way, shape or form for discriminating against Arabs or Muslims. I think that those men should thank Allah, for they could have been shot on the spot, no questions asked. Now that it's open season on people who wear those "crazy hats", Arabs or Muslims should get out of town while they can, because more and more of these incidents and worse ones will surely come to pass. The "land of the what?"

Almost two months have gone by, since the revolt in Syria began. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands have been arrested by the government. While the U.S. bombs both Libya and now Yemen at will, Syria seems immune to it. So far, the Americans and the Europeans have opted for sanctions, as if they were afraid to take stronger actions against Syria. It's as if, somehow, Syrian lives were less important than those in the other countries. Meanwhile, Assad keeps killing his own people, and the U.S. just finds it "deplorable." Odd, don't you think?

Cuba keeps showing other countries up, despite all the criticism thrown at it. It has just sentenced to 20 years in prison a former close friend of Fidel, a Chilean that once was a bodyguard for Allende. But, none of that saved him, when he was accused of bribery and other crimes against the State. Which goes to show you that, contrary to all that propaganda against the Cuban regime, top officials and influential people don't get a free ride there. Yet, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and so many others in the U.S. are free and clear, despite being war criminals and profiteers...

Yes, I know that I keep bringing the subject up, but, given the facts, I have no choice. A Canadian Catholic bishop has pleaded guilty of importing child pornography through his laptop. So, what else is new, you might ask. Well, in this case, the bishop had brokered a multimillion dollar settlement for cases brought against the Church for child molestation just a month prior to his being charged. Evidently, he had been engaged in the pornography thing while working to settle the pedophile cases. I think it's important to highlight these situations because there is the tendency to downplay them by saying that these are just a few rogue priests acting on their own. And yet, the more of these cases that come to light, the more difficult it is to maintain that position. We'll keep hearing and reading about this for years to come because this is something that has gone on for decades. So, I'm sorry for my dear Catholic friends, who are embarrassed, to say the least, but, "

It's already started. The "corrections" of the story about what really happened at the place where Osama bin Laden was killed; murdered, to be precise. The biggie here is that he was unarmed; so, they shot  a defenseless man in the head . Now, they say that, nevertheless, he "resisted." How? With what? It's been my experience that, when people don't give a complete account of their actions from the start, and change it over time, they are lying . And the only reason that you lie is because you have done something wrong. If you have done nothing wrong, there's no reason to change your story. First, they said that the President and some of his staff were privy to what was going on "in real time", giving the impression that they could see and hear what was going on in the military operation. Now, the new CIA chief says that there was a "20 to 25-minute period" during which they were blacked out. There are just too many inconsistencie

While the world's headlines concentrate on Osama bin Laden, there are other murderers that go unpunished under the U.S.' nose, probably because they acted on Uncle Sam's behalf or with its complacency. A former Salvadoran general accused of ordering the killing of six Jesuit priests and some others in 1989 has just died of heart failure. He was never charged; on the contrary, he was promoted and, ultimately, served as defense minister in the early 1990s. And you can bet that the U.S. had a great working relationship with the man and the rest of the Salvadoran government, due to the simple fact that they were "fighting communism." No matter if, in the process, they tortured or killed thousands of their own people on the flimsiest of excuses. What's a few thousand Salvadorans less, especially if they sympathize with some version of leftist ideology? God bless America, indeed!

A former Pinochet henchman has been murdered in exile in Buenos Aires; the police has no clue as to perpetrator or motive. Here's one. The guy had murdered two military officers in Chile who dared to oppose Pinochet. Although he had been convicted and sentenced to life, he was released on parole, and ran a taxi service in Buenos Aires. Now, maybe his murder has nothing to do with his previous life as butcher for Pinochet, but I'd like to think that it does; that there's a kind of justice in this, him having gotten off so lightly for his crimes. That there is something to the idea that, sooner or later, life will catch up with those who have committed heinous crimes and remain free or whose punishment did not fit the enormity of those crimes.