One Man's Opinion

The recent shootings in Seattle, a city that has had very little violence through the years, has its citizens wondering what is going on. One person was quoted saying that it felt like they were in Afghanistan with the Taliban next door. Funny that person should say that. Seattle is a long way from Afghanistan. Probably, very few people give what happens there a second thought as they sip their coffee at one of the many cafes around the city. Do any of them feel concern  for what U.S. soldiers are doing in Afghanistan or Iraq, for that matter? What goes through their minds when they read about the latest deaths of women, children and old people at the hands of , possibly, their neighbors in Seattle? Is it only a tragedy when it happens in their city? There may be a reason for these deaths in Seattle and other parts of the U.S. Maybe they are meant to force Americans to come to terms with the violence and death they cause abroad with their superior firepower and manpower on people w

I can understand, to a certain extent, the sensitivity of those who, in one way or another, were victims of the Holocaust, but, at the same time, it seems to me that political correctness is carried to the extreme in some situations. Obama's mention of "Polish death camps" is a clear example of this, given the fact that it should be obvious to anyone that he meant Nazi death camps in Poland . Nevertheless, the Polish government, while recognizing this, insists that he correct himself explicitly and publicly. To my mind, the Poles "do protest too much." Which could lead people to wonder how much collaboration there really was with the Nazis, that they want to bury very deep, and thus are exaggeratedly protective of their war record.

Now, that is a class act! The Polish Opera Orchestra played Mozart's Requiem as a protest against the government's decision to cut its budget. Not only did they give a free concert for the people, but also sent a powerful and civilized message to the authorities. This is an example of creative ways of protesting and getting your message across in a non-threatening manner that is not open to criticism for being disruptive or inconveniencing the people at large. I think people appreciate  the thoughtful way in which something like this is done and, in the end, will be more willing to support their cause.

It took four years, but justice has been done in the case of a hurt Palestinian thief who died when he was left by the side of the road by two Israeli policemen who didn't want to be bothered by seeking additional medical help for the man. A Jerusalem court has found them guilty of negligent homicide, for their unconscionable behavior. Palestinian  he may have been; a thief also, but he was a human being that deserved to be taken care of, and not, as the policemen outrageously asserted in their defense, left there in the hope that some Palestinian would pick him up. It has been pointed out that this is the kind of attitude that the Israeli occupation and general oppression of Palestinians fosters. Used to pushing Palestinians around, Israelis don't much care about what happens to them. Well, this is one instance in which that reckless disregard for the well-being of a fellow man wasn't tolerated. May it serve as an example not just to Israelis, but to human beings all a

Another Afghan family gets wiped out by a NATO airstrike. Once again, some officer says the same old thing about "taking these things very seriously", while not admitting any blame just yet. So, those six children and their parents or other relatives are just unfortunate victims of the carelessness of the military, but, as so many times before, no one will be held accountable. One can only imagine the rage of the Afghan people at being subject to these routine mass killings without any recourse against the culprits, who go home and are welcomed as "heroes" for having murdered dozens of everyday citizens in their own country. As long as the U.S. and NATO remain in Afghanistan, these massacres will continue on a regular basis. Afghans are powerless to stop them. They can only strike back blindly, hoping to exact some sort of revenge in a lopsided conflict.

Having been recently in Spain, I can attest to the fact that the people there are up in arms about the government's decision to bail out Bankia, the private banking conglomerate, while making big cuts to the budget for health, education and social services. Now that the bailout has gone up from 10 to 23 billion euros, I suppose that the Spaniards' indignation, understandably, is going through the roof. But, of course, Rajoy and his cronies are there precisely to watch out for the interests of that private sector that got into trouble for its reckless investment and lending practices. So, it's their "duty" to use public funds to help their friends recover from their greed and stupidity. Of course, taking their cue from the Americans, they have justified their actions with the "too big to fail" explanation. You see, the market and free enterprise are only valid when there are profits; otherwise, Big Government should step in to correct the mistakes mad

As a Puerto Rican who firmly believes in independence from the U.S., I couldn't agree more with the wording of the so-called "Yes Declaration" put forth by the Scottish independence movement in anticipation of the 2014 referendum on the matter. It is clear, direct, simple and moving, in expressing what people at all times and all around the world have felt when faced with their subordination to another country. I hope that the people of Scotland finally achieve their sovereignty, and are able to take their rightful place among the free peoples of the world. I also hope that, one day, Puerto Rico will join them.

On a much more mundane matter, although equally controversial, the Vatican Bank Director has been forced to resign. The Bank has been embroiled in, at least, a long list of questionable practices through the years, which has been the subject of a great deal of speculation and some criminal complaints and indictments. The Church is in big trouble all over the world for its role in the child-abuse cases. This bank scandal is the straw that will break the camel's back.

The Vatican has made widely available its rules to evaluate the many Virgin Mary apparitions that are reported around the world. In essence, they are: beware of crazies and profiteers. That, of course, eliminates a lot of the Catholic flock. People are always "seeing" the Virgin in the most unlikely places. We always knew that, either they are truly delusional, or are out to make a quick buck. Now, the Vatican confirms it. People will continue to "see" the Virgin Mary, and the Church won't have too much impact on the popular culture surrounding these events.

As was to be expected, the Secret Service agents were not the only ones "misbehaving" in Colombia  recently. DEA agents seem to have done a lot more than just fight the drug cartels in Colombia. These guys apparently have a penchant for foreign prostitutes, making them part of the standard operating procedure when they are on a mission. So, more heads will roll, until a certain level of face-saving is reached, and then everything will go back to normal. Because, deep down, no one really thinks that there was anything wrong done here. Had they had been more discreet in their dealings with the Colombian hookers, everything would have been just fine.

I'll be on vacation till May 22.

An American who has served in the British and U.S. armies has probably put his finger on the reasons why American soldiers seem so distraught and end up committing so many savage acts overseas. The man has revealed the great difficulties a recruit has to opt out of his enlistment, when he realizes that the military life is unsuitable for him. Contrary to the British and Canadian armed forces, the American ones make it almost impossible to be discharged before the term for which you sign up expires. He also has many negative things to say about the U.S. basic training, lacking in some fundamental skills, while heavy on degrading and insulting behavior. All this could explain some of the bizarre behavior that we have seen these last ten years in Afghanistan, Guantánamo and Iraq, by soldiers who have been mistreated themselves, while having been kept  in the Army against their better judgment.

I thought that Billy Graham was dead. Maybe because he has been "brain dead" for such a long time. But, at 93, he has come out of retirement to support a constitutional amendment in North Carolina to ban homosexual marriage. I suppose God spoke to him on this matter, as the Lord usually has done throughout Graham's career as an evangelist. Why anybody would care about what Billy Graham thinks or claim that God has told him is really beyond me. I've never understood that "tradition" of Presidents seeking his advice, except for pandering to the evangelicals. The man stopped thinking -- if he ever did -- in 1950. Only a peculiarly-American sentimentality keeps him "relevant."

Rio is on the right track, going after "visual pollution", especially at the beach area. Advertising is a legitimate business practice, but it usually goes too far, and ends up spoiling whatever view there may be. In Rio's case, the view is spectacular, so it deserves the highest degree of protection. A lot of places around the globe -- Puerto Rico included -- would do well in following Rio's example. Business should realize that interfering with nature's beauty breeds ill will for a company and its products or services. There are enough other venues through which that information can be relayed to the consumer, without shoving it in his face and preventing him from enjoying nature's wonders.

The news that 35% of the American people would fail the test given to foreigners who want to become U.S. citizens is not news. For some time now, various surveys have shown that the mythical John Q. Public in the USA is quite ignorant of basic information about his own country. This, of course, has serious implications for the country and, indeed, the rest of the world. Democracy presupposes an informed citizenry; otherwise, the People are just sheep led astray by any demagogue. A dumb populace will be easily manipulated into accepting falsehoods about themselves and others. Stupidity is also dangerous because it tends to become violent in its prejudices, both at home and abroad. One can't help but wonder how many of those soldiers who have engaged in outrageous behavior in Afghanistan and Iraq are part of the 35%. So, there you have it. Another reason to reject the notion of American "exceptionalism", being "called upon to lead" or any other fabrication con

Sad to say, Obama is sounding more and more like Bush with his "mission accomplished" rhetoric. Going over to Afghanistan, he seems almost delusional describing the situation there and its prospects for peace and security. It's more than wishful thinking; it's downright misleading. Unfortunately for him, reality will soon prove him wrong, and his words will come back to haunt him. Obama should face facts and accept that neither Afghanistan nor Iraq are American success stories. Pretending that they are won't make them so. He should concentrate in not making the same mistake again of destroying a country, invading and occupying it, and then expecting it to function properly. It's a no-win situation. If he hasn't realized it by now, then he is really out of touch with reality.