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Showing posts from July, 2014

A Head That Has to Roll

Wow! The Head of the CIA has admitted to having spied on members of Congress who were investigating the Agency, as part of their oversight authority. Just four months ago, when he was asked point blank about it, he denied it in no uncertain terms. Either he was lying or he didn't know, an untenable position, whichever the case. Apologizing for it, just doesn't cut it. In a way, it's great that this has happened because it shows the kind of agency the CIA really is; a power unto itself, deceitful and not to be trusted. How can the American people rely on anything these people say about other countries, for example? If they have the gall to spy on their own elected leaders, and lie about it, they are capable of anything that strikes their fancy. The CIA has absolutely no credibility, and no policy decision should be made on its "intelligence."

Germany Scores a Big Goal

It can be done. Germany is producing almost 30% of its energy from renewable sources. It may not be cheap, but it's clean and clearly the way to go for the future. The sun, the wind, and water are part of the environment, so, what could be more "eco-friendly"? There are other countries which are well on their way to substituting fossil fuels as the main source of energy. All it takes is the political will to commit the resources needed and resist the onslaught from the oil cartels. The longer we wait to take the path of clean energy, the more polluted the world, and difficult and costly it will be to achieve that goal.

The Other Arms Race

Let's get something straight. The U.S is just as bad as Russia in supplying arms to the world. According to the latest figures, Russia leads the U.S. -- but not by much -- as the world's biggest arms dealer. Knowing how competitive the Americans are in everything, they must be working day and night to overtake the Russians on this. There's too much money in the arms business, for the Americans to settle for being No. 2 in it. So, the next time you hear Obama take the high moral ground  talking about some armed conflict, ask yourself: Are those guys armed by the Americans or the competition?

The Sarah Show

Okay, Sarah Palin is nice-looking, but "The Sarah Palin Channel"? At $9.95 a month, I'd rather see weird stuff on Netflix , rather than watch her ranting and raving like the lunatic that she is. I don't think that this new venture will last very long. Not even the lunatic fringe that pays any attention to her will keep her on the air. Some people will do anything to avoid doing an honest day's labor. Even being a joke on the national and international political scene.

Obama, the Jailer

As I write this, Puerto Rican journalists stage a demonstration on behalf of Oscar López Rivera, the political prisoner who has spent 33 years in U.S. jails for "seditious conspiracy", an archaic and obscure legal term meant to include anything the State wishes to accuse its opponents of. López has now been in jail six more years than Mandela. Speaking of which, Lopez's daughter was recently in South Africa and met with Bishop Desmond Tutu, who was saddened by this cruel and unusual punishment, and disappointed with Obama, for not having liberated López. Interestingly enough, López and Mandela were both convicted of the same "crime." Tutu and two other Nobel Peace Prize winners have come out in favor of López's liberation. Ironically, Obama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner himself, does not share their sensitivity, when it comes to human rights on his own doorstep.

A Double Standard

OK, let's say that Hillary Clinton is right. The Russians are, at least, partly responsible for the downing of the Malaysian plane, given their support of the Ukrainian rebels. Then, by the same token, the Americans are, at least, partly to blame for a lot of the bloodshed by the regimes they have backed all over the world, supplying arms, funds and technical assistance of all kinds, as well as troops on the ground. Or is this one of those cases in which the U.S. does not apply to itself the principles that it chooses to apply to the rest of the world?

The [Bad] Man Who Got Away

Another one of the bad guys gets away. Once again, one of those Nazis who took part in the killing of millions of people in WWII, has died before getting what he deserved. There is just no way that one can justify that this man, who was identified decades ago as a guard at Auschwitz, was able to "beat the system" and remain free, dying in a hospital bed in Philadelphia. Evidently, the U.S. dragged its feet all these years, allowing him to live to a ripe old age, that being, cynically, one of the reasons put forth by his defense to stop his deportation to Germany. One has to wonder why it took so long for American justice to deal effectively with this case, when, in many other instances, it acts very swiftly, even to the point of violating due process and other aspects of the rule of law, as in the case of the detainees in Guantánamo. The lack of political will, as manifested in this particular law-enforcement matter, is very troubling to people all around the world who de

Sexy Spying

Not only have they been spying on people, for supposedly security reasons, but the guys at NSA, behaving more like frat boys than responsible government employees, have been having a good time with racy photos encountered in their snooping. Thanks to Edward Snowden, who has been demonized by the U.S. Government, we keep learning about the kinds of shenanigans and high jinks that go on at the intelligence community of the U.S. and some of its allies. You know, those who love to point fingers at their adversaries for all kinds of bad things...

Indefensible India

The world is paying a lot of attention to the Malaysian airline tragedy and the one at Gaza, as well it should. Far be it from me to minimize both. But, as far as numbers of victims and the duration of the situation that produces them, the killings and rapes in India are something to be outraged about. There is something deeply wrong in a society in which rape is so common and vicious, and very little is done about it. The Indian criminal justice system seems powerless to respond to what seems to be an epidemic of violence against women. In fact, in the case of killings and rape by the military, the system protects it and the guilty parties take full advantage of a law that shields them from prosecution. Touted often as the world's biggest democracy, India is far from being in an acceptable position as to the rule of law in the very crucial aspect of its treatment of women.

Not Out of the Woods

American hype is not to be believed. Literally. According to American mythology, if an American is not involved predominantly in something, it's not worth anything. You can see this very clearly in sports: if an American is not the dominant figure, very little, if any, attention is paid to it in U.S. media. Or, as is the case now with Tiger Woods, the media insists that the sport " needs " him. Really? According to this theory, if Woods were to die, golf would disappear from the face of the earth. Well, for the past six years, in which he hasn't won a major tournament -- and by the looks of it , he may never win another one -- golf has done just fine. This reminds me of the time when John McEnroe took six months off to take care of his newborn son -- the one who was arrested for drugs recently -- and when he came back, he was never the same player and had to retire soon after. Then, it was said that men's tennis "needed" McEnroe. Well, guess what?

How Convenient!

How convenient for the U.S. in its campaign against Russia, that one way or another that country is involved in the downing of the Malaysian plane! I may be way off base here, but, I find it too much of a coincidence that the Russians would do such a thing at this point in time, when the U.S. has stepped up its sanctions on them. It is just too damn convenient for the Americans. Right out of a Hollywood script, in order to blame your enemy and justify your actions against it.

The Scary State of Arizona

You see, I knew that there was something wrong with Arizona, for having John McCain as senator for almost thirty years. Next, we found out about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's particular brand of law enforcement And then, they elected Jan Brewer as Governor. That's when it became crystal clear that there is something really wrong with the state. How about a McCain-Brewer ticket for 2016? With Arpaio waiting in the wings to be named head of the FBI. That's a scary thought.

The Real Rape and Assault

Does anyone really think that the Julian Assange case in Sweden is about rape and sexual assault? As with Edward Snowden, the Americans will not rest until they get their hands on him for Wikileaks.  They want to make an example of him by putting him to death. Once he gets to Sweden, the U.S. will get him, by any means necessary. You can be sure that that rape and sexual assault cases will go away, and he will end up in an American prison. Probably, on the same footing as the detainees in Guantánamo, that "black hole" of the rule of law.

Rule Britannia!

The Church of England's decision to ordain women as bishops is the natural consequence of both having accepted them as priests and taking gender equality to its logical conclusion. Keeping women in a subordinate position in any human endeavor is untenable, especially if one believes that we are all worthy in the eyes of God. One cannot decry the lower status of women in other cultures and, at the same time, keep them from achieving their full potential in one's own. To hold otherwise is clearly unfair and contrary to any basic notion of the Divine as a force for good. The Pope, who seems to be on the right track on so many things, should follow the Anglican Church's lead on this one.

The Savages Are Loose

The last time I cried over a sporting event, I must have been about 12 years old and my favorite baseball team was thrashed. There must be something wrong with grownups who cry over a soccer game. In fact, there surely is, and that explains the riots, violence and even suicides in the aftermath of the World Cup. I can understand that people be disappointed or frustrated with a result, but to behave like savages because their team lost is really crazy. Sports are supposed to have all sorts of beneficial effects on human beings. But, judging from this and other competitions, it doesn't seem like it.

"Going Dutch"

The Dutch are having second thoughts about their education system and how to finance higher education. Up until now, they have been extremely generous with everybody, regardless of actual financial need, but that cannot longer continue. So, they are switching from all-out grants to loans, albeit ones very easy to pay back. The whole idea is to get most of the population into college or universities, a goal that seems wonderful, but is not necessarily desirable. Not everyone is college-material. People can lead productive and useful lives without a university degree. Society needs all kinds of laborers, professionals or technicians that have never seen a painting by Brueghel or read Erasmus. Other countries would do well to reconsider their approach to universal funding for education. As in other aspects of life, quality is more important than quantity.

No Honor

As a firm believer in independence for Puerto Rico from the United States, I sympathize with independence movements all around the world, as well as with the recognition of those who have fought for it. Having said that, I find it absurd that India plans to spend $33 million on a statue twice the size of the Statue of Liberty to honor one of its independence heroes. Especially so, when that is twice the expenditure for girls' education and $8 million more than what will be spent for women's safety, in a country in which the rape of women is brutal and commonplace. It makes you wonder about what Gandhi would have said about something like this.

Merkel is Mad

It had to happen. There was no way that the German government, before its people and that of the rest of the world, could tolerate U.S. spying, once its cover had been blown off. So, they have kicked out the top American intelligence officer in Germany. Now, this isn't Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Venezuela or any other of those "unfriendly" countries to the U.S. whose every decision is attributed to evil intentions. This is one of the U.S. strongest allies and friends, a nation which has given no reason to suspect its good will toward the Americans. Spying on it so blatantly is doubly offensive and humiliating on the international arena. The Americans have really done this time.

Ah, Come On!

It's really laughable that U.S. Senator Robert Menéndez claims that there is a Cuban conspiracy to smear him about the corruption charges for which he is being investigated by the Justice Department. This is such a lame, late-in-the-game excuse, that it is pathetic. Fortunately, no one is taking it seriously. The man is clutching at straws to save himself, and he has resorted to the old trick of blaming the Communists for every evil under the sun. But, this "defense" comes to him as an afterthought, when he realized that he is in deep trouble and needs some deus ex machina help to get himself out of it. His lack of imagination is comical and embarrassing. He needs no help in "smearing" himself.

A Lesson Not Learned

I went to Catholic school, K-12. I even wrote a book about that experience. So, it comes as no surprise to me that Catholic schools have been in trouble for a long time; a lot of them have had to close down for financial reasons and dwindling enrollment. As time has gone by, people have become less inclined to put their children in such expensive and arbitrary environments, where individuality is suffocated in the name of God. I would also venture to say that the sexual-abuse scandal hasn't helped much. As a parent, I would be very concerned about putting my child in harm's way, by placing him or her near priests and nuns. There have been too many cases all over the world, for parents not to be rightfully worried about this. The Catholic Church has no one to blame but itself for the increasing disappearance of Catholic education.

Hanging Head Down on Downing Street

In the end, it's the cover up that gets you. If the Watergate scandal should have taught us anything, it's the fact that what brings people, institutions or governments down is not so much the crime, but the cover up. This is a lesson that the Catholic Church is learning the hard way. As bad as the sex abuse of children is -- much worse than a burglary -- what has gotten the Church in deep trouble is its cover up, by either doing nothing about it or doing everything to hide it. We are now finding out that the British government also did not learn from what happened to their cousins from "across the pond." In what seems like an epidemic of pedophilia through several decades, U.K officials either ignored the problem, including the one in government circles, or, much worse, covered it up, going so far as to hide or destroy documents about it. The Pope has begged for forgiveness for what the Church has done. Now that Thatcher is dead -- much of this occurred during

A Sunday Meditation

It is both ironic and tragic that so much of History is full of death and destruction based on religious beliefs. Thousands of years have gone by in which people all over the world have been willing to kill other human beings because they have different ideas about God or of how to worship Him, Her or It. Good and devout people turn into savages against their fellow human beings, in order to convert or punish them for not doing so. It all comes out of an anthropomorphic view of a God that must be "protected" from blasphemy or offense, even if it takes killing the offender. A ludicrous idea that has come down to us through the ages, and is prevalent in some parts of the world. Obviously, meditation, prayer and the reading of texts held to be the Word of God, basic religious practices, have done very little to truly enlighten the faithful.

"We Do It Because We Can"

"The plot thickens." Indeed, the U.S. spying on Germany affair continues to get complicated, as we now know that a German intelligence officer has been spying for the Americans for the last two years. So, while Obama pretends to make amends with Merkel over electronic spying, he keeps spying on Germany the old-fashioned way. Let's be clear about this: Obama has told Merkel that he won't continue to spy on her personally, but that he reserves the right to continue to do so on other German government officials. When a country's President has the gall to tell another country's top elected official something like this, there is no way in which any meaningful trust can be established between the two nations. Only American delusional arrogance can explain U.S. actions in this regard.

"♪Don't Cry for [Them], Argentina♪"

No matter how late, it's always cause for celebration that criminals such as the two Argentine former military officers who arranged the death of a bishop in 1976, as part of the "Dirty War", have been convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Although both are in their eighties, so they won't be in prison too long anyway, it's important that they be held accountable for an egregious abuse of power and murder. Also, being in prison when you are old and, presumably, sick should be harder on those two, deservedly so. The example should continue to be set. No matter how long it takes, "if you do the crime, you will do the time."

Decent Wages in Deutschland

Good for the Germans! They are well on their way to having a national minimum wage for the first time in their history. And, although they have come rather late to this labor law practice, they have made up for it by establishing it at the equivalent of $11.60 an hour , considerably more than the $7.25 in the U.S.; even if the $10.10 proposed by Obama were to be enacted by law. Once again, the Americans lag far behind other countries' economic and social justice measures. The time when the U.S. led by its example in the protection of worker's rights is long gone.

The Crumbling of America

Right from the horse's mouth. The U.S. Census Bureau, no less, has confirmed our worst suspicions: the U.S. is getting poorer. In fact, one out of every four Americans lives in poverty . People are getting poorer by the minute,and the famed "middle class" is rapidly disappearing in the United States. This is a definite trend that will not end anytime soon. The U.S. government seems incapable of turning it around; most states are equally powerless to stem this tide that increasingly engulfs the whole nation. For the first time, the Unites States has been included in an international assessment of countries in which conditions are worsening. What seemed far-fetched just a few years ago, has come to pass.