One Man's Opinion

I will no longer maintain this blog.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: independence is an inalienable right. It cannot be denied. One cannot call oneself a believer in democracy, if one is unwilling to recognize the right of a people to vote for independence. Holding some people as part of a nation against their will is the most undemocratic thing to do. It does not matter that it is inconvenient for the rest of the country. The right to be sovereign must be respected. If Catalonia wants to form a separate nation-state, there can be no law, constitutional or otherwise, that can validly prevent it from doing so. Spain is ill-advised in trying to force a union that is no longer there.

But, of course! A U.S. study reveals that eating regularly at home lowers the risk of getting diabetes. Or makes it easier to manage it, once you have it. Eating out is fun and interesting, but it's also risky, because you tend to overeat and eat things that are not entirely healthy, especially if you have other risk factors for diabetes or other diseases. If you do go out to eat, you should avoid fast food establishments, as much as possible, and order smaller portions at regular restaurants. The trick is to not get to be overweight, much less obese. "Less is more"...of a healthy life.

It's simple, really. Or it should be. Women should be represented in government proportionately to their numbers in a given society; at the very least, with 50%. There a few countries that have done this, and it has worked very well for women in particular and society in general. Canada is the latest, with the new Prime Minister appointing women to half his cabinet posts. We should all celebrate this democratic development, and profit from its experience.

The Chilean government is inching towards recognizing that Pablo Neruda was indeed killed; poisoned, probably. His poems and his prose were just too powerful, and Pinochet could not let him live a day longer, even in exile. Even if his days were numbered by the cancer that afflicted him. The man had to be silenced, and the Americans were all too glad to help. It's been 42 years, but the cover up seems to be coming to an end. Neruda lives!

It's totally understandable that Doctors Without Borders insists on the unwarranted nature of the U.S. attack on its hospital in Afghanistan. But, I have news for them. No matter what the facts are, the U.S. will not hold itself accountable for it. That is not the American way. Obama has already apologized. That's as far as it is going to go. No American will get punished for this. Someone of another nationality, sure. But, those boys-next-door types can do no wrong. American lives are precious. Not so those of other people. It's a hard "truth", but that's the way life works in a world dominated by The United States of America.

I mean, really? Is the fact that McDonald's served no fries -- "greasy" is the way they are described in American media -- for 10 months that great a sign of Venezuela's economic troubles? It seems to me that the fried yuca they were served instead was way better on all counts. Either way, it's no big deal, except for the propaganda purpose of portraying the country in the worst possible way. That is, if you think that McDonald's menu should be taken seriously as an indicator of social progress.

The UN is an effective bully pulpit for major world issues, on which one can wholeheartedly agree. But, the recent statement of the Secretary General about the "indifference" of the world about certain crises is, I think, somewhat unfair. There is that, to be sure, but one must realize that there are far too many problems in the world for everybody to concern themselves with. Our first duty is to ourselves, our family and our country, in that order. People everywhere are struggling to get by, and , although one is sympathetic to other people's plights, there isn't that much time or resources to solve everybody else's problems, especially when they are huge and long-standing. At some point, helping others is a burden that cannot be borne. One must always remember that "charity begins at home."

It's somewhat baffling that the U.S. prosecutors plan to keep pursuing the extradition of Roman Polanski almost 40 years after he was convicted of statutory rape and served some time in jail for it. What makes it strange is the fact that his victim, now 52, has publicly stated repeatedly that she does not want this to go on. According to her, Polanski has apologized and she turned the page on this a long time ago; dragging this on will only hurt her and her family. The woman just wants to go on with her life, without having this episode rehashed over an over again. One supposes that the Polish court that denied the U.S. extradition request took this into account. What Polanski did was terribly wrong, but, at some point, given his victim's feelings about it, at 82, he should not continue to be hounded by this to his grave.

In an unprecedented decision, the European Parliament has urged its member nations to protect Edward Snowden as "a whistle-blower and international human rights defender." It was a close call, due to the fact that many countries fear that the U.S. will retaliate against them, and they don't want to displease the Americans, who want Snowden dead or alive. But, truth and decency prevailed, and the Europeans did the right thing. As I've said before, Assange and Snowden have done the world a world of good by exposing the U.S. and some of its allies as major violators of human rights. They have broken the law, yes. But, it's a law to protect those who do far worse things than to expose the secrets of fascism.

The incident at a South Carolina high school, in which a white security guard manhandled a black girl while "arresting" and putting handcuffs on her, is not just another example of the "police" brutality that goes on in the U.S., especially against blacks, but also a result of a police-State mentality in dealing with everyday issues. The growing trend of using private security in all areas of society has put people everywhere at the mercy of a lot of individuals who have a gung-ho attitude; many of which are wannabe cops or soldiers, overly aggressive, who take out their frustration on  regular people. An unfortunate development of this pseudo-fascist society.

Let's hope that the joke is not on him. A former comedian has become the new President of Guatemala. People there were so fed up with the large-scale political corruption, they chose someone who has no experience in government or public affairs of any sort. So, what started as a publicity stunt or a way to protest against bad government, surprisingly, turned into a viable political campaign that has won the presidency. Now, to govern. Which is no laughing matter any place, least of all in a country such as Guatemala, where corruption brought down a government and has the former president in jail awaiting trial.

Who died and named Obama education Pope? Although the State has a big say in public education, it seems to me that micromanaging it to the point of establishing how much time should be devoted to tests is a purely educational matter, best left to teachers and people who know about these things. Surely, there are a lot more pressing matters in the U.S. and the rest of the world for Obama to concern himself with, than dictating the time for tests, standardized or otherwise.

The self-proclaimed "greatest democracy in the world" is so desperate that it has to pay people to vote. In Philadelphia, of all places, they have put in place a lottery with a  $10,000  prize as a gimmick to improve voter turnout for the mayoral race. The last time around, only 29% voted, and in the U.S. general election it was a "whopping" 36% . So, in typical American fashion, they are throwing money at the problem. What would the mythical Founding Fathers have said about the state of the republic they established?

I read that Obama checked out of The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York for security concerns due to the fact that the Chinese have bought it. Of course, Obama, who has spied on the rest of the world, is now worried that the Chinese would spy on him while staying there. Well, if the Chinese continue to buy U.S. real estate, Obama will have to stay at the White House until his term runs out.

In a way, people who donate money to churches which look more like a business than anything else "deserve" to be taken for a ride. What do these people think that their money is going to be used for? This has happened so many times now, that it is truly amazing that people keep falling for it. The Singapore church that funneled part of its donations to further the musical career of the pastor's wife is the latest example of this widespread practice in religious circles. The Gospel of wealth and prosperity has "scam" written all over it.

A high-school student has reportedly hacked email accounts of both the CIA Director and the Homeland Security honcho. If this turns out to be true, instead of prosecuting the kid, he should be offered immediate employment in either agency. What this shows is that security at U.S. security agencies is non-existent.

Not that we needed further proof of what Richard Nixon was, but Bob Woodward's book on Alexander Butterfield's revelations should be the final nail on Nixon's historical coffin. This, because, a few years after his downfall, some people seemed to forget what he had done, and he became a sort of elder statesman whose counsel or opinion was to be sought. So, anything that expands on how tricky "Tricky Dick" was, and helps to clarify his role in American history, is indeed a welcome addition to the voluminous indictment against him.

Can you imagine President Donald Trump criticizing Hungary for closing its borders?

In Canada, Conservatives say that if Liberals win Monday's election, there will be "brothels in our communities" and children smoking legal marijuana. And mass migration from the U.S.

Poor Obama! Granted that the second presidential term is largely a "lame-duck" presidency, but his is turning into one of the lamest. The man who promised so much has disappointed so many, especially on human rights and war. Not only has he been unable to close the Guantánamo detention center, but he has continued the U.S. military involvement overseas, his latest backtrack in Afghanistan a case in point. So much "Hope" for "Change" unfulfilled!

Good for the Governor of Okinawa! Whatever the outcome will be of the struggle against another U.S. base there, the man deserves credit for standing up both to Japan and the United States, full partners in the abuse of Okinawa. As a Puerto Rican who knows what having U.S. military bases on an island means, and how difficult it is to get rid of them, I salute Governor Onaga for having the courage to fight for the well-being of his people against formidable imperialist foes.

Bolivia, Iran and Venezuela have recently reminded the U.N. that there are still territories in the world which are neither independent nor do they enjoy any meaningful form of autonomy from the colonial power, a case in point being Puerto Rico. Our situation is especially significant because we are a colony of the United States, the so-called "leader of the free world", and for the fact that the U.S. has chosen to ignore the U.N.'s repeated calls for our self-determination during the last 40 years. It would be easy to dismiss what these three countries have pointed out; after all, they are largely "damned" on the international scene. But, it would be wrong. No matter who says something or with what purpose; the important thing is to look at the facts with an open mind and recognize the truth, however distasteful or inconvenient it may be . From our part, thank you, Bolivia, Iran and Venezuela.

It seems that, in his effort to catch up with Donald Trump, Dr. Ben Carson has decided to engage in some outrageous campaigning of his own. Looks like the good doctor is gunning for the support of the gun lobby, as well as all those would-be gunslingers the U.S. is full of. So, the man holds the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as nothing short of sacred, and having everybody armed as the solution to the crime problem. Not only that, but he also believes that if Jews had been armed, there would have been no extermination during WWII. Coming very close to calling those Jews pushovers who did not stand up to Hitler's henchmen, he has come up against the Jewish establishment. Thus, he has committed political suicide.

The U.S. has done it again. As is often the case, it has waited decades to declassify documents that show its involvement or, at the very least, knowledge of crimes by right-wing regimes to its liking, when it's too late to do anything but set the record straight. This time, almost 40 years after the fact, it has acknowledged that it knew that Pinochet had ordered the assassination of Orlando Letelier. Not even the fact that it took place in Washington, D.C. prompted the U.S. government to withdraw its support of the Chilean dictator. Reagan kept quiet about it. So had he about the countless Chileans that were murdered, tortured and made to "disappear" during that reign of terror. Now that Reagan, Thatcher and Pinochet are long dead, and it's safe to tell the truth, the U.S. admits that it withheld the truth all this time, even in the face of those who spoke it during all these years. The hypocrisy and cynicism of it all!

Here are three recent U.S. headlines which tell the story: "Northern Arizona University Shooting: 1 Killed, 3 Injured." "Texas Southern University on Lockdown After 2 Shot." "Gun Sales Set a Record High for the Fifth Month in a Row." Enough said.

The U.S. Congress has approved a $612 billion defense spending bill. Although Obama has threatened to veto it on purely technical grounds, Congress has the votes to override his veto. Think about that sum of public funds, the next time someone says that there's no money for social programs in the U.S.

This is a biggie. The U.S.  bombed a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders in Afghanistan, killing more than a dozen employees and at least ten patients, including three children. As usual, the incident is being investigated by everybody and his brother, but we can safely assume that nothing will come of  it. It will be deemed "an honest mistake", "an unfortunate situation" or "collateral damage." Until next time.

It needed to be said, and the Pope has said it. The cover up of child sex abuse by priests is wrong, and the bishops who have done it did an evil thing. He went so far as to say that he can understand why a victim and his family are unable to forgive a priest who engaged in such an abuse. Once again, he has refused to be judgmental of people who have endured a great pain in their lives or are somehow "different." Even in the case of a woman who lost her faith and died an atheist because she could not cope with the fact that her daughter had been abused by a priest, the Pope says he understands her, and is sure that God welcomed her. This is the kind of message that we all need to hear, one that reassures us of God's love and understanding of our human frailty.

Politicians tend to self-destruct, by talking too much. Sooner or later, they get in trouble because they say what they truly feel and think. Then come the apologies and clarifications, but to no avail. Jeb Bush has recently said that blacks in the U.S. want too much of the "free stuff" that Democrats have given them over the years. By "free stuff" he means the entitlement programs that began in earnest with the "War on Poverty" under the Johnson administration. This, coming from a rich white man born into wealth and political power. Although not as outrageous as Trump's comments on just about everything, Bush has alienated a good part of the American electorate, while revealing his true self.

The Dalai Lama has just cancelled his trip to the U.S. "for health reasons." For all his Buddhist humility, I think that he doesn't want to suffer for the comparison between his visit and the Pope's. In any case, at 80, he has been giving signs of deterioration. Like his recent remark about a female successor having to be "attractive." Not the kind of thing you would expect from a spiritual leader of any religion, much less one that emphasizes an extreme form of modesty in dress and personal appearance. He also called one of his aides "stupid" in a documentary I saw a while back. Although he did it in a joking manner, I was taken aback by his insensitivity at using such a strong word in such a public medium. So, maybe he is sick.

The Pope at the UN has said that the blame on the exploitation of natural resources falls on "a selfish and boundless thirst for power and material prosperity." I wonder about who could he possibly have been thinking of...

This post is just for real baseball fans: "It's really over, now."

Brian Williams, the former TV news anchor who got fired for "embellishing" his part in news stories, is back on TV, covering Pope Francis' trip to the U.S. I wouldn't be surprised if he claims to have been at Calvary on Good Friday.

I recently saw the film  Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. You would think that a man such as he, having endured racial prejudice, and a deeply religious person, would be much more sensitive to what ethnic and religious prejudices can do to human beings. Yet, it doesn't seem that way. His recent remarks on Muslims suggest that his concerns are only for blacks and Christians. By saying that a Muslim shouldn't be President, because a Muslim holds values that are inconsistent with the Constitution, he is espousing discrimination against and fear of a group of people. He, a black man in the U.S.! He has also come very close to the Donald Trump position on these matters. Dr. Carson, a noted neurosurgeon, ought to have his head examined.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The wave of suicides of former U.S. military personnel is a way in which karma works. The bad things you do in life will come back to haunt you. You can't sleep or you have nightmares, you can't eat, you drink and take drugs; you can't have a normal life. All those people you killed for no reason. All those people you tortured or did horrible things to. You have to pay for what you did. In a way, it's and eye for an eye. Except, in this case, it's you who take your eye out. Two comments about this situation are extremely revealing. In trying to explain how the soldiers who come back feel, one reads: "The thrill of combat is gone." Jesus! Is that what these guys are there for? Thrill-seeking?  Another likened combat to the "Wild West." War as a video game or the romanticized violence of the American expansion. No wonder these people kill themselves; they were deeply disturbed to begin with. T

Now, I can understand the part about being wary of a clock mechanism associated with a boy named Ahmed Mohamed. The part I can't understand is the arrest and the rest of the criminal procedure that goes with it. What did this boy say and do, that warranted such extreme measures, given the whole scenario? This has to be one of the most embarrassing things in a long string of ludicrous events in recent history in the U.S. But, then again, this happened in Texas, to a boy named Ahmed Mohamed.

Another comedian is in trouble for pulling an outrageous stunt: lying about being at one of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001, and maintaining that lie for 14 years. A day before being exposed publicly, he decided to come clean about it. Barely. First, he sort of excuses himself by saying that he  was "an immature young man." Well, he was 23 at the time, an age at which most people have graduated from college and some are working on their masters' degree. So much for that claim. Then he goes on to say "I don't know why I said this." Really? Because he wanted to appear to be part of a major historical event as a victim. Also, because he is a pathological liar. Case in point: He claimed falsely to have graduated from State University of New York at Purchase with a degree in Theater and Film. He never even attended it. There have been other cases of people who claim falsely to have been at the World Trade Center on that fateful day. It

The people at Charlie Hebdo  just don't get it. The message of their latest cartoons may be true and funny, but including the image of the dead Syrian boy is extremely insensitive and offensive. They could have conveyed their feelings about the hypocritical attitudes of European governments on the migrants issue without using the little boy's image. Don't these people have children or grandchildren of their own? Is it easier to do this because this is not a French boy? Being controversial or outrageous for the sake of it is sophomoric and, in this case, despicable.

It's a script written in the Pentagon. Support with money and guns, lots of both, right-wing military juntas around the world. Assist them in all kinds of human-rights violations, including large-scale torture and murder.  Give them shelter in the U.S., where they stay for a long time, living like ordinary people. Then, decades later, "discover" that those people you helped get to power and stay there are criminals of the worst kind. Now, scramble to bring them to justice. A current case of a former Salvadoran military officer follows this script to a "t." Too little, too late for all those he murdered. Nothing the U.S. does now means much. What counted was what was done in 1989 and afterwards. If the Americans had not rushed to support those criminals, there would be no need now to prosecute him. Won't they ever learn?

I've just seen a video of a man being attacked by two pit bulls on a New York street. It's an extremely disturbing scene. The dogs were relentlessly vicious in their attack, even when a group of people came to the man's aid. They wouldn't let go. When they were forced to let go, they came back with a vengeance. The man is miraculously alive, but he may be maimed for life. I've never liked dogs. Don't trust them. People say that some people are worse than animals. True. I'll take my chances with people any day.

This time it's the Chinese. During WWII, the Americans targeted Japanese-Americans as possible spies, and ended up by placing whole families in internment camps for the duration of the war. That shameful practice was even condoned by the U.S. Supreme Court. It took the Americans several decades to acknowledge the error of their ways, apologize and offer a meager compensation to the few survivors or their families. Now, with the "economic war" with China -- which, by the way, the U.S. is losing -- the Americans see in every American citizen of Chinese ancestry a "spy", especially, if that person has anything to do with science and technology, which many of them do, given the fact that a good number of Asian scientists have gone to the U.S. to study and work, and have remained there. In a recent case, the head of the physics department at Temple University, a Chinese professor who is a U.S. citizen and has lived there since 1989, was accused of spying for Chin

Hillary Clinton did not learn the basic lesson from her husband's personal troubles in office. After saying that there was nothing to apologize for in the e-mail controversy, she has had to do just that. Not only has she been caught in a compromising situation all of her making, but she has shown herself to be a stubborn person, in not recognizing that this was a no-win situation for her. She has done herself no favor in assuming an untenable position and trying to maintain it for too long.

The way "New York's finest" treated James Blake, the former tennis pro, when they mistook him for a guy who had been involved in an illegal activity was not, by far, one of their finest moments. Although he hasn't made much of the racial element, we can't be that naive, in discounting the fact that his being black had a lot to do with it. Blacks in the U.S. have the presumption of guilt, which is why they are so easily targeted when there is the least bit of a suspicion that they may have done something wrong.

In a sort of "two can play at that game", a Kentucky Deputy County Clerk has stated that he will continue to issue marriage licenses, even if his supervisor, the infamous Kim Davis, orders him not to. In other words, he is going to do his job, the one he said he would do and is paid for. We'll soon see what happens when Davis returns to work from her "martyrdom" at jail. Will she respect her employee's duty to do his job, or will she fire him for going against the "Word of God", as it has been revealed to her?

It's been reported that a comedian-turned-politician is leading the election results in Guatemala. Another comedian is leading the polls in the U.S. Funny, isn't it?

American mythology holds that military academies are hallowed ground where ordinary men are turned into "officers and gentlemen." Hollywood has done much to keep that myth alive. But, for some time now, that squeaky-clean image has been tarnished by scandals, mostly sexual, who appear to be part of the extracurricular activities in the three military academies. Now, the dumb pillow-fight tradition at West Point has left 30 cadets hurt, because, last month, those pillows were filled with hard objects, which resulted in broken bones, dislocations and head injuries. First of all, what kind of a 100-year-old tradition is a pillow fight at a military academy? Secondly, who came up with the idea of filling the pillows with hard objects? Are these cadets the future elite of the U.S. Army? No wonder American troops do such a poor job wherever the're deployed. No wonder there are incidents of "friendly fire", when officers-in-training have such a low regard for the s

Yeah, I know what some of you are going to say. But, after seeing a picture of Kim Davis, the Kentucky County Clerk who is in jail for contempt of court, for refusing to issue marriage licenses for homosexual couples, I know why her husband supports her being in jail "as long as it takes."

"Afghan villagers skeptical as U.S. reopens probe into 2013 killings." Of course! Who wouldn't be skeptical of the Americans investigating themselves again . If they didn't do it right the first time, when the facts were fresh, are they going to do a better job now, two-and-a-half years later? The Afghans have enough experience with the U.S. by now, to start trusting the Americans on matters such as this one. Nothing will come of this new "probe." Afghans may be poor and somewhat unsophisticated, but they are not stupid.

"Another day at the office." A U.S. drone killed six suspected militants  in Pakistan. Maybe they were; maybe they weren't. Does it really matter to the U.S.? Not really. What's a few Pakistani more or less? Now, six dead Americans; that would be a real tragedy.

"U.S. eyes China cyber sanctions. Sanctions would hit enterprises that steal U.S. secrets." Is this the same U.S. that has consistently spied on world leaders?

The Republican contenders for the nomination for President of the U.S. are also competing to see who has the dumbest political ideas. Not to be outdone by Donald Trump, Scott Walker, the Wisconsin governor, is now considering building a wall on the Canadian border, as a way of keeping terrorists out. Wow! Next thing you know, some other candidate will propose to build walls on the east and west coasts for the same reason.

By now, it should be pretty obvious that Usain Bolt is the greatest sprinter of all time. It's almost unfair to compete against him. Even after his injuries and inactivity for the past two years, he came back to beat the "best", which, as it turned out, were just not good enough. Even when he is not in perfect form, with a stumble here and there, he manages to win the big races. He talks the talk, and he runs the walk, while intimidating the competition into making mistakes when racing against him. He's in a class all by himself. If only that it would deprive the world from seeing him put on a show of sheer dominance, they might as well give him the gold medals and let the others run for second place.

I seem to remember having written some time ago that one should refrain from "canonizing" certain political or public figures hastily, just because they may be in the opposition in countries in which there are undemocratic regimes. There is a tendency to celebrate those people; even, to idolize them because they are pro-West, without looking too closely at who they are and how they behave. I also said that I hoped that Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize winner would not disappoint all her fans in the West. Well, it's happened. It seems that she is not that democratic, when it comes to dealing with people in her own party and those who are her natural allies, all of whom are seeing a side of her that they do not like and is unbecoming of someone of her stature in and outside her country. Even people who are on her side criticize her sharply for the way she conducts her political business. For a long time, she was not allowed to leave her house, much less

If any country in the world has to be very concerned by violence against foreigners or minorities it's Germany. This is how the Third Reich started, not so long ago, from a historical perspective. The State should not underestimate these forces or apply watered-down measures to their actions. Hate crimes must be dealt with forcefully and swiftly, before they get out of hand. Fascism is always there, under the surface, waiting for the next opportunity to come out with a vengeance. People who remain silent, very often, are fascists at heart, and will join a movement that they feel is growing stronger. Merkel and her government must act decisively on this matter, or they might live to regret it.

Really? Donald Trump actually ate Oreo cookies? Even if we were so gullible to believe that, his decision to stop eating them because they are going to be manufactured in Mexico is a top-ten stupid thing to do. And then to top it off, he said he would continue to eat them, if he found that there were still being made in the U.S. Guess what? There are several plants doing just that. Which goes to show how ignorant and careless he really is, not bothering to check the facts before going off on a rant. Anyway, this is to be expected from someone who cares so much about eating Oreos...

A racist or xenophobe's true feelings will, sooner or later, make themselves known.  Curt Schilling, the former great baseball pitcher, who had once argued publicly against evolution, has shown his true colors by, indirectly, comparing Muslims with Nazis. Specifically, he said: "It's been said that only 5-10% of Muslims are extremists. In 1940, only 7% of Germans were Nazis. How'd that go?" He has apologized. But, we all know what he really thinks.

A U.S. study confirms what we all knew intuitively: Americans are the world champions of mass shootings, defined  as those in which, at a single place, at least four people are killed. As a matter of fact, with only 5% of the world's population, the U.S. has 31% of the mass shootings on the planet. If you factor in those that happen at school and at work, it's 62% . The reasons for such astounding figures are very simple: 88.8 guns for every 100 people, and the gun culture that stems from the Second Amendment -- the right to bear arms -- of the Constitution. Did we really need a study by the American Sociological Association to tell us this?

Usain Bolt has won, once again, the title of the "world's fastest man" at the Beijing World Athletics Championships. And he did it after coming back from injuries to beat American Justin Gatlin, a known two-time drug cheat who should have been banned for life a long time ago. All is right with the world.

First, it was the NAACP; now, it's the "Black Lives Matter" movement. In a sort of copy-cat fashion, a male activist for BLM has, apparently, misrepresented his racial identity to pass as black, like the woman who did likewise to the NAACP. While there are blacks that try to pass as white, to avoid prejudice, in these two instances, two whites have passed as black, for a similar reason: being part of a movement for racial and social justice. Which is all well and good, except that they have chosen to lie about who they really are, and, despite their good intentions, that undercuts their credibility and seriousness, by acting a part or a role, as in a work of fiction.

Hillary Clinton has just missed an important "teaching moment". Talking with some representatives of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, she was dismissive of the idea that "changing hearts" is an important goal of this or any other social movement. To her, legislation is the way to go, and she urged those folks to concentrate on specific proposals for legislation. Hillary is wrong in assuming that legislation is the answer. History shows that laws have been passed and cases decided, and still, people who have not had a change of heart will look for all sorts of ways to circumvent them and render them meaningless. This is not to say that laws are not important, but, unless people change their attitude, a battle has been won, but the war is far from over. The gay marriage issue in the U.S. is a perfect example of how people in high places, as well as the common man, are fighting tooth and nail against the Supreme Court decision, including using the legal

If the sentence handed down in the Oscar Pistorius case was a scandal -- just five years for killing his girlfriend -- allowing him to serve most of it at home, after just 10 months in prison, is outrageous. To make matters worse, he will do so in a  mansion with a gym and a pool . Now, one can understand that South African law may want to give convicts the opportunity, in appropriate cases, to serve part of their sentence outside prison, but, in this case, time served behind bars is just too short, and releasing him to such comfort is really a slap in the face to the victim's memory, her family and the rest of society. Shame on South Africa!

See, this is why Assange and Snowden are the rest of the world's heroes, while the U.S. considers them villains of the worst kind and it's itching to capture them and either execute them or sentence them to life imprisonment. Thanks to Snowden, we now know that At&T collaborated with the National Security Agency, providing it with billions of emails during a decade. Not only did it help the American government spy on individuals, but also on the United Nations headquarters in New York City, where it wiretapped online communications. Assange and Snowden: May God keep them safe for a long time.

The Swedish cases against Julian Assange are beginning to fall apart. We all know that the real reason why this has been pursued so relentlessly and vigorously for such a long time is because the Americans are behind it. He has embarrassed them so much, that they must make an example of him. On the Swedish side of things, not to diminish the importance of rape, but, you would think that this is the first rape case in the history of Sweden. Thanks to Ecuador, Assange has been able to continue embarrassing the U.S., by revealing the truth behind its facade of propaganda.

They've got to be kidding! The Time magazine website publishes an article titled "These Are the 20 Best Beers in the World." Sixteen are American-made , according to an American site called RateBeer.com. Now, this is not only shoddy journalism, but an insult to the intelligence and taste of serious beer drinkers around the world, myself included. Either those guys at RateBeer.com are incredibly dishonest and ethnocentric, or they haven't tasted enough beers from other parts of the world. In either case, they are the laughingstock of the beer-drinking world. And so is Time , for publishing such idiocy.

The Ferguson, Missouri incident first anniversary, marred by violence, brings to mind, once again, the issue of police violence or use of excessive force. The interesting thing about it is the fact that there is really not much reliable data on it. Be it because U.S. police departments fail to keep records of their use of force, or because they are unwilling to make them public, there is no way to assess how American police behave  in this critical area of their work. Most of the evidence is anecdotal, with some pictures or videos to back it up. What little there is, is extremely disturbing, though. One can only imagine the full picture.

The death of Manuel Contreras, the Chilean master henchman for Augusto Pinochet, reminds us of how terrible that regime was, not only for Chile, but also for Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which took part in Operation Condor, a state terrorism secret alliance that claimed thousands of lives. In Chile, for example, close to 38,000 people were imprisoned and tortured, and more than 3,200 were killed or disappeared during Pinochet's reign of terror led by Contreras. We are also reminded of the complicity, active or passive, of the U.S. government through all this process. The 526 year-sentence imposed on Contreras was not nearly enough for him to pay for his crimes against humanity. Especially, given the fact that part of the 20 years he served he spent at a rather comfortable institution. The Americans didn't do too much to punish two of his aides in the U.S. either. Birds of a feather.

You know what? I really don't care who won or lost the Republican debate in the U.S. last night. It makes no difference who their candidate for President will be. Nor it matters who the Democrats select as their candidate. It's all the same. For the rest of the world, whoever gets elected will behave like an American, that is to say, someone who sees the world as part of its empire, and will end up bombing, invading and occupying any other country it feels like, killing women, children and old people, and saying the're sorry for the "collateral damage" that can't be avoided. Let's not waste our time with this political show.

A scientific study done in Britain, but covering 20 other countries, including the U.S., shows that people are developing dementia much earlier in life than ever before, as early as in their 40s. It has ceased to be an advanced aging problem, and the culprit appears to be an environment full of pollution, pesticides and chemicals, both in the outside and inside our homes. In other words, not only are we poisoning ourselves to death, but we are also driving ourselves crazy or mentally incompetent in the process. Well, that's progress for you.

The U.S. commercial deficit grew 7.1% in June, up to $43.8 billion , mostly due to an increase in imports from the European Union. Why am I not surprised? As a frequent traveler to Europe, where my wife and I have spent weeks at a time, we have been able to appreciate the overall quality and superior workmanship of European products. Evidently, we are not alone in that appreciation.

It's gotta be a joke, right? Donald Trump has fired an aide for making racist remarks on Facebook against Obama and Al Sharpton's daughter. What! I suppose that the guy will now sue Trump, claiming that inappropriate public expression of one's views are not just cause for termination of employment or contractual obligations.

The New York Times, whose influence on American life is well known, has come out in favor of ending the embargo on Cuba, asking Congress to take this next and critical step on the road to normal relations between the two countries. Previously, the paper had urged Obama to reverse the decades-old American failed policy towards Cuba. So, if the recent past is any indication of what the future will bring, the embargo is on its way out.

Amnesty International wants to decriminalize prostitution. Good for them! There are those who oppose it, for the wrong reasons, I believe. Human trafficking is a major problem, but it is a problem regardless of its ultimate purpose. It is just as bad if, instead of doing it to supply prostitutes, it is done to supply slave labor for sweatshops or domestic help. Nor the answer is to fine or prosecute customers only, which is patently unfair because it penalizes only one of its participants. If prostitution is wrong, then both parties to it have to be punished equally. Or not. Which seems to be the solution for this age-old problem. Amnesty for prostitution.

The guy who stabbed some people at a gay-pride parade ten years ago in Jerusalem has done it again. An ultra-Orthodox Jew, he had been released recently, after serving ten years in prison. Evidently, it did him no good. I think we all have to understand, and accept, that fanatics -- especially, religious ones -- are beyond redemption, simply because they feel that they are doing "God's work", and that there is no greater duty on this earth. The man is convinced that he is some kind of "avenging angel" that must eliminate homosexuals, for their "abominable" ways. As my father used to say, there are people who have to be locked up for life. If this guy is sentenced to twenty years in prison, he will do it again, as soon as he is out.

If you really needed proof about how crazy Donald Trump is and what he stands for, take note of just two things, One, he would appoint Sarah Palin something in his administration. Two, he has been endorsed by Dennis Rodman. Case closed.

"Washington, D.C. is sinking into the ocean." Not fast enough! Venice is also sinking, but it is really worth saving .

Usually, lawyers have clients who are their own worst enemies, by being indiscreet or doing some outrageous thing contrary to their best interest. But, sometimes, the lawyer can also hurt his client's case, by behaving improperly or saying something that puts his client in a bad light. This is what has happened to Donald Trump. On top of all the ill will he has earned for himself by his vicious attacks on everybody, his attorney has made matters worse when he claimed that there is no such thing as spousal rape, while referring to an incident between Trump and his former wife Ivana. Not only is he wrong on the law, but bringing up the whole issue was ill advised. If this is the kind of legal counsel Trump will be using in the numerous lawsuits he has or will file against those who broke up with him over his tirade against Mexicans, he's in worst trouble than he thinks he is.

Lord Sewel, of British Parliament's House of Lords, went to the sewer of cocaine use and prostitution, got taped doing it, and has had to resign. There were no ifs or buts about it; he was clearly seen up close and heard loud and clear by the whole world, enjoying his escapade. What makes it even more ironic is the fact that Sewel was chairman of the committee on ethics of the House of Lords. British tabloids must be having a field day.

The headline "Initial autopsy of Bobbi Kristina Brown finds no obvious cause of death" shows how wrong science can be. The obvious cause of her death was having Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown as parents.

With this new focus on Cuba, the case of Elián González comes to mind as an episode of the ideological war that the U.S. waged against Cuba. Fifteen years later, Elián is a young man of 22, perfectly healthy, happy and studying engineering. Contrary to his family in Florida and other naysayers, he feels that returning him to his father in Cuba was the right decision, and time has proved that. After all, who better than him to know what the outcome has been. Credit must be given to then-Attorney General Janet Reno, who finally realized that a boy belongs with his loving father, something that is worth much more than living next door to Disney World.

The frequent claims by the U.S. that it has killed or eliminated top terrorist leaders reminds me of the similar claims made by the police with regard to drug lords and their organizations. Every time they bust a drug gang, they tell us that the gang has been "dismembered" or some such term, meaning that it is no longer functioning. And yet, the gangs keep on doing business. The same thing with terrorists. Either it's not true or these organizations have countless members, ready to take the dead one's place and go on with their "business."

Increasing the minimum wage is long overdue, and New York City and State are on the brink of mandating that it be $15 an hour for fast-food employees, up from the current $8.75. The fact is that the minimum wage at $7.25 in Puerto Rico is, quite frankly, slave labor. Especially in the case of big corporations, paying the minimum wage with no or next-to-no benefits is a scandal, that society should be ashamed of for allowing it. But, workers have begun to fight for better wages, and there is a movement that is gaining momentum everywhere and won't be stopped.

Once again, U.S. forces have accidentally killed their "allies" in Afghanistan. This time the tally was seven dead and five wounded at an Afghan army post that was blasted by American helicopters. In typical Madison Avenue parlance, it was a case of "friendly fire", so, I suppose, those guys are less dead or injured. As a matter of fact, the Afghan President, aiming not to embarrass the U.S. too much, referred to the helicopters as part of the "international forces." Of course, there will be an "investigation" and the "international forces" will take "maximum precautions" to avoid similar incidents in the future. Sure.

I hate to agree with Donald Trump on anything, but he's right about John McCain. In fact, it's Trump that agrees with me on this. A while back, I wrote that McCain had made a political career out of his being a POW, and that his frustration over having failed as a soldier has made him a warmonger. So, Trump is on the money about him. Of course, he could have been more elegant about it.

The KKK -- or what's left of it -- has come out to protest the taking down of the Confederate flag at the South Carolina capitol. So, if anyone had any doubt about what the flag stands for, there it is. No better witness than those Klan people.

I should have thought so! The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has ruled that there can be no discrimination against the LGBT community. In all basic and fundamental aspects of life -- employment being one of them -- there can be no discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, religion; in other words elements over which you have no control of or are an intrinsic part of who you are. Equality demands it; there can be no partial equality. People have the right to work, regardless of who they are gender wise or who they share their intimacy with. As long as something does not affect the work that you do, employers have no business interfering with it.

My father used to say that it was a bad idea to honor someone who is alive because, no matter how great the person might be, even at the last minute, he could do something awful that would embarrass everyone. Witness Bill Cosby's Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama awarded it to the man widely regarded as the ultimate American Black Man. A model citizen and a model for all black men. A man who publicly scolded young black men who were not doing the right thing for themselves and their community. Who chastised other black comedians for using the word "nigger" in their stand-up routines. In short, the Father-figure for all American black men. Oh, yes, and an admittedly serial rapist who used drugs to do his dirty deeds.

"El Chapo" threatening Donald Trump? He wishes! Does anyone seriously think that the escaped Mexican drug lord has nothing better to do than even think about Trump? Desperate for publicity, Trump would love that this were true, so he can continue badmouthing Mexicans, but someone is obviously playing around with Trump's foolishness.

Well, there you have it. Obama has commuted the sentences of 46 drug offenders in a single day . Mind you, some of these people were drug traffickers in cocaine and crack . These were not just poor drug addicts or marijuana recreational users; they were dealing in hard drugs.  In total, Obama has commuted 89 sentences, more than Reagan; Bush, Sr.; Clinton and Bush,Jr. put together. And still Oscar López Rivera waits in his cell.

There are people who are too stupid to reconsider their views on something, even in the face of overwhelming evidence contrary to their opinion. Whoopi Goldberg, who you can only view in The View , a talk show, because her career has been over for a long time, has refused to change her view on the Bill Cosby  affaire , in spite of his admission that he used drugs on women to rape them . She has chosen to take the irrational stand he is still "innocent until proven guilty", although by that admission he has, essentially, "pleaded guilty." In doing so, she has not only thrown a sense of justice out the window, but also solidarity with women, including black women, that have been victims of Cosby. Admiration or friendship cannot be taken to such an absurd extreme.

A U.S. government report has concluded that about a third of the residences of diplomatic personnel abroad do not meet adequate security standards. This, in spite of the $170 million assigned for security purposes. So, the American diplomats and their families are pretty much on their own, as far as facing the dangers and risks inherent in their status in other countries. Someone must have used part of those funds for their personal gain. Of course, it has been alleged that the guidelines are not that clear, so the overseas personnel are somewhat confused about what it is that they must do to protect themselves. Like putting grilles on windows, for example. Oh, boy. No wonder the U.S. is in trouble all over the world.

I've just read that Obama will be the first U.S. President to visit a federal prison while in office. It's a "photo op" for his announcement of new federal sentencing guidelines. If only he would visit Oscar López Rivera to tell him why he won't release him from prison after 34 years  for the same "crime" that his much-admired Nelson Mandela did 27 years. That would really be "something to write home about."

Misty Copeland, a very light-skinned black ballerina with the American Ballet Theater, has been appointed "principal dancer", after 15 years with the company. Fine. But, the real news is that it has taken ABT 75 years  to have a black woman in that position. So, the cause for celebration speaks volumes about how slowly black people have progressed toward full equality and integration in the U.S. In a very real way, it is embarrassing, to say the least, that a country takes so long to accord its black people the recognition they deserve for their talent.

The hot dog-eating contest on July 4th in the U.S. is the perfect metaphor for the country. This would be a stupid event anytime, but to have it at a celebration of the country's independence shows how dumb and vapid American life is, as well as how little respect they have for a great date in their history. Stupid does as stupid is.

Imperialist countries have more in common than those who have not had that historical experience. This explains why the U.S. and Japan act so unconscionably towards Okinawa, insisting that the American military presence continue there and even in expanding it, in spite of a long history of abuses. Okinawans have had no success in getting the Japanese government on their side on this issue; instead, the Japanese have bent over backwards to prove to the Americans that they are their allies, sacrificing the Okinawans in the process. We in Puerto Rico know fully well what having American military bases on one's soil amounts to. Culebra and Vieques, two very small inhabited islands, were used as target practice for decades. Although the Americans left a long time ago, their abuse has not stopped. The U.S. government has done a very poor job of cleaning the islands of live ordnance and toxic waste. Imperialism dies hard.

Here's a simple question: Why is it that there are some countries which claim the right to go to other countries to "inspect" what they are doing in some respects, but they would not dream of letting any other country do the same in theirs? The simple answer is that they are the former and present colonial powers, that feel entitled to continue to do as they please as members of a very exclusive club. They claim the right to rule the world as they see fit, while the rest of the world -- which is deemed unfit to govern itself -- has to do as they are told or face the consequences of boycotts, sanctions or, worse, military aggression and intervention. As long as this is the case, there will never be true peace, because of this inequality and disrespect.

Those who take a hard line against homosexual marriage based on the Bible should reread it carefully , because, especially the Old Testament, is a catalog of adultery, cheating, incest, lying, murder, slavery, and other illegal and immoral behavior, either condoned, consented to, or ignored, but rewarded by Jehovah, as long as it was engaged in by those favored by Him, in exchange for their absolute loyalty. Hardly words to live by.

Donald Trump's lawyers are going to be very busy. Add Macy's and Carlos Slim to the list of companies and people he will have to sue for breach of contract.  By the time all this blows over, it's going to be a very long list of defendants in civil suits filed by Trump. As an attorney, I assume that his counsel has warned him that this is the wrong way to go, but, used to firing people, on and off-camera, I suppose he thinks he knows best, and will fire any lawyer that would presume to suggest otherwise. It's going to be very interesting to see how the courts handle these cases.

Time was when American manufacturing was the wonder of the world. But, greed and the emphasis on quantity over quality slowly cheapened its products into non-existence. Decades have gone by, and a host of things are no longer "Made in the USA" because no one buys them. They are made elsewhere much better. Even things that are made in the U.S. aren't really American, in the sense that they belong to foreign companies and the technology and quality control reflect another country's way of doing things. Take the automobiles that are made in the U.S. By the latest count, neither Ford nor Chrysler qualify as "American-made" because not enough parts are manufactured in the U.S. or their assembly is mostly done elsewhere. The fact that the two "most American" of cars are Toyotas says it all. The American empire ain't what it used to be.

Speaking one's mind has its consequences, as we all know. My mother-in-law was fond of saying that when one says what one wants, one will hear what one does not want. Donald Trump is finding it out the hard way. People -- especially, corporate people -- are running away from him, for his outrageous remarks about Mexican immigrants. First, it was Univisión, the Spanish-language network. Now, it's NBC. Pretty soon, he won't be able to "get arrested." He simply went too far. People like him think that, because of their wealth and influence, they can get away with saying anything. They're wrong.

True to its rebellious nature and tradition, the South is up in arms about the same-sex-marriage decision in the U.S. The Bible Belt has begun to refuse to obey the "law of the land", as handed down by that Yankee court in Washington, D.C.  Governors, judges and other government officials are openly defiant of the ruling. Some are going so far as to not issuing any marriage license , even to heterosexual couples, as a form of protest. Before this is over, there will be blood.

Here's an interesting and very revealing statistic. The chief medical officer for the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals in the U.S. has said that they receive around 20,000 complaints about hospitals and other health-care institutions every year. "We substantiate about 67%  of the complaints through this process. That's a very high substantiation rate", she stated. Very high, indeed. Remember that the next time someone says that the U.S. has the best health care in the world, or some nonsense like that.

I hate to agree with someone like Marine Le Pen, but she's right: "The French need to realize that the United States - and by that I mean the U.S. government, not the American people - is not an allied country nor a friend." Jean-Jacques Urvoas is even more right: "Once again, we rediscover that the United States does not have allies, it merely has targets or vassals." That's right. As an empire, the U.S. does not see anyone else as its equal, deserving of or entitled to consideration and respect. Others only exist to do what the Americans want. There is no room for honest disagreement and the right to do what they think is in their best interest. The Americans pretend to have allies or friends, while distrusting everyone, seen as an enemy or potential enemy. They think that everybody is out to get them. That paranoia has produced the spying on foreign leaders, including the last three French presidents, that we keep finding out about. Although they apol

Well-informed Puerto Ricans -- not too many of us, I'm afraid -- have known for years that the U.S. government has used us as guinea pigs for all sorts of experiments. From syphilis to agent orange, we have been exposed to all kinds of substances, so that, mainly, American armed forces are able to study their effects on humans. Now, we add mustard gas used on Puerto Rican soldiers, along with blacks and those of Japanese descent , in the jungles of Panama during WWII. Some 60,000 soldiers were exposed to mustard gas and other chemicals. Remember this the next time you hear the U.S. condemning another country for the use of chemical weapons.

In the wake of the Charleston church massacre, some people in the U.S. South are scrambling to pull down the Confederate flag, a symbol of the slavery era that has survived as part of a tradition of defiance and racism. Now that images of the shooter with the flag have surfaced, these Southerners want to distance themselves from the environment in which racial hatred has flourished all these years. So, it took this horrendous crime for them to realize what the flag stood for? This is just a hypocritical move on the part of all those who either supported the flag or were indifferent to it, knowing full well what it meant for black people in their communities.

As much as I hate to repeat myself, the continuing killing spree in the U.S. is too outrageous to ignore. There is no letting up in these mass shootings, almost a daily occurrence in some part of the country, the latest being a shooting at a party for some kids, with semi-automatic weapons , killing one and wounding nine. This, one day after Hillary Clinton made a very emotional and moving appeal on this subject. There is the answer to her plea.

I think that Obama and Hillary Clinton's plea to the American people about gun control will go unanswered. There is no overwhelming support for it. Americans have come to accept gun violence as a fact of life that cannot be changed. There is just no political will to do anything about it. The five- million NRA members effectively dictate public policy on this issue to the other 310 million people. It is simply pathetic that responsible elected officials and other political leaders are unable to convince the majority of their colleagues and the American people to change such an insane and tragic way of life.

Pope Francis has come out strongly in favor of taking good care of the "kingdom of this world." He has chosen to use his "bully pulpit" to shame the world into really addressing climate change and the rest of the environmental agenda. It is refreshing and hopeful to see the Catholic Church concern itself in such a forceful way with real and pressing human issues, instead of the more theoretical or spiritual ones. Let's hope that this conversation that is now taking place all over the world prompted by his encyclical turns into concrete action to improve our relationship with the environment.

The 21-year-old who killed the nine people at the church in Charleston, South Carolina, received a .45-caliber gun as that birthday's present. Enough said.

It now seems that the woman who passed herself as black and got to be president of a chapter of the NAACP is more than a cheat and a liar, but also has violated her trust as police ombudsman commissioner, by revealing confidential information, among other things. Clearly, this woman has some serious mental health issues, and seems to need attention and recognition. The racial identity obfuscation appears now to be the tip of the iceberg of much more serious things that are wrong with her.

Those who may have been gloating over FIFA's troubles with the law should take notice of MLB's troubles of its own. The FBI, which seems to have organized crime and other heavy stuff under control, is now investigating the hacking of the Houston Astros Baseball Club computer system by the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Club. It seems that this is just the tip of the iceberg of a common practice in professional baseball in the United States. Teams have come to realize that stealing company secrets is more profitable and practical than stealing bases, a part of the baseball craft that is no longer very relevant to the game as it is played now. Well, it makes sense that the "national pastime" reflects the national values.

I read that Brazil grapples with the problem of violent youth crime, and considers lowering the age at which a juvenile offender can be tried as an adult, from 18 to 16. Some people point out that incarcerating juvenile delinquents in adult institutions will only make matters worse because they will "graduate" into full-blown criminals. Those people call for education and treatment, instead. The trouble with rehabilitation is that, even if it works -- which is a dubious proposition, at best -- it takes a long time. Meanwhile, in the short run, something effective must be done to prevent these young people from continuing to engage in violent crime. The people who get killed, hurt or maimed by a minor are just as dead, hurt or maimed as they would be by an adult. I'm in favor of giving youths, as well as adults, all the help they might need to reform, but they have to be kept away from the rest of us, for some time. We have to recognize that, at 16, you pretty much kno

Who do you believe in? When people who have their hearts in the right place and fight for a just cause lie, it is particularly disheartening. A woman who is president of a chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as a black person, has been denounced by her own parents as a fraud, pointing out that her daughter is of, Czech, Swedish and German descent, with some Native-American blood. But no black. One can only guess as to why the deception. Maybe she needed a job, and thought this was the way to get one. The issue is not her commitment or her effectiveness as an advocate for civil rights for blacks, but being untruthful about who or what she really is, because, then, people start to wonder about what other lies or misrepresentations she might be saying, and that affects her credibility and, ultimately, undermines her ability to do her advocacy job.

There are principles that are important to uphold. But, even those can never be applied regardless of the circumstances, especially when lives are at stake. The confidentiality of the doctor and patient relationship is one of those principles. As a rule, that information may not be divulged, but every rule has to have exceptions. The doctors who saw the German co-pilot, thought he was unfit to fly and remained silent because of the confidentiality rule ought to have their heads examined. Now we know that he went to seven medical appointments in the month prior to the crash, three of them with a psychiatrist . The fear of being sued or disciplined professionally cannot justify endangering the public in such a major way as allowing an emotionally unstable pilot or co-pilot to fly a plane full of innocent people. No court in the civilized world would contemplate punishing a professional who alerts the proper authorities, employers or others about the imminent danger posed by a deranged

Well, the Pope continues to rise to his challenge as the head of a Catholic Church embattled by the child-abuse cases by his clergy. In a very bold move by Vatican standards, he has created a tribunal to hear cases against bishops who have covered up these crimes. This is a first step. In order for it to be successful, he has to make sure that the court acts fairly but expeditiously. Everyone deserves his "day in court." I just hope this doesn't turn into days, weeks, months and years...

See? I told you. Last Wednesday, to be exact. I ended my post about the live-anthrax case saying: "Stay tuned. Before this is over, it will probably get worse." It has. Now we know that it was also sent to labs in the U.K. The count is up to 68 labs, 19 cities and four countries besides the U.S. I'll keep you posted.

They shouldn't have to ask. Relatives of Nepalese earthquake survivors who were killed when a U.S. rescue helicopter crashed with them on board are asking for compensation for their loss. It seems that both the Nepalese government and the U.S. military have been giving them the runaround, with the "We're investigating" routine. Rumor has it that the helicopter was overloaded. This is no time for legal niceties. Whatever the cause of the crash, the U.S. is responsible for those  deaths, so, pay up.

Jesus is supposed to have said that we would always have the poor to take care of. By now, it seems that the Catholic Church will always have the pederast priests to deal with. Just when you think that the sex abuse cases have reached some sort of plateau, new or, rather, old cases come to light, like the ones in the St. Paul Archdiocese in Minnesota. It is still amazing how the hierarchy in so many places chose to look the other way for years, thus letting these predators keep doing their dastardly deeds. It's not just the pederasts priests who are sick. The bishops, archbishops and cardinals who covered up for them are much sicker. Pope Francis has his work cut out for him.

Sexual shenanigans continue to plague the U.S. military in all of its branches. It would seem that soldiers, airmen and sailors have nothing better to do than to engage in sexual misconduct within their ranks, as well as outside of them, both at home and abroad. The latest incidents reported -- surely, not the last -- happened aboard  a submarine in which several sailors participated in videotaping fellow women sailors as they took off their clothes to shower. One officer who found out did nothing about it; another shared the images with others. In these hands lies the protection of the free world.