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.