One Man's Opinion

In what has to be the worst nightmare for most Americans, the prediction that the U.S. will become mostly non-white in a few years' time is already true in a host of cities around the country, including the capital. Between Latinos, Asians and Africans, the "browning" of America is a fact of life. Sooner than they realize, WASPs will be the new minority in the USA, and the image of Americans as white, blond and blue-eyed will have changed forever. In a country as racist as the U.S., it's going to be fun watching how this plays out.

Now, this is the kind of medical news that is right up my alley. A British medical journal reports that chocolate is good for the heart. I knew it! Something that feels so good has to be good. Of course, this is not to say that one should overindulge in it, but, still, it's good news for chocolate lovers all over the world, who may feel guilty about their passion for it. The trouble is that it's not good for diabetes or, I suppose, those who have somewhat high blood sugar, like yours truly. Fortunately, sugar-free chocolate is pretty good these days, so I don't have to go without it. Anyway, maybe one of these days they might find out that chocolate is also good for diabetes. Stranger things have happened...

Rules are rules, and we should all abide by them. But, sometimes, by being extremely strict, they are not in the best interests of what the rules are for. The new false-start rule--"one mistake and you're out"-- in the sprints has prevented the world from seeing Usain Bolt display his amazing running prowess. The sport gains nothing from a rule that can produce such a result. Two other sprinters were also disqualified in other events. There are, to be sure, rules that have been changed for the better. The one about scoring in volleyball regardless of who's serving is a case in point. Baseball needs desperately to adopt a rule for a wide use of filmed replay of controversial decisions by the umpires, so that the game is decided by what has really happened, not on account of the faulty perception of an umpire. In the final analysis, rules should ensure that the game or sport is played fairly, without hampering its major players unnecessarily.

Time was when the Walter Reed Army Medical Center was an icon of the American mythology of superiority in all things. For close to a century, it was, supposedly, one of the best medical facilities in the world, where even Presidents went for medical attention and, yes, to die. The operative word is "close", because, for quite some time, the hospital had gone downhill, not just its facilities but the medical care provided there to veterans who were getting the short end of the stick health wise. Still, it kept operating, although in an increasingly diminished capacity. It took a long time to die out, but it has finally closed its doors, to be merged with a Navy facility. I guess this is another sign of the hard times on which the U.S. has fallen.

I find it fascinating that an issue can be made of the fact that using any communication medium menacingly is protected by the right to free speech. As a lawyer, I can appreciate the legal subtleties involved in the speech area, but I am appalled at the misuse of legal discourse and reasoning behind the efforts to justify improper behavior in it. The far-reaching and pervasive nature of media such as Facebook and Twitter makes truly distressing messages a concern for the peace of mind and safety of those who receive and are the object of such communications. To suggest--as has been the case of a U.S. woman subject to 8,000 menacing Twitter posts-- that this is akin to an unkind book review or some other unpleasant expression is an outrageous comparison. Granted that everyone is entitled to a legal defense, but there is a moral dimension to the law, and it shouldn't be ignored, lest we end up giving aid and comfort to those who are bent on causing harm on a person or society at la

I think that there's much to be said for politicians from the East who resign over their failures, big and small. The Japanese Prime Minister is quitting because he is perceived as having been ineffectual in the handling of the tsunami crisis in his country. This was, to be sure, a great disaster, and the government has come under fire for its performance in some of its aspects. On the other hand, the mayor of Seoul is stepping down because he said he would --wow, a politician who keeps his word--if he lost a referendum on free school lunches. Since his option of reducing it to 50% was rejected by the voters in an election that failed to register the minimum number of voters to take action, he is leaving his post. The West should take notice of such a civilized and decent respect for public opinion on the part of politicians.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: one way or another, the U.S. is behind most, if not all, those demonstrations and protests against governments that are not to its liking. Especially, in Latin America, which Uncle Sam considers his "backyard." Washington's dirty tricks, in-house and abroad, didn't end with the Nixon presidency; they are still going strong. The U.S. will identify the opposition, fund it--directly or indirectly, through all sorts of private groups--and provide technical assistance, to make trouble for the regime, even it it's a duly-elected one. So, I'm pretty sure that Evo Morales is not paranoid in his concern over the role that the Americans are playing in Bolivia. The U.S. doesn't play fair; it never has and it never will.

The U.S. Armed Forces are learning the hard way that not knowing other languages besides English is quite a handicap. After all these years of warfare, American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq are basically unable to communicate with the people from those countries, making it almost impossible for them to protect themselves better, as well as to establish a reasonable working relationship with the population. This is a reflection of the American mindset towards other cultures. Deeming them inferior, Americans don't think it worthwhile to "waste their time" trying to learn other languages. Instead, they expect the rest of the world to learn English, the only truly "important" language. Not even when it's in their best interest, as is the case when their lives and security are at stake, do they make the effort to learn other languages. Stupid people with money and power are dangerous indeed.

Getting rid of Gaddafi--if that is indeed the case--is just a first step on the road to democracy and freedom, a road that has proved to be a long and winding one. Recent experience in that part of the world is not particularly encouraging. Old habits die hard, and supposedly liberal elements are not always what they seem at first glance. We'll have to wait and see if life in Libya improves markedly after Gaddafi is out of the picture, or if a dictator is replaced by mob rule and chaos, in the name of freedom.

By the looks of it, Catholic nuns are on the verge of extinction, at least in the U.S., and I suspect elsewhere. Specifically, in the health-care context, the once ever-present nuns in Catholic hospitals are no more. There are too few nuns to go around. Most of the ones that remain are old, sick and retired. This has been a long time coming. I remember that, as far back as 50 years ago, nuns at the Catholic school I attended began to leave their teaching positions, in order to dedicate themselves to their religious duties full-time. The reason was that, as in the priesthood, there were too few new vocations. I suppose that the rigors of celibacy had a lot to do with it. People have come to understand in increasing numbers that "doing God's work" shouldn't entail living an abnormal life. So, it has come to this.

Chile continues to give other countries a much-needed lesson in dealing with its dark past. For the last seven years, it has embarked on documenting the abuses and crimes under Pinochet. Instead of burying its head in the sand and taking the cowardly-moral way out of the so-called reconciliation without accountability, it has proceeded to insist on bringing to light every case of disappearance, kidnapping, murder and torture  committed during the 17-year Pinochet regime. In the latest major development, it has updated the list of victims, adding almost 10,000 names, bringing the total to close to 38,000. It's an example of not letting bygones be bygones, when it comes to egregious crimes against humanity and the essential quest for justice.

It's been reported that men all over the world have lower testosterone levels and sperm counts than ever before. And it's not just old guys like me--which  is understandable--but younger men, which is kind of frightening. The culprits are the "usual suspects": pollution and radiation in all its forms. Be it from the outset, as genetic conditions that later develop, or as the result of contamination with the environment, the fact is that men are experiencing more and more problems with their reproductive system and their sexual capability. Add to that the fact that male births are declining, and this has all the makings of a global problem. Which, of course, could be music to our ears of us older guys in reasonably good shape...

Here's an item that can give believers and unbelievers some pause. In 2007, a Polish rock singer was tried for ripping apart a Bible on stage. Apparently, Poland, an extremely Catholic country, has a law which makes it a crime to desecrate a religious artifact or symbol. Anyway, the guy was acquitted, but the State appealed, something that is not possible in more liberal legal systems. The appeal has not been successful, and the defendant has been acquitted once again. Her's the kicker: in the interim, the guy was diagnosed with leukemia and has undergone a bone marrow transplant. Do I hear "God is punishing him"?

It's a sad state of affairs when new and useful technology is used to promote criminal or disorderly conduct on a grand scale. Such is the case with the so-called "flash mobs", those gatherings put together through the Internet and other instant communication media. It's becoming a fad for groups of people in various countries to meet on short notice and proceed to loot and engage wantonly in all sorts of antisocial behavior. Human beings always tend to make improper use of tools and things developed for legitimate purposes. This is just the latest example of this unfortunate manifestation of human nature.

The Dutch have begun to look into the deaths of 34 children who were inmates of a Catholic institution for the mentally impaired in the early 1950s. In just three years--1952-1954-- these 34 kids died in circumstances that were never fully explained. Now that the Catholic Church's handling of various charitable institutions around the world has come into question, not just for sexual abuse, but for physical abuse also, the past has to be examined under this new light. For much of its existence, the Church has been a power unto itself, used to having its own way, not answering to anyone. That kind of power corrupts and leads to all kinds of excesses. Including murder of creatures deemed unworthy of going on with their "life."

Warner Buffet, of all people, has come out in support of higher taxes for the wealthy, of which he is one of the top in the whole wide world. At 82, he may have come to realize that the obscenely rich should carry a bigger burden that the one they have gotten away with. I suppose other cynical rich people could say that, at his age, he can afford to have a conscience. That he should have made this proposal 30 years ago. Still, it's a bold move by one of the richest men on the planet, one that should motivate others like him to put aside their greed and selfishness, and think of the greater good.

Much is being made these days about the Pakistani man who contacted the Indian daughter of a man he killed 46 years ago, when, as a fighter pilot, he downed the aircraft piloted by the woman's father. He has apologized for the incident, attributing it to the state of war between their two countries. No doubt that the gesture deserves to be recognized, but there is one thing that is most disturbing in all this: the military pilot shot down a civilian aircraft that he himself realized that presented no danger to him or anybody else. The small plane with eight passengers had gotten off course accidentally into Pakistani territory, and yet, instead of escorting it out of his country's territory, the pilot asked for orders, and was told to, essentially, murder those people. He did. At least since the Nuremberg trials, it's clear that unlawful orders are not to be obeyed. The man knew that what he was doing was wrong, so much so that he has admitted that he hoped that they woul

Well, you know me; always keeping tabs on the goings-on at the Catholic Church. The bishop of Saltillo, Mexico has been summoned to the Vatican to explain himself for ministering to gays, lesbians and other "undesirables." I suppose that the Pope is worried about the Church being labeled "soft" on homosexuals. Anything but that! Sexual molestation of minors and covering it up is one thing, but consorting with "sexual deviates" is quite another. Those people should burn in hell for their "abomination", as the Bible characterizes sodomy, the "infamous crime against nature." What we all should ask ourselves is how many priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals were ever summoned to the Vatican to explain what they were doing with the pedophiles in their rank and file? Had the Pope --this one and the previous ones--been so inclined, he could've put a stop to this shameful practice. But, in what amounts to a classic double standard w

It's taken 15 years for the families of Nigerian children who died from a drug for meningitis to start collecting their money from a suit against Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that manufactured it. Although the company still disputes it, the evidence points to either a faulty drug or manipulation of its dosage as a cause of those deaths. In cases such as these, one can't help but notice how these "errors" usually occur in poor countries with non-white populations. It's as if poor, black or brown people are expendable, perfect subjects for testing risky drugs or treatments with a high probability of failure and death.

What the hell is going on in Austria? Judge for yourself. A museum employee in Vienna has been fired for "washing" his hands and face with his own urine. The man, who is a believer in "urine therapy", maintains that this is good for his health and his appearance, and that he had been doing this for a long time at work, something that the museum was aware of. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Austria, a woman whom a masked man with a knife tried to rob of 400 euros finally gave him 90, after he took off his mask, put away his knife and told her that he was homeless and broke. Her husband, on the other hand, called the police and had the guy arrested. There must be something weird in all that strudel...

See, this is why one should never gloat over other people's troubles. Life has a way of coming back at you with the same problems as those that caused all the difficulty somewhere else. Much of the West has been cheering the unrest in the Arab world all along. Now, from England, to Spain, Chile and Israel, people have taken to the streets to protest whatever they feel is worth it. And they are not going home quietly after the demonstration. So, I suppose that all those who thought it was wonderful that all those Arabs made life miserable for the government are thrilled that it's happening on the street where they live.

Granted that I only heard some of Obama's speech about the debt ceiling and the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, but it seemed like a "pep talk" to me. I found it sort of bombastic and self-aggrandizing for the country, while belittling the credit raters. It was too full of a hope based on the idea that Americans are somehow superior beings who are not subject to the laws of economics like the rest of the world. Unfortunately for Obama, reality keeps proving him wrong. On the day of his speech, the Dow Jones fell more than 600 points, a sign of how much uncertainty there is among investors about the present and future of the American economy. If that blind faith is all Obama has to offer, then the U.S.' prospects are dim indeed.

The so-called ringleader of the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison has been released from prison, after serving just six-and-a half years of a ten-year sentence. Other participants in that torture and outrageous behavior had been released by now. True, the man will be dishonorably discharged and lose his military benefits, but, still, it's been a sweet deal, considering what he did. The fact of the matter is that, from the start, the U.S. was reluctant to punish these people. The only reason it did so was to placate the international outcry over the abuses. But, as soon as the hue and cry was over, they were let go, on account of "good behavior." The real reason, though, is that they were looking for an excuse to free these soldiers because, at bottom, the Army really believes that these "good ol' boys" don't deserve to be punished all that harshly for abusing that Iraqi "scum."

Arabs and Jews may not see eye to eye on anything, but it seems that Israelis are taking a page out of the "Arab Spring" booklet to stage an uprising of their own. Israelis have taken to the streets in growing numbers --the attendance at the latest rally is put at 250,000 people--to protest the high cost of living and related issues. So strong has the government felt the pressure that Netanyahu has ordered that a task force come up with solutions for the crisis by next month. Although no violence has taken place yet, the potential for it increases as the number of people who demand change grows and their patience wears thin. Although Israel presents itself as a model for the region, the fact of the matter is that there is a great disparity in income in the country, which makes it extremely hard for people to get by, given the high cost of everyday goods and services. Israelis may be better off than their Arab neighbors, but they are still very far from having an equitable i

It's certainly encouraging to see the massive protests by students and teachers in Chile, that demand a major overhaul of the educational system. What sets them apart from other similar movements around the world is the fact that they are focusing on the issue of a quality education, not just a more affordable one. It seems that there is a consensus about the need to revamp the whole system, from grade school to the university level. So, it's not just a question of more money to be spent on public education, but of better content of what's being taught. In a world that seems dominated by street protests, it's refreshing to see so many young people care so much for their education that they are willing to endure the hardships of these demonstrations, in order to petition their government to pay attention to their future.

Surely, compared to the world's problems, the elimination of the Latin-jazz category from the Grammy Prizes is no big deal. But, still to fans, especially Latinos like me, it feels like a snub. One has to remember that it took a long time to get that recognition from the recording industry in the U.S. So, just 15 years later, they decided to drop it, as part of a big cut in categories. Had it been up to me, I would've cut a lot more garbage musical categories that pass for music these days, before touching the Latin-jazz genre. Jazz in general doesn't get the recognition that it deserves as a complex, serious and intellectually challenging musical idiom. Instead, commercial interests dictate that exaggerated attention is paid to worthless "music" enjoyed by, mostly, kids who have no cultural sophistication of any kind.

An old German politician has gotten in trouble for quoting Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, by asking: "Do you want total war?" The man was serving as a mediator in a dispute over a public work project, when he made the reference. It may have been a slip of the tongue or a Freudian slip. In any case, the man has defended himself saying that he's as close to Goebbels as Playboy is to being a Vatican publication, which shows his poor choice of words, to say the least. At bottom, he could be right that there's an extreme sensitivity when it comes to anything remotely connected to the Nazi era, but, then again, one has to be aware of how easily the tide of history can turn when outrageous ideas go unchecked, like those espoused by the Austrian painter in 1933...

It's taken over 60 years for another aspect of the Holocaust to come to the surface: the sexual abuse of Jewish women by the Nazis. Although there are scholars who quibble about the extent of it, there is no doubt that this is another important part of the horror that Jews and other nationalities went through at the time. Only the pain and shame suffered kept most of these stories untold. Many victims took the secret to their graves; others have been reluctant to reveal such an experience, preferring to forget and go along with their lives. Still, what has come out is another troubling example of man's inhumanity to man...and woman.

For the umpteenth time, NATO has bombed either civilians or government forces, this time police officers in Afghanistan. They blame it on "bad intelligence." Or, perhaps, no intelligence. Poor Hamid Karzai; his pals from the West keep botching their mission to save his country. Of course, maybe the guys from NATO subscribe to the idea expressed by the infamous U.S. commander in Vietnam: in order to save the village, you have to destroy it. No wonder the Afghan people just want the U.S. and its NATO acolytes to get the hell out of their country.