One Man's Opinion

You would think that a country like Poland, which went through so much being a "satellite" of the "evil empire" of the Soviet Union, and led the movement that, ultimately, brought it down; the birthplace of Pope John Paul II and Solidarity and Lech Walesa, all darlings and icons of Western democracy, freedom and human rights, would be extremely sensitive to and not consent to or tolerate any abuse in its soil based on national security or politics, those being the usual excuses used by the regimes that it had endured for decades. Well, not really. It seems that the post-Soviet-era Poles were more than willing to accommodate American secret prisons where the CIA, ten years ago, tortured those it deemed necessary in the "war on terrorism." Apparently, the only "bad" torture was the Soviet one, and the Polish government did not mind working hand-in-glove with another foreign power in violating its own Constitution, as well as international law, ...

The Vatican has announced that it's going to take some steps in helping to fight the Mafia. Wow! As usual, the Catholic Church is really behind the times. The Church has had to admit that, in the past, it didn't do enough to combat this most sinister organization. And you have to wonder why. Why would the Church not condemn the Mafia and use all of its influence to denounce and expose it? It's been said -- facetiously, of course -- that Italy has borne the only two perfect organizations in the world: the Catholic Church and the Mafia. There may be some truth to that, and it could explain why the Church has been rather "soft" on the mafiosi.  Maybe now that the Church is reeling from all these revelations about child abuse, it's looking to save face by joining, although belatedly, the fight against organized crime of the highest order. I, for one, don't have much faith in this sudden epiphany.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ordered Chile to pay a lesbian damages for having denied her the custody of her three daughters in a dispute with her husband. What is most striking about the case is the  fact that the woman is a judge, her former husband is also a judge and the ruling was made by Chile's Supreme Court. Evidently, the "best interests of the child" criteria is meant to be interpreted favorably only as pertaining to heterosexuals. All legal principles go out the window, when homosexuality comes into play. People who should know better, and are supposed to protect civil and human rights, act as part of the ignorant and prejudiced majority. Fortunately, supra-national entities such as the Court of Human Rights have a chance to undo and rectify miscarriages of justice such as this one.

See, this is what happens when people, even intelligent people, are so intent on proving their point, that they make ridiculous mistakes. Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Antonin Scalia, a bright fellow by all accounts, is so set against Obama and his health program, that, in arguing against it, he committed the unforgivable sin of any lawyer, let alone judge: he referred to a non-existent legal provision. One of the first things they teach you at law school is to be sure of what the current law is on any given subject. This means that you have to check the text and make sure that it hasn't been modified in any way. Also, you have to check if there is any jurisprudence that may have altered it. So, Justice Scalia, who thinks very highly of himself, I'm sure, has erred egregiously for all the world to see. He has shown that, in this issue, he has let his emotions, likes and dislikes get the best of him, making a very poor showing of his judicial temperament.

Americans love to cheat. Cheating is as American as baseball and apple pie. In fact, there's a lot of cheating in baseball, and apple pie I'm not too sure of. One of the latest scandals is the cheating that goes on in the college entrance examinations, by people who get paid a handsome amount of money to take the test for the real applicants. In the New York area, for example, it's gotten so bad that the College Board has adopted stringent security measures to prevent this from happening. From now on, there will be a cross check of applicants and those who actually take the test, all of whom will have photo identifications at all times. That it has come to this proves how corrupt a society that is, at all stages and venues of life. One can only imagine what these people would do, once in the universities and later on in professional life. This explains a lot about a country that is morally bankrupt, both domestically and internationally.

Although it's been known for quite some time, new official information offers a clearer picture of the way the CIA drugged unsuspecting Americans in the United States during a dozen years , from the mid-50s to the mid- 60s, as part of a program to test the effects of LSD. It went so far as to even use their own agents and other law-enforcement personnel as guinea pigs, some of which committed suicide or committed crimes under the influence of the drug. Even when they found out about it at the time and ordered that it be stopped, it continued for some time after that. What all this means is that there is no significant difference between the "bad guys" and the supposedly "good guys." Democracies will resort to dirty tricks whenever it suits them, not caring about the damage they may do to their own people in the process.

Iraqis seem to get it at both ends, so to speak, from the U.S. Not only were they bombed to hell in their own country, but, by the looks of it, even those who are in the U.S. are not safe. An Iraqi woman who had gone to the U.S. in the mid-1990s has been killed in what appears to be a hate crime, judging from a note found near her body calling her people "terrorists." According to her family, she had received a similar threat a while back, but failed to report it to the police. One has to wonder if she didn't do it because she thought that it wouldn't do her any good, given the racism and xenophobia in the country. If I were an Arab or a Muslim, the last place on earth I would go to live would be the United States of America. There's just too much hate and prejudice towards their own minorities, for non-white foreigners to be safe there. Americans as a whole want their country for themselves, and, for my part, they can have it.

I always thought that you had to be alive to get married, but this is not always the case, at least, not in France. It so happens that French law allows posthumous marriages in cases in which a fiance is pregnant, so that the child is legitimized. Also, I guess, when it would entitle the "widow" to receive a pension or some such benefits. This seems to be the case of one of the policemen killed in France recently. Although the law does not operate automatically in all such cases, but at the discretion of the President, it's to be expected that Sarkozy will grant permission for the marriage to take place. This is certainly a legal anomaly, but one that strives to do justice to three people whose lives have been altered for all time through no fault of their own.

Although, by their account, the treatment received by the American homosexual couple in Dominica was unfair and inhumane, something must be said about the behavior that gave rise to their run-in with the law. People who visit other countries need to be aware of the rules on seemingly-innocent public display of affection or that of a heavier content. There are significant cultural differences in this regard that must be taken into account, so as to avoid offending the general public and even breaking the law. We might find some limitations preposterous, but, nevertheless, we have to respect other societies' mores and laws on these matters. Should we choose to ignore them, we do so at our own risk to be punished harshly for disregarding important cultural elements of other lands.

Amidst all the hoopla over the  papal visit to Mexico, a book comes out detailing how much the Vatican really knew more than 50 years ago about the crimes committed by Legion of Christ founder Marciel Maciel. All this contradicts Pope Ratzinger's claim that he found out in 2000. In fact, documents from within the Vatican itself prove the Pope wrong and point to the Church's cover-up of decades of illegal and immoral behavior by Maciel. More than likely, this is just one of many more cases in which, if we were to have access to Church documents, they would reveal a similar situation. The Catholic Church has been lying all along to protect itself from valid criticism, fearing that admitting guilt would undermine its moral standing in the world. Ironically, in covering up its sins, it has done precisely that.

Much as has happened in Libya and other Arab countries, the opposition forces in Syria have begun to act as badly as the regime they are fighting to end. This is certainly a very tragic development because it calls into question how the country will fare under a new government formed by people who behave this way before being in power. There doesn't seem to be too much hope for real change, if all it means is that one set of thugs is going to replace another one. Let's hope that Syrians come to their senses and are able to go forward without repeating the mistakes of the current government.

This supposed "war on terrorism" by the U.S. has been fought legally and illegally, using every trick in the book, and then some, to achieve its goals. One of its major elements has been circumventing constitutional principles, international law and whatever legitimate restraints there are, in order to engage in improper treatment of prisoners or, even, suspects. From the very start, the U.S. has used its great power to force other countries to cooperate in this scheme, either serving as conduits or safe havens for detainees improperly held or actually doing the U.S. dirty work by torturing those people. Afghanistan has been one of those American partners-in-crime, and the souring in the relationship between the two countries has brought this to the fore. There are many more crimes committed by the U.S. on Afghan soil than the ones by Robert Bales. We can only hope that they are revealed and do not go unpunished.

It's taken JonBenet Ramsey's father 15 years to realize that what he and his wife did to the little girl, by parading her in all those beauty contests, was tantamount to exploitation.  The man and his wife were really obtuse, in not recognizing it as they were doing it, as well as during her murder investigation, when there was a consensus that it had been inappropriate to submit the child to that kind of grotesque exposure. This points to a bigger issue than just a couple's insensitivity to its own child. American fascination with competition and contests of all kinds, as well as with the opportunity to be famous and make money, lead to this kind of excess. Blinded by all this, the Ramseys proved to be unaware of the harm that they were doing to their little daughter. While everybody else saw how obscene and twisted all those costumes, makeup and posing looked on the child, they were dismissive of that criticism. There's a saying in Spanish, which, roughly translat...

The case of the Indian student at Rutgers who spied on a homosexual roommate and broadcast it to the world, prompting him to jump off a bridge, is an example of the extremely harmful behavior that the current technology fosters. Unfortunately, many people have come to believe that everything they hear, read, see or think is worthy of sharing through the media that is available to an increasing number of people. There is no sense of moderation or privacy. Embarrassing, exposing and humiliating others is the international pastime these days. Tragically, there are those whose weakness makes them victims of the insensitive in this regard, and end up taking their own lives. It doesn't really matter if these things are done out of ignorance, insensitivity or pure evil. They must be harshly dealt with, to set an example and warn others that there are consequences to this hurtful behavior.

Hamid Karzai must be out of his mind. Does he really expect the Americans to let Afghans have any part in the "investigation" of the soldier who killed 16 civilians? The man is clearly delusional, thinking that he is the President of Afghanistan, when we all know that Barack Obama is the real Afghan President. Karzai is there just for show, having no real power in a country that is occupied by the U.S. Even if that were not the case, the U.S. would not let one of its own be judged by a country such as Afghanistan. You see, he might get convicted. The U.S. has already laid the foundation for an acquittal or, at the very least, a ridiculously light sentence. First, they've said that he suffered a head injury recently. Then, they've alleged that he was drunk. Now, they're saying that he was deeply affected because a friend of his had his leg blown off. What all this amounts to is a defense of some sort of diminished responsibility or temporary insanity. Mark my wor...

In spite of all the bad-mouthing by the West, Iran's democracy seems to be doing quite well. Two examples. In a recent election, the President's sister lost, a surprising development in a country in which, supposedly, there is no freedom. Now, the President himself has faced intense questioning in Parliament. Once again, this is something contrary to the picture that the U.S. has painted of Iran as an autocratic regime. When was the last time that Obama went to Congress to answer questions about his policies or decisions? Interestingly enough, the U.S. Government has nothing to say about these developments, I suppose because they show a different side of Iran that is contrary to American propaganda. So, it's best to ignore these inconvenient facts and keep hammering at the stereotypes that justify its foreign policy.

Apparently, the Washington Monument is sinking. Other Washington, D.C. monuments are not in good shape either. The Republic for which they stand is floundering. Thus, there is a symbolism in the disrepair of those icons of Americana. All those grandiose buildings put there in the nation's capital to impress citizens and foreigners alike with the power of the U.S. no longer represent it fully. In the case of the Washington Monument, a substantial private donation has been needed to repair it. Obviously, the government is in no position to, by itself, take care of these landmarks. A truly humbling situation for the American Empire.

There are non-issues that, due to stupidity, snowball into major problems. This is the case of two British women that were suspended from work for refusing to take off a cross they were wearing. After going through the British court system, their case has ended up in the European Court for Human Rights. Now, there is no rational basis for requiring someone to take off a religious symbol that neither harms nor offends others. In these cases, employers were arbitrary and capricious in the extreme. People have the right to display their religious faith in an appropriate manner. Terminating someone's employment or penalizing them otherwise, on account of having a religious artifact is an outrageous breach of human rights. A minimum understanding of the Law and a basic respect for the rights of others would prevent legal troubles such as these ones.

Good for you, Canada! For the second time in the last six months, Canadians have prevented Dick Cheney from participating in speaking engagements, first in Vancouver and now in Toronto. The have done what Americans have failed to do: hound him for his acknowledged participation in the policy that allowed torture such as waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques." He may be a free man, thanks to the U.S. Government's complacency over his war crimes, but he should not be allowed to walk around undisturbed, as if he has done nothing wrong. It's important that he, as well as others, be reminded of what he did while in office as Vice President of the United States. He deserves not a moment's peace for it.

Like clockwork, another U.S. soldier has gone on a rampage, killing 16 Afghan civilians, this time. Presumably, the guy went nuts, for there seems to be no other explanation. People like John McCain, who never find fault with the military, has issued the standard statement that is always very close to saying that these things happen and there's nothing we can do about it, and also, by referring to the stress soldiers are under, lays the groundwork for a light punishment. Since McCain and others like him don't seem to have a clue as to why this happened, let me provide one for them. This is what happens when you invade a country, destroy it and occupy it for a long time. Contrary to what military commanders say about protecting and respecting the Afghans, deep in their hearts, the American forces there have absolutely no regard for those people. You don't bomb a country, kill its people and take over, if you really respect them. If you do all these things, it's because...

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration, in charge of airport security, though it may be doing a good job, has done so in, to say the least, an obnoxious way. I have traveled quite a bit since the "9/11" episode, and this is a uniquely-American situation. In South America and Europe, airport security is not as paranoid, nor the officials there are as aggressive. There seems to be more common sense to how they approach things in other parts of the world, without it producing disasters on a daily basis. By now, enough people have had negative experiences with TSA to fill quite a few volumes, and nothing seems to solve the problems. It has become a power unto itself, preying on the fear of terrorism. Sometimes, though, it seems like it's its personnel that terrorizes passengers.

Straight from "the horse's mouth." The U.S. Secretary of Education has revealed that a study that encompasses about 85% of public schools in the country shows that blacks and Latinos are more frequently and more severely punished than whites. Even in the same school and for the same offenses, students of color are treated more harshly than WASPs. Now, why am I not surprised?  What this shows is that almost 60 years after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas , the much-heralded school desegregation case -- which, by the way, took a very long time to be fully implemented -- things haven't changed all that much. Discrimination is sometimes more subtle, but it's there alright. You need only to scratch the surface of most public or private relationships, and racism rears its ugly head. The United States of America was, is and always will be a deeply-racist country. Only extremely naive people think that Obama has made a difference in this regard. So, the n...

The man should have read the story about the little boy whose nose betrayed him when he lied. An Egyptian lawmaker wanted to have his nose fixed, but Islam does not allow cosmetic surgery. So, he made up a story that he had been attacked and robbed, to justify being in a hospital for the surgery. But, someone who has a nose for these things suspected him and found out the truth. Now, the man will not only lose his seat in Egypt's legislature, but also could be prosecuted for falsely claiming to be a victim of a crime, something that is extremely sensitive right now, given the unrest that the country is going through.

As was to be expected, it took the loss of sponsors for American radio commentator Rush Limbaugh to "apologize" for calling a college student a "slut" for her remarks before a Congressional committee on the issue of health-plan coverage of contraceptives. No reasons were convincing enough to get him to retract -- on the contrary, he stood his ground -- until some big sponsors cancelled their financial support and called upon others to do so. Limbaugh may have a big mouth, and an offensive one, at that, but "money talks" louder. The lesson is clear: in the U.S., it doesn't really matter if you're right in a dispute such as this one; if you want to get results, you have to hurt the offender financially, otherwise, that person won't budge an inch.

That the American football team New Orleans Saints paid some of its players to purposefully hurt opposing players is an indication of what's wrong with the country as a whole. So much emphasis is put on winning and making money, that there are no limits. Once again, several people knew about it and did nothing. In a game in which there is a high probability of getting hurt as a consequence of how it's played, to try to harm another player in such a way as to prevent him from continuing to play is nothing short of criminal. Players who have engaged in this behavior should be banned for life, if not prosecuted. This shows, once again, that, contrary to all that mindless propaganda, playing sports does not make you a better person. There is no magic in it to make you a better citizen or a more caring and compassionate human being. If anything, with all the pressure to succeed and so much money at stake, it drives you to extremes of greed and cheating. Professional sports, and ...

The Vatican has a golden opportunity to lead by example. Given Italy's money troubles, the government has stepped up its efforts to collect taxes, including those on religious properties for commercial use. That law has been on the books since 2005, but, apparently, the authorities have let it slide. So, one would hope that the Church will comply with it in good faith, without too much quibbling or hair-splitting. But, knowing the Church, as I do...

The Montana Federal judge who forwarded from his office an e-mail with an outrageous joke about Obama is clearly unfit to continue serving. The joke is extremely offensive to Obama, his mother and his father. Then, the judge, disingenuously, says that he didn't mean it to be racist, and justifies it by saying that he is anti-Obama. Of course he is entitled to his opinion, political or otherwise, but he has to keep them to himself. The place for him to be against the President is in the voting booth. Evidently, the man is so prejudiced that he can't control himself even while performing his official duties. Not only is he a racist, but his partisanship disqualifies him from judging impartially. Anyone who shows such poor judgment in his words and his actions doesn't deserve to be a judge.